Beach living

It was a summer to remember.  We sold the "Yellow House" as Little B calls it on May 15 and were hoping to only have a few weeks before getting to move into our new house.  While we were waiting on the bank to approve our offer on a short sale house we decided to rent a beach place. We put our stuff in storage since Big B couldn't walk and there were no places to rent less than a month.  We rented a 3 bedroom condo on Indian Rocks beach and it was awesome.  It was beach side but had a coastal view.  It was the perfect place for us to live for a month.  The only sad part was that we missed getting to play with our Daddy at the beach.  MK got a lot of sit time with him though and I learned to play in the ocean with the boys.  We realized beginning of June that we wouldn't be getting the approval in time and closing was July 1st.  We only had the beach place until June 11- so we searched like crazy to find a place to stay for 3 weeks.  We found a furnished 2 bedroom corporate apartment and survived some dark weeks but are better for it.

I will forever look back on the month we lived at the beach as a sweet time for our family.  We even had a sleepover with some friends and their family and Lady came and spent the night one night.

Viv and MK hanging out on the beach

I quickly invested in one of those swim shirts to protect me all day in the sun.  And a beach cart.

The Darnell crew always brings fun

There was an awesome park 15 minutes from our place that we visited almost every week.

Yummy mexican place that we all enjoyed- except Little B who requested a PB sandwich to bring

The inter-coastal view

This was Little B feeding MK on one of the long drive outs to the beach from Tampa- 45 minutes

We did have a view of the ocean.  Big B sat almost every night and watched the sunset.

First night there checking out our backyard for the month

Saying bye to their room

I got a minivan too that month!

Only negative was that we were up on the second floor...

The Awaited Trip to Hawaii

The trip that we counted down to for 2 years has come and gone. 

Below are photos from the professional photographer John Hancock hired.  My Iphone photos are at the bottom. 

DAY 1

Of course we moms were checking our phones for videos and pics of our babes.

Thankful to have friends to hang out with at the company events! Love these ladies! The guys had a "meeting" that morning so we set up at a cabana and began our unwinding/adjusting to Hawaii time.  

DAY 2

The second day there we signed up to do a helicopter ride.  This is when things started going downhill for us.  Bradford got sick halfway through the helicopter tour- thankfully I was able to get him doggie bag opened up just in time.  

Dinner at sunset.  We ate like royalty for a week.

 After dinner chat by the fireside

DAY 3

 Wednesday we had team challenge events. They split us up into teams and ours was not so athletic so we took the more lets have fun and be funny approach- Team name: Twerkin Tigers

 Below is where I think things started to get bad for Bradford's heel but we didn't know it yet...We actually won this tug of war(the only competition we won) as they put Bradford on the back to pull the flag!  We were so pumped.

 See his right heel...a few hours later he tore his right achilles heel playing basketball.

After a trip to an urgent care he was suited up and ready for formal night.

 He was recognized for attaining President's Club two years in a row. 

 Someone missed out on dancing- NOT ME!

 Bradford gave the toast to start off the banquet.  He had everyone laughing over his bad luck in Hawaii.

 My faithful dance partner.  We live for the banquet nights.

DAY 5

 Our new reality.  I had no clue at this point that he'd be on crutches for over 2 months. Worst. Injury. Ever.

Last night in Hawaii.  

 I got up on stage and tried to learn how to be a hula dancer.  Double chin and flared nostrils- not my best view but a fun memory.

 Love this man.  Thankful for a week away with him.  

These rocks were cool- we climbed them one afternoon and marveled at God's creation.

Pics from my Iphone
Living it up in the cabana the day after he got hurt.

My two favorite things on the trip: Guava juice and Lavendar spray

Pic from helicopter tour

It was another JH trip to remember.  We really did have a great time but the days after the trip have been our most challenging yet.  Bradford had surgery after we got back.  My grandad passed away. We closed on our house and had no where to live.  MK never took a bottle while we were gone and went on a 5 day strike of nursing.  Hampton was up at least once or twice every night.  So yeah. Ever since our feet touched down in Tampa we have not slowed down.  Hints to why I haven't blogged since March!  Hopefully some pics of MK and the boys and maybe even pictures of our new house as we hope to move in on July 1st will be up soon!