Vacation Day 2 (July 9, 2013)

Dear Gage and Gabe,

We started our first full day of vacation with a little exercise. I strapped you both in the double runner and took off down the road along the beach for a nice run. A lot of people had the same idea, so we saw a lot of runners. We got a lot of smiles and happy looks, and even a few "Way to Go's!" along our 6 mile run. Thank you both for being such great running buddies!

By the time we got back to the condo, it was time to make our way out to the beach. Daddy and I grabbed our tent and chairs and set them up on the beach while you all and Sissy got ready for the day. Lots of sunscreen later, we were out on the beach, enjoying the beautiful day. The weather was perfect! Lots of sunshine and a nice Gulf breeze. The sand was so white and pretty and the water was crystal clear. We could see all sorts of fish swimming around in schools. It was awesome! Last year when we went to Miramar Beach, the water wasn't as clear. This was the first year where we could see the sand below the water. 

Just chillin' on the beach

Gage, you were a little afraid to be out in the water. Both Daddy and I took you out into the waist deep water in our arms and you held on for dear life. You liked how refreshing the water felt, but didn't want to be submerged. You really liked playing in the sand and "building" sand castles (more like destroying sand castles, ha). Poor Daddy would get some towers made and you would come right after him and kick them over! You also liked to run up to the water and get your feet wet. As soon as the tiny waves would crash in, you would take off running the other way.

Gabe, you didn't mind the water at all. You seemed to really enjoy being out there with us. You also loved the sand, and I'm pretty sure you had a few tastes. It seems like right now, everything goes into your mouth! Luckily, you weren't quite crawling at the time of our vacation, so as long as we put you down in the middle of the blanket, you stayed away from the sand. You took a few long naps during our day on the beach.

Gage and Daddy in the water

Playtime for Gabe

Selfie 

Snoozing on the beach. Beach bumming is hard work!

We took a break for lunch and then spent the rest of the afternoon Gulf side. We took a kite with us and after several failed attempts, we finally got the kite flying. I made the mistake of letting you, Gage, hold on the the string. You thought it would be funny to throw it into the air. The kite took off and nearly flew to the road. Luckily, the handle with the string was heavy enough to catch in some of the grass and pull the kite down. I looked quite ridiculous running through the sand, chasing after the kite. After that, we decided NOT to fly the kite anymore.

Gage and Mommy before the great kite chase

After a day full of beach fun, we packed up and went back to the condo. We planned on cooking dinner that night, but did go to a nearby restaurant for some oysters. Gage, you hadn't taken a nap all day, so once you were in the stroller for the 3 minute walk to Rick's Crap Trap, you fell asleep. You didn't get to eat any oysters with us since we all know what kind of bear you are when you're woken up early from a nap.

Eating oysters - Gabe is so sad he couldn't have any. Poor thing.

Snoozing Gage

After we finished our oysters, we went back to the condo to get dinner ready. Gage, you helped Daddy grill the shrimp while I cooked our sides. We brought several garden vegetables with us, so it was a nice home grown feast. While you were outside with Daddy, you made some new friends. Another family from Texas was staying in the same facility as us and they had a 4 year old son named Gage, too. You were confused at first that there was another Gage, but you got over it pretty quickly. Of course when we wanted you, we would have to yell "Gage Joseph" and they would yell "Gage Terry." There was also a younger boy named Raider. You had a lot of fun playing with them!

Gage Terry, Gage Joseph and Raider

We had a great day on the beach!

I love you,
Mommy