Pensacola Beach Vacation Day 2

We were t.i.r.e.d. to be honest so that 7:00 alarm was hard.  Our goal was to leave the hotel by 9:00.  The hotel did an amazing job with breakfast.  We had to turn in "order" forms the night before and pick up our sack breakfasts in the morning.  They provided juice, Sausage and Egg Muffins, Blueberry Muffins, Granola Bars and Apples.  The rooms all have microwaves so it was perfect for eating up the Sausage Muffins.  I actually preferred this breakfast option to the normal breakfast that you have to "attend" and pick your things . .. .except I did miss my bagel and cream cheese!  

We pulled out a little later than planned - at 9:30 - but that was ok,  We weren't really feeling too rushed.  Our first stop of the day was Nissan Stadium - where the Tennessee Titans play.  A fun thing is we got to drive through a tunnel just before our exit. 

Then, we hit the road!  We traveled from Tennessee into Alabama. 

Nate took some great photos along the drive.  We played lots of rounds of the ABC game which was fun and listened to lots of music.  

We finally made it to Florida!!  We were so excited to see the sign! 

The bridge!!!!  This is the bridge that made me realize that I have a slight fear of bridges that cross the ocean HA!  I can handle the Mackinac Bridge any day of the week but this bridge - wow.  Maybe because it was so low and close to the water - I'm not sure - but it was crazy.  This was the first bridge we had to cross - we had one more to go before we got to "our" island! 

Our condo!  We were all the way up on the 11th floor - just one away from the top.  It was amazing! 

And, our view.  After a two day drive, this view was breath taking.  It was warm out, with sand and palm trees.  Finally an amazing vacation with the family!

So, we had to unload a TON of stuff into the elevator and get everything into our condo.  We were starving so we headed back across the smaller bridge to a Waffle House.  Yep, that's right - when in the South, eat at Waffle House HA!  It was perfect for our night.  Our breakfast for dinner was amazing and filled us up!  Our last stop was Publix so I could pick up the fresh/fridge items for the week.  Publix is pretty cool and has some fabulous prepped food (Like Street Tacos with all the fixin's!)  

Once back at our condo, we could finally relax and I enjoyed sitting out on our balcony, watching the moon reflect on the water and listening to the waves. 

Pensacola Beach Vacation Day 1

 Day 1 - Saturday 

Well, actually, our vacation kind of started on Friday when Darryl and I picked up our rental car - a 2021 Nissan Armada.

Isn't she a beauty?  We fell in love with this vehicle - it was big, comfortable, smooth riding, and just fit our family.  Yes, we rent a vehicle for a big road trip - it removes a lot of worry.  If it breaks down, we call the "1-800" number and they will bring a new one.  

We woke up early Saturday morning and finished loading up our sweet ride.  After much planning, prepping, and preparing we hit the road!  

We even got to see the sunrise! 

Our first stop along the way was Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN where the Colts play football. 

Now I realize that to some folks, this might not seem like a big deal but we are huge football fans so this was a big deal.  No, we could not go inside but we walked around a lot of the building and peered inside a few windows. 

We loaded back up and stopped to get gas.  Funny story, as we were sitting at the gas station, I looked over and did a double . .. and triple take!  I was almost positive my brother Ken was standing there filling up his vehicle.  I even sent him a message and said, "Ken, are you in Indianapolis?   Because, if not, I just saw your perfect doppelganger!" HA!  He assured me he was at home and on his way into Aldi's :-) 

After a few hours, we stopped for lunch.  Now, we learned quickly that our stops are not short.  We have a real talent at turning a quick stop into an hour stop.  Plus our KCF was messed up not once, not twice, but three times.  What a nightmare!  

The last half of our trip was full of RAIN!  It poured and poured and made it not such a relaxing trip and we were very glad to arrive at our hotel just outside of Nashville. 

Now, lets keep it real.  The hotel was very clean but it was old.  It did have a pool which we all enjoyed.  There was a sign up for the pool to limit people in the area but we ended up leaving after just a bit because it was pretty obvious that protocols were not be followed.  Once we dried off - we finally headed out to dinner.  We were planning on Chili's but the wait was over an hour so instead we headed to Red Robin and that worked out well.  There were very few people so eating inside wasn't such a big deal.  

Finally, we settled in for the night after a long day to relax and sleep.  We did decide that we are not early morning travelers.  We would rather sleep in, leave at 9:00 and arrive later in the day.  So, the alarm was set for 7:00 instead of 4:00 am!! 

Weekly Worship - MercyMe - Bright Side Of Broken

While traveling home from vacation, we got to enjoy a "new release party" on satellite radio of the latest album from Mercy Me.  This is one of my favorite songs on the album. 

2021 Week in Photos #14

 I missed a few weeks and this post is going to not include photos from our vacation - I'll be posting about that over the next couple of weeks with lots of specifics.  

Once we got home from vacation, it was a busy few days with unpacking, grocery shopping, laundry.  and all that fun stuff!  

We were very happy to come home and see our tree in full bloom!  Some years we miss the beautiful blooms due to weather but it looked beautiful and now I love finding the petals all over the yard as the wind blows through it.  It is just so pretty!!  

We also had our first week at Friday School but. .. . .I totally forgot to take my camera and took zero photos on my phone!  

Vacation was wonderful and it was kind of hard to get back into a groove.  But . . .this next week that is exactly what we have to do to finish our school year strong! 

Weekly Menu

 It's time to get back into the swing of things once again.  I'm trying to plan a little better so I can grocery shop better.  My friend and freezer are full so it's time to start using the things I have on hand. 

Friday - We still love eating take out on Fridays.  We are back to our Co-Op and TKD so my Fridays are busy.  Having to NOT cook on Friday is a nice treat. 

Saturday - It's Mother's Day Weekend and every year Darryl and the boys take me to the beach :-)  Well, "our" Lake Michigan beach, that is!  We love to make that first trip to listen to the waves and get our feet in our Michigan sand.  We are also hoping to get our favorite Bernie O's Pizza! 

Sunday - Today for Mother's Day, my mom is coming over and we are cooking HER dinner.  The plan is Chicken on the grill, Corn and Tomato Salad, Cheesy Rice and Broccoli Casserole, Fresh Pickled Cucumbers, and dessert :-) 

Monday - Pork Tenderloin, Baked Beans, Left over broccoli casserole, and Mac and Cheese

Tuesday - Tacos!

Wednesday - BBQ Pork, Salad, and French Fries

I'm Back

 

We've been gone :-)  We took a much anticipated, much enjoyed family vacation to Pensacola Beach, Florida and discovered that we love it there and hope to go back sooner rather than later.  But, between pushing hard to get a lot of school done before we left, packing, cleaning, and getting ready to go, being gone for 10 days and trying to unpack and get back into a groove . . .. .blogging has taken a back seat to everything else!! 

So, hopefully I can get back on track in the coming weeks with recipes, photos, songs, and even come new Co-op class ideas.  

I also want to share our adventures!  I searched a lot of ideas on Pinterest when we were planning and was thankful for so many blogs that shared great ideas! 

Weekly Menu - Back to Reality . . Kind of

 We really enjoyed our time of family fun (and have a few days left!) but it is kind of back to reality.  Here's the plan for the upcoming week

Friday, Saturday, Sunday - We are enjoying our last weekend of fun so I don't plan to cook much

Monday - We will probably grab one last "take out meal"

Tuesday - Tacos

Wednesday - Pork Loin in the Crock Pot, Baked Beans, Mac and Cheese and Green Beans

Thursday - Pulled Pork BBQ (Made with leftover pork) and French Fries plus left over baked beans! 

It's a super easy week :-)  I like easy weeks of cooking!