"Life is lived forward, but understood backward. It is not until we are down the road and we stand on the mountain looking back through the valley that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale.” Jill Savage

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Destin, Florida 2010

I sure hope and pray that blogs last forever or at least for a long time - because this blog is also a journal that I hope one day my grandson might look back at and have fond memories of. Maybe a little learning too. And maybe my new grandchild might want to read. Oh maybe me - okay let's get back to The Trip . . .

So I did learn a lot more about my niece and her 3 kidlets this trip. I learned make-up tips from my teenage grand niece. . . I learned that being quiet is okay - believe it or not that is hard for me (I am chatty). . . I learned my daughter is a lot stronger of a woman than I gave her credit for being! (when I was sick so really took over!) . . . I learned to be constantly teased by my great nephew - I learned too when I didn't let it bother me he stopped - but not so the others so much - especially the little ones. . . (little ones are so sensitive) . . . . A lot of crying there. I learned my GS has definitely been raised as an only child and might be a touch spoiled - lol . . .
We played a new game called Farkle and it was fun. . .

And I learned no one is perfect and for me that is the greatest part of life. I love it people's imperfections because I have so many myself!!!!!!!!!!!

We stayed in a community called Destiny East. There are homes you rent inside a gated community. They gave us two golf carts - one street safe and one for inside the community to go to the pool. The house was beautiful. The teenagers wanted to drive them of course.

We drove on Monday with me sneezing and having a runny nose the whole way. Got there and celebrated my GS's birthday (in fact we did that all week - as this was a trip his mom gave him for his birthday) . . .

Our first stop was Hooter's for lunch. Yes we did. You know how lucky my GS is - some man bought a T-shirt from one of the girls and gave he gave it to my GS! My grandson had it signed by all the girls!



Of course it was his birthday so they stood him on a chair and put on a chicken nose and made him quack. Have to say he was a good sport.


Finally we got to the house (there were a lot of small bladders on this trip and every one had different timings). The house had two levels with 10 foot ceilings in each. It was gorgeous and plenty of room for the seven of us. No squabbles about who got what room.

Complete with snakes and lizards! SHould have put it on Angela's Show and Tail this week - it was about snakes!


This is the kitchen and my grand nephew cooked a couple of meals for us! I learned a teenager could be handy - if in the right frame of mind. This guy was the ultimate jokester. Beware. He was sharp and fast with the comments. The little ones had problems with this.



The recreation center had a mini theater we rented for free and watched Mall Cop - something we could all watch. I have to admit I feel asleep and snored. Well I was sick. We did not even ask the kids what they wanted to see. We picked it out for them. Aren't we getting smart?



Friendships developed. This is the pool in the community - my favorite thing to do. Look at the little guy looking up and learning (both good and bad) from the bigger fella!



On the beach my grand niece - 17 - got stung by a jellyfish. This is a picture of a jellyfish - they were just coming up to the shore every where. My niece also wanted to get a tan and used 30 sunscreen and we stayed out all day long. Poor baby got so burnt on her legs and feet. She hurt. She learned she'll use a stronger sunscreen. We had to go get Aloe Vera gel and antibiotic for her.


These two were quite a pair - just a few months a part and have always been great friends. This time though these two had some problems getting a long. My GS started copying the older boy and made this pretty little girl cry sometimes. Then he'd apologize and they would make up and become buddies again.


Burying the old teenager! He was cool - nothing got to him.

If you had told me 5 or 6 years ago the GS would do this - in the sand - with his sensory - I wouldn't have believed it - all our hard work and money for therapy has paid off! Praise God.


The two little ones played Foosball in the house.

And here is one of the golf carts. That was one of my favorite things to do. We'd drive all around - it was so freeing. There was a cool breeze and sunshine. The weather never did get over 73 degrees. A bit chilly, but no rain.

More tomorrow,



Happy Birthday Loretta Lynne - Wikipedia.

Born to Melvin "Ted" Webb and Clara Marie Webb and named in honor of Loretta Young, Loretta Webb was the second of eight children; her youngest sister is country singer Crystal Gayle. She is also, on her mother's side, distantly related to country singer Patty Loveless. Lynn grew up in Butcher Hollow, a section of Van Lear, a mining community near Paintsville, Johnson County, Kentucky. Her mother, Clara, was of Scots-Irish and Cherokee ancestry. Her father, Ted, was a coal miner, storekeeper, and farmer. She was married to Oliver Vanetta Lynn, commonly known as "Doolittle," "Doo," or "Mooney" (for running moonshine), on January 10, 1948, at 13 years of age. In an effort to break free of the coal mining industry, Lynn moved to the logging community Custer, Washington, with her husband, at the age of 16. The Lynns had four children - Betty Sue, Jack Benny, Cissy and Ernest Ray - by the time Loretta was 19, and subsequently had twin girls, Peggy and Patsy (named after Patsy Cline).

Lynn always had a passion for music. Before getting married, she regularly sang at churches and in local concerts. After she married, she stopped singing in public, wishing rather to focus on her family life. Instead, she passed her love of music on to her children, often singing to them around the house. When Loretta was 24, Doolittle bought her a guitar as an anniversary present, which she taught herself to play.

Childhood home of Loretta Lynn Even though they were married for nearly 50 years and had six children together, the Lynn's marriage was reportedly rocky up to Doolittle's death in 1996. In her 2002 autobiography, Still Woman Enough, and in an interview with CBS News the same year, Lynn recounts how her husband cheated on her regularly and once left her while she was giving birth. Lynn and her husband also fought frequently, but, she said, "he never hit me one time that I didn’t hit him back twice."

21 comments:

Susan said...

Oh, Sandie. Looks like you had such a splendid time. I cracked up with your grandson in the Hooter's photos. He was SUCH a good sport. That was hilarious. You stayed in grand style, Girl! Gor-ge-ous! Take care and have a wonderful day with the memories of your sweet trip still so fresh in your mind and heart. Sincerely, Susan

ClassyChassy said...

Wow - that is quite the palace you stayed at! Enjoyed the photos, even the jellyfish and the snake!!! Andy in his sand chair - what a sight, huh?

Melanie said...

Great pictures! I love seeing all those smiling faces. Glad you had a good time even if you weren't feeling your best.

Marjorie (Molly) Smith said...

Looks like a good time was had by all. It was great that your Niece and her Children went too. I know
Andy had a ball and will remember this trip for the rest of his life. Now the snake kind of freaked me out, I'd hate to see one of those on the Beach were I went to relax...lol..did I tell you I hate snakes..
Did your Nephew have to be treated for the jelly fish sting?
I heard they are quite painful. Bless his heart.
Glad y'all had fun and hope you are feeling better by now.
Molly.

Mollye said...

Glad you're feeling better. The trip was fun and the pictures great. Now you have to scrapbook them! And thank you for remembering Loretta Lynne today. I just adore her and always have! Hugs, Mollye

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Looks like a wonderful place you stayed. I love having golf carts to ride around in..very cool. Wish you had felt better, but looks like it was a good trip anyway. Looking forward to more!

Joyce said...

Looks like you had a grand vacation. The pictures are show how much fun all of you had.

Love and Hugs,
Joyce

Good to be a Queen said...

Awesome story, Awesome place to stay...There's no place like the Gulf....I can smell the breezes now..

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

You had fun! Thanks for sharing it with us. Your grandson has really come a long ways -- I couldn't do that Hooters thing (quacking in front of everybody) -- and he was such a good sport! And in the sand too! All of you guys have worked so hard for this. (And still are.)

Glad you all had a good vacatioin.

Joyce said...

Such a pretty house but I got the heebe jeebies when I saw the snake:)
Joyce

betty said...

looks like a beautiful place Sandie! I love the smile on your GS's face at Hooters; too funny! looks like he was enjoying his birthday celebration there

that house though, wow, what a place to spend a week with so many amenities!!

enjoyed all the pictures :)

betty

{Bellamere Cottage} said...

Hi Sandie...

Oh, that looks like lots of fun! When my little Grandson was about three we went to Hooters for lunch with a big group of people. We looked around and, naturally, he was gone.....no, there he was sitting up at the bar between two beautiful girls, chatting and sharing their fries. :-) And, that was after walking down the aisle where a group of waitresses were standing and giving 'em all a smack on the fanny. HILARIOUS.....

Huggies,
Spencer

Whosyergurl said...

Sandie, Looks like a WONDERFUL time for all! The place you stayed looks amazing!
Happy welcome home!
Hug you, Cheryl

Angela said...

Hey Sandie!

Looks like a great place to visit! I have never been to Hooters. I'm afraid the other girls would be jealous if I did go and the people would think I was a Hooter's girl! teehee haha ROFL!

Now you know how it feels to ride around in something kind of like our mule! It is fun isn't it!

Hugs,
Angela

^..^Corgidogmama said...

Hi Sandie, what grand fun for you all! So glad that you got some beach time, and in such nice surroundings.
You've made some memories this trip, that you'll ALL treasure down the road.

Rina ... also Chester or Daisysmum. said...

Hi Sandie Great to have you back, glad you enjoyed your holiday.

ocmist said...

Wow, I never knew there were places like that you could rent for a vacation place. How Cool! Even with the cold, it looks like it was an interesting and wonderful thing to have experienced.

To bad about the sunburn and jellyfish sting. Those can be pretty miserable. Life around a bunch of kids with so many different personalities CAN get interesting. We had so many kids and then with the foster kids, it definitely got "INTERESTING!!!" about here, so I know what you mean. Also, it's about the same way with the corgis... :)

jeanmac said...

What a vacation!

Mimi said...

HI Sandie!!!
My chatty friend!!! I am very chatty too!!! But I am learning it is OK for silence to be heard!!!!haha
YOUR trip looked amazingly fun too, we have been to Panama City beach but learned real fast there that the NICER Beach area is in Destin!!!! ANd the shopping and the eating out!!!!So next time it will be Destin, did you know that the Jim Carrey movie the Truman show was filmed in that area, known as SEASIDE!!!!!
I could not believe you saw a snake ---we saw a snake in Boulder City, but did not want to MIss AMy to think it bothered me!!!!
I hate Snakes!!!!
The golf cart idea is so awesome!!!!The teenager who is funny and teasing often is so typical!!!
Glad you had fun and that you felt better before it was over!!!!
Love,
jamie

Old Time Cindy said...

What a trip! Sounds like everyone survived. Family being together like this makes great memories. It appears you had a good time even if you weren't feeling well.
Blessings,
Cindy

Danny said...

Looks like you had a great time there over at Destin, Florida. Shopping there would have been great, too. Just so that you'd have a lot more souvenirs to bring home, and a lot more memories you can share with the younger generation.