Unfortunately Ally was working overtime hours and we didn't get to see as much as her as I would have liked. Despite Matt's crazy work hours (3 a.m. to 11 a.m.), he came home ready for a full day of playing tour guide for us. All I really wanted was some beach and relaxation, and Matt provided! We hit up the beach each day we were there. It was awesome to be able to spend time with my brother, I loved catching up with him.
Drew and I combed the beach for shells and found some pretty amazing shark teeth. We also attempted to do some surfing. I don't know how any body ever gets up on the board, they make it look so easy. Well I'll tell you, it is impossible. I really freaked myself out doing it. There was a guy fishing right next to us all afternoon. As he was packing up to leave Drew went over to see what he was fishing for and what he had caught. The man didn't have much luck that day, the only thing he caught was a hammerhead shark and he threw it back. Drew tells Matt & I this story, then I attempt to surf. I got myself out in the water fairly far but, keeping myself balanced on my belly on the board is hard enough, let alone trying to stand up! I kept slipping off, over and over. But now I all can think of is the hammerhead shark that the guy just threw back in the exact spot I was swimming. That combined with the 2 huge shark's teeth Drew and I found in the sand, and the shark we saw a woman catch on the pier just a few hundred yards away on our last trip to Jacksonville, I was freaked! I couldn't get back to shore fast enough! So maybe surfing is not really going to be my thing!
Matt took us on a little pub crawl, showing us his & Ally's favorite beach bars. I see why they like Jacksonville so much. Lots of fun!
This is the oldest bar in Jacksonville. A bar with a ping pong table; no wonder it has been open since the 1920s! I had to whoop up on my little brother a bit. He brags about being soooo good at ping pong. Well I gave him a run for his money! And, the only reason he beat me (by one point) was because we were starting to draw a couple of spectators and I got nervous!
Our last stop was the Lemon Bar. What could be better than a cold drink and an ocean view?
Ally had one day off while we were there. That day we spent the day on beach cruisers. Everyone in Jacksonville rides a beach cruiser. When you look down the streets, they are parked every where. There are more bikes on the road than cars. Every one is so friendly. They have music playing on their bikes and their dogs in a basket (sometimes even their kids). We spent an afternoon cruising around, stopping for a drink, or food now and then and doing some apartment hunting. I loved riding down the beach. The breeze was wonderful and the people watching wasn't too bad either. It was very relaxing.
I'm happy that we were able to help with a few wedding details while we were there. Ally had her first dress fitting and I got to go along. She looks absolutely amazing in her dress! It makes me so, so excited for the wedding. I also got to help her pick out a her veil and jewelry. The invitations came in during our stay so we helped stuff them and get them out in the mail. We narrowly missed a super scary, head on collision on our way home from mailing the invites. It gives me the chills just thinking about it! Anyway, I am thankful we are safe and so happy to add Ally to our family. She is an awesome girl.
This trip was just what we needed. It was great to be able to relax, sleep in, and not hear any crying or whining (except occasionally from Cruzer). Speaking of Cruzer, I'm sure he is missing his aunt & uncle by now. He gained some confidence while we were there and is officially a water dog. He pretty much went every where we did! Here is Cruz and Drew in front of the beach house we are going to buy...if anyone has a couple million they are willing to give us...
Thanks Matt & Ally, for a perfect vacation. We miss you two!
0 comments:
Post a Comment