Lessons & Letting Our Hair Down On Vacation

Sometimes it’s good to let your hair down a little.

In fact, sometimes it’s necessary.

I was able to do that on our recent family vacation.

The four of us spent a week in Pensacola Beach, soaking up the sun, the fun, and each other’s presence. It was a beautiful time, filled with joy and laughter, relaxation and rest.

It’s just what this girl–and this family–needed.

As I always seem to, I learned some lessons and valuable truths on vacation. Please allow me to share them with you through the photos below.

1. I think we all may be a little addicted to our mobile devices.

2. There’s no place like the beach.

3. It’s worth it to sit out in the 90 degree sun for an hour, waiting to watch the Blue Angels practice.

4. It’s a blessing to have grown and teenage children who still enjoy hanging out with Mom and Dad.

5. Waking up to the sound of crashing waves is the perfect alarm clock.

6. You can get creative with seaweed. In fact, it’s kind of fun doing so! Here we cheered on our friend and favorite race car driver back home with it on the beach!

7. Ketchup tastes even better when made into a smiley face.

8. Next time we go to Beale Street in Memphis we need to eat there before 8pm. Minors cannot get in to most restaurants after that time.

9. Even on the days when we feel like a bug-splattered windshield, our lives can still be beautiful.

10. There’s nothing like watching your son from across the table as he cheers on “his” soccer team–Team USA–in a restaurant with 100+ people, who unbeknownst to us, are cheering them on too.

11. Training for RAGBRAI (a week-long bicycle ride across Iowa) was much more fun in Florida!

12. Dolphins are pretty amazing creatures.

13. God blessed us with priceless memories. This is why we take vacations.

I love vacations with this family of mine. Can’t wait until the next one!

Julie