Life's a beach

I am either very on top of things right now or just really putting off re-entering the real world after 4 days at the beach, since I'm posting this the same night I got back. I think it's the latter, considering my suitcase is still fully packed, I've prepared no food for the week, and I'm not going to bed despite having to get up 8 hours from now.

Anyway, this (long) weekend was a chance to get in some quality family time, since we never know what tomorrow or next week or next month holds, especially for mom. God was so good in giving her a pretty pain-free weekend, feeling good, and blessing all of us with safe travels, bright sunny weather, and an all-around good, relaxing time. The Tapps kept Paisley for the weekend (SO thankful for that!), and mom, dad & I drove down Thursday morning in some ominous weather - cloudy, chilly, windy and a little rainy. When we got to the condo, dad and I apparently conked out within minutes - me on the sofa, him on the master bed - so mom just went ahead and made a grocery list and went to the store by herself! Oops, sorry mom!

Friday morning, I can't believe it, but I slept til 10:45 (!) and then went for a long walk on the beach and did my leg workout to the best of my ability without the machines at the gym. I have GOT to remember to put on sunscreen when I run or walk on the beach when it's cloudy, because I have a nice little sunburn in the shape of my sportsbra to prove that 80% of the sun's rays DO come through the clouds. So I spent a lot of the rest of the time trying to even that out, without much luck. Hillary and Allen arrived Friday afternoon and we all enjoyed a breezy but pleasant afternoon on the beach.

We went out to dinner at Lee's Inlet Kitchen - our favorite place for pretty much my whole life - Friday night. It never disappoints. The hushpuppies and honey butter are the best you will ever taste, and the 5 of us went through 2 baskets. Everyone gives me a hard time for going to a seafood place at the beach and not getting seafood, but I just really love their grilled chicken, so I get it every time. Why pay $25 for fish when the $18 chicken is so good? Dad got his standard shrimp creole, and Hillary, Allen & Mom all got salmon. They even seated us near the fish tank we used to love looking at when we were little and would go to Lee's with the whole Johns side of the family :).

Saturday was another pretty low-key day...some laying out, dad getting in the ocean, some pool sitting, some reading and football, etc. That night we had a fun game of Spades - mom and me versus Hillary and Allen. Mom and I just could not get good cards to save our lives and quickly fell way down into negative numbers - I think at one point to -190something. Hill and Allen were winning quite handily, especially after I lost a nil with a 10 of diamonds! But somehow we crept back into it, after I was able to pull off nil, we got Allen to lose a nil on a 2 of spades on the last trick, and H & A lost points for too many sandbags. We ended the game after mom and I finally pulled ahead in the score....and then I went to call Wade and gloat :).

Today was just the clean up and drive home kinda deal, and Paisley is now passed out on my floor after I think she had the time of her life being spoiled by the Tapps and having Brinkley to play with! She'll probably be lonely all week :(.