Vacation

On Monday, Aunt Mimi called from Dauphin Island and invited us to come, so we quickly planned our trip. Unfortunately, we had two sick little girls. So after a visit to the doctor for Haylie and Brooke, we packed up and left. Knowing that Haylie does not enjoy riding in the car, we decided to drive through the night. That was a long drive, and we were not prepared for the fatigue that would set in. We finally made it to Mobile, and stopped for supplies at the store.

From there, we met Mimi, Byron and the kids on the island to follow them to the house. The house had plenty of room for everyone and we quickly got settled in. It's very hard to function on no sleep, so we all needed naps throughout the day. Tuesday was hard, but somehow the ocean just made it all better.

Wednesday was wonderful! With sleep, there were so many things to do. We played in the sand, ocean, and ventured out a little. We loved watching the dolphins play behind the shrimp boats. Ronnie, Byron, and Austin decided to go fishing on the bay side. They waded in and caught quite a few fish. I guess they weren't the only ones that looked forward to a fish dinner. A black-tipped shark swam up and bit a fish in half. After realizing this, they quickly got out of the water and came back to show off the remainder of their catch.

Thursday, we took a trip on the ferry to Gulf Shores to shop and well, ride the ferry. The birds were hilarious to feed from the boat. They are amazing! We had a great time just playing and looking around. That night, we went on a quest for sanddollars. After hearing that we could find them by the pier, we decided to try it. We found several jellyfish and one stingray, but no sanddollars. The jellyfish light up when they touch something, so between the waves and the kids, there were little green lights everywhere. It was so neat to see at night!

On Friday, we decided to enjoy our last day. So, we went souvenir shopping, ate shrimp, and rented a jet ski. We had fun riding, but definitely didn't need it long. After eating a good meal, we headed down to the deep sea fishing rodeo. A fishing rodeo is a type of fishing tournament, giving boats and monetary prizes. A fisherman had caught a black-tipped shark, so we were able to see the culprit up close. After watching in amazement at the different fish, we finally headed back to the house to pack up. Friday was also a full moon, what a wonderful way to end the trip.

Saturday, we finished packing, cleaning, and left. How sad to leave such a beautiful place. We came home a different way so we could go through New Orleans. It is a beautiful city with so many cultures and sights. After enjoying gumbo and creme brulee, we headed to the French Market. Since it was raining, we never found a parking place and left without getting to go in. But, Morgan was begging to leave. The culture shock hit her hard and she was scared to get out! We also decided to venture off to Tunica on the way home. Almost every hotel was booked, and we stayed in the last room of one. The room stunk, had spiders and was dirty. What a fun venture. We decided that Tunica was one place we would never try to visit again!

Sunday, we were back on the road. We stopped at Mammoth Springs, AR, for lunch. The girls were ready to stretch. Home felt so far away, but we finally got there. Ronnie's grandma was waiting and relieved when we pulled in. She watched our puppies while we were gone.

Every morning, we ate breakfast on the deck, overlooking the ocean. We enjoyed playing in the water, sand, and the well-needed relaxation. It was very odd to see the damage from the hurricane. Many owners lost their homes and land. The sand shifted from one side of the island to the other, so second tier homes became oceanfront, and bayside now has more land, but their docks are in the sand, not even touching the water. The kids loved feeding the sand crabs, and catching hermit crabs.