Gulf Shores Beach Trip Part I

 My extended family has been talking about a family vacation for years now.  Its just never been feasible, mostly because of  my mom's health.  But with my mom's health in a stable enough state we started vacation dreaming again.  We booked the beach condo like six months ago I believe and had been talking about the trip for so long now, it was hard to believe the day finally arrived for us to go.  It was a much needed vacation for my family, with all we went through recently with surgery and illness in our house and my dad hasn't taken off a week from work, like, ever.  And it had been FAR TOO LONG since we had seen my brother and his family which includes my sweet and adorable nephew.  And the icing on the delicious cake was my Aunt was joining us as well.  Another family member that had been far too long since we've seen.  All of us makes ten people. Seven grown ups and three kiddos.  And because we needed a place without stairs for my mom, a hard or impossible find for a house on a beach, we opted for a condo route.  And because we had so many people, we needed a lot of bedrooms.  So we ended up booking the penthouse, which was on the 26th floor.  The living room was surrounded by floor to ceiling windows.  GORGEOUS.  The views alone.  We also had a flock of pelicans fly right next to our window several times.  It was magnificent.  I have to say, nothing makes you feel more like a jerk though than getting on the elevator and when asked what floor they can push for you, having to answer "Penthouse please."  

Condo and Views 

 

It was the best feeling to see my boys play with their cousin.  All three boys running around, having a ball.  Every morning they would run and give each other hugs and if one of us arrived back to the condo before the other after being out, they would run and greet each other with hugs upon the others' return.  It was adorable.  It was also really sweet to see how much Blake really adored his Uncle...my brother.  Loved it.  

Pics of the cousins and with Uncle A.  Also a video:

 Adam and Blake did this sumo thing a lot.  Video below.  It was so cute.  Also, my brother hurt his back very badly towards the beginning of the trip and was walking hunched over.  At one point Blake ran after my brother because he wanted to ride in the same car as him, but he ran after him hunched over too.  Wanted to be just like his uncle.  HA!