Beach Countdown

We're on the countdown to our annual beach trip! Yes, on October 4th, we'll be driving the long drive down to Destin....in two cars.....with only 3 people in each car!

It dates back about 15 years ago, maybe more. The first trip I remember taking was with my parents and I took a friend, but my sister didn't go. We went to the small town of Seagrove Beach, Florida, and we rented a small condo there. It was nice, quiet, and extremely relaxing. Through the years, we've changed members of the family that could go, for some reason or another. There were years I stayed home because I was working and couldn't get off, a trip where it was the original Slaughter Family of 4, and then began the additions to the family in the way of kids! I remember several years where just my sister and her daughter Kate went with my parents, and again, I couldn't because of work. But we always went in semi-celebration of both of my parents birthdays. Daddy's is on the 6th of September, Mama's on the 10th. So we always left the first Saturday in September, and stayed through the week until the next Saturday. There were trips that were shortened due to hurricanes, and the infamous ruined trip the week of September 11, 2001. I didn't go that year; Daniel and I were newlyweds and I was teaching my first year in Social Circle. It was horrific. Daniel was actually in New York, but not in the city, and my parents were at the beach. For days. Daniel was grounded for about 4 days, my parents didn't come home until Saturday.

But the trip remains a much anticipated one, nonetheless. We moved our condo to the big city of Destin. Yeah, it's a little too busy for me, little too crowded; I prefer Sea Island, my dad prefers a high-rise. He wins. He also wins in the car situation. One year we flew Delta; once in our Cessna-182. In fact, it was the year of Hurricane Katrina and we were dropping off Daniel's aunt after she evacuated Mississippi that we thought if we were going to be at the airport, why not jump on an airplane? That was the time Daniel dropped me at curbside, with a baby, a toddler, two carseats, a double stroller, 4 suitcases, and an elderly aunt who stops to smell the roses.

Yet most years we've driven two cars, no matter that both vehicles seat 7. Each. Yes, together the cars that we drive down could seat 14 people! But don't try to convince my daddy that we could save on gas, that we could enjoy each other's company, and that it would be less stressful on everyone if we carpooled. WHO DOESN'T CARPOOL TO THE BEACH??? We've gone round and round. He wins, every time. They claim they take too much stuff, that he wants to be able to jump in his own car at any given time and drive to Wal-Mart! OH! That's another hilarious part of this trip! We go to Wal-Mart almost EVERY DAY! How foolish is that? But just knowing that it's a block away keeps you from packing everything because you think, "I'll get it at Wal-Mart?"

One year my sister and I joked that the other one better not get pregnant and ruin the trip. Well, guess who got pregnant? Yes, me. With Sarah, and due on July 31st meaning infant at the beach less than 6 weeks old. Maybe you would've done it, but we didn't.

Luckily, this year and last year, Daniel has been awarded the time off. There were a few years he came late, left early, or didn't get to go at all.

So we're getting up early Saturday the 4th morning, we're going to tell the kids to go get the stuff they want to take to the beach, and we're telling them that we're going right NOW!!! They're going to go nuts, and we can't wait to see their faces! Just tonight I was talking with Cameron, age 5, about how much he likes to swim in the ocean and he asked me when we were to do that again. I casually said I didn't know; he didn't press it! Oh how I'd love to tell him, but I really believe he'll be ecstatic! So am I! I'll post more on the trip when we return! I can't wait to see how they've grown in comparison to this picture from last year!