Gulf Shores, Day 2

Day 2 rocked because it was the day Anna got to cash in her long-awaited Birthday First experience - parasailing! We all slept hard the night before after driving all night and taking in Day 1.  By the time I got up Day 2, the sun was already this high in the sky and the kids were already dressed and watching the clock til we could leave for Happy Harbor.  Daily panoramic shot ... which before this trip, I had never done one of these before.  😜

Watching the morning beachcombers and deciding that we'd be down there earlier the next day. 

I seriously, seriously loved getting an eyeful of sea and sky every minute of the day with such ease.  Beachfront condo FOR THE FREAKING WIN!

Finally, the day's adventure - Anna and Noah waaaaaaay up in the air.  For the record, Noah was nervous but gonna see it through anyway, because ... hello, exciting!  And bragging rights! ;)  Josh was just going as a passenger on the boat, but once the attendant got an glance at my babies, who we previously were told would be able to ride by themselves, he said Josh would have to go too because they wouldn't weigh enough for such a windy day.  Josh, who is afraid of heights, therefore suited up and went.  But, bonus - he parasailed for free!  All three absolutely LOVED the experience.  I was so thrilled for them! Anna retells it well in her journal entry which I included after these pics.  Make sure you take a look to see who had to choke down a little vomit, who held on for dear life, and who was the thrill-seeker who let go of the straps.  Ha! Them seeing a school of stingrays while up there was just the icing on the cake.  The other thing they mentioned was how quiet it was from the sky, which they did not expect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toward the end of their ride, the boat dips their feet in the water.  So fun!  Noah pulled his feet in, afraid of jellyfish from the day before.  Ha!

I love this one!

 

 

 

While they rode, I drove around with a dozing Lasa in the backseat and then pulled into a public beach access lot to view them sailing from a distance.  Glad for that!  If I could go back, I would have paid for Lasa and I to just ride the boat with them.  After their ride, we hit up a yummy restaurant.

 

Another perk of having such a view, was that while we chillaxed at home during the heat of the day and Lasa's nap, Noah and Anna could still go play in the pool and in the sand and shallow water while we watched from the porch. 

 

Late afternoon, after her nap, we let Lasa take in some more splashes, too.  This time, we strapped a life jacket on her so I wouldn't have to lose my mind worrying over her going under.   The jacket helped.  A little. ;)

We had dinner at the condo ourselves and then went back down to wander and play, just because we could. But not before I took more pics of the setting sun.

 

 

I ADORE this one.