the shiny side: A Tardy Recap of a Great Road Trip

In April our family went on a two week long hiatus, sabbatical and respite. All four of us needed some time to relax and take a break for our daily duties and just have some fun as a family making memories.

We had about the best time you could think of! First the kids and I took off for Kentucky and spent a week there with my sister and family. Then the Hubs meet us in Lexington for the Easter weekend and from there we kept the mini-van moving and headed on to Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Our time in Lexington, Kentucky was wonderful. We did lots of family things. We went to a zoo wildlife place, celebrated a birthday, helped my sister register for baby gear, went to horse races, learned the C-A-T-S, Cats, Cats Cats cheer, watched UK win the championship in Lexington, Kentucky (we avoided being involved in the couch burning), ate lots of yummy food, celebrated Easter and just had a wonderful time together.

The trip to Gulf Shores was incredible! AHHH Gulf Shores, it was like a big deep breath of fresh air. We couldn’t have had a better time, it was a beautiful, relaxing, kid friendly, rejuvenating, romantic and couldn’t have been more of a perfect trip. We’ve only done the family vacation / road trip thing one other time and this time we really got the hang of it. We not only ensured the kids had fun and were entertained but WE THE PARENTS actually let ourselves relax and kick back too! Including taking naps, eating at places WE enjoyed and doing activities that were fun for all four of us! It was the perfect balance of kid and adult fun! We all agreed that our favorite activity was the dolphin cruise but honestly the BEST part about our vacation was the 30 foot balcony over looking the ocean, nap time and early bed times have never been more enjoyed!

The kiddos loved the balcony too!

The kids enjoying the beautiful white sandy beach.

At the Gulf Shores Zoo checking out a lioness, she even roared for us!

Strolling on the beach.

Enjoying their surroundings. We stopped and had a picnic lunch at a pavilion located between Gulf Shores and Orange Beach

An evening of fun on the beach.

I couldn’t love these guys or these moments more! Ready-Set-Go!!!

Wading in the water at “The Pass”. We found hermit crabs, jelly bellies and saw a ton of cranes and pelicans!

The Dolphin Cruise. The boat ride alone was incredible but seeing those dolphins that close jumping through the air was just unreal! We didn’t even zoom for these pictures!