On Monday morning, John, Helen Grace, and I started the day with a walk down the beach, although it ended up being brief as HG attached herself to my hip. {Have you tried to carry a 30-pound toddler for any distance in the sand? Whew!} We spotted a group of EIGHT rays of some kind swimming along the beach. We had seen a few the day before, but there were a ton out and about on Monday. Later, I headed to the spa for a massage and then met up with everyone poolside. We spent a lot of the day in the lazy river and in the pool and decided to head to dinner early. We found the dream restaurant for Helen Grace- Crab Trap in Perdido Key/Pensacola. They have a big, sandy playground out back, and we sat in their outdoor section so that we could be right there at her. The food was to die for, and we were all happy campers. For the record, HG ate a TON of red snapper and crab (I was so impressed!) and requested hush puppies at every meal.
On Tuesday morning, we sadly loaded up the van, said goodbye to the beach, and headed for the outlet mall in Foley. Hey, we had to drown our sorrows somehow! HG said that ‘Mama had to buy some shoes,’ and we did find some great deals there (and hot Krispy Kreme doughnuts!!). HG was not quite as agreeable on the ride home as on the way to the beach, but I wasn’t either, for that matter. We were ready to get out of the car for sure!
While we all had a few moments of ‘freak out’ (as to be expected on vacation), Helen Grace said some of the sweetest things while we were there. John must have been pumping her full of stuff since it was Mother’s Day weekend. I asked her what was her favorite thing about the beach. She responded, “You, Mommy!” Also, she told me several times, “You’re the best mommy ever.” And one of the best parts of being on vacation was that I held her in my lap on the couch for her naps. It took me back to the days when she was a little bitty baby, and my heart practically broke from happiness when she woke up, saw me, and burst into a big smile. These are the most precious moments, and I am so grateful that we were all there together to be a part of Helen Grace’s first beach experience and hopefully wonderful childhood memories for her. Here’s to many, many more!
Twinkies, you think???
One last breakfast on the balcony on Tuesday morning
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