Vacation this year was so wonderful! I was a little anxious about the drive this year since this would be the first time we drove with Addi for that long but she couldn’t have been any better! We didn’t leave until Friday night at around 10:30 (after giving Craig a few hours to nap) and she was (seriously) asleep by 10:45 and slept until about 4:15 AM when we made a stop to get gas. We got her out of her car seat so that she could walk around a little and stretch her legs and changed her diaper and off we went again! I took over driving at this time and about 30 minutes later, Addi threw her one and only fit in the car wanting me to sit in the back seat for her. (I need to backtrack a little and make a slight excuse for my sweet girl—she hadn’t been feeling well for the two weeks prior to our trip—battling a double ear-infection, runny nose and cough and had been through a 10-day antibiotic but still hadn’t completely kicked the cough.) Since I knew that she just didn’t feel great and it was like close to 5 AM, I pulled over and took my spot next to her in the back seat. I rubbed her head and tried to get her to calm back down and while rubbing her head, I noticed that she felt pretty warm so I got out the Tylenol because I didn’t want her temperature to continue to rise. She was NOT in the frame of mind to take medicine so I had to get Craig to get off at the next exit and we had to take her back out of her car seat and basically pour the Tylenol down—by this time it was 5:30 AM but we were back on the road and she was quiet and happy with me beside her. I rubbed her head and by 6 AM she was asleep again. That was truly our only little meltdown of the long trip which I thought was excellent considering (1) it was her first really long car ride and (2) she wasn’t feeling well!
We arrived in Panama City Beach at around 9:30 AM and found the nearest Waffle House and had a wonderful breakfast—we were all starving! Even Addi ate a WHOLE waffle (and those are huge) as well as some bacon!
We stayed at a different condo this year—we normally stay at the Gulf Gate—but stayed at Dunes of Panama this year. It was beautiful and the patio/deck was huge and the view was amazing!
The kids were so much fun this year and really enjoyed the water. Addi loved the ocean and you had to watch her because she was a bit of a daredevil and would have liked to go out there by herself. It was nice because there was a really shallow sand bar that was really in close so the kids could play in the water there without us being right next to them since the water only came up to their knees. They had lots of fun finding shells and trying to catch the little fish in the water.
They also had fun in the pool. There were 3 different pools there but the 2 larger pools were a little cool (the water had recently been refilled) so we stayed at the smaller, heated pool and the kids loved it. Katie took big strides in swimming without her puddle jumper this year. There were quite a few people there from KY so it was nice to meet some new people.
We ate at most of our “usual” places this year—Pineapple Willies, Angelos, Hammerhead Fred’s, Reggae J’s, and the Boat House. We ate at the Boat House Thursday night for Austin’s 17th birthday. Then everyone came back to our room for cake and ice cream. Austin had requested that Nana make him a chocoloate éclair cake for his birthday so she did! After that, several of us went down to the beach to look for crabs in the dark with flashlights! The little ones enjoyed that but after a little while, I thought it was getting too cool for them so we came back up!
For his birthday, Lisa and James paid for Austin to go on a Sea Doo ride with them. James and Dalton rode on one sea doo and Morgan and Austin on the other. They had a good time.
The weather was PERFECT all week. We had no rain at all and it was like low to mid 80s all week. We all came back with a great tan (especially Addi) but no one was burnt!
Friday we spent our last day at the beach and then the pool and then came back to the condo and got showers and baths and then Addi and Craig laid down and took a good nap. We left the condo around 4 and went to Pier Park to do some shopping before getting on the road to head home. We left Pier Park around 7 and found a KFC to stop at for dinner. Addi watched movies (Max and Ruby and then the Lion King) and didn’t fall asleep until around midnight and slept until we got home at around 5:30 AM.
Friday we spent our last day at the beach and then the pool and then came back to the condo and got showers and baths and then Addi and Craig laid down and took a good nap. We left the condo around 4 and went to Pier Park to do some shopping before getting on the road to head home. We left Pier Park around 7 and found a KFC to stop at for dinner. Addi watched movies (Max and Ruby and then the Lion King) and didn’t fall asleep until around midnight and slept until we got home at around 5:30 AM.
It was a GREAT trip. I’m so thankful that we get to take this trip every year with our parents and extended families!
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