Spencer Family Vacation Part 1

After Cliff and Maggie's Wedding, the Spencer Clan headed East to the beach.  This trip kind of got planned last minute in a rush, so Kory couldn't come.  We REALLY missed him.  I will most definitely have to break the trip up into multiple posts.  Here is the first one.  

My mom was a HERO and sat in the back seat with the boys the WHOLE TRIP.  She showed her super human kid entertaining skills!  Which included a little light reading for Kanyon with some reading glasses!! haha!

In case you're counting, there were 7 grandchildren (and one more in Rachel's tummy).  The youngest was Mallory at almost 11 months...up to Avery and Roselyn at 4 yrs.  We were quite the crew with all the YOUNG ya hoos but it was an absolute BLAST.  Kanyon got pink eye the first day of the drive, but our great Dr. called us in some meds so that we could get him....and everyone he gave it to some relief.  He kept it to himself for a few days, then Q got it, then Mallory got it the last day on the way home.  Sheesh.  germs.  No amount of pink eye could ruin our fun!!!  

Mom, Dad, me, Kanyon, and Quinn left Longview Sunday afternoon after the boys' naps.  Clint's crew and Clay's crew were each on their own cars.  We drove about 3-4 hours to Alexandria, Louisiana where we were stopping for the night.  Clint and Rachel didn't get in til late (shocker) but we got there about the same time as Clay and his girls.  We unloaded at the hotel and then went to Cracker Barrel.  

It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows klp that he LOOOOOOOOVED the rocking chairs. How do we not have one of these?  

My parents with a few of the kids....klp, Mallory, Q, and Avery.

qsp sayin' hello

We got up and left he next morning and drove 5 ish hours to Gulf Shores, then a little further from there onto a little peninsula/island/something place called Ft. Morgan. Its nothing but beach houses...no stores, no restaurants, no nothing. It was the perfect place to take a big family.  Mom found a great house right on the beach.  When we got to the house we didn't even go in, we walked straight out to the beach.  It was early evening....a beautiful time of day on the beach.  

Paw Paw and Kanyon headed to the ocean!

Each of my boys reacted exactly how I expected.  They both freaked out:  

klp, as you see in the pic, was freaking out with excitement! He was screaming, laughing, going bonkers.  He thought the waves were hilarious and couldn't wait to get in the water. 

The second we stepped on to the sand, q's grip got tighter and tighter on me....

.....and then he freaked out.  Screaming and crying and scared to death!  Hahahaha! Exactly what we predicted! 

The rest of the crew showed up a few minutes later and everyone enjoyed taking in the first sights of the beach.  

None of the kids had ever seen the ocean.  Most were unsure of it at first and had to ease their way in to the water and the waves......not klp.  The man couldn't get close enough fast enough.  

You'd think after 9 hours in the car, the magna doodle wouldn't STILL be cool, but it was.....cooler than the beach if you ask Quinn.  

swimsuits were located in record time and we all enjoyed the beach until the sun went down.  

Nolan and Q were more into the sand than the water....and for q, the Magna Doodle.  

I think klp is an anticipation junkie.  He loves anything where he anticipates a sound/action/anything.  I think the waves were like the ULTIMATE anticipation.  They would go away and then build build build and splash into him.  He was dying laughing and squealing the whole time.  He also loved the wet sand.  He and Ro were probably the biggest lovers of the water.  

I decided to bring klp in when his lips were blue and his teeth were chattering.  He would've stayed out there no matter how cold he got, but I brought him to the house and we watched everyone from the balcony. 

And so ends our first days of the trip.