Here they are!!

Ok, this isn't even half of what I took. Ok, not even 1/8th of what I took. We had such a good time and I will upload the suitable picture onto snapfish after I finish this blog for those of you who want to see more.

Here's a few stories from our trip:

On Tuesday, we are playing on the beach and we see something floating in the water. As it gets closer we realize it's a pelican and he's just floating along. A few minutes later we see him sitting on the beach so Jarred and Jason take Jack down to look at him. I walk down and we can see that he has fishing line around his foot. Jarred says there's a hook in his mouth. When we try to get closer, he tries to fly away and you can tell that he is all wrapped up in the line. It's around his neck, wing and feet. I leave and go to the cabin to try to find out if anyone can come help him. As I call multiple people, everyone tells me to call someone else and the last call is to the police. The guy that answers tells me he is tending the jail and can't come out and besides the city doesn't pay for them to rescue animals and they would have no where to take it. He tells me our best bet it to try to free the bird ourselves, seriously. (remember we're in Alabama) So I go and tell Jarred and Jason this and they kind of laugh like, "Yeah right." Well I'm not going to let this pelican just sit on the beach all tangled up so Jarred takes Jack to the cabin and tries to find something to cut the line. Jason starts to go back to help too and on his way, a group of people ask what's going on. I see Jason and 2 ladies walking back to the bird with a towel and a mcguyver tool. By this time, the pelican has a sympathetic audience and people all around angry that this could happen to the bird. Well, one woman throws the towel over the pelican and holds him down with the other woman and Jason and another guy begin to cut the line. It turns out he was really tangled and actually had 2 hooks in him. One in the mouth and one in the wing. They are able to get it all free and let loose of the towel and Peli (that's what I named him) runs off into the gulf. He tried to fly but his wing was probably hurt from the hook. Just about that time Jarred comes back and says all he could find was a knife. Oh well. I didn't have my camera with me, believe it or not, but I did have a waterproof camera and did get a picture of Peli. Just the bird, not the rescue, and once I get them developed I will post it. I'm really proud that Jason and Jarred and the other strangers pitched in and helped save the bird. I know he's flying around Gulf Shores right now, dive bombing the water.

Jack, Grandma and Mamaw just a swingin'.

We turned Jaimee into a mermaid.

Jack & Laura
Jack & Jaimee (Jack & Jordan are playing trucks in the last post)

Helping Uncle JayJay dig a hole.

On Wednesday we went to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL. I highly recommend going if you're ever in the area. It's free and Jack loved seeing all the "beeee airpanes". Of course, we couldn't leave without Jack getting his own toy blue angels airplane. We have several family members on both sides who were in the Navy (not as pilots) but it was still special to go. Jarred's grandfather, my grandfather and cousin were all in the Navy.

Navy soldier statue outside the museum.

Jack did not want to get out of the "bue airpane".

He was actually dancing in front of this airplane.

The Flying Tiger plane from WWII.
Jack in front of the flag. It was hard to get this picture because he really didn't want to cooperate. Later, in another airplane, he stood up and said, "Mommy, take piture". I guess it has to be on his terms.

On Thursday, we took a dolphin cruise that guaranteed we would see dolphins. We wondered how they could guarantee this and we found out they have a trick. Two boats go out together and when they are in the area where they know they dolphins are, they go real fast side by side. This creates a wave and the dolphins take a "free ride". They get happy about this and start to jump. It was really cool. Jack did not want to see dolphins but was ok looking for sharks. Fortunately we didn't see any of those and he was happy when he actually did see the dolphins.

Jordan, Laura, Caitlyn and Jaimee (Emily was in school- bummer- so Laura brought a friend.)

3 dolphins jumping.

You probably can't tell but the dolphin on top's belly is pink. When they get happy and excited their bellies turn pink.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Jack. I love the wind blowing in his hair, his silly grin and the water behind him. I am so good at taking pictures. (Oh, sorry, was that too much?)

The only picture of the 3 of us, not too bad.

A few other funny things happened on the trip, one night we were playing hand and foot and Jaimee sat down and opened up a new deck of cards. I had mistakenly bought 2 decks of pinochle cards and so we set those off to the side. She looked at the box and asked what pino-chilly was. Well of course, we all die laughing but if you look at how it's spelled it makes a lot of sense. I like that better than pee-knuckle to that's what I'm going to call it.

During parts of the drive you begin to get delirious and have to look for ways to entertain. I watched out the window and came across these billboards and signs (most of which were in Alabama).

Thiseldo Vintage Stuff- Is that this'll do or this-EL-dough?

Go To Church or the Devil will get you.- Yikes!

There is a city called Pine Apple. (Not one word)

I saw a billboard for the "Bates House of Turkey"

There was a store outside Gulf Shores called "Only Sexy Stuff" I'm glad they don't sell non-sexy stuff.

There is a Spear Hunting Museum outside Gulf Shores. I was bummed we didn't have time to go.

There is also a Shrimp Outlet. I'm not sure an outlet is where I want to buy my shrimp.

That's all the signs. One more funny story and I'm done with this blog. We are approaching the exit for I-40, it is pouring down rain and Jack is ready to, as he yelled at us, "GET OUT!" I tell him that we will get out very soon, we are almost to Mommy's house. We are about 20 minutes away at this point and he begins to cry, "No go mommy house, no". I say, "Jack where do you want to go?" Jack says,

"Dallas"