Fun in the sun . . .

The Beach!!!!!!

WARNING:  Picture overload!!  :-)

Okay.  So, suffice it to say, I haven't been to the beach in way too many years, so to say that I was excited is the understatement of the year.  Who doesn't love sun, sand and waves?!?!?!  Well, it was a great trip.  It was actually the first time my daughter had gone to the beach.  So, I was more excited to see her reaction and it was a once in a lifetime moment, and will probably never forget it.  I of course, forgot my camera on the first day, so I did not get pictures of the first time on the beach, I did however, get a video of it.  Which is great to watch and will probably use as torture later in her life.

Here is our car ride to the beach:  (she's happy, right?!?!)

But, daddy and daughter spent a lot of time building sand castles and slides (for some reason she wanted a slide more than a castle). Every time daddy would build a castle, she would stomp on it.

So, daddy built a slide.

Then it filled up with water, which was pretty funny!!  And she played in the hole for hours.  She called it her bathtub.  It was definitely a sight to see.

We arrived in Gulf Shores on Wednesday, but it was late in the day.  So, we stepped our feet on the sand and went to dinner.  Then Thursday and Friday we went to the beach and relaxed, and soaked up all the Vitamin D we could get.

We did take time to visit the hotel pool and swim a little.

We left on Saturday, which turned out to be a cloudy/rainy day, so it turned out to be a good day to leave.

I had one request before we left Gulf Shores, I wanted to see the pier.  It was so cool.  I don't think I've seen one like that before.  You would think, being from Michigan and all that I would remember a pier, but I guess I was just too little.  But, people were fishing off the pier and catching really big fish, I have to say it was one of the coolest things that I have seen.  We actually saw a guy catch a shark, he of course, didn't mean to catch it.  You in fact, have to release them, you can't bring them up to the pier.  I took video of that. I can't believe I actually saw a shark on a fish line, OMG!!!!!!

Here is the pier . . . .

So, I hope to think this could be a trip we make every year.  We will see how things go.  It was nice to get away and relax and just enjoy being away from work and the stress that comes along with it.

The End.

My Fall Bucket List

It's Fall.

It's Fall.  This is my second favorite time of the year.  The cooler temps.  It's football season.  I Love football.  I don't actually watch it as much I used to.  But, I will hopefully change that this year.  I have decided to follow the lead of many bloggers before me and make my very own "Fall Bucket List."  So, here goes nothing.

      1.  Make/bake anything pumpkin:  pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, etc.

      2.  Decorate the house for Fall, not just Halloween

      3.  Find the perfect Halloween costume for my daughter (she's two)

      4.  Fall clean the house (like Spring clean, only in reverse, hehe)

      5.  Buy Fall scented candles, then actually use them

      6.  Bake and decorate cookies with my daughter, and not care if she/I get messy

      7.  Start watching football again

      8.  Make something fun before the game, as in football snacks/treats

      9.  Attend church full-time again (I made a New Year's resolution this year that I would attend church, if not for me, at least for my daughter, we did really good until about August, more on that later)

     10.  While I was attending church regularly, we were "reading the Bible in a year"  (I was doing really well, then I started slacking)

     11.  Take my daughter to the pumpkin patch/corn maze

     12.  Try and get professional pictures taken of my daughter (with my favorite photographer)

So, I think that's enough for the list now.  I will mark off each one as I complete it and if I think of any more, I will add them.  I think this is a great way to track the progress of accomplishing tasks.

Do you have a Fall Buck List?  Share it.

Happy Fall everyone.