Beach vacation 2012

Luckily this summer we got to take a nice week long trip to Orange Beach at the end of July.  These beach trips have gotten so nice b/c the girls are so into the water now that Mark and I can relax and have a few beverages while they swim.  

Our annual tradition is to pack a picnic lunch for the way there and stop at the Alabama state line:

Mark and Emma at the rest stop.

Timer picture with my camera

 We stayed at Seaside Beach and Racquet Club in Orange Beach.  Here is our view from the condo:

The weather was kinda up and down the whole time we were there so we had to take advantage of the good weather when we had it.  As soon as we unpacked, we headed to the beach.

Emma and her boogie board

Katie and hers

Surfer Girl

 So a few beach trips ago, the girls discovered The Hangout and now it is one of their favorite places.  It can be insanely crowded at night, but they actually do a great breakfast every morning.  We did that for the first time this trip and it was wonderful.  There is a Pirate and Princess theme and they even do a scavenger hunt for the little ones.  Its no Disney character meal, but a nice time.

mom and Katie

Dad and Emma

Beignets!  The girls' favorite

The beginning of the scavenger hunt (Emma is in there somewhere!)

So here is the cool thing about Facebook.  I have loved getting in touch with some of Mark and I's favorite former students and players.  One of the one's I am "friends" with is a ball player from Belaire days named Brad.  We were at the Hangout and he was there with his family (wife and two kids!) - makes us feel kinda old!

Brad and Mark 

Emma and one of the "princesses" at The Hangout

Me and my honey on the beach

 My sister, Kim and her husband Richard met us at the beach on Thursday of that week and we had a great time hanging out the Nannie Kim and "Mr. Wizard".  That night we ate seafood at Wentzels.  It was wonderful.

Katie and Nannie Kim

the Carroll family photo

Nannie Kim and Mr. Richard

Emma tries raw oysters for the first time

She decided she wasn't too crazy about them

The next day we had more beach time - taking advantage of the good weather times:

My beach bum

The whole gang visiting having beverages!

Representing LSU among all these damn Alabama fans!

Missy looking kinda rough here!

Mr. Richard burying the girls

Peek a boo!

The family got a lot of sun that day, so the next morning we decided to take a break from the sand and waves and do some goofy golf at Adventure Island.  Mark kept score and supposedly he won, but I didn't verify this!

Say cheese!

The lefties playing some serious golf!

We had a great time and were sad to go home.  But Jovi and Lilo were so happy to see us.  Unfortunately reality sets in as we get home and start to prepare for the beginning of school! Bye bye beach - see you next year!

Anne Marie's wedding

So, the last of my college "crew" got married last weekend (yes... at my age!).  So needless to say it was a great time of celebration.  Her family really did it up right.  Because Nannie Kim was able to keep the girls for us, Mark and I got to enjoy a wonderful weekend in The Big Easy with friends - a nice break before the start of football season.  We had an amazing time.  

We arrived in New Orleans on Friday night and planned to meet up with the gang in Anne Marie's hotel room at The Monteleone hotel.  Before that Mark and I grabbed a quick bite to eat with Eleanor and Russ at Luke's restaurant (a John Besh restaurant)

Mark and I at Luke's

Russ and Eleanor

Me and Eleanor

 So when we got to the hotel room, we met up with a few people we hadn't seen for quite some time.  The handsome young man in this picture is Anne Marie's "little" brother who is now married and just had a baby boy the week before.  (We saw this guy grow up!).  Also in this picture besides Eleanor and I are Anne Marie (in the pink in the back), her cousin Erinn (next to me), who was also a Phi Mu with us and then Susan (in the back) and Lesley in the front.  This was our little college crew.

Our crew: Lesley, me, Susan, Anne Marie and Eleanor

 So as the night went on (and the wine flowed freely!), we began to dance and sing while Russ played the guitar - good times.

Russ

Eleanor and Anne Marie

Erinn and Eleanor

Party time!

It just happened to be the Bastille Day celebration down town and so we joked about it being fireworks for Anne Marie's celebration (and It was also Lesley's wedding anniversary) - so spare no expense, we also had fireworks at this party!

So, after we drank for a while, Anne Marie and David and some of their New Orleans friends went to get a bite to eat, mistakenly leaving us in her room ALONE!  We decided to have some fun with her veil.  Don't worry, we showed her these pictures at the wedding reception the next night and she died laughing!

I swear sometimes Mark still thinks he's a 20 year old frat boy!

Erinn and I had matching bracelets

 So the next night Anne Marie had buses to shuttle us to and from the hotel, the church and the reception at the Audubon Tea Room.  It was so nice to not have  to worry about driving around the city.

The girls and I before the wedding

Audubon Tea Room at the Zoo - gorgeous

The girls and I with Anne Marie's parents, Louise and Tom

Anne Marie and David before their first dance

Anne Marie and her dad (Awww!)

The whole crew together

At this point the pictures get... well, a little fuzzy shall we say.  I have decided to censor the photos from this point on.  We had a great time and we are so happy for you "half pint".  

Birthday festivities

So the day after our zoo trip was my birthday, and we had family time at home with the girls, then a fun night out with my sister and friend Eleanor.  It was a nice quiet birthday.

How well does my husband know me?

The girls and I with my Minnie cake.

My sweetie.

My oh so Disney cake from Fairy Dust cakes in town

That night, we went to Matherne's grocery store's wine dinner.  If you have never done one of these, you have to try it (assuming you like wine, and who doesn't?).  They fix a 5 course meal and pair it with wines from a specific vineyard.  The wine representative explains the wines and then you get to try them and buy some if you want after the dinner.  We had a great time and went home with several bottles of my favorite!

Mark and I after a glass or two!

Nannie Kim and Mr. Richard

"Crazy" Eleanor (as my kids say) and Russ

The whole group after the dinner.

We had a great time at the dinner.  We just don't do these things often enough.  What a great day!