Beach, 2013

We went to the beach on a Thursday and came back on a Tuesday! This allowed the boys to be able to come without having to take off many days of work, so it works out well for everyone! 

Usually we get to the condo around check in time (3pm), rush to get settled in and ready, then go out to eat. This year we decided that we didn't want to be rushed anywhere at all. So, we settled into the condo, lounged around awhile, and left to get groceries. While we were out, we called in to a restaurant (one of our favorites, conveniently across the street from our condo) and ordered a few appetizers to go! We ended up going down to The Hangout and listening to the band for awhile. 

The first full day, we spent on the beach. That night, we went to a place called "Eat!" It's a buffet styled place that has an array of food to choose from. However, don't turn off to the word "buffet". It's really nice, and the food was great! They even had filet minion, which was great for David because he has a shellfish allergy. 

After that, we went to the outlet mall, target, and a few other places. 

When we got back, we met up with a few of David's friends from his hometown who were here and we stayed on the beach for awhile and went around to a few places in town. It was fun to meet up with them and spend some time together. 

The second full day we spent the day on the beach, and we walked down to Sea N' Suds around midday. Gabrielle actually joined us that day, too! We had a great time. For dinner, we had a surprise planned for the boys (a post on that later), and so we chose to "eat in". We have never done this before, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY! It was GREAT! Everyone got what they wanted, and we were able to eat in the comfort of our "home" and not get dressed up or worry about a crowd. 

We ordered food from Doc's Seafood House, and we also got a couple of things from Lartigue's. It's a fresh market where you can order crawfish, shrimp, and many other things! 

David was able to eat the crawfish, and he loved it! I always worry that something will irritate his allergies, but so far we have been blessed that that hasn't happened! 

That night we did go out to play Put-Put golf, after an attempt at some beach photos, but I had a total diva moment during that and we didn't get any. To be honest, I have 12 edited pictures (TOTAL) from the beach trip, and I am only "in love with" one. So, if that tells ya anything! I think (aside from the redheaded fit that I had) it suited David just fine that I didn't want a bazillion pictures. 

Bah-humbug! 

Ha! I have to pause at this pic and just say that this is us "more in our element", and this is how our pictures usually turn out. Dull moments? Never!

On the third full day, (Sunday), Dad and Matt headed back in my car with it PACKED out! David and I spent the day on to the beach together while mom and Mimi went shopping. It was really fun to spend the day with him! After lunch, we came in and lounged around after we ate lunch, and mom & Mimi came back just in time for us to get ready and leave for a date night. We chose to eat at Cosmo's because they had things on their menu that David was interested in, and they had sushi - which I am DEFINITELY interested in, and YA'LL! It was the best meal that we ate! The sushi was delish! The staff was very accommodating about David's allergy, and the atmosphere was great! We will definitely be going back!

After we ate, we went to shop around at the Wharf and ride the ferris wheel! It was David's first time to ride one, and it was so fun to see him on it. He was a little nervous at first, but by the time it was over he was calm and enjoying it! I wish we could have done it again. 

We ended the night by getting some frozen yogurt. 

Best date night ever? Yes! 

The beach mood makes everything the best. 

Here are the 2 photos we got on the day that I wasn't in the best of moods.... 

:-/

Can't wait to share our surprise for the boy's birthday!! 

EEK! 

Burn, Baby, Burn.

I'm dusting off the ole keyboard to bring an update! We recently got home from the beach, and I can't wait to share about our trip! However, while I'm sure you associate getting a nice golden tan with being beachside, I'm here to tell you that - after trial and error, almost twenty-two years (woah) of life, and more than enough sunscreen, I am quite the opposite coming back from the beach, and here's why! 

Exactly a week before we left, my cousin and I decided to have a "pool day". The brightest light that my poor legs had seen prior to this day were the LED lightbulbs in our home. So, I thought, "What a great idea! We can chat all day while my skin bakes brown in the hot sun." Well, brown wasn't quite the outcome. In fact, BRIGHT RED wouldn't even do it justice. Ya'll, I was so sunburned from literally head to midsection, and from my legs down to my toenails, that my skin literally looked purple for a few days. It hurt to sit, stand, lay down, walk, breathe, or blink. It even hurt for my hair folicles to sway in the breeze (Actually, I'm not sure that's true because I didn't see the sunlight for 3 days after this burn happened.) I was so burned that I actually became sick. Nausea, fever, cold sweats, dizziness, headache. You name it. I was quite the mess! The morning after I decided to scorch myself, I didn't get out of bed for ANYTHING until around 4pm. Sadly, I avoided a shower like the plague because I felt like someone was throwing sizzling grease onto my body no matter how hot or cold the water was. Needless to say, I learned my lesson. My dad was probably angry because he always warns me about wearing sunscreen, but he never said much about it after this incident. I think he realized that I had punished myself enough. (Thanks, Dad!) 

So, by the time we left for the beach, I was almost back to my pasty self, except some of my skin was still peeling. Ah, who am I kidding - I was molting! I had applied self tanner (HEY, Jergans Natural Glow, I love you!) as a moisturizer to decrease peeling and to help with my "Natural Glow", but by the time we were leaving, that layer of my skin was peeling and it was simply a mess. Gross! 

So, now you have that backstory - I will say that THANK YOU VERY MUCH I stayed under the umbrella with 1,000 SPF on my body for the entire week, and I actually never took my coverup off. So, there you go, overachiever! I actually look nothing like I went to the beach. Blah! It wasn't worth having my veins fried to the point of shriveling up - and honestly, I felt as if I had cheated death -- no need to try that again ever anytime soon.

I would show you pictures, but honestly it's just brutal and I am trying to erase it from my memory. I walked like a hobbit for 3 days because I couldn't bend my legs. I slept without breathing for the same amount of time because if I moved at all the sheets would rub my burn, and I would wake up in an immense amount of pain. 

I did, however, finish an entire series on Netflix called "Switched at Birth", 

and for all of you who are interested in SLP, or learning another language, I HIGHLY suggest this. It really opened my eyes about hearing impaired people, deaf people, and hearing people as well. It has given me even more of a passion about my chosen field of studies, and it has given me inspiration and purpose behind WHY I want to know ASL (American Sign Language) so badly.

I will be back with an actual BEACH post SOON! 

FINALS week!

Happy Finals Week to all of you who are celebrating, 

and to all of you who are not: CONGRATUFREAKINLATIONS!

I'm dropping by this ole blog to tell myself, "You're almost there! You CAN do IT," and also to remind myself that if I can make it through Wednesday from 8-12, a sweet guy is waiting on me in Alabama to spend the rest of the week with him. 

This past weekend we celebrated my Mimi & my Daddy's birthdays!

{Happy Birthday, Family!!}

 I wanted to share a few pictures of TK in his birthday attire; he clearly loves to celebrate! 

Left: Matt when he got TK (4 weeks)

Right: Matt Saturday with TK (8 weeks)

OKAY! Back to studying. 2 down, 2 to go! 

Good luck to all of you!

Tale of a Tornado

On April 11, 2013, a small town about 15 minutes away from mine was demolished by a tornado that traveled through 3 counties, damaging homes, businesses, taking the lives of a few people, injuring some, and impacting many forever.  The rain-wrapped tornado, being 3/4 of a mile wide, touched down around 12:30pm,  bringing 145MPH winds, hail, and lots of rain.
 I had just made it home from class. Once I arrived home, my Dad (who we like to refer to as "Meteorologist Bob" when bad weather is present) already had the weather on, scanning his iPad radar, and listening to the weather radio. We didn't expect the storms to be that extensive, but he's always prepared regardless. I went and got TK out, and I brought him over to our house to wait on Matt who was traveling back from an appointment. I sat on the floor and joined Daddy as he watched the weather. 

I have a love/hate relationship with bad weather. I love it because it gives me an adrenaline rush and reminds me of how BIG Our God is, but I hate it because of the repercussions, how it tears homes and towns apart and scars many people for life. 

However, I am always very aware of the weather. My family {my dad, and now my brother} are very cautious of it as well. I stay up to date, checking my phone, twitter, facebook updates, and watching the radar. 

Soon after the weather was aired on TV, the weatherman came back on and began to speak of a tornado being near Shuqualak. Before we knew it, they were confirming a tornado on the ground, and soon enough we were all in somewhat of a panic. 

We have land in Shuqualak, and it's not just "any" land. My Dad grew up there. His entire childhood was made in Shuqualak. He lived there, he grew up there, and his family surrounded him there. So, when Shuqualak is mentioned, although WE don't live there, we panic as if we do. 

Oustide, it began to hail.

The wind picked up. 

The rain beat down on the ground. 

The hail stopped, 

and it started again. 

Inside, the TV went out. 

The power went out. 

We are all trying to call Matt. 

{TK is sound asleep.}

Dad's standing by the window, watching it. 

& before we knew it, the hail was gone. 

The rain slowed but not by much.

And little did we know at the time, the tornado missed our little hometown by just a few miles - again. 

The same thing happened just a few years ago when a tornado struck through Tuscaloosa, and it originated near our house. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Shuqualak, Prairie Point, and Pumpkin Creek. Shuqualak (pronounced /sugar-lock/), simply doesn't look the same and probably never will. I can say one thing - it may have destroyed this community, but it only built the people's hearts that live there together. 

The Lord watched over so many people on Thursday. I was able to talk with the lady who's yard is pictured above. Before the storm, large pine trees were sprinkled neatly across her yard, and because of the tornado, many of them were gone. She told me that she and her husband sat in their hallway, and she asked God to provide a hedge of protection around them, and that's exactly what He did. Many trees were down, her porch destroyed, and a glass window was busted out of her home, but she and her husband were fine. 

While this tornado destroyed many homes, it also spared many lives, and thankfully homes can be replaced. 

Below are many photos of the damage, and at the bottom there is a video that I have attached of the tornado. A guy that Matt graduated with filmed it from the prairie as it was traveling towards Pickens Co, AL. 

What was so empowering to me was how our little community came together, as they always do, after Thursday's tornado. There have been people from our county and the surrounding counties who have joined together to help one another out. I can brag on my Dad and brother for a minute and say that they were among some of the first ones who responded with their chainsaws, water bottles, and rain coats in tow. I'm always proud of the work they do, and it makes me even prouder to be from a place where most everyone is the same way. 

After searching Google for this, I found this blog that had this Jesus Calling devotion. 

Notice the date. Thursday!

The Lord works in mysterious ways, ya'll! 

Please forgive the cussing. Obviously I have no control over that! Just turn your speakers off. :)