Travels: Florida Phase 2 - The 6AM Chronicles
6AM wake up call: It started with a small laugh, then a thud. Followed by what sounded like a herd of tiny elephants above us. Then a shriek. Followed by more laughter. Was this the beginning of the apocalypse?? Were we being overtaken by the aforementioned miniature elephant tribe? If, so, I give in! They would make the cutest little rulers. Turns out we did have miniature-sized overlords, but they came in the form of our nephews (age 5 & 2) and our niece (1 yr).
OK, WE'RE UP, YOU ADORABLE LITTLE RASCAL BABIES! Who could resist waking up to this face anyway?
Following our casino nights trip, we met my family in the gulf for a little family vacation. We haven't been able to get everyone on the same beach vacation in 10 years, so this was pretty special. I grew up going on massive family vacations that included grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and the occasional friend. They were a blast and we desperately wanted to get back to those. So we loaded up our respective families and drove to Santa Rosa Beach, FL for a week of R&R. We wrangled babies, we played games, we drank more than our share of Miller Lite, and we got more sun than I thought my pale butt could handle (reapply sunscreen, people! It really works).
Right before the trip, our oldest nephew, Carson, turned five. Ron really wanted to make it a special birthday and asked his mom & dad if we could give him a guitar. He's such an artistic and imaginative child, so it seemed like the perfect fit. Well, I'd say it went over quite well. I will never forget the look on his face as he opened the box and saw his very own guitar. He instantly wanted to start learning. I'm so impressed with small people and their willingness to attack a new project. They are so open and inquisitive - we could all probably benefit from thinking like a kid a little more often.
All in all, I got to hug my mom and dad a lot, got to snuggle with my little people crew (who knew I'd be so cool with the under 5 set), and got to drink a teeny bit too much with my brothers and their amazing wives who I am blessed to call some of my best friends. Oh, also, all three of my brothers are musically inclined, so we had many late-night porch guitar sessions. Oh, ALSO, we got one super special lighting storm that was pretty awesome to witness (from the security of our house). We're one lucky bunch.
Just added another new song to my Southern Summer Playlist - play along here!
xo,
b
