"It's only about 4 hours and 15 minutes...."

When Adam and I have driven to Gulf Breeze in the past, it has always taken us about four hours and fifteen minutes to get here. Well, that, my friends, was not the case Saturday morning. Little Charlie and I left Birmingham around 8:30 in the morning for a quick trip down to the beach. I was going to brave the trip alone since Adam is at the furniture market in Las Vegas. Well, Adam boarded a plane at 9:30 a.m. and called me around 1:00...already having arrived in Vegas. Charlie and I, however, had just made our third stop on our trip. He did not like traveling in the car for that long. We stopped at one exit, then at Exit #142 at Priester's Pecans, and then again at Evergreen. The little man didn't like being cooped up in his carseat. I now know that we will be purchasing a DVD player in the coming years for even "short" trips to see my parents. Pray for us as we travel back again on Tuesday to Birmingham.
"What is the one thing that is most relaxing to you?" I remember when a friend, Cheri, posed this question to me years ago. I quickly answered, "Being near any kind of water." That is still true today. This morning, Mom, Dad, and I took Charlie to Pensacola Beach. We took him in hopes of getting some good pics, but that didn't happen. (We'll try that tomorrow late afternoon.) Sweet mom took Charlie back home, but Dad and I stayed for a while to enjoy the beautiful morning. Being at the beach on a calm summer day is one of my favorite things. The water this morning was crystal clear. Schools of minnows swam by our feet as we walked through the Bahama blue-green water. (How's that for some descriptive writing?) Dad and I loved just walking through the water and observing nature all around us. God is so creative! Baby birds were bathing in a small pool of water, while proud pelicans hovered over the glassy sea. It truly was an amazing sight! Thanks, Dad, for spending this morning with me.