This was one of the last pictures taken on our 4th annual summer vacation: the beach at sunrise. It represents calmness, tranquility, and serenity: three adjectives that are never used to describe time with my family.
So let's rewind and re-live our week in order for you to understand why. This is my crew, and this is our 2017 vacation.
The Night Before Departure
I have to be very careful when packing around Ryan. He hates excess stuff, and my world revolves around it. If I'm going to be three hours away I better make sure I have every last item we might POSSIBLY need. My Nintendo Wii falls in this category. I mean, what if it rains and we're stuck inside?!? So the night before I waited until I heard Ryan's snore of safety, which meant that I had free reign of the house and could pack as much as possible while he was unconscious. And that I did.
I was tip toeing around like Kris Kringle while I finished loading and shoveling bags into my car at 3:00 am. As I got back in the bed I noticed that my left eye was itching pretty badly, but I figured it was due to the dusty garage. At 7:30 that morning I discovered the news: I had a raging case of pink eye. It was HORRIBLE. What a way to start the week.
What I hope to look like at the beach...
Reality... "STOP LOOKING AT MY EYE!"
The Travel Itself
Ryan, Emerson, and I were meeting my parents at the beach house that afternoon. Obviously we were coming from two different locations, so we were expecting them to beat us. We sat in line 15 minutes at Burger King before being told- at the checkout window, nonetheless- that their broiler was broken.
"Don't they GRILL their stuff, anyway?!? What do they need a broiler for?"
Ryan just shook his head as we made our way to Wendy's.
My Mom packed everything but the kitchen sink and forgot the beach tent (which is my fault because I was supposed to remind her). Going on the beach without a tent for us would be like visiting the nearest Sears and asking to sit inside one of their display ovens; it would be absolute misery. So as soon as we arrived we dashed to Wal-Mart to pick up a tent.
My parents got to the house first while Ryan and I rented the golf cart. That process went about as smoothly as a corporate merger, but more on that later.
This house!!! It was our little slice of Heaven for the week.
It had a generous amount of bedrooms and bathrooms, a huge kitchen and gathering area, and above all- a private pool!
We weren't originally looking for a house with a pool; this home just happened to have one. And from this day forward (yes, this sounds like wedding vows) a pool will be a renting requirement. We ALL enjoyed it at all hours of the day and night. The temperature was perfect, and it was SUCH a bonus.
So when Emerson would ask me at 11:30 pm if she could have a popsicle and go for a swim, what else could I say but yes!?? All sense of time is just gone when you're on vacation.
An 'It's Pasture Bedtime' shirt was only appropriate.
Emerson nestles at our feet like a puppy. Who knows! At least she sleeps on occasion.
That evening we stocked up on tons of groceries and took a trip to Hamburger Joe's afterwards, because isn't this the gospel truth?!
While walking in the restaurant we heard a loud explosion, and several people jumped. Whatever it was; it wasn't good. Then we saw the smoke. A car parked about 10 feet from the restaurant had its radiator EXPLODE, sending up a cloud of toxic chemicals and radioactive green goo all over the parking lot. Anyone want jello? I was almost hesitant to go inside, but fortunately the fireworks were saved for the 4th.
There were dollar bills with signatures all over the wall of this place, which only reminded me of daycare tuition, but I guess our meal there was meant to be; the dollar right beside our table had "Randy" on it.
The first morning we were super stoked to be heading to the ocean! Naturally a new wardrobe awaited our every move.
We set up the tent, ate sandwiches (emphasis on the sand), and played in the water. Emerson enjoyed making Ryan into a mud monster and then promptly buttered him up for later. After all, I couldn't go on rides with her this year, and she knew she would need a partner.
I stayed on the beach with Emerson while Ryan and my parents went to pack the golf cart. This is the same golf cart that we paid good money to rent, which NEVER arrived after multiple phone calls
Ryan had arms full of stuff when he realized that our golf cart was gone!!! He completely panicked, thinking we'd be financially responsible for it. By some miracle from above, another man drove up at the exact moment and said that his kids had taken the wrong cart home by mistake. Turns out ALL the carts have the same key and passcode to unlock them. What was that I said earlier about incompetence!? This company rents hundreds of carts to people within a few blocks of each other and has the same keys and locks?!? That's a disaster waiting to happen. Long story short: we got our cart back.
The forecast heading into the week was grim; it showed thunderstorms every day. Thank the LORD that the weatherman couldn't have been more inaccurate (maybe he, too, had pink eye?!?). It rained only one day for about 30 minutes, and the rest of the time we enjoyed gorgeous (and broiling) sunshine. Take that, Burger King.
But we also enjoyed some time in the air conditioned house. Our family is super into puzzles.
Emerson actually got a ton of pieces on this 500 piece puzzle. Are you kidding me?!
Fun and Food: The Main Attractions
On Sunday night we enjoyed a trip to Lazer's Italian Restaurant. The food was PHENOMENAL.
Then we went to the Fun Warehouse, where for $12 Emerson could jump and play for an undetermined amount of time.
She was deliriously tired before we left and wanted to go bowling. Unfortunately Ryan didn't choose the "bumpers" option, and her face when she threw gutter balls was that of complete devastation.
So like a good Daddy he carried her down the side of the two lane alley to ensure that she would hit some pins. That worked a little better, but we were past the point of no return.
I laughed so hard on our way out of there. Who leaves the FUN Warehouse crying a bucket of tears?!? A tired toddler does.
Anything Worth Doing is Worth Overdoing
Have you noticed that massive pool floats are all the rage this year? I'm waiting to find ones for sale that are the size of Mars and the Sun. Nonetheless, a few weeks ago Dorothy texted me a picture of a peacock float which was, in hindsight, I'm sure a joke. But before you can say "add to cart" I had purchased it online and couldn't wait to get my hands (and large stomach) on it.
What they failed to mention in the reviews is that this animal is not pregnancy friendly. AT ALL. I carefully stepped onto it and scooted back, instantly flipping over. My Dad didn't stop laughing for about five minutes.
I made it long enough to get one picture and didn't bother with that bird again.
That night we went to Family Kingdom, which was hands down one of our best activities.
These two were inseparable and rode almost everything in the park for which they met the height requirements.
Miss Princess insisted on carrying an umbrella around like a parasol to keep the sun out of her eyes. We call this #Extra.
That evening we feasted on delicious food at J Leonard's, and one of the waitresses announced that a 12 year old boy was having a Birthday. We all sang to him. A few minutes later he walked across the restaurant and over to our table to give Emerson a piece of his cake. How many 12 year old boys would do that for a little three year old?!? It touched our hearts so much that we went over to his family and gave him some money for his Birthday on our way out. Toren from Texas, I hope my son has the same wonderful and generous heart that you do! I'll never forget that.
Tuesday was Independence Day!!! Happy 4th from our precious patriot.
This year we ordered another festive cake from the award winning Coccadotts...only this time they made the icing so thick that we almost went into diabetic comas. There was no neat or polite way to eat this cake. It was so messy (yet delicious) that blue and red icing was in every crevice imaginable. So enjoy at your own risk...with your insulin pump nearby.
We had a blast on the beach that afternoon! Several jets and planes flew over in honor of the 4th. It was awesome! Emerson also did some more mud slinging, which reminds me of watching the news these days.
#BowsOnTheBeach
When hot, it's a precautionary measure to drink every last drop of Yoo Hoo.
Emerson talks to, hugs, and kisses my stomach ALL the time. It's something we waited for, and it feels so surreal. This sweet boy doesn't know what's coming!
We normally celebrate the evening of the 4th with a Moody family cookout, but because it fell during the week this year and schedules didn't work out we decided to go to Broadway.... and so did every other citizen within a 200 mile radius.
Remember when the old cable televisions would go out and you'd see this screen?
That's exactly how it felt trying to maneuver around so many people. All in the spirit though, I guess! It was still an overall great time, but it was unbearably hot, even in the dark.
While watching the fireworks some girl walked up as drunk as could be and was screaming obscenities into her phone with kids all around. I was hopping mad but resisted the urge to say anything to her, because I didn't know what she was capable of in such a ridiculous state of mind.
Ryan then told me that when he was saving our spot 15 minutes earlier a young kid got off of a ride and vomited all over the trash can right in front of him. This was the same trash can that the girl was leaning on during her conversation. He said she deserved it. Garbage in; garbage OUT, I suppose!
#JokesOnYou
There's always a major sale on kids' clothes in July, so we stocked up on a few things for Emerson and baby Landon. Here she is giving her approval of our selections.
Going to the beach at night was such a relief. The water was fantastic, and there was no beastly sun.
If I could have only seen the next picture this time last year maybe I wouldn't have been anxious for so many months. But that's the thing about God- He has His own timeline.
On Thursday we headed to the Waccatee Zoo, and this place is GREAT. Yes, it's outside, but 90% of it is shaded, and you can feed all kinds of animals, stroll next to Peacocks, walk on the many beautiful bridges, etc.
This next rare species is known as the tired Nana. She likes indoors and air conditioning. And Netflix documentaries.
We first visited this zoo two years ago, so here are some flashbacks.
The next two pictures were taken in the same spot with a different set of grandparents.
And here are both grandfathers with the same camel. Look how tall Emerson has gotten!
My dream!!! A real peacock! Need I remind you that I'm obsessed with all things peacock.
We later went back to Fun Warehouse, because Emerson talked non stop about skating.
This was unfortunately an epic fail; she was horrified on wheels and cried her eyes out. Maybe next time...
That night Dorothy came to stay with us! Emerson thinks she hung the moon, and she was certainly a saving grace this trip. Just wait.
Then we took more rides in the golf cart, which had a squeaky belt and would get stuck at almost every stop sign. Don't get me started!
This is where things took an unusual turn. We ordered a delicious lunch from a BBQ place that afternoon. After eating we worked on another puzzle while Ryan went upstairs. Fifteen minutes later I also went upstairs and heard water running. Thinking it was odd I went in the bathroom where Ryan was showering and asked if he was okay.
"No," he said. "I can't catch a breath, and my heart is pounding. I think I need to go to the ER."
He couldn't have shocked me any more if he had told me to go on a shopping spree and buy whatever I wanted. One thing was for sure: this was serious.
I ran downstairs and held back sobs when I told everyone that something was wrong with Ryan and we needed to go to the ER immediately. Dorothy - God bless her!- ran downstairs to get her stethoscope and equipment to check him first. She couldn't calculate his pulse.
My Mom, Ryan, and I drove to the hospital where Dorothy works, and my GPS took me to a restaurant instead. UGHHH! All I could think about were our almost two children and that I needed Ryan around more than anything. I prayed and prayed.
He was considered a serious patient and was taken immediately back to a room. I'll cut to the chase:
EKG was totally normal.
Chest X Ray was excellent.
Blood work was fine.
He was very dehydrated, and as soon as he got fluid his heart rate and blood pressure went down steadily. We stayed there for four hours, and they gave him two bags of fluid. It was so dreadfully hot that week, and because of my Dad's recent surgery (and my condition) Ryan had taken almost everything upon himself- carrying all the tents, chairs, any other heavy lifting, etc. I try not to nag him about anything, but one thing I'm super anal about is drinking enough water. He definitely gets it now! So this now makes our FOURTH hospital visited within the last three weeks. Let's not make it a fifth!
That's one way to wind down your vacation...
But we're beyond thankful that it was something minor! Ryan was told to stay inside for the next 24 hours and drink tons of water.
That evening we took Emerson to play putt putt, minus my Mom and the patient.
But Emerson still had to check us out and make sure we were in working order.
On the last morning my Mom and I spent an hour walking on the beach and watching the sunrise. It was breathtaking, and I realized that it was one of the first things I've done by myself with little Landon.
Every year I take a picture with Emerson by the ocean. She will eventually outgrow me in height, but she made my heart burst the moment I laid eyes on her.
This was our last vacation as a family of three. When it was all said and done we were reflecting on our week when Ryan said, "There was only ONE day when we didn't do something or go somewhere."
To which I said, "Well, when God created the earth in seven days, only one of those was for resting."
And sure enough, we won't be doing much resting when a new set of footprints will be arriving very soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment