Obligatory Labor Day Beach Post: Yummy Pics Included!

We stayed here:

....Which happens to be in Ft. Morgan, Alabama - interesting enough, a "barrier" peninsula. It's purpose is to protect the Port of Mobile (big shipping stuff, peoples). Basically... this thing is about a 1/2 a mile wide - you can see both the Gulf of Mexico if you look south and the Bay of Mobile if you look north. It seems positively insane to me that people would build homes there. With a 10 ft. storm surge, the entire thing doesn't exist (and this happens often with Tropical Storms and Hurricanes).

See that last tiny part that is mostly white? That's where we stayed, and it is, at some points, no wider than a football field (or less). Bonkers.

As a matter of fact, 24 hours into last year's Labor Day vacation, we were put under a mandatory evacuation and spent almost 8 hours driving what normally takes 4 to get back home. It was both scary... and totally awesome...... I'm a complete weather nerd.

Both the Gulf and the Bay are filled with Oil Rigs or Platforms or Those Things In the Ocean that Get The Good Stuff... and I say... BRING EM ON! From our beach house, I could count 30 on a clear day (and there was only ONE clear day... so.)
MORE!
OIL!
PLEASE!

Actually, for those who attempt to argue that these platforms are an "eye sore" and therefore we should depend on a bunch of Middle Eastern A-holes that hate Americans and hike up prices because They Can - they let me present to you, the Twinkling Of The Oil Rigs:

It really is pretty at night :) And nothing is more beautiful than domestic oil...

Sigh.

I had a difficult time getting pictures of Conner during this trip, but here are a few highlights:

I don't have a clue what's up with the gang signs or the dinosaur claws... it's just Conner These Days.

Annnnnyhooters...

Oh! And speaking of hooters - I have a 'Chase Tan Line' because well... he just isn't a fan of Things That Make Him Sandy or  Water That Makes Him Chilly. He's so my son. So, he spent a lot of time like this:

Like the Obligatory Boob Grab? He's smooth like that. I've GOT to get it through to him that I'm his MOM.

Here's his non-enjoyment of all things that could be possible annoyances to His Majesty:

No sand? No water? NO PROBLEM!

He gets overloaded often with high-intensity, highly-social situations - fried and totally overwhelmed. It's during those times he just says "screw you guys, I'm going to go chill". And so he does, without any help, I found him like this:

Like I said, he's my son....

I also got a big floppy beach hat! I've always wanted a big floppy beach hat! Target! On Clearance! Originally $20something, I snagged for $5ish! WOOT!

The End.

Checks In the Mail

It was like "Where's Waldo" around Teh Internets for 3 days. You guys went nuts. Ge'ez. I am so GIDDY you guys went SO NUTS. You must heart me.

Obviously, you all noticed I went radio silence from Sunday through today. Yeah...uh... sorry about that.

Out of nowhere, my favorite family (other than mine) invited me on their family trip to Ft. Walton/Eglin AFB/Staci Wishes It Were Destin, FL. I am NOT an impromptu kinda gal, but as it turned out, Michael was going to be gone for business/family obligations and I accepted the offer and packed the 3 of us and cleaned the house in about 6 hours.

I would lurve lurve to tell you all about everything we did, but I'm super busy, super tired and just plain WORKING ON IT.

I learned a few very important lesson's in the process, and also managed to remind myself of a few important one's I'd forgotten... Here goes!

• As much as I complain about living in the middle of nowhere, I do NOT live in the middle of nowhere. These people live in the middle of nowhere:

  

• Trying to run a blog without wifi is like trying to run a restaurant without a kitchen.
• No Internet access for more than a day is EXACTLY LIKE HELL. Except in Hell, the lack of Internet will also be accompanied by the smell of sulfur and 24-hour/7-days a week Michael Jackson news coverage. Oh, and MJ himself.
• Being a single parent must so suck (to a degree) (not that I didn't have ARM FULLS OF HELP while at the beach - I just single parented in the car and while packing and a few additional times).
• I missed Michael. I hate him travelling. Going to the beach without him made me cry. Thankfully, my friends were very supportive (and I heart their faces).
• I have a new respect for parents of children with ADHD. THIS IS ME LOOKING AT YOU CONNER!
• I will never have 5 kids.
• Pictures of 5 kids in birth order couldn't get cuter than this if you tried. So don't.

  
  

• No matter how hard you try, sand will get into your PB&J.
• Children do not nap on beaches.

  

• SPF is important.
• Noxzema makes your hands burn.
• Sunburn on your bestie makes for a bed full of heat.
• The Slap Chop guy ("you'll love my nuts") and the Sham Wow douche ("follow me camera guy") (oh, and both the same guy...) have nothing on Nick selling the HerStyler Flat Iron in a Eglin AFB Mall.

  
  

• Staci has the corner on haggling salesmen using biblical references.
• I have her wing man position with well-placed sarcasm.
• The death of a friend will never be fully understood. The pain becomes less obvious, but never lessens in its intensity. Watching someone you love learn about that loss is also equally as painful. (Post to come)
• How God works in certain peoples' lives is simply astonishing. (Post to come)
• I never knew how much freedom in "daily life" our military and their families give up to fight for and maintain OUR freedom. Really. It's mind blowing and POST TO COME. Good stuff.