A blog about the beach

The last week in April, Kyle and I went to the beach. It also was my last 7 days off before I started my brand new job. We went to Perdido Key in Florida. The weather was beautiful & the food was delish. 

Of course, I had to get my nails done before we went. 

On our way! 

Beautiful, my favorite place on earth.

Beach time!

Dinner at Mikee's was a must.

Before dinner on the first night.

FloraBama has come a long way since the hurricanes, so if you are ever in town go sit with us! haha. I was totally that girl, but I couldn't resist!

I started my new job this past Monday. So far, so good! 

 It is crazy how productive I am in one day when I work like a normal person. 

Those 7on 7off sure had me spoiled! 

ps --> I can't wait to go back to the beach, I LOVE THAT PLACE. :)

Happy Sunday!

A Stolen Life.

I almost forgot while I was at the beach I read two pretty heart wrenching stories.

Day One: A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

This story was truly powerful, heartbreaking, and chilling. Not to mention, it is all real.  Every piece you read is an intimate detail of a life that was taken for 18 years. It is pretty unimaginable to think she survived to even tell her story. Here were some of my favorite quotes or passages...

Who knew a pine cone could mean so much in someone's life. For it to mean something as big as freedom just leaves me speechless. My eyes are tearing up just thinking of what that little girl was going through. 

"When I don't dare to think, I dare to dream."

"Love is the easy part, it's the living without the love you need that is hard."

It also shares some of her journal entries.

She would often list goals, or places she would someday like to visit.

To think of the simplicity of such dreams is hard to imagine.

At one point she even says she will never hate Phillip and Nancy (her kidnappers)

because she doesn't want that sort of bitterness in her life.

That takes one strong person.

And I think she beats the odd.

Of course, I think she has a long hard road in front of her, but her story is inspiring.

The guts it took to right and open up her life in that way is remarkable, and although sometimes you just want to jump in the story and scream, that was her life for 18 years and she had no other choice but to adapt and survive. I commend her. 

So go read. It is a must!

Drifting Away (photo overload)

Last week was the annual family beach trip.
Last week was WONDERFUL.
The beach was beautiful, the water was perfect,
and most days were pretty uneventful.
We ate a lot of shrimp, caught a lot of rays,
and enjoyed each and every moment.
There were 13 people, which included
3 children at and under the age of 3, with 1 condo
and only 2 bathrooms. However, we survived
and I have TONS of pictures to prove it.
ENJOY. 

my nephew, Will and me

 my daddy and me at Doc's

 Meghan (my brother's gf and me)

 My brother, Daniel and me

 My newphew, Judson

 My niece, Ryleigh Bug. No her name isn't "Ryleigh Bug H----. However, if you ask, she will tell you that it is.

 My sister, Jessica and I

 love.

 Meghan, Daniel and me

 My Dad and his gf Michele

 Maybe my favorite picture of the bug.

 Daniel and Meghan

 I have tons more pictures. Actually, in all, 3 people managed to take 1799 pictures!! However, I will spare you the excitement! Hope everyone is having a great week. Also, I ask for lots of prayers for a sweet family. Please read her story here.

Favorite season = Day Two

I assume the correct answer here would be Fall.I live dead center in the nation of all football nations, and of course, the weather is not too cold, not too hot, and football game days are always just a Saturday away. But fall just isn't quite my favorite.

Sorry for the let down, but I am a summer loving gal.
Sure, it gets freakishly hot, it is almost always humid,
your car clearly doesn't cool down fast enough,
and the blazing heat that comes out before the a/c
kicks in almost melts your face off. LITERALLY. But I love it.
You can wear shorts
EVERY
SINGLE
DAY,
flip flops are a must,
and the perfect side braid
puts the final touches on any summer outing.
I could live in shorts, if I was allowed.
Too bad scrubs only come in pants or long skirts.
So back to why I love my summers.

It is because I could totally just lounge around here,

Catch a few more rays here,

And soak my life away right here.

Sure, summer used to mean no school, but for now it means paradise. Summer is where my heart is, and will always be.

Just one more

BLOG

about

the

beAcH

...and really it is just the pictures.

Isn't that what you folks want to see anyways??

Here you go.

***michele found that silver dollar. how awesome?

favorite thing about today # 11

my favorite thing about today was...

finally uploading my beach pictures.
and just check out all of these awesome cheeses.

The Beach in a Nut SeaShell

I don't even know where to begin. I tried to soak up as much as I can because the days seemed to fly by. The weather wasn't always so beautiful, but I atleast I got to relax in the sand every day that I was down there.
Let's see...

We drove down saturday & we ALWAYS just order in some pizza. And I mean as long as I can remember, the first night is pizza night. NO EXCEPTIONS.

For starters I read 2.5 books. I haven't quite finished my third one yet. But here was an awesome quote from "Sleeping Beauty Proposal" ***its the first full paragraph you can see!

Of course, we ate a TON of seafood!!
We built sand castles. *** Ryleigh was so excited.

And we even hung out by the pool some, too.

Not to mention, we put our toes in the ocean. ****and boy did Will love it.

and took a ton of pictures *** but I had to borrow these from my sister, hopefully I will upload my own very soon!

And then we came home, my least favorite part of the trip. Not because I'm leaving the beach, which is sad, but because I just don't like sitting in the car....waiting to be back home.

So now we are home. Back to the grind of school, work, hanging with my little girl, and no life. FOURTH SEMESTER STARTED TODAY!!

Eat, Pray, Love

is pretty much my favorite book thus far, and I am only 20 pages in. Yes, just pages. I'm on my 3rd book of the week. So far, this is by far one of favorites. Top 3 for sure. I feel like EG is writing to me, and not some swanky book editor sitting in a high back leather chair, overlooking some big city, on the top floor of course. I feel like its just her and I, girl talk. And I love it, it sucks me right in. I already feel a deep connection between Liz and I, we are at crucial points in our lives, searching for a way out. I'm still at the beginning so I haven't read how she made it out quite yet. And I haven't written that chapter in my life either. I'm still at a moment where the future is hazy, but I have a blank sheet of paper, my favorite pen, and I'm in a writing mood. What I imagine is brighter than ever. Maybe that is the sun in my eyes right now, but I am 100% positive, my future is just as stunning. A little cloudy at times, but I know what hides underneath it all. My out. Maybe I will share those dreams one day, but for now, I am in my day by day thinking/processing, just making little mental notes as I go along.

As for the other books I have read, beneath the drama filled pages of exquisite adjectives before every noun, there underlies great messages.

Heart of the Matter by the amazing Emily Giffin is a story of forgiveness, letting go, and trusting what's in your heart. But most of all, forgiveness. Because if you can't forgive, you can't move forward with your own life. So even if the greatest mistake imaginable is made, you must forgive, and move forward. Afterall, it really is the only choice you have, unless you want to sit and sulk, and constantly ask yourself, why? Hold your head high, gather up all the pieces, make a few changes, dig down really deep, and forgive, let it go.

Now, Sleeping Beauty Proposal, which I just might of chosen because of the title, was pretty awesome as well. It is a brilliant story of taking risks, letting go, and never looking back. Everyone should try it out every now and then. You never know what awesome things might come from those risks, even if everyone thinks you're a little cooky in the process. Revenge is sweet my friend. Just take a risk, and jump!

As for the beach, it is amazing as always. My toes and the sand have practically become BFF's. Ill update with pictures when I get home.

picture by daniel***

a little of this, A LOT of that.

I don't know what has gotten into me. I used to love to pack. I would pack a good week in advance, have lists of everything I needed to pack, then check off those lists. Well not today, I think I just grabbed everything I thought I might would wear, and threw it in some bags. I did, however, manage to get a new swimsuit, and these FOUR new books that I CANNOT wait to read! Maybe I will do a little book report on each! Ha. No seriously, I think the exhaustion and lack of sleep has gotten to me. So off to bed I go, because I am going to the beach tomorrow! HAPPY WEEKEND!

13

I am all about not liking odd numbers. Just think about it. They cannot be divided directly in half so they are always off balance. And that is how they make me feel. Nervous, shaky, and off balance. I don't really consider it that big of deal because it does not interfere with my everyday well being. However, if I have the choice I will choose against them. For example, freshman year chemistry class our seats were numbered. I would never sit on an odd number. I would always be sure to move a seat over. Especially on tests days. Nonetheless, some days I don't have a choice. Like in nursing school. The teachers number the exams (to make sure everyone has turned theirs back in). You must understand the sigh of relief I feel when I am handed a beloved even number. Then there are those tests when they hand me a dreaded odd number on my exam. I always look as soon as I receive my test. Bad habit. It has definitely crossed my mind to be like, "hey, I can't use this test! Are you kidding me?" But I refrain, I suck it up, and try to look past it. With all of that being said, you can understand the traumatic experience I am dealing with today. Of all days. Friday the 13th. The oddest number of them all, on the day of a final. Sucking it up as we speak. Laughing off my quirky requests and faults. I've dealt with the odds before. I can do this.

Fast forward one mental meltdown, one final, one hour (bc I am a fast test taker), 100 questions in booklet numbered 62. Atleast I have the evens on my side today.

I can't, however, fast forward to tomorrow morning, when grades will be posted, and I am on my way to the sandy beaches of alabama. How I long to enjoy and look forward to my toes in the sand. But that excitement is so far suppressed in my heart and brain that I hope it comes out before I have to come back home. Deep breath.

Just another day in the life of an

over stressed, over analyzer, no time for fun, nursing student.

Good bye semester 3.

You will not be missed.

You're always on my mind.

well of course school is always on my mind. maybe a little too much and then graduation followed pretty closely behind it or maybe in front, depending on the time of day.
I mean, how awesome does this place look?? I. AM. IN. And I am always thinking about vacation.
Can't forget my favorite love birds, and the happiest place on earth. D.I.S.N.E.Y.

last but not least, sleep. i mean the bed is awesome too. but i crave sleep. dream about sleep, if that is possible, and wake up every morning looking forward to going back to sleep. now thats probably a problem, but oh well. i don't have time for problems. so long, farewell. don't forget to check out "my poems" tabs. thanks.

more BEACH pictures

this was another day on the beach. the guys had to have their cigars!

the last night we went to adventure island. putt putt was a MUST

the same night we played arcade games... check out our friendship bracelets. then we ended the week at FLORAbama. TOO MUCH FUN

beach. >> PICTURES

this is day one. we went to mikee's (a nice little seafood place) for dinner and it was yummy!

our second day on the beach. i couldn't get enough of the sun. LOVE

this night we went to Live Bait. it had a great band, and we had too much fun.

DeSotos was our dinner of choice this night. LOTS of good times and laughs.