Greetings from... A Royal Departure...

"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air..."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson
***

All adventures seem to find their way to a conclusion. Yet it is in the final moments that we reflect on the events and marvel at their surreality. The steps that took us to the final scene, the moments that captured our breath and left us wanton; those glimpses of magic that remind us of all that fascinates and the surge of pleasure we get when we realize how amazing this life is.

Our Royal Adventure to the Gulf Coast has been truly an adventure. We came hoping to find a fun and fantastic vacation and leave with the child like exhaustion of a day in the sun. We are tired, we are tan, we are moving a bit more slowly, reacting with a bit more snark and grudgingly collecting all our goodies before the long drive home. Yet with every single damp towel, sand crusted flip flop, empty suntan bottle and over stuffed suitcase - we pack up a week's worth of smiles, a lifetime's worth of memories and the pleasurable feeling of returning to normal life knowing that we just spent 8 days having a blast with close family....we also know it will be around 2 -3 years before we do this again so we breath a little easier.

I have enjoyed this week and all its activities, waking each morning at 6 a.m (my dog decided to try a new time schedule...WHILE ON VACATION! ;o) ), wandering the sandy shores & wading in the water collecting seashells until after 9:30 a.m., then gathering together to discuss the day's options. So many of us, so many places to go, things to see and pictures to take. We are a big group and getting around restaurants, movie theaters and the swimming pool can be overwhelming but we do it and we love it. Yes, there are occasional snide moods and snarky teenagers, whining young ones and grumpy adults but the in between, the up & around, the middle moments are when we shine. I am thankful to have a wonderful family. One that likes to have me around and welcomes me with open arms.

We missed those that had to leave early and there were a few who were unable to attend at all due to uncontrollable injuries (yep a broken arm and foot fracture was not the worst that struck our family but that is another story - one that today has high hopes for a good recovery in the next months). We are all at such different points in our lives. We move in so many directions that often a printed map would definitely help us keep up if not get us to where we should be. It is trips like this one, full of laughter & excitement that finds the checkered flag on our personal GPS systems. It allows a win that we were not expecting, that feeling of contentment similar to winning a prize and wanting to display it on the shelf.

So here..my prize, my trophy is to sit upon this blogging shelf and shine for me to remember and for you to enjoy...

Kristin & Me driving up and down Front Beach (don't worry we are at a stoplight) ;o)

Me & My sister Nina!My niece Anna hula hooping at J Michael's restaurant - you can barely see the hula hoop spinnng around her..

Broken arm and all...texting is still the utmost important thing to a 16 year old..

Kristin in the Hot Seat at Ripley's - one handed she made it to 3000 points, not too shabby...

Watching the dolphins play...

Kristin & me on the dolphin cruise...

The "Spearhead" my sister stepped on while shellseeking...she is adamant about it being a giant arrowhead or spearhead. I must say the shape is definitely interesting as is a mark at its base that resembles an indention of where a post may have been..either way it is her treasure...

A snippet of the shells collected each morning...

A few of my favorites..

So there you have it...my trophies, my lovelies, my memories...treat them well and I hope you enjoyed perusing our Royal Ramblings...

Have a Fantastic Friday & Wonderful Weekend...check in on Monday for the return of Monday Memos & the winner of the Harper Lee Prize Package..

Greetings...from a Royal Adventure....

So here we are... Tuesday...day 4. The kids are happily swimming in the pool, my brother & girlfriend are walking the sand dunes, my sister is laying on the bed, Kristin is beside me watching Lopez and well I am missing my hubby. He had to go back today due to work (don't worry we knew he would have to leave early) and well a vacation is just not as much fun without my hilarious and wonderful Marcus.

The other night our entire crew went to dinner...yeah..its a fun outing (don't warn the waitress its much more fun to see the fear on their faces when they first seat us...)

This is just a snippet...(Click to enlarge - I am taking this particular photo-do note this isn't all of us..)

We have two children here with injuries: one in a hand cast (Kristin) and one in a toe to knee cast on crutches (my nephew Coy)...this means they can't go to the beach and get in the water. BUT! Wait!! they CAN go to Ripley's Believe It or Not! & WonderWorks!! So who volunteers to take them? Why, me & Marcus! It was a blast. We all enjoyed the exhibits then we had a wonderful lunch at a beachside restaurant...

Yes, my husband and nephew are crazy...but we love'em...

But this morning me, Kristin, & Marcus woke up at 7 a.m. to go lay on the white sands of the Emerald Coast.

We literally got out of bed, grabbed our mats - towels - snacks - umbrella and headed to the sandy edge. We stretched out and...... went back to sleep listening to the waves...did I mention:

It is beautiful here!

(Check out the rainbow)

"I dropped a tear in the ocean... whenever they find it, I'll stop loving you..."


Enjoy what remains of a Terrific Tuesday!

Good Morning...from the Gulf Coast...

Good Morning my blogging friends.... I have been sporatic and poorly posting lately...for that I greatly apologize.

BUT there have been some extenuating circumstances.

In the past month my family has grown by one.

We now welcome Kristin to our family. She is my sixteen year old niece and is now a permanent member of our household. We have been working on legal documentation, school enrollment, driver's license tests, shopping, redesigning, redecorating, laughing, smiling and loving the new addition to our lives.

Right this moment my husband and her are still sleeping as I sit on the balcony of a beach home on the Gulf Coast. I can hear the early morning beach traffic, the waves crashing and feel the sun warming my skin. My little dog Peanut is beside me sniffing the air - no doubt reveling in the myriad of scents. Downstairs my other nieces and nephews are waking up and stirring in the lower floor, above me my sister and a few other nieces and nephews are moving as well. On the first floor (we have 3 floors) my parents are quietly stirring and walking out towards the pool...

YES! we are on vacation. 9 days, beach fun, warm sunshine and lots of family. More will arrive this afternoon and then we will be here - a large group of people who genuinely enjoy each other's company.

We are here to relax, to bond, to indulge and to support the coast that we have loved our whole lives. The beaches truly are open and I will be uploading photos beginning this evening and letting you all vicariously enjoy the beautiful Gulf Coast; also so you can begin to plan your next vacation in hopes you might frolic in our pure white sands...The oil spill has wreaked havoc on perception of our coast and well, I want to let you see how it is really doing.

So enjoy the day, have some good food, and check back later for more info on these announcements:

*I have been dancing around 300 followers for a while now and well its about time for a F.I.C. (Follower Incentive Contest). I will be finding a special 'beachy' prize while I am down here as well as some other prizes. So be SURE to check in on all of that.

*Don't forget the To Kill A Mockingbird Contest ends next week so go enter it too (click on the sidebar link)!

Now I am headed to get some breakfast and see what the day holds...

"A vacation is having nothing to do, and all day to do it in..."

-Robert Orden

Have a Sunny Sunday!