Vacation 2011

*** I will warn you . . . this is a looong post! ***

Last week’s family vacation to Panama City Beach is definitely one I will never forget. 

The night before we left, our AC decided to go out. Being the packing procrastinator that I am, I was nowhere near finished packing. So, spending the night with a friend was out of the question. I had way too much to do. My only option was to pack in the comfort of my 80 something degree house. A sweet friend brought a big fan over for Kyle and I to put in our bedroom, so we were all able to sleep comfortably. At first I was in a panic, thinking how am I going to get this fixed while we are gone. However, another one of my sweet friends volunteered to take care of it all. She and her husband had everything back to normal by the time we came home!

Sydney’s first dance recital was also the next morning. Our house cooled off some overnight, so getting ready was not too bad. We loaded everyone and everything into the car . . . on time . . . and headed to Nashville for the recital. Sydney was awesome!! She was only on stage for probably less than 6 minutes altogether, but it was totally worth all the time and money spent on classes!!! It was precious!

After the recital, we took a couple of pics and stopped to eat with my parents and Kyle’s parents to celebrate my father-in-law’s birthday. Then, we said goodbye to my in-laws and headed to the beach with my parents. The girls were great during the trip. . . Harper slept and Sydney watched movies. We arrived in PCB around 11 p.m. Thus, began our week of fun and relaxation. This year my aunt and cousins decided to rent a unit in our building to join in the fun!

 One thing I always look forward to on vacation (besides spending time with my family) is getting to eat my parents’ delicious breakfasts every morning . . . homemade biscuits, white gravy, chocolate gravy, bacon, and sausage!! I don’t get to eat those breakfasts much anymore since I can’t cook like they do! 

My parents and brother were a HUGE help with taking care of the girls. It makes it seem like more of a vacation when you don’t have to worry about every diaper change, feeding, etc.  I couldn’t imagine going on vacation without them!!

Sydney and Harper both had a great time! This was Sydney's fourth trip to PCB, and Harper's first. Sydney loved swimming in the pool, playing in the sand, and splashing around at the edge of the ocean. Another of her favorite things to do was ride the "meeeery-go-round" at Pier Park. Harper just enjoyed being held ALL of the time and napping on the beach. Sydney was so sad when we had to leave. She kept asking, "Are we going to come back tomorrow?"

Another great part of our week was being able to catch up with our “PCB family.” No, we don’t have relatives in Florida. They are actually a group of friends that we have known for many years.  In 1985, my parents purchased a timeshare at Landmark Resort. If you are unfamiliar with how a timeshare works, my parents basically own that unit for the same week each year.  We have stayed in the same room since I was Sydney’s age . . . don’t worry, it has been remodeled and upgraded over the years. If I’m remembering correctly, there has only been one year when my family has missed our week in PCB.  Like my parents, several other families purchased at the same time. So, we have all been vacationing together for 20+ years. Many of us that were children when our parents purchased the units are now married with children of our own. They are already starting to develop friendships that I’m sure will continue over the years. We have so much fun each year that I could not imagine going anywhere else!

While most of the memories of this week are good, Monday was a very sad day. A gentleman from Tennessee who was staying in our building drowned while trying to help his son. Thankfully, the son was pulled to safety. By the time rescuers reached the father, it was too late. I do not know the family personally, but my heart aches for them.

At the conclusion of our week, we dropped my brother off at the airport and headed back to Tennessee. While traveling through Alabama, we witnessed a terrible three-car accident. It literally happened right in front of us. Thankfully, there were no fatalities in the accident. God was truly protecting us during our ride home. 

Well, that was our week!! I'm looking forward to next year and hoping it will be filled with only happy times!!! :)