Destination: Destin

Hey y'all - 

We wrapped up our vacation at Disney and drove northwest to Destin so you two could experience the beach. 

I remember so vividly going on family trips to the beach when I was little. We'd drive over that last hill on the way down to Gulf Shores, and all of a sudden the ocean would appear before me and the road was lined with palm trees and every store had a huge stack of inner tubes and floaties for sale out front, and my heart would race with excitement. 

The ocean was beautiful from our balcony. 

The only hitch in our plan is that the week we were scheduled to go to the beach, temperatures dropped into the 50s, which isn't ideal for folks who want to swim in the ocean. But did that stop our Montana crew? No sirree, Bob.

Dad and Laney especially loved the water, so they went way out on a sandbar and patty-caked. A woman who was walking along the shore in a full-length coat and earmuffs stopped and pointed to Thor and Laney out there and said to me, "There's Dad of The Year right there."

Everybody else just thought they were nuts.

Granny Jack and my aunt Robyn drove down from Montgomery to see us, which was great. Robyn painted Laney's nails and toes, per Laney's request, and then of course had to repaint them because you can't ask a 4 year-old to sit still long enough for the paint to dry.

Laney and Hagen both had fun throwing bits of muffin out to the birds on the balcony. 

Since we were in Destin just a few days before Peg's birthday, and we weren't going to be with her on her actual birthday, we decided to take her out for an early birthday dinner. This is Peg explaining to you guys how old she is. Her left hand is a blur because she had to flash it so many times. 

Several days later, on Peg's actual birthday, we were sitting on the runway in Atlanta, preparing to take off for our trip home. Laney decided we should make Peg a little "movie" to tell her happy birthday:

The best part of the vacation was all of you.

Love,

Mom