Destin '09

We had a great time with my parents in Destin last week. Of course, we spent lots of time playing on the beach. The kids all loved going out into the waves and "surfing" in on their boogie boards. I was nervous when the waves were so big, but Clint went out with them and made sure everyone was safe. Luke, who is not a huge fan of the beach, ended up having a lot of fun with the big Tonka dump truck that we got him. Graham spent a lot of time skimboarding, and was really starting to get the hang of it. I think Kennedy was most excited that she found a shark's tooth, but she also really loved boogie boarding and helping me build sandcastles (that were quickly knocked down by her brothers!). Destin beaches are just so beautiful!

Besides hanging out on the beach, we spent some time being tourists as well. On one of the rainy days, we visited the aquarium in Destin. The kids loved it, but it was kind of a sad little aquarium compared to others that we have visited. That night, we all saw Ice Age 3, which was very cute! One day, we visited Panama City Beach and went to the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. Graham absolutely loves doing this kind of thing (who knew that my "wild" child would love museums!?)! We also ate dinner at a neat pirate ship restaurant which was fun. We drove through some of the smaller beach communities, like Seaside, Grayton, and Blue Mountain Beach - all very cute spots. Our favorite restaurant of the trip was The Red Bar in Grayton... great atmosphere and very good food.

Clint, Graham, Kennedy and I went parasailing, which was very cool. Clint and I parasailed about 15 years ago, but I am pretty sure that they go MUCH higher now. We were crazy high, and the kids were not scared at all. Kennedy got to drive the boat when another couple was up in the air, which was neat for her. Unfortunatley, Luke was too little to go, so he stayed with Nana and Popppa (of course, they got him some new toys since he missed out on the action)...

We went on a Dolphin Cruise through the Destin Harbors and then out into the Gulf. It was awesome to see the dolphins swimming out in their natural habitat. The kids also got to take turns driving the boat. They had a lot of fun... My mom and I were both a little sea sick and ready to get back to the dock!

I wanted to get some good family pictures on the beach, but that is always easier said than done. I didn't do a good job of coordinating our outfits when I was packing, and the kids never want to cooperate for pictures, but we did end up getting a few decent ones. It is just too beautiful to miss out on photos! If you would like to see all of our pictures from the trip, click HERE!

I was sad to leave Florida and come back to reality... But it is good to be home! The kids were spoiled on our trip and expect something fun and exciting everyday now... I am counting down the days until school starts! :-)