Toes in the Sand 2010

I don't know if I will ever be able to fully blog about our Florida trip!  What a blast we had!  There may be no way to say everything I want to say and remember but you’ve gotta start somewhere!  I believe I’ll start here :)

This was my FIRST trip to Florida, as well as Shelby and Coleman’s, and Jeff’s first for pleasure.  We went with 30 of our TRULY nearest and dearest...

2 grandparents, 9 aunts and uncles, 17 first cousins, and my 2 kids (who are the only "next generation"s so far) and we all made it home without any disownments or injuries.  Can you believe it?!  ;)

We made shirts for the occasion- notice the oil splatters??

However I never saw any oil and we were in the water all 7 days!

Some of my favorite highlights are:
* The first time my kids stepped on the white sand- as Coleman calls it "the sandy beach!"

…and finding out that my boy has a bit of my “brown” skin with less chance of burning (and we went through about 8 bottles of sunscreen people!)…

* Cornhole tournaments on the side yard of the house right across from the beach

* Watching my sweet youngest cousins Sam and Nicole nurture Shelby all week.

* Girls night!!! on the beach where we told deep happy secrets around the circle :)

* Seeing my husband play football and baseball with the younger cousins.

* Sand volleyball on the beach...daily!

(Jeff was missing in this photo but he got plenty of VB time in!)

* Karaoke night (photos to come!)

* Walking as a WHOLE huge family to Badass Coffee company on Karissa's birthday morning and cake that night

* A date of shopping and a fried seafood lunch with Jeffie.

* A day of shopping and an ice cream lunch with my girlie Shelby.

* Sitting on the beach at night around a campfire, listening to cousins Ben & Emily (Carolina Story) play and sing.

* Floating the waves with our babies.

* All of the wonderful home-cooked dinners and prayer time we shared together each night.

* Relaxing for nap time with our tired kiddos under a cold fan in our bedroom.

* Family picture night on the beach.

* Cousins Cousins Cousins! (And Jeff and I are the oldest! Gah!)

* Dinner outside on the Harbor,

       

and seafood

complete with a vintage air show overhead

Followed by fireworks over Destin Harbor.

* A visit to a wine tasting with my sister, uncle, and new aunt!

  

* A family lunch at Pompano Joe’s

 

* Plenty of Dominoes and card games

    

* Watching the kids take some “speed racer” (another Coleman thing) rides with Poppy

What a week we had!  So many relationships made and strengthened, so many laughs (and tears!) shared.  Can we do it again next week?!