Destin 2014

 White sandy beaches and blue/torqouise water made Destin, Florida a top favorite beach to visit. Good friends and the ocean made for a fun memorable Thanksgiving holiday.
Highlights of the trip (in no particular order):
1.  No schedule or agenda, just beach time.
2.  Chasing seagulls on the shore.
3.  Game nights. (Disney Scene It made for a wild competition.)
4.  Black Friday Shopping at Midnight.  And...we accidentally ran over my phone during the shopping.
5.  Searching for crabs at night with a full moon.  The stars were incredible over the ocean.
6.  Building many sandcastles.  Mason enjoyed eating the sand. And, for the record, Florida has the best sand I have ever sunk my toes into.
7.  Turkey Bowl Football Game on the beach.
8.  The Donut Hole Restaurant…it was delicious.  Mmmm.
9.  Meeting, Olaf the Gator, at Fudpuckers Restaurant.
10. Watching the sunset as our kids played happily with friends in the waves.

We will be returning to Destin soon.

Jaxson and Mason

Mason and Whitley

White sand.

Wore the kids out so much that Lex fell asleep in the middle of the floor playing Jenga.

New Orleans 2014

Several of our neighbors have shared how much they love to visit Destin, Florida.  We decided we wanted to check out the amazing Florida beaches, so we headed there with friends for Thanksgiving Break.  We made a stop in New Orleans on the way to see what the crazy city was like. Apparently, in the Southern accent, it's pronounced more like 'Naw-Lens' and definitely has a taste of Mardi Gras all year long.  Always a party.  We decided to refrain from Bourbon Street, especially with kids.  I loved the older French Southern Homes with porches, balconies and shutters.  (I guess I have a bit of a obsession for Southern Colonial style homes.) A highlight for the kids was going to Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarters, where they made fresh beignets loaded with powered sugar.  The girls loved peering through the windows on their tip toes to watch them make the dough.   

Trying Creole...

Crossing the Mississippi for the 5th time…ironically, each time we have crossed it, it has been in a different state. Big river.