VACATION!!!

This past week our family was on vacation. The kids thought that we were going to be working around the farm prepping the fields for seed and planting. But Larry and I had been keeping a secret.

When we gathered the kids together to discuss our vacation Larry told the kids that we were going to go look at other farms and see animals. The kids weren't overly thrilled with the idea but when we told them that we would be staying in a hotel where there was a pool that peeked a bit of interest.

So last Saturday (Jess's 15th birthday) after Larry got home from a Men's conference, we packed up the kids and took off on our adventure. We headed south where we stopped off at a rest area (the one with the rocket) inside the Alabama state line and ate Strawberry shortcake and sang Happy Birthday to Jess. Later that evening we ended up in Birmingham, AL where we stayed at a hotel. They were a bit disappointed when we told them that at this hotel we wouldn't be going into the pool. But when we left the next morning we visited Birmingham's really cool zoo. It is really impressive. We were able to ALL get in free since we had our season pass to the local zoo. (At first Birmingham zoo wanted to charge us for some of our kids until they called our local zoo and was informed that ALL of our children were listed under our pass. Their policy is 3 maybe 4 kids at the most.) After spending 3-4 hours there, we were on the road again south.

I have to say I was really impressed with Google maps directions. They got us to our next destination in a way that was so phenomenal. (The kids kept thought we may be lost because we kept passing Tom Thumb Citgo gas stations). We crossed the Florida state line but nobody noticed. Of course the sun was setting as we arrived at our next destination but the way we got there hid where in the world we were as well. We pulled up to our condo (the kids thought it was a hotel) and Larry and I went inside to check it out. We were overly excited since we still hadn't told the kids and they were clueless. So Larry acted as if we were really disappointed in the place and wouldn't be staying there a second night. We took them all upstairs gathered them on the balcony (that overlooks the Gulf Coast mind you) and told them WELCOME TO FLORIDA and the ocean. Shrills and smiles were captured in this mind that I will hopefully never forget.

We took them down that night and let the see it up close (50 yrds. away isn't close enough). The next day we spent in the pool and the ocean making fools of ourselves and LOVING every minute of it. We had our own private beach which wasn't crowded at all. That was quite nice in itself. The next day we went to the Naval Aviation Museum and watched the Blue Angels practice and toured museum itself. Later that evening we went back into the ocean where we spent up until sunset collecting shells and jumping waves. Yesterday morning we all went down one last time to say good-bye to the ocean and take some more pictures.

This was quite a memorable vacation, one I pray makes a lasting impression in the hearts and minds of our kids. We had a great time bonding. Both the trips going and coming went great without any major incidents which Larry and I were very thankful for. We made it safely home last night.

One of the things that touched me the most is that none of the kids would want to live in Florida because they loved their church too much.