Our Week in Destin

Our first trip of the summer was to Destin to visit my Dad. My grandma and aunt came from Atlanta to spend the week with us also. We figured out last year that the 10 hour trip is a lot easier if we leave at about 3:00 in the morning so the kids will sleep for the first few hours. Well, the girls were too excited about going to the beach so they didn't sleep quite as much as we hoped but they still did a fabulous job in the car.

A couple of funny things happened on our way out of town ...#1 Mike realized he had the keys to one of the work trucks in his pocket so we had to stop at the office at 3:30 in the morning to drop them off... #2 As Mike and I were getting in the car, he spilled my entire cup of coffee in the driveway. So he nicely made another pot and thinking I had refilled my cup he dumped out the rest of the pot which meant no coffee for me...#3 Somewhere in Louisiana we got a speeding ticket for about 21 miles over the limit.

With all that being said, the rest of the trip was smooth sailing and we had a wonderful week. The kids all dressed up and waiting to go to church.Grandpa and his granddaughters

Grandpa and Judy got these scooters for Lily and Emery for their birthday. They gave them to them a little early so they could enjoy playing with them while we were there. The scooters turned out to be a favorite of all the kids and...

...even the adults had to take a turn on them. By the look on her face, I'm not sure Aubrey was fired up having Uncle Drew riding with her.

Lily decided to forgo her ride on the scooter to get herself ready to head to the beach. She insisted on wearing her hood because it was a little rainy that day!

My brother and his finance, Kim, made the 12 hour drive from Dallas to Florida to spend a few days with all of us. They weren't there 48 hours before they had to head home to work and finish planning their wedding. It was a short visit but we were glad they were able to enjoy some beach time with us.

Uncle Drew holding the frog the kids found in Grandpa's yard.

Aubrey and Lily were a little hesitant to get in the water so sweet Uncle Drew carried them in. The water was nice and warm for being so early in the summer. We did not see any oil in the water that week although people were definitely on the lookout for it.Emery was the biggest fish of the 4 Hall kids. She loved getting in the water every chance she got. She is a brave little girl.
Mike and I taking a nice, loving picture together......I thought he was being sweet giving me a big hug...
...but it was actually an attempt to throw me in the water :-)
Burying kids in the sand is always a fun beach activity. Daddy and Emery on their way out in the water to catch something!?!?What is it?
A crab!
After a big day of playing at the beach, we went to dinner at a great restuarant that overlooked the ocean.
Grandpa and Judy bought these popsicles that turned out to be a huge hit with the kids...
...and, of course, with Uncle Drew.
Each morning we were able to enjoy some beach time before it would rain. It never lasted very long but we would go back to the house, we would have lunch, rest and then head to the pool. Aunt Carol with the girls.
Growing up we would go to Florida to visit my grandparents in Marco Island and we would go to Destin with friends. In Marco, the beaches are covered with shells but Destin beaches don't have any. So my grandma brought all the big beautiful shells my brothers and I had collected growing up and we secretly threw them out in the sand for the girls to collect seashells. Emery is trying to hear the ocean in one of the shells.
Carter would run and splash in the waves. His laugh was so precious when his feet would get buried in the sand when the water went out.
This is more proof of just how much they look alike...check out the faces they are both making!
This time Aubrey tried being buried standing up.
Afternoon pool time.
Making sand castles.
Lily's turn to be buried in the sand.
One day we went to the pool at my dad's condo. It is a big beautiful pool with a nice baby pool and fun waterfalls.After a full day of swimming and a big lunch, Lily and Emery needed to do some loungin'.
Lily thought it was much easier to chill with Mommy's sunglasses on.Our last day there we went to the "Le Grand Cirque." They put on an amazing show. The kids were so impressed with all the flips, tricks and balancing acts.