Gulf Shores 2012

Okay, we know the airbrushed t-shirts are cheesy, but they have somehow made their way into our family traditions (which are extremely hard for us to break). Delaney went with her usual picture of the family, only this year Sam Nolan was in the picture, too! Sam Nolan got the shark one which was Daddy-approved aka not too feminine.  The blog title gives away our location, but this past weekend we were thrilled to get in a vacation between our busy schedules and two active babies. We absolutely love going to Gulf Shores each summer to soak in the sun and relax, look at the beautiful ocean, swim, and see the sights (BIG thanks to my aunt and uncle)!! :) After two weeks of being back at work for me, tired nights, and hectic baby duties, Eric and I couldn't wait to take our kiddies to the beach! Although, "break" might not be the perfect wording for our trip, maybe "activity-filled expedition"is more like it. :) We woke up at 5:00-ish in the morning, went to the beach, pool, and got back in the room by 9:00. I think it's safe to say we were the "early birds." In the afternoon, we went back to the pool and beach around 6:00, which were definitely more pleasant and less crowded times. We didn't even notice the "Memorial Day crowds" until we went for icecream one night.

This was our "calm" driver on the way there. Too bad I didn't get a picture on the way back when Sam Nolan cried pretty much the entire time and Delaney wouldn't stop messing with her DVD player. His face didn't look quite like this. Haha! Parenthood.

 We left around 12:45 on Friday. Sam Nolan slept and played on the way there. Delaney watched movies and took a nap, too.

 As soon as we got there, we went to the beach.  I didn't take pictures until the day, so here's the crew ready for a trip to the beach early in the morning...

 Sam Nolan was prepared for the summer heat. Sunscreen was a must. :)

 Brother and sister love...

I thought this picture was appropriate to post. Not far off from us a model was posing for pictures, men were peacefully fishing, and this was me. :) Caution: When taking two children to the beach, make sure to overpack, get as much rest as possible, and bring some stamina. This is what either Mommy or Daddy were doing most of the time. Running after Delaney...

 Or feeding Sam Nolan. But this was pretty much expected of the two. He sure did love to beach, though. I'm not sure if it was the sound of the waves or the sounds of Delaney, but he seemed to be more relaxed than ever. :) The hat was also a huge hit with all the ladies...

 I was able to grab her up for one quick picture. Other than that, it was hard to get her to slow down, much less stop.

(Not pictured were the amount of bags we had each time we made a quick visit to the ocean) Eric thinks we need a wagon next time. I did get a picture of the goody bag KK fixed for Delaney. We used it as a reward for her on the way down, when we got there, and on the way back. It was definitely a favorite part of the trip!!

But through those moments of craziness, we were able to sit back, relax, and watch our little girl build her first real sand castle all by herself. 

Watch a seagull close by...

And take a little walk, just the two of us.

This was also a special trip because it was Sam Nolan's first time to put his feet in the ocean.

Then have it covered in sand.

 He was a bit confused with the sand. He touched it, smelled it, looked at it and never really knew what to think of it. It was quite a task trying to keep him from putting it in his eyes or mouth. But it kept him busy.

While Sam Nolan was mesmerized with all the small things in life, Delaney had the time of her life. She was laughing so hard at the waves that would crash into us, that she'd fall into the rolling waters. She said, "Here it comes, Mommy. Here it COMES!!" And then we'd both laugh and laugh.

 She also became entertained with collecting seashells. Most of them were broken, but that was okay with her since she thought they looked like a lot like Little Mermaid's treasures.

Sam Nolan wasn't about to be left out of treasure hunting. He looked for them in places Delaney would never even think of...

Delaney and Daddy did look like "treasure hunters" in their pirate picture. :) After our morning beach time, we went to shop and eat lunch.

 Sam Nolan and I decided to take a "cab" instead of pirate ship. Of course, it was at our favorite family-friendly spot, (at 4:30) The Hangout. Delaney saw princesses and a pirate. She even got a tiara and wand!

We love to eat. Can you tell from our mouth??!

And we snack a lot, too.

As soon as

we got back to the condo, we were in the pool again. This time we went to the indoor pool so we wouldn't worry about getting burned.

 We practiced our swimming skills a little bit more.

 One happy boy!

One day while we were swimming in the pool, a lady said, "I can tell you're proud of your babies." I replied, "Is it that obvious?" She laughed and said, "Yes, I would be, too." Maybe it's a little true, but we just can't help but love our little beach bum babies.