Memorial Weekend

We scooted (HA! I wish it was a scoot instead of a haul) down to MB for the holiday weekend on Thursday. We left around 10:30 I think. We took Bandit for a walk upon arrival and Stella immediately tried out her balance bike on the flat streets of Mexico Beach and did soooo much better in minutes than she had in a year on our street.  

Looks so inviting!

Ladybug girl is at the beach!

While out on the sand we saw this helicopter flying around. On the way back to the house, we passed where it had landed and attracted quite the crowd. Once other neighbors reported back that it wasn't an actual emergency and just then going over protocol and such, we got closer.

Friday the water was spectacular!

I actually got to read this whole book. Not in one day, mind you, but over the course of Thursday-Monday. I'd call that a success! Oh, and this was much funnier than Eat Pray Love.

Sandy, sleepy snuggles are the best! 

This girl loves baths at the beach in the big tub!

Saturday evening sunset 

That night, this happened. Can we say "wore out"?! She almost opted for no supper which was hint #3 she was exhausted. Number 1 was the beach meltdown, number 2 was me having to carry her a couple hundred yards after said meltdown. I literally spoon fed her in my lap while she laid her head on my chest. Then she got up, shut the door and we found her like this minutes later.

Sunday she actually posed for pictures with us. 

Stella squeezes!

Stella smooches!

wedding ring tan lines

Sunday invisible sunset

Monday-Memorial Day. Donald wanted to take her out on the boat for a little bit so we put in up at Overstreet in the intracoastal.

She sat either up at the head of boat or with me in my lap for the first part of the boat ride.

But then I think she got sleepy and decided to stretch out.

I'd made this birthday countdown for her a few weeks before and Monday was the day we started it. This was my first time making it so some of the numbers ended up being upside down, but it still works all the same.

We left MB and drove to Sylvester to visit Mimma and Papa's. Stella loves exploring in their yard (and I love the photo-ops) so I let Donald sit down and visit with them while I took her outside.

She ended up doing some pretty cute and unexpected poses for me.

We decided to walk down the lane.....

...and Stella spotted wild blackberries growing between the lane and the fields. So we started picking and kept picking until we had this amount. 

This was a wonderful experience to share with Stella because for me, whenever I see blackberries I think of my childhood summers spent at my Grandparent's house in the country. And here we are, just a few miles from my grandparent's house at Donald's grandparent's house picking blackberries with their great grandchild.

I remember Grandpa giving me a bucket and telling me to fill it up so he could make a blackberry cobbler. Sometimes I'd come back with a full bucket and I'd help him make my all time favorite dessert, other times I'd walk up and shrug my shoulders, throw my hands up and say, "There weren't any, Grandpa!" Meanwhile my fingers, cheeks, lips and tongue would all be stained purple from the berries.