Can life just get a little bit busier? Sheesh!!!! I think we skipped October this year. Or maybe we skipped September.
.
I'm going to write a letter to somebody and ask them to quit skippin' months. I'm confused enough, thank you!!!
Okay...I must confess. I know we didn't skip October. We made it to the beach...so I know we experienced the month of October this year!
We stopped about 3 or 4 hours away from the beach to grab a bite of breakfast at WHERE ELSE???...
Bojangles.
.
And what does traveling with 5 kids for 9 1/2 hours look like, anyway? 
Well...just take a look. Good thing we've got this Excursion (fondly known as "The Ex")...or we'd likely be losing body parts along the way...! And BTW...it's much easier traveling with
a potty trained BOY than with potty trained GIRLS, as you can see...
So...after a 9 1/2 hour drive...
As soon as we got to the beach house, we let the kids
RUN out onto the beach...in their pajamas..
.
We stayed in a
ridiculously luxurious home.
On a peaceful beach. With my Mother's Mom & Sister (Ma & Debbie), but without Uncle Jim. He hates the beach, thus, he stayed home. My Mom is no big fan of the beach either, but she loves it when the whole family gets together to have some down time. And bless his big heart, my husband hates the beach with a passion...but he sacrifices because he knows how much the kids and I enjoy it.
If I ever win the lottery, I'm going to buy a beach house. And I might move there when I retire. Of course...
I have to buy a lottery ticket first. If I ever have a hope of winning the lottery...
Topsail Island was a nice beach, as beaches go. It was not congested. Very little traffic. Peaceful. I think that we will not likely ever go back to Topsail Island because the kids, while loving their
3 days ON the beach...were bored on the other 4 days inside (due to cold rainy weather).
And there was really only one restaurant that was a draw for us all to eat at...The Riverview Cafe. And it was very good, but
it was NO Benjamins! And that's okay. We ate there 3 times. But that's Topsail Island...no shopping...only a few restaurants...no traffic...no congestion. And if you like that kind of atmosphere when you go on vacation,
Topsail Island is PERFECT!!!
But I really would like to be somewhere closer to a miniature golf course. A beach where I can
bake in the sand all day and
eat crab legs by the sea by night. A beach where I can shop at a Marshalls that marks all their goods down to clearance prices that
make you want to buy the whole store. Where
my kids can boogie in the surf by day, and
eat shrimp by night...with some
miniature golf thrown in...and maybe a movie.
Topsail Island is
NOT your vacation destination if you ask for that.
Topsail Island IS your beach vacation destination if you don't ask for too much. And that's a great thing!!!! Just
not as great with 5 bored kids on a cold rainy stretch of 4 days out of the once-per-year beach vacation.
I must tell you my God story, though. I must stress to you that He takes my breath away.
On one of the rainy cloudy days, my spirits were sinking a little bit. I've always said
"I don't care if it rains while we're at the beach. It's the change of pace and scenery that means so much". And that may be true until you have to pile on 3 layers to walk to the pier...and it's been cloudy and cold for 4 days. So
my spirits were actually plummeting. And I say to my Father...
"The house is great, Lord. The pace is slow and easy. But I'm whiter than a newborn baby and would love a nice tan before heading back to K town...can you PLEASE let me know that YOU know that I'm here?"
Not 10 minutes later...
The clouds parted.
The sun GLORIOUSLY shone through.
I got a beautiful tan.
And I was reminded once again that my Father cares so much about the details. And He has the power to make me sweat...in 65 degrees with a cool wind blowing strong...as the sun warms my body and He warms my heart.
And I say,
"I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant."
Genesis 32:10...and while I'm not facing off with my brother in a life altering battle (read the whole 32nd chapter), this is as simple and true to my life as it can be said!!!!!
Our beach vacation on Topsail Island
was a memory well worth cherishing. 
Can life just get a little bit busier? Sheesh!!!! I think we skipped October this year. Or maybe we skipped September.
.
I'm going to write a letter to somebody and ask them to quit skippin' months. I'm confused enough, thank you!!!
Okay...I must confess. I know we didn't skip October. We made it to the beach...so I know we experienced the month of October this year!
We stopped about 3 or 4 hours away from the beach to grab a bite of breakfast at WHERE ELSE???...Bojangles.
Well...just take a look. Good thing we've got this Excursion (fondly known as "The Ex")...or we'd likely be losing body parts along the way...! And BTW...it's much easier traveling with a potty trained BOY than with potty trained GIRLS, as you can see...
So...after a 9 1/2 hour drive...
As soon as we got to the beach house, we let the kids RUN out onto the beach...in their pajamas..
.
We stayed in a ridiculously luxurious home. On a peaceful beach. With my Mother's Mom & Sister (Ma & Debbie), but without Uncle Jim. He hates the beach, thus, he stayed home. My Mom is no big fan of the beach either, but she loves it when the whole family gets together to have some down time. And bless his big heart, my husband hates the beach with a passion...but he sacrifices because he knows how much the kids and I enjoy it. If I ever win the lottery, I'm going to buy a beach house. And I might move there when I retire. Of course...I have to buy a lottery ticket first. If I ever have a hope of winning the lottery...
Topsail Island was a nice beach, as beaches go. It was not congested. Very little traffic. Peaceful. I think that we will not likely ever go back to Topsail Island because the kids, while loving their 3 days ON the beach...were bored on the other 4 days inside (due to cold rainy weather). 
And there was really only one restaurant that was a draw for us all to eat at...The Riverview Cafe. And it was very good, but it was NO Benjamins! And that's okay. We ate there 3 times. But that's Topsail Island...no shopping...only a few restaurants...no traffic...no congestion. And if you like that kind of atmosphere when you go on vacation, Topsail Island is PERFECT!!!
But I really would like to be somewhere closer to a miniature golf course. A beach where I can bake in the sand all day and eat crab legs by the sea by night. A beach where I can shop at a Marshalls that marks all their goods down to clearance prices that make you want to buy the whole store. Where my kids can boogie in the surf by day, and eat shrimp by night...with some miniature golf thrown in...and maybe a movie.
Topsail Island is NOT your vacation destination if you ask for that.
Topsail Island IS your beach vacation destination if you don't ask for too much. And that's a great thing!!!! Just not as great with 5 bored kids on a cold rainy stretch of 4 days out of the once-per-year beach vacation.
I must tell you my God story, though. I must stress to you that He takes my breath away.
On one of the rainy cloudy days, my spirits were sinking a little bit. I've always said "I don't care if it rains while we're at the beach. It's the change of pace and scenery that means so much". And that may be true until you have to pile on 3 layers to walk to the pier...and it's been cloudy and cold for 4 days. So my spirits were actually plummeting. And I say to my Father..."The house is great, Lord. The pace is slow and easy. But I'm whiter than a newborn baby and would love a nice tan before heading back to K town...can you PLEASE let me know that YOU know that I'm here?"
Not 10 minutes later...
The clouds parted.
The sun GLORIOUSLY shone through.
I got a beautiful tan.
And I was reminded once again that my Father cares so much about the details. And He has the power to make me sweat...in 65 degrees with a cool wind blowing strong...as the sun warms my body and He warms my heart.
And I say,
"I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant."
Genesis 32:10...and while I'm not facing off with my brother in a life altering battle (read the whole 32nd chapter), this is as simple and true to my life as it can be said!!!!!
Our beach vacation on Topsail Island
was a memory well worth cherishing. 
