Amber found this great beach house in Gulf Shores, Alabama with 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths, a large living area and a great kitchen! Seating for 10 with the table for 6 + seating at the bar + a table with two chairs from the living room. Perfect for a Family Vacation which includes the quads, parents, and BOTH sets of grandparents!
The beach is a 2 minute walk across the street!
We stopped at Best Buy on our way down here to buy a camera for Louis Dean.
He has a really expensive good one at home but he can NOT find it! He has a penchant for putting things in TUBS and we will probably find it - sooner or later! This pic of me in the dining area of the beach house was one of his first shots on his new camera.
Today - Monday - was the first of three Beach Days!
It was a PERFECT one here in Gulf Shores, Alabama!!
While Louis Dean did NOT spend the day on the beach as the rest of us did - he DID come down to check it out and take a few photos.
THIS is his version of 'beach wear!'
The same as he wears every day!
H eonly rolled the legs up!
He promises he will actually wear a swimsuit and get in the water tomorrow! We'll see!
I will document it for sure!
The water and the surf and the sun were awesome today and I loved every minute of it!
Okay! I KNOW I am short! Five feet and one half inch - down from the 5'2" I used to be!
But I had no idea how that looked next to a guy that was over 6 feet!
While I don't feel 'itty bitty' anymore.....I guess I am - in comparison to HIM!!!
It was a wonderful Beach Day!!
ALL of us are on the same laid back schedule.
Late to bed and late to rise.
Amber and Mike were in charge of breakfast - which was served up at noon.
Crisply fried bacon and Amber's homemade pancakes - both plain and with chocolate chips - along with orange juice, coffee and fruit was a meal to remember!
It was a wonderful to eat together while we planned out the rest of the day.
We ate a lunch type snack on the beach and the kids played and played and played.
I sat and thought and meditated and soaked up every ounce of the sun's energy today.
Thinking and being takes time. I had some of that time today. I came to terms with a few things and I made some plans. I am determining where I plan to spend my life's energy and what I want to accomplish in the next few years ahead. Change is the normal theme of life and life is always changing. For the last 6 years we have been totally invested in the Quad Experience. Louis Dean did an absolutely amazing job of restoring the camper and then taking it down to Katy where we lived in it for 7 months. We closed up our house in Irving and our life as we knew it and put all our energy into supporting Amber and Mike and the babies.....then unborn. The quads are now 5 years old and starting Kindergarten later this month. Times change and needs change.
While for over 5 years I have shared our journey with them - from the pregnancy through their births and Harrison's struggle to survive and Kailey's open heart surgery and all the milestones in between - I must now respect their privacy and, at the request of their parents, I will no longer be sharing their journey in pictures. They are starting school soon and this is just the beginning of all the changes they will be facing in life.
Since I have shared all the sorrows as well as the joys of our journey - I do not want to be coy and only show shadows of their photos and I don't want to seem to be playing games with them.
This is what the parents feel is best and so we must respect those feelings.
This evening I was at Target in the Starbucks area there, waiting for Amber to finish her shopping when the storm clouds blew in and built up in a short amount of time. We managed to get back to the beach house before the storm hit.
While I may not be able to share the joys of photos and videos of our life with the quads - I will continue to share my heart and my life!
And tonight - after the quads and their parents were in bed, both sets of grandparents sat out on the beach house balcony together sipping wine and talking about our wonderful grand quads and their amazing parents.
I love you all and thank you for every prayer and all the love and support though this journey.
17 comments:
Beautiful, beautiful!! And I would be like Louis... a moment or two at the beach and then I'd be gone!! *haha* Continue to have a wonderful time!! xoxo
I will miss the photos of the quads but I understand why the parents are asking that they not be pictured as well. I am sure you will still share stories with us and I thank you for the wonderful moments that you have shared with us. I am glad that you are going to continue to be here as I enjoy reading of all your grand adventures. LOL!
I wondered if you were at Gulf Shores. It is our happy place. Our favorite place to eat is in Orange Beach...Cosmos. We go for happy hour and the Bang Bang Shrimp is Delicious. Mark's Ice cream is a bit pricy but our indulgence. I will miss seeing th quads but like you say, you must respect the parents wishes. I am sure that as quads they get a lot of stares and attention when out in public so I understand the wish Amber has for their privacy as they grow and change. Hey You and LD will keep me reading as it is fun to see what y'all are up to every day.
I understand there desire for the kids privacy now. I trust they know that we all love them and pray for them. We'll continue to do that, I guess we'll hear stories of how they are doing!
Seasons of life change and we must change with them!
that house is PERFECT and so is that beach. so beautiful... love the rolled up overalls and waiting for the bathing beauty shot. LOL....
What a great picture of the two of you and had no idea he was so much taller than you.
So much to think about and also feel sad about in your post today. I will really miss the Quads. This is kind of a shock, I know we have all come to love them. But Amber is a totally awesome Mom, so we all need to respect her wishes. And I am so HAPPY! Because I will still get to see YOU, and you will still post!! So many have left the blog world for Facebook. But you and I both have more to say than is practical for Facebook. I love your pretty dress in Louis Dean's first photo! Now he has a camera and a spare. I also love your black & white beach outfit with the hat, you look stunning! I have shrunk from 5 7" to 5 3". Your beach picture of the bright blue sky and white sand is so beautiful! And your last picture looks like BILLOWY STORM ART. Yes, life is so full of so many changes...life IS change. But I think as we get older, change is harder and harder to accept. At least for me. Right now, I am watching my best friend die, and it is getting harder to help her. Stay in the sun and water and have a ball! A BEACH ball, that is!
Have to say I take in the beach LD's way. It does look like a wonderful place. I'd like to know what's running through the minds of the quads about this experience. It's more than anything they could ever have dreamed I'm sure. My you are a tiny one. I laughed when I saw that photo of you and LD. Make the most of every day I say.
Beautiful post ! You are so right...life stands still for no one ! No matter how old we are, there will always be growing pains...we must always bend and change, if we're to lead a happy life .
Have a wonderful time at the beach. It's a great place to just relax. I'm sorry to not see the quads anymore, but I understand. I hope there will be an occasional Easter/Christmas/birthday picture here and there. In the meantime, you and LD have a lot to share with us.
I totally understand and respect Amber and Mike's decision,I like others will miss watching them grow up.
I love all your pictures of the beach, it has been 18 years since we visited Gulf Shores,may have start thinking about another trip, love the white sand.
Change is hard sometimes,and we must be ready for the changes life brings, You are a true inspiration on how to accept and handle those changes.
Thank so so much for sharing.
ooooh i will really miss seeing the quads but i get it, TOTALLY!!! enjoy that wonderful vacation, it looks like home to me!!!
It has been a privilege to join you in prayer. Will miss seeing the quads grow, though I understand that parents' wishes must prevail.
Keep having fun at the beach! If Louis Dean allows a photo capture of his swim, it will more than make up for not seeing the Quad Squad. ; >
Oh, what fun!! I had no idea there was so much difference in height between you two. Sweet pic. Enjoy your time with family.
What no Little Bells. That's okay though. But you or Amber better email this lady pictures of them ever so often. They're growing up so fast and change so much. I love the picture of you and LD at the beach. That's a framer. Can't wait to see LD in his speedo. LOL Y'all have fun.
I've been trying to follow your travels...just a lot going on around here. I'm just so happy that all of you are able to do this and make more treasured memories! I so understand about the photos...I see others stating the same in blogs right now. Kids are getting older, starting or continuing in schools and their privacy must be a priority. I can't tell you how much I'll miss seeing them so please keep us posted about their activities!
Enjoy every minute ~
xo
Pat
Oh, Linda! I know Amber and Mike want to protect the quads as much as you do and they can, but we will miss seeing them--and I know you will miss posting pics of them. I hope there was no tension between y'all about this decision. I felt you had some sadness from something truly deep in your soul and thoughts. I know you and Louis have done so much for them with the quads for 5 years now, and not every time at your convenience.
I feel your pain though, for since my health has gotten worse, I don't hear from my family I love so much as much as I once did! I know it's just the circle of life, though!As our kids have their own families, it's normal they make they own choices. I do hope you won't even think about shutting your blog down, dear. There is so much more waiting for you to share with us. Still, if you've gotten tired of it, it's your choice and your right. I'd sure miss you if you blog wren't here!
Thinking of you!
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