Southaven's Family Camp Out

We were home for exactly one day before we turned around and left for the camping trip.  I was exhausted but once again Pinterest came to the rescue and motivated me to get food made and packed and once we picked Aylin up from school we took off for the campgrounds.  (Yes, Aylin skipped school 2 Fridays in a row…I am terrible, I know). I will always remember this camping trip because on our 1st night Hilton had a coughing fit and thew up all over our tent and best of all on his sister around 4AM that morning.  He and Bobby went home so a lot of this camping trip was just myself and Aylin and Weston.  We stay for a couple of nights and on Friday night have a period of singing and a devotional.  This is becoming one of my favorite activities that we do with our church family.  The Young and Gahagan families do a great job putting this event together every year and even come up with great t-shirt designs :)  We truly love our church family and love getting to spend time with them.  

I didn't take very many pics because it is hard to do so while holding Weston, but these were on my phone:

 Our view that first morning before everyone else got there.

 Aylin playing in the fire with Reed.

 Hilton riding bikes with the Rister kids.

 Weston was a GREAT camper!

My boys fell asleep during the devotional Friday night.

My Sunrise Beach Photos

There is nothing as beautiful and peaceful as a morning walk on the beach to watch the sunrise. I think Psalm 50:1-2 says it perfectly, "The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.  Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined."  and Psalm 8:1 "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, who hast set thy glory above the heavens."  Both times we have been to the beach we have sang the creation song with the kids and constantly "stand amazed" over His creation.

One Amazing Week (Lots of Pics)

2 Thursdays ago we checked Aylin out of school early and headed off for a surprise vacation that lasted over her Fall Break.

She was SOOOOO excited when we reached our destination:

Just kidding, although we did pick up doughnuts to have for breakfast the next 2 mornings :)

When we got to the condo they had both fallen asleep, so it wasn't until the next morning that she really knew where we were.  As soon as she woke up we had to walk out our back porch door and to the little "boardwalk" to go see the BEACH!  The girl has begged to go back to Fort Morgan for the last 3 years and she was incredibly happy to be back. 

Day 1, Friday, on the Fort Morgan beach consisted of us and maybe 2 other families 30 yards on either side of us.  (That is why we like it so much)  This day we were set up behind a sand bar, so the waves weren't too big.  However, I noticed that one of our beach flags was purple (dangerous sea life) and found out from one of the other families that on Thursday they were on the sand bar and a young Black Tip Shark came up to feed!  I was SOOO jealous that I missed it by one day!

Our little crab friend who was very CRABBY that we were invading his area:

 Around lunch time we cleaned up and headed out to the Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores!  It was delicious!  I do not have any pics because it was rather hot and with no stroller our hands were pretty full.  Hilton was in awe of the big souvenir shop with a shark on the front (just like Aylin was when she was 2), Hilton really loved the pirate ship on the back, he kept looking for Jake :)

On our last trip to the beach I hired a photographer to take pictures of Aylin one evening.  That was not an option this trip, but I needed a picture of the boys' 1st beach trip to blow up on a canvas like I did for Aylin so I attempted to take them on my own.  

And this is the picture I plan on blowing up on a canvas to go next to Aylin's 1st beach trip picture:

Day 2: another morning at the beach and then an afternoon Dolphin tour, we saw a lot of them and Aylin loved it.  The boys, however were too tired and I did not get to take any pics :(

 This is the only pic we got on the dolphin tour.

Day 3: We went to worship services where Kyle Butt was delivering a lesson and then on the way to lunch Aylin threw up all over the car.  We stopped and cleaned everything up and took her to an urgent care clinic where they gave her a shot of antibiotics in her bottom!  We didn't do much else this day.

Day 4: We spent the WHOLE morning at the beach and really enjoyed our last day there.  We caught and played with a crab, too.  (We let him go unharmed) 

 

 We went to the train museum!

Day 5: We went back to the train museum on our way home to watch then model train show.

 Then stopped and toured the naval battleship, submarine, and aviation museum.

 and travelled back home:

It was a much needed, wonderful vacation!