Sean's brother, Ian, and his family came to visit on Thursday. They live in Crestview, FL (about an hour and a half away from where we were staying). We don't get to see them very often, so it was a special treat to spend time with them! We went to The Sugar Shak in Rosemary Beach for candy and ice cream. The last couple of times we'd stopped by, the store was closed. Third time's the charm, and let me just say that the phrase "kid in a candy store" took on a whole new meaning! For those of you who know me, you know that I looove me some candy... this place was a candy wonderland, complete with fun and whimsical decor!! One of the walls even featured a painting by Katie's friend, Tricia Robinson--be sure to check out her website... she's super talented! Sean and I told our nephews, Asher and Eli, that they could pick out a prize. They were instructed to pick any one thing and we would buy it for them. Eli made the most of our offer by selecting a big truck filled with candy. TOY + CANDY = GREAT CHOICE! Asher, however, only wanted a small piece of Laffy Taffy. Even after we stressed he could have anything in the store, he just wanted the little cherry-flavored Laffy Taffy and some ice cream. Too cute... sometimes it's the small, simple things that bring such great delight!
Once we got back to the condo, it was time to cool off in the pool... at least that was our intention. The pool felt more like a hot tub! I guess it was because of the time of day, the sun was at full strength. Later on, Sean and I prepared spaghetti for dinner (our specialty). It was such a blessing to have everyone together for the evening!
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The last day of our vacation got off to a rocky start for Katie and Bryan. Katie had been having stomach pains since Wednesday, and on Friday Bryan ended up taking her to the doctor. The doctor determined she has gallstones and must have her gallbladder removed. She was given pain medication, which was supposed to help until they were able to return home and schedule the surgery. YIKES! Katie's a trooper, though, and they made their way to the mountains on Friday afternoon to spend the holiday weekend with Katie's family.
Mama, Sean, and I went back to the outlet stores that afternoon in Destin and then picked up some novelty and souvenir items at the local beach shops. For dinner, we went to Cafe Thirty-A in Seagrove Beach, just a few minutes from our condo. The ambiance, the service, the food... it was all phenomenal! It was the perfect place to spend our last night on vacation!!
**Sweets of Life collage painting by Tricia Robinson. Click here to see more of her amaaazing artwork!
