The beach was a blast!

Thank goodness we had a vacation at the beach to look forward to when we left north Alabama...I wasn't really ready to leave. There were not enough days to visit all the people and places, but we were thankful to spend time with and at the ones that we did!

We stayed at the Phoenix All Suites in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I highly recommend it! There was a bedroom with a king-size bed, bunk-beds built into the walls (the girls LOVED them), and a pull-out couch we didn't even use, 1.5 bathrooms, and a FULL kitchen. It was everything we needed...and all the rooms are gulf-view. I couldn't believe how much Gulf Shores had changed...we hadn't been there since 2000...long before Hurrican Ivan. There are sooo many more hotels and condos now, but it was still clean...and you just can't beat those beautiful white sand beaches!

I don't think Luke remembered the beach trip we made last year to Port Aransas, because he just didn't know how to react to all of that water chasing him on the sand. ha! He had fun...but he didn't get out too deep. He spent most of his time either just on the water's edge or asking us if we could go to the pool.

The girls received some birthday money from Kim when we were visiting and they promptly spent it on boogie boards once we arrived in Gulf Shores. That provided them (and even me) with hours of water enjoyment! However, every now and then we would find ourselves bolting out of the water due to some strange stinging sensation -- never seeing jellyfish, but feeling like we had been dipped in some of their 'poison.' We learned that if we walked up to the showers at the pool and showered off, we would be fine by the time we walked back down to the beach. It was very strange...we never received a 'good' explaination of it.

Once again it was time to leave BEFORE we were truly ready...although the prospect of everyone in their own beds and no more sand in mysterious places was appealing. More than likely, we won't be making a trip to Alabama every year...but it sure was perfect timing for us to go this year. It made me appreciate both where we have come from and where we are now. It was refreshing to see that being gone for a year hadn't changed the friendships that are still so important to us. I don't know how to describe it...but it made it easier to embrace my life away from Alabama once I got back. Don't get me wrong....I LOVE being back in Texas! The only problem...being back in Texas meant I had to leave Alabama...and I LOVED Alabama too. I think the best way to explain it...this trip taught me that I am allowed to LOVE them both!