Our Adventures in Destin, FL

We had so much fun in Destin. Madi loved playing in the ocean with Papaw and playing in the sand. She got a cute little bathing suit tan line too ;)

The majority of our time was spent leisurely at the condo going to and from the pool and beach. Also, taking naps (for madi and I anyway!) I would usually get up and go run in the morning before Madi woke up and then come back and study until she decided to get up. Then we would have breakfast and get ready to go to the beach. After the beach we would come back and have lunch and Madi would take her nap while I would study some more. Then we would spend the rest of the evening at the pool. Dinner was usually spent at a restaurant somewhere in the area.

Monday night, after a long and lazy day at the beach, we met up with Clayton’s friend/brother Tyler. He’s stationed with the Air Force in Ft. Walton and I hadn’t seen him in a year or so. It was nice catching up and talking with him over dinner, although all the family back home was jealous that I got to see him and they didn’t ;) My niece Kylie thought he was so cute and Madi wants to look at the picture we took all the time. She says, “I see Tyler?”

On Tuesday we went to the Gulfarium. Usually we go on rainy days but a few of us were sunburnt so we figured it would be a good time. She saw a bunch of animals. She loved the stingrays and the dolphins (like her mama!) Earlier in the week, we were walking on a boardwalk out in the middle of the water and my mom mentioned to Madi something about alligators. She was terrified! Now, she won’t walk on a planked floor without worrying about there being alligators. But did she get scared when we saw one in the water 3 feet away at the Gulfarium? Nope. I don’t get it.

Wednesday, I got up to run for the second time that week. I absolutely love running around the area that our condo is in. It’s so peaceful, the weather is perfect, there’s always a breeze, and it’s an active area. I’m constantly passing other runners/bicyclers/etc that are  waving and saying good morning. It’s the best start to your day.  I caught some pictures while I ran, the scenery was just too beautiful not to capture for others to see.

We met some of my Mom’s friends for dinner Thursday night. After we played on the playground nearby on the beach, we had Italian ice cream and then went putt putt golfing. I didn’t realize until we started how hard it is to play when you have a 2 year old who doesn’t understand the game. All she wanted to do was chase our balls after we hit them, pick them up, and throw them in the water next to the green. We fished several balls out of the water, needless to say. Madi was entertained though!

Then Friday, we spent the day relaxing by the water and enjoying our last day there.

I’m so happy that Madi had a good time this year. Last year when we took her she was only about 10 months old and hated the sand and the ocean frightened her. I’m happy to say that this trip was an overall success. It is nice to be heading back home to see our family and get back to our routine though! See you next year, Florida!