Highlights

Yes we are back.
Yes it was awesome.

Yes I am having a hard time getting back into reality again.

There is something about the beach that is so refreshing, relaxing, mesmorizing, peaceful, thoughtful, fun, and makes you forget there is a real world waiting when you return.

There are many highlights and fun stories, but I am going to outline the trip by each person of the family.

Lets start with LanaLou.
I told Stacy on the way home last night that there are so many things that I would have missed out on over the past 6 years if she wouldn't have been here to point them out.

This weekend was no exception. Lana's constant chatter does at times get to the point where you tune it out, but usually it is filled with amusing comments.

Lana stepped foot onto the beach and immedietly saw the smallest of shells, the sparkle in the sand, the sun shining on the water and immensly enjoyed every second of the beach. She just naturally finds beauty and contentment in everything she sees and does.

The only thing that she didn't like was the salt water. Everytime the water got in her mouth she would run to her towel and lick it. I'm sure that helped! It was very funny.

When we went to Gulf World Marine Park, Lana got to be in the Sea Lion show. If you knew Lana even a year ago, you know that this is a BIG deal. She used to be afraid of every thing, and now she stood in front of a 400 pound sea lion. It was so cute. I only took video, so no picture, but the trainers had her do things for the sea lion to imitate and then at the end she got to shake hands with it. It was very cool! Later in the day she had her picture made with a dolphin while she held on to its fins. Also very very cool!

Putt Putt with Lana is a painful experience. She doesnt putt as much as she guides the ball. We only got to play 7 holes because of rain, but I assure you it was a Loooong seven holes, but was also a lot of fun!

Last night on the way home she saw dolphins in the clouds! It is so much fun to be around Lana because she just enjoys everything. These are some picture that capture her this weekend.

Moving on to Logan. He is a strange mix of boyishly fun and old manishly intense. He worries too much about whats coming next so has a hard time living in the moment, unlike his free spirited sister.

Logans first impression was that the beach was beautiful, it was big, and it was annoying. Every wave that knocked him down he took personally. He also thought that he could conquer the ocean and really has no fear of it. The first evening everytime a wave would hit him, his swim suit would come down, which was hilarious!

He had a great time in the ocean though and really enjoyed going out into with his Daddy.

Another thing he enjoyed was drawning. The first night's sunset he sat there and drew it and said he was going to do that every night. It was neat to see the beauty of everything effect him in a way that he wanted to caputure by drawing.

My favorite time with him was one night he and I sat out on the balcony around midnight and just chatted and looked at the ocean. We had a great talk and I just felt like I could die right then a very happy lady.

Logan also stayed up really late every night learning how to play Chess with our friend Ken.

Since I know nothing about chess I couldnt tell you how he did. I do know that he liked it and it was really cool of Ken to do that with him.

He also had a great experience at Gulf world. He was asked to be a part of the Dolphin show. I'm telling you, my kids could not have had a better experience! We thought he was just going down to the tank with some other volunteers to do some imitation stuff, and then all of a sudden we see him on the other side, on the platform with the trainers! At one point the trainer was telling him she needed him to go to the bottom of the 15 foot tank to get her whistle. Wrong fearless kid to say that too. She told him to get a running start AND HE DID! She had to stop him from jumping in. It was so funny. Then he got to hold a fish in his mouth and hold it over the tank for a dolphin to get...which it didn't...and then do some other things with the dolphins. It was an amazing experience for him. He got his picture made shaking a dolphins fins too.

Logan is all boy and has a huge appetite too. It is starting to cost a lot more to feed this kid. One night he had steak and the next night he discovered crab legs...by the plateful!!!

Logan is fun to be around because he is so thoughtful about things and with him, the world around you has so many adventures and possibilities and he makes you think about things.

These are some of my favorite pics of him.

Moving on to my dear husband. He is the one that needed a vacation most of all. He works way to hard and lots of long hours, so this trip was really important for him.

It was amazing the first day to see the stress melt off of him. If you have a husband that is frequently stressed by there job, then you know what I mean when I say that it was nice to have my husband back.

The drive down we just chatted and sang and enjoyed being together. Then while we where there, it was so great to see him playing in the water with the kids and really being a kid himself. Because of his Chrones and the many side effects of it, he can't really run around or do crazy stuff...but he could play in the ocean, and it was so refreshing to see him do that.

He bought some floats and took him and Logan out to a sand bar to jump the waves.

He showed Lana how to stand still and dig your feet into the sand and let the water come up around you.

He took me para sailing! He was so brave and tough about it and I was scared out of my mind.

You know Stacy has an artsy flare about him as well and he took some amazing sunset and night time pictures.

He went to bed around 10 every night and got up at 7 and enjoyed quiet time to himself on the balcony, reading and enjoying the ocean.

I just can't tell you enough how refreshing it was to see him be refreshed. He was worry free, and he rested, and he played. All things that he doesnt normally do. It really really really did my heart good to have him like that for a few days.

The thing I love about Stacy is that he lives and enjoys the moment. The whole weekend I knew that he was enjoying himself because he made it known, and you could see it written all over his face. I love that about him.

These are some of my favorite pictures either of him or that he took.

Plus just look at how handsome he is!

As for me...I just thouroughly enjoyed being with my husband and kids and being with our friends Ken and Gwendy.
It was such a great time to reconnect and interact.
The best part was just watching them enjoy themselves. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.
It was such a Spiritual renewal as well...just sitting and watching and listening.
God is so obvious in His creation and I do not cease to be amazed by not only what He has done, but what He does daily in my life.
I am beyond words thankful that we had this little getaway retreat. It really was needed on so many levels.

And if you are still reading, then you are a true friend!!!!