Making Memories-Beach 2011

 

Over Memorial Day weekend (Friday-Wednesday), Levi, Avery, and I headed down to Sand Destin for some much needed relaxation. Work has been quite stressful for us both lately, so we were ready for more than a weekend of not hearing the alarm clock sound at 5:15. While there, we split our time between the beach, lounging by the pool, taking naps, eating really great food, and of course shopping. My uncle's town house is just across the street from the outlets, so I buy a whole season of clothes for us all each time we go...you cannot beat the prices, especially on Memorial Day weekend. We are very thankful that Don is so generous and allows us to stay there when we visit.

Her first trip was back in September, right after she turned 1. She loved the waves and water then, but wasn't too sure of the sand. She has never really liked anything to stick on her hands, and sand as we all know, sticks to everything. This year she was a little more fond of the sand...once she figured out that it could be used to make shapes and to play in, all was good.

Ya'll she LOVED the waves. Though some may consider it bad parenting, we took her out with us (where the water was a little over waist high) and let her experience the roll of the waves as they came in. She laughed uncontrollably each time Levi or I would jump one...even the salt water splashing in her face seemed to make her giggle. I am so thankful for her laid back personality.

I have always hoped that Avery would love the water as much as I do. Since I grew up with a pool, swimming was a big part of my childhood. So far, she loves the pool too. Even jumping off the side to Levi or I wasn't too scary for her! She wanted so badly to jump out of our arms and swim on her own...I can't wait to watch her as she grows into a little fish!

A trip to the beach with Levi isn't complete without searching for sand crabs with only a flashlight and the glow of the moon. Avery loves bugs, amphibians, and well really anything that crawls. Since she isn't intimidated by creepy crawlers, we have had to really explain to let Mommy and Daddy know before touching anything that moves. This was an awesome experience for her. She was mesmerized with each little crab that was thrown into her bucket. She even touched them! After catching 6, we decided to call it a night and let them go back to see their mommies :) That is about the only way we can get her to let anything we catch go.

My mom and her friend Dale were down for the weekend portion of our stay and kindly watched Avery so that Levi and I could enjoy dinner out by ourselves. We have eaten at a lot of different places in the Destin/Ft. Walton/Sand Destin area and were looking for something new. I looked up reviews and found a place called 790 on The Gulf on Old Scenic 98. If you are down there, we highly recommend it. They have a happy hour menu from 4-7, with amazing prices. The outside seating is right on the beach (not above). Beautiful views and not a lot of people know about it yet.

Before   we knew it, we were packing our bags and heading back to Auburn. I am truly convinced that beach time is faster than time at home during a work week! I amthankful for the memories we made on our trip...life is just so full right now!

I Know She Will Make A Great One!

Big Sister that is! Avery will be the proud big sister to Baby Elliott #2, who is due to make his or her debut around February 18th, 2012. I am 11.5 weeks and still feeling pretty icky...I am not complaining though, as we are humbled that God has given another sweet baby to our family. Today was my 2nd doctors appointment and I got to hear the heartbeat for the very first time, it was 179. I am measuring 2 weeks ahead and definitely have a small bump. We will hopefully find out if the baby is a boy or girl when we have our ultrasound in 4 weeks, on September 7th! I am anxious to see if my due date stays the same, since I am measuring a little ahead.

If you asked Levi or I when Avery was born how long it would be before we started trying again, we would have given you a definite, they need to be at least three years apart. God changed our hearts and they will end up being 2 and a 1/2 years apart which is absolutely perfect for our family's needs! I know that there will be hard moments, but I am praying that Avery will just be crazy about her sibling! She already talks to the baby and pretends to hold it, but 99% of her day I would say the thought of occupying her space with someone else doesn't cross her mind.

We are excited to finally share our big news with everyone and ask for your prayers as we prepare for this change! I would be lying if I didn't say that I am nervous and a little scared of the transition. However, I trust that God is going to equip us to be the best parents possible to our little ones.