Last Beach Post--a sunset cruise!

On our last night with Uncle Matt and Cousins Emilie and Ella, Mims and Grandfather kept Liam while the rest of us enjoyed a sunset cruise in Apalachicola Bay, courtesy of Captain Matt. The girls enjoyed begging their dad to, "Go even MORE FASTER!!!", while the rest of us enjoyed the beautiful views and sea winds. It was a lovely evening, and we cannot thank Matt enough for bringing Hakuna Matata for us to enjoy!

Beachy cousins

Our last visit from family included Geoff's brother, Matt, and his two eldest girls, twins Emilie and Ella. The girls came for some beach fun with their cousin while Matt captained a fishing trip on his boat for the men. While the guys had fun, they had no luck catching our dinner (we were ALL disappointed in that). The Howard cousins had much more luck with their seashell hunt (below). Liam was in awe of the girls and wanted to do whatever it was they were doing, whether it was collecting seashells, or making sand angels. It was so fun to watch them together, and the girls were amazingly patient with Liam. It must be all the practice they've had with their younger siblings, Lillian and Caleb. They now have a brand new baby sister, Miss Isabelle Faith Howard (whose then forthcoming birthday was why the rest of the Jacksonville Howard clan stayed behind).

Yet another beach post--halfway there!

We were fortunate enough to have family come to visit us while we were at the beach. Aunt Betty (my mom's sister) and Uncle Jim came at the first of the week, but for some reason, the Howard camera did not capture any of those moments, which is sad because it was the 4th of July. It was nice to be with them on the 4th. It brought back lots of memories from my childhood of giant family gatherings in honor of Independence Day.

Once the Robeys left, my in-laws joined us. Geoff's grandfather lives in Tallahassee, which isn't too far from SGI, so it was pretty easy trip for him to join us as well. Liam got spoiled with attention and toys, and we were able to take a "4 Generations" family shot. Please take note that Liam is almost smiling in that one! During the "4 Generations" shot, he decided to hold his arms in the air and say, "Yay!" over and over. We also took a family shot with the Gallagher grandparents so Jim could get his turn in the limelight. Thanks for being such a great photographer, Jim!

Beach # 3--the family photo shoot

Connor and I thought an updated family beach shot would be the perfect gift for our mother's recent retirement. We looked into hiring a professional, but in the end, we decided Geoff's and my camera would take just as amazing photos as a professional's camera. So we dressed in our various shades of blue and green and headed out during the early evening. Geoff's step-dad, Jim, was gracious enough to take our pictures, and some of them came out really well. The tough part was getting Liam to sit still and be happy about it. We didn't quite get a grin out of him (until the Gallagher side's shoot--next post!), but we're pretty happy with the results! Check 'em out!

Liam is not smiling or looking at the camera, but this is a great family shot.

As I said, it was hard to get Liam still and smiling. We settled for active and happy. Here he is throwing seaweed while Geoff and I laugh.

Great one of Connor and Shannon!

Is there any other word for this but precious?

All done and headed up to the back porch!

These are Geoff's, Liam's, and my beach shoes. I love this photo!

Beach Number 2

One lovely afternoon, Shannon asked for a tasty frozen drink, but since she is expecting Baby G in January, Shannon required a non-alcoholic drink. Connor went to work at the blender, making virgin pina coladas. Once Liam heard the blender, he ran into the kitchen. Liam is very familiar with the blender due to Geoff making fruit smoothies almost every weekday morning. Liam always gets a little taste when his daddy makes his drinks, so he was fully expecting one this time too. Connor poured Shannon and Liam their virgin drinks before making the adult batch for the rest of us. Then Liam promptly said, "cheers" to Aunt Shannon, and we all enjoyed the pineapple-coconut goodness!

Beach #1

The annual Glenn family beach vacation was wonderful, as it always is. For the second year in a row, we went to St. George Island, FL. Words cannot do this hidden gem justice. St. George Island is a barrier island that protects Apalachicola Bay. The developers did a fantastic job maintaining the island's natural beauty and limiting the number of houses and hotels to keep most of the tacky, loud tourists away. There are no amusement parks and there are few bars/restaurants and tourist junk stores, so it is perfect for how we beach. It is called The Forgotten Coast, and we want to keep it that way (click on the link to see why)!

Liam had a great time on the beach this year. He loved digging in the sand and was fearless of the water. Everyone was kept on their toes, making sure Liam didn't dive in by himself (which he tried to do SEVERAL times). He LOVED the waves, and anytime Geoff or I took him in, he desperately wanted us to let go of him. Maybe next year, after a few more swimming lessons...

Time Down South

Geoff, Liam, and I got to spend 2 good solid weeks down in Alabama and Florida at the end of June/beginning of July. We decided to drive down this time so we could bring Bella with us, along with all of our beach equipment. We split the 12 hour drive to Pell City into 2 halves, staying overnight in Abingdon, VA, which is just north of the Tennessee border. (It always amazes me that half of the drive to Alabama takes place in Virginia--what a big state!) We all did well, despite being a tad bit cramped, even in Geoff's 4Runner! On Monday, we made it to Mims and Grandfather's house (the house where I grew up), and then we proceeded to have a week of honest fun. Bella got to go outside without a leash and chase geese and ducks. Liam got to go on his first boat ride and help pick some homegrown vegetables from the garden. Geoff got to fish with my dad, and I was able to visit some good hometown friends. The week in Pell City was very relaxing, just as life usually is down south. It was a great lead-up to our week at the beach. Stay tuned for more posts and pictures! Love to all!