Photo Shoot at the beach

Every year I have grand plans of taking beautiful beach pictures and somehow we always save it until the day we are going home and I make us go outside and take pictures anyway while we are supposed to be packing up!  I am glad we had the beach photo shoot though - I think we got a few cute ones!  Excuse the picture overload... these are for the benefit of the grandparents!

I think this one is my favorite!

sweet little toes in the sand!

Posing...



Up close and personal!




Her hair looks so red in these pictures!




1...2...3... JUMP!



She looks like she's singing a song...

Family Beach Trip 2012

Last week, Addy & I joined my mom, dad and sister for a week at the beach!  My aunt Lynne and Bob were finishing up their vacation so we were glad to get to visit with them on Monday and Tuesday before they headed home!  Courtney came down after work on Thursday and we met up with Mia & Pop in Destin Friday night for dinner!  SO, needless to say, we got to spend time with lots of family!!  These pictures are somewhat out of order... blogger didn't want me to combine iPhone pictures plus pictures from two cameras into one blog post!  Oh, and p.s. this might be long and boring if you are not one of the people named above :)

Monday night we ate dinner at Capt. Anderson's.  It was delicious!!

Lynne & Bob left late Tuesday so we saw them for most of the day... Addy watched Bob put out the flags (an American flag and an Alabama flag!), Lynne read books with Addy and this was the great view we had just off the deck...

Our normal schedule at the beach is to go out mid morning and play until lunch, take a nap and then go back out until dinner.

 Addy looks so big to me compared to last year...

July, 2011

 July, 2012

July, 2011

July, 2012

 Friday was a dreary day (but who cares because we were at the beach, right??) so we drove over to Destin and shopped a little before meeting up at Captain Dave's for supper - they have the best crab claws!  And I have never ordered anything I didn't like! 

We always sit guys vs. girls... it's just easier that way!

We tried to get pictures on the deck after dinner but the wind was blowing and we all had crazy hair. 

After supper, Mia & Pop took Addy to the mall to ride the train!  They also picked out some new "big girl panties" for Julie at the build a bear store!  Courtney and I got in an hour of shopping before we picked Addy up and headed back to Panama City!

 Before going to Pier Park our last night... I love sister pics!

We saved the carousel for last... Saturday night we ordered take out from Bayou Bill's so we could maximize our time on the beach and we all got quick showers and went down the road to Pier Park. We had so much fun!  Addy rode the carousel twice (once with JJ, once with Daddy Jim) and she rode the balloon ride with KK (whew!).  She also got a princess crown painted on her forehead (looks like a sunburn in these pictures!).  The line was too long or we might've had some takers for the ferris wheel.  Then we all walked to Kilwin's for ice cream! 

I thought this was a cute picture!

Saturday beach fun... built sand castles, looked for mussels in the sand, walked on the beach...

I had to put this one so we could remember that although Addy LOVES going to the beach, she can be a tad particular about things... sand in the bathing suit is one of her pet peeves and it is a day ruiner!!!  Unless you have some chex mix in the bag!

These were from Tuesday... the water was BEAUTIFUL that day (seaweed came later in the week). 

Wednesday we went to the park at Wild Heron.  Mom, KK and Addy were swinging together!

Thomas Donut Shop is close to where we stay and we waited in line 45 minutes on Friday morning to get a dozen donuts!  They did not disappoint... we went back Sunday!  Our favorites were powdered (Addy), apple (me), chocolate (Mom), key lime (Dad), blueberry (Courtney) and red velvet (I think, KK)... a good vacation treat!

Beach, 2012

We went to the beach three weeks ago - just the three of us!  We were there for a whole week and we had the best time... we decided that vacations get more fun with Addy each year because she can do a little more than the year before.  Eating out was definitely easier this year than last!  And she still loves the sand! 

Ready to go to Bayou Bill's Sunday night...

 



She was skeptical of the ocean at first but she liked "jumping" the waves



  Monday we stayed on the beach as long as we could - Courtney picked up take out that night and we enjoyed walking on the beach after dinner and watching the sunset!




Addy showed off some silly faces... and planted a big fat kiss on Daddy's cheek!



By Tuesday, we all needed a little break from the ocean and the sun so we headed down the street to Gulf World.  We all liked the sea lion show the best but they had a dolphin show, reptile show and lots of animals to look at - tropical birds, giant turtles, sharks and penguins!



The dolphins were fun to watch!!

Tuesday afternoon, we drove over to Destin to do some shopping and eat dinner at Courtney's favorite - Captain Dave's.  We stopped at Kilwin's on the way home for some delicious ice cream which I don't have a picture of - it was gone in a hurry!

Wednesday morning we drove over to Wild Heron for Courtney to get some exercise while Addy & I (and Julie!) played at the playground.  Then we all took a dip in the pool and had a picnic lunch at Lake Powell before we headed back home for a nap and some fun on the beach that afternoon.

Swinging with Julie

"Riding" her toy boat in the pool!

Later in the week the tide made a "cliff" that we had fun sliding down and climbing back up

Waiting on the water to come up and rinse her hands

 Wednesday night we ate supper on the deck - steamed shrimp, yellow rice, salad and dessert!

One, two, three... jump!

Cheese!

We discovered the sandbar on Wednesday and had so much fun playing in the shallow water on Wednesday and Thursday.  Addy napped on the beach under the umbrella on Thursday while Courtney dug a huge trench to the ocean :)  None of us wanted to go inside because it was our last day!  But we wanted to eat somewhere fun our last night...

Thursday  night we ate at The Back Porch over at Pier Park... we planned on riding the carousel after dinner but a HUGE rain shower came while we were eating and all the rides closed!  Since it was right down the street from where we stay, we went back Friday morning before we came home so Addy could ride!

We also rode the train and the hot air balloon ride (which almost ended badly for me and Courtney!)

We had an amazing time and are so thankful my aunt Lynne & Bob allowed us to "borrow" their house for the week!

Addy had so much fun building sandcastles and knocking them down.

Big Bird flying high...

Addy was so excited that they got to fly a kite!