Beach Bummed

We decided to close out our super busy and adventurous summer with one last trip as a family of three! We took a long weekend trip to Gulf Shores to get a little sun and just not feel tied to a to-do list like when we're at home.  When we got there Thursday, we quickly unloaded the car and then headed out to see the beach.  Cooper referred to it as "my beach" the whole time, and loved "my new house" (aka our condo).  

We danced in the water some and cherished that beautiful feeling of the waves running over our feet!

We also used this time for some picture taking!  I am so glad we did because this ended up being the nicest weather of the whole trip!  We apparently packed the rain with us because it was very overcast and rained all day Friday and all day Saturday.  I couldn't believe it!  When we got home, our neighbors bragged about how perfect the weather had been that weekend after it has rained almost every day this summer!  I couldn't believe that not only did they get such nice weather while we were gone but that we didn't get any!

Cooper loved the sand. He ran in it, made sand angels, threw it, and just couldn't get enough of it!  Friday morning Cooper had gotten up early, as usual, so I took him out to the beach for a walk so Karl could sleep in some.  What a special little time with him!  We walked and collected seashells and played.  We talked about what we saw and followed our footprints back to the pier.  He loved picking out our footprints in the sand, and I loved the way that Cooper's were never in a straight line-you could tell he was everywhere!  Later that day, I laid down with him for a nap, and as we were snuggled nice and tight, he said, "Mommy, I yuv you footpins (footprints)."  This boy sure does know how to pull my heartstrings!

I love your footprints too, Buddy!

After a good dinner on Thursday, we went to the "dive in movie" at the clubhouse pool and watched The Lorax.  That was one of the highlights of the trip for me!  I loved watching the movie in the pool at night, and then snuggling in our towels and eating popcorn!

Friday started out slow.  After Cooper and I took a walk, we went and got breakfast, and then came back to our room to change into our swimsuits.  Only it was pouring outside, so we went to the indoor pool!  After lunch and naps, the rain had stopped, so we went to the beach despite the yucky clouds.

After some good play time, Niecee and Pappy (Karl's parents) arrived to spend the remainder of the weekend with us, and we took lots of pictures!

This next picture is especially close to my heart.  I have a special necklace I had made before Cooper was born.  I still wear it all the time and am about to order my charm with Jake's name to add to it.  Cooper has always loved playing with this necklace, but he hasn't done it in a really long time.  For whatever reason when Karl was about to take this picture, he started playing with it...

...just like he did when he was 9 months old at this very same place.  

After dinner, the clouds had broken up, and we saw a beautiful sunset...

...and a beautiful rainbow!

Saturday we woke up to the same weather as Friday: cloudy and rainy.  But just like Friday, it stopped raining after nap, so we headed to the beach!

We closed out our day by ordering pizza and taking it back to the beach for a picnic dinner.  We all agreed that might have been our favorite part of the whole trip!  It was just quiet and relaxing and peaceful.  

Sunday we enjoyed another delicious buffet breakfast at the clubhouse, and although it was cloudy, it wasn't raining!  We packed the cars, cleaned up, and put on our swimsuits!  

Karl's parents left around 12:30, and we decided we would just leave when we felt like it.  After Karl and Coop played in the ocean a little more, Cooper wanted his mommy to "hoffle" (hold) him.  I put him in my lap with a towel around him, and he was asleep within minutes!  I love holding my sleeping child any time, but by the water with my feet in the sand, well that's just life at its highest!  Karl took a quick nap in the sand, and then I felt something...and then I felt it again...and then there were more.  Raindrops.  When I looked to my left I saw that a big storm was quickly moving our way!  I grabbed Cooper, and Karl grabbed all our gear, and we booked it to the clubhouse!  We ate lunch while it rained, but then the sun started to peek through.  And it got sunnier and sunnier and sunnier!!!  Karl said we needed to head home, but Coop and I weren't ready, and this was the first time we had actually seen the sun since Thursday afternoon.  We convinced Karl that we could linger a little longer, and Coop and I played in the pool some more.  Around 3:30, we decided that we really should get on our way, but I was so glad we stayed the extra time!

It would have been great to have sunny weather the whole time, but nevertheless, it was a wonderful final vacation as a family of three!  This was the first place we came for vacation as a family of three, and we're already planning on coming here for our first trip as a family of four!