Summer vacation part 1

We just returned from a week long vacation to Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Technically, we were gone for 9 1/2 days.

We loaded down for the trip!

These kids are some good travelers!

Confession: I bought a selfie stick and I love it.

We stopped in Jackson, Mississippi for the night on the way down. We ate at a place called The Froghead Grill. It was really good!

Earlier that day, we had stopped for lunch at MacArthur park in Little Rock for lunch. We had wildlife to keep us company while we ate.

 A beautiful blue heron landed in the water and then proceeded to procure his lunch.

The kids were shocked!

I was impressed and so glad I had brought my big camera to the picnic table!

I bought each of the kids one of these Ultimate road trip atlases for the trip. They had a good time with them! I packed plenty of other activities as well!

We went through a storm and got to see the wonderful display of beauty.

FINALLY we arrived in Florida!!!

I shared this on Instagram about our trip:

Life has been difficult the last 9 months for a few reasons- health, loss, stress, busyness, grief, weather and not getting enough time with loved ones. I've never needed a vacation and sunshine like I do right now. I need renewal. I need a refilling of joy. I'm looking forward to soaking up the beach, spending time with my Savior, loving my people, and eating some good food.

We stayed on Okaloosa Island which is part of Fort Walton Beach.

The view from our balcony!

White sandy beach!

We ate in Destin on our first night. It was a short 10 minute drive from where we were staying.

We LOVE calamari!

Our view at dinner!

The Harbor Walk Marina.

Sunday was Father's Day and the kiddos made cards for him! I love love love the cards that they make!

C Girl is in her element when she is in dirt and sand!

We loved this view so much!

We had so much fun playing at the beach!

We also had a lot of fun at the pool at our condo! The kids are swimming now and they could not get enough of the pool!

Using the selfie stick to get a family selfie before dinner!

Stewby's was a little hole in the wall "shanty" that we had dinner at one night. It was SO good!

B Boy tried lots of new foods on the trip and insisted on adult meals most nights!

This smoked fish dip was spicy, but very good!

We loved relaxing on the balcony.

I caught up on a lot of reading while we were gone.

We loved beach service! Umbrellas are awesome on the beach!

This boy was a bigger fan of the pool than the beach this year.

We fit in some Mexican food and it was super yummy!

We had a gorgeous ocean and pier view from our table!

We love shrimp tacos!