Our family took a little trip to the beach - Gulf Shores, AL to be exact. We went the first week of August, so this is a little belated. P had just turned 18 months old. Throughout the course of 5 nights, lots of relatives joined us - my parents, brothers, grandparents, aunt, and several extended relatives who live close to the coast. We stayed one night in Gulf State Park where my grandparents and aunt were staying, and then the rest of the nights in The Lighthouse Condos on the beach.
Preston saw the beach for the first time. Thank goodness he loved it. He loved the sand, the ocean, and the pool. At one point, he was enjoying the sand so much, he poured it over his head laughing. He was also a road warrior. On the way there, we stopped one time for 5 minutes and he didn't make a peep. We made it in record time - 6.5 hours. The way home was a little more difficult, but I would still call it pretty easy. We made it home in about 7.5 hours. Amazing for a very active toddler!!!
Brian and I had not been on a real vacation since March 2010. We've had a few little weekend trips to Nashville and Atlanta for weddings, and to St. Louis and Arkansas for a weekend here and there. I also would not call the May 2011 trip to Lake Placid, NY with a 4 month old "a vacation". It was very stressful, although the experience was great for all of us and it was fun to go to my cousin's wedding. I've learned from that long of a vacation drought, getting away for an extended period is important for your mental clarity. I feel like a new person, and I loved spending so much time with Brian and Preston, and my mother's side of the family.
Video of P seeing the ocean for the first time... he said "WHOA!!!!"
And some pictures of course. We took tons! I still haven't had a chance to edit them the way I want yet, but one day when I have a few free moments it might happen. :)
Our house in Gulf State Park
Good hiding spot
18 months of cuteness
"Fly dada!"
Joe peeling shrimp for gumbo
Nannie making one of my favorites... tomato pie!
Gramps peeling shrimp
This was one of P's favorite things to do. Ha!
The men!
View from the balcony
Family pic on the gulf side
What will be the Chando family Christmas picture :)
The birhday boy enjoying some gumbo
Loved it!
Helping Mark blow out his candles
"Swing!"
This child would play in the sand for hours.
On the beach with Mimi and Mook
Snack time!
Loved the fountains at the zero entry pool.
The only night we ate out - Shaggy's!
Feeding the fish at the dock
Preston says "mo?" all the time when he wants more, so we had to take a pic :)
Splash pad at Gulf State Park
Family pic on the splash pad. How vacations have changed!
“No man needs sympathy because he has to work, because he has a burden to carry. Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
I have worked at our children's hospital for almost 7 years, counting my internship. I have learned more than I EVER thought I would learn and have had experiences with families and medical staff that I never dreamed would be possible. I worked very hard during the day, completed a Master's degree at night, and was promoted in my role on the marketing team. I am eternally grateful for this job. For the chance to work for something bigger than myself and for a cause that I whole-heartily believe in. The people inside this hospital are GOOD. They were here the day I came in and shouted, "I'm engaged!" all the way to delivering me goodies in the hospital after we had our first child four years later. They became more than co-workers, but close friends and we experienced many ups and downs together, tears and celebrations, early mornings and late nights, trips and backyard cookouts. I love this group. They will always hold a special place in my heart. :)
I'll be leaving my current job soon for a great opportunity with a for-profit company, whose national headquarters are here in Memphis. My new job will continue to be full-time, but much closer to my house and Preston's school, with opportunities to grow (a promotion from my current role). I'm excited about this new world, this new opportunity in which I will be able to gain valuable experience in facets of marketing and communications that I have not had the ability to do in the past and take on more of a leadership role. Moving from a local not-for-profit to a national for-profit will be TOTALLY eye-opening, but I am excited for an entirely new set of challenges. Bring it on!
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle.” ― Steve Jobs
Preston started pre-preschool. Isn't that funny? It's not actually called that, but the preschool he will be enrolled in has an 18-24 month classroom and P's first day was Thursday. There are 5 boys and 3 girls in his room. We went to Meet the Teacher night the night before his first day, and he happily played while I threw a lot of questions at his sweet teacher. Based on what a great first day he had, I think he will have a great year!
New backpack
We laughed when we saw the words used to describe P. They figured him out on the first day!
Our sweet boy had a lot of fun.
First art from school
Mommy might have gotten a little teary-eyed after looking at these pictures. So blessed with this big boy who is growing up much too fast.
