Surviving Isaac...

It would only be considered typical that the Olis family would book the one and only beach trip of the year during the week that a major hurricane was plowing its way towards the gulf coast.

When we left on Saturday, we had no idea if we would be evacuated, would be without power, gas, water etc... the only bright spot was that we were about the only fools heading South, so we had zero traffic to contend with.

We stayed in Port St. Joe, a sleepy beach town approximately 150 miles east  from Panama City. To make matters more complicated, the house we rented was out on Cape San Blas - a narrow strip of land whose only road in and out could be easily was away in any sort of storm surge.

For the first two days we were glued to the weather channel grasping our flashlights in one hand and suitcases in the other (only kidding- kind of)  waiting on those two dreaded little words: Mandatory Evacuation.

It never came, and by Tuesday we were breathing a sigh of relief when it became apparent that the storm was headed west. We got lucky, and although the beach was out of question after the first day of our trip, we managed to take full advantage of the private pool in our backyard, the ice cream stand around the corner and a couple of local shops. I did realize somewhere towards the beginning of our week that while I remembered batteries, rain boots and bottled water- I somehow forgot our camera :(. I did get a few pictures on my i-phone that basically sum up our time away- I had some issues rotating a few of them- my apologies!

All in all, it was a very restful and relaxing trip- minus the two-year-old and four-year-old who wreaked havoc when kept inside- but that was pretty much expected.

Today its back to the daily grind. Our prayers are with our neighbors along the Gulf Coast as they begin the tedious and heartbreaking task of clean up...

Thankful

We are back from our weekend at the coast, and although it was almost a complete washout, I am so thankful to have had a couple of days with my family away from all the distractions of life.

I am also thankful that I have such a sweet brother-in-law who allowed us to crash with him a midst a tropical storm and a very narrow Auburn win. And played with my three-year-old non-stop (did I mention that we barely left the house for fear of being blown away?!)

Thankful still for a husband who scooped my traumatized Wyatt into his arms two and three times throughout the night as lightning struck and thunder boomed. A husband who quieted him back to sleep, and then got up again with him at 7 a.m., allowing this very tired mom some much needed rest.

Last week was no bueno. At all. There have been so many Fridays where I was completely wiped, but I do believe this past week took the cake. My mental stability was hanging on by a thread and the only thing that kept me on this side of crazy town was the promise of sand between my toes. We made it before the rain, barely, and for that I am thankful. Thankful for a quiet day on the beach, for the birds that made Wyatt laugh, for the sand castles and the walks and an Amberjack lunch. Thankful still that I have one more day to be at home with my little guy, one more day to win the 'to-do' tug-of- war. One more day to put off the inevitable. The life of a working mom is just.so.dang.hard. But I am thankful for the job God has given me, and skills in which to complete that job. I am thankful for the paycheck and what He has provided.

As it says in Ecclesiastes, whatever He gives me, I will do with all my heart. And for what he has given me, I am thankful.

Gulf Coast Getaway

Of course my husband knew the Captain of Zeke's Deep Sea Fishing Fleet :) Here he is, introducing Wyatt and drooling over the Red Fish
Thinking about where he is going to run next...
Vacation = Breakfast In Bed!
Crabbing with Daddy
What would be a trip to Orange Beach without the family beach picture?!
Seriously. Love. Tacky. Jack's. Wyatt loved the live music and the fried goodness in that basket
And, the sand and surf
Mark, Wyatt and I stole away for a quick trip to the coast this weekend. It was, by all means, one of the best weekends I have ever had. I swear, family is all that is right with the world- and there is nothing that clears my head or renders my soul more than selfish hours spent with the people I love the most.

We laughed, played, ate and slept. I came home feeling rested and ready for tomorrow. We did have a little bit of a let down that Wyatt is 3rd on the surgery list, and will have to go until 10 a.m. with no breakfast or his beloved apple juice. No one loves juice more than my son. Please pray for our sanity!

I was also prepared for the distinct possiblility that he will have to be admitted. I am praying, praying, praying that he does exceptionally well and can go home tomorrow.

Will be back tomorrow to update everyone. I can't thank you enough for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!

Gatlinburg

My little preppy pink polo model
In the blink of an eye, he'll be driving the real deal- for now, we'll take this!
Three Generations of Olis Boys


My loves :)

And, finally... just to prove we actually did hike 2.6 miles.

You guessed it- we just returned from a weekend trip to the Smokey Mountains (or "Mounts" as Wyatt calls them). Mark's parents and brother had a wedding to attend, and we tagged along if for no other reason than because we don't travel alone in this family ;).

Anyways, we had a great time! Wyatt has gotten to do a lot of fun things this year, and now we can add the Smokies to list.

Mark was happy for the hiking, I was happy for the shopping, and Wyatt was happy for the pool (and the go karts too). All in all, a wonderful vacation.

Emerald Coast and Easter

We made our first Destin trip of the season over the weekend- and it was no small feat. Not only did the regulars go (Steph, Me, Liz and Wyatt) but we added a few "newbies" to the group this time :)

Kurt was thrilled, I am sure, to have SEVEN women and two children take over his house. Among the bras, panties, bathing suits, night gowns, diapers, tampons, hair bows, sippy cups, bottles, toothpaste, face wash, Vera Bradley and sand toys, we managed to disseminate every semblance of order in his home.

But, we DID make it to the beach and almost not lose our minds. My child acted in typical two-year-old fashion and made a scene every where we went-- come to find out, he had Bronchitis and so did half our party upon returning on Sunday. Other than the meltdowns and the illness- I count the trip a success. Especially since Kurt's new girlfriend didn't run screaming for the hills after spending the weekend with the crazy Olis/Hamm crew :)


I am still trying to get back into the swing of things this week as we prepare to celebrate Easter season. I just love this time of year--not because of the baskets, the egg hunts and the blooming foliage, but because I simply cannot think of anything more sacred than celebrating the ultimate gift of Grace.

"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. " 1 Corinthians 1:17

DISNEY!!!

We arrived home late Friday evening after a six-day trip to the most magical place on Earth. I gotta be honest- before this past week, I couldn't figure out why people save for years to spend one week in Orlando. My experience with Disney was a bit limited so I really had no idea what to expect.

Best.Vacation.Ever. That's all I have to say about that. Gorgeous condo, gorgeous weather, amazing parks, rides and family. Of course our honeymoon was incredible, but there is something unbelievably heart-melting about watching your child's face light up at the sight of Mickey.

I can't wait to go back! Mark and I are so grateful to his parents who made this trip possible-- we will never forget Wyatt's first trip to Disney World and all that went with it. We had a fantastic time with Steph, Joey and baby Delaney and will cherish all the memories that came with it- we only wish Kurt could have joined us (busy accountants apparently can't take time off for Disney :)

Here's the rundown:

Day 1: Mark, Wyatt and I took off for a character breakfast at Chef Mickey's. Wyatt met Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto and Goofy-- several times. He was so excited to be amongst celebrities that I had to stop him from running up to them while they were signing autographs and posing with other children.... luckily everyone was a great sport and didn't mind his over-friendliness :)

We were all so exhausted from traveling and Steph was re cooperating from the stomach virus, so we ended up taking full advantage of the beautiful weather and the fabulous pool at the condo. In layman's terms: we sat around the pool and played all day long :)

Day 2: We got up early and got six adults, a baby and a two-year-old on the 8:20 shuttle for Magic Kingdom(seriously, we rock!). Spent all day there, only to return that evening for the electric parade (FANTASTIC!!) and fireworks. By this time, my child had fallen asleep in the stroller, had a meltdown in line for Dumbo and got sea sick on the ferry. So, I may have been pushing it a little bit attempting a 16-hour day with a toddler. Oops. You live and you learn I guess. Word to the wise- MAGIC KINGDOM TAKES TWO DAYS. Do not try to be overly ambitious with this park. You will regret it, trust me.

Day 3: After re cooperating in the room during the morning, we made it to Animal Kingdom. We took a safari through the African Bush (The Birmingham Zoo will never be the same), Searched for Yeti's in the Himalaya's, ate some sort of yummy frozen banana thing, sifted for Dino Bones, witnessed the most impressive Lion King reenactment I have ever seen (not that I am friends with Simba or anything) and ate dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. The food was yummy and the Mango Mojitos even better :)

Day 4: The Grandparents waved the white flag of surrender. We had done them in. Two consecutive days of crowds, strollers and grandchildren was all they had in them... so the four remaining adults and two kiddos hit Hollywood Studios with no backup. I am not going to lie- I was a little nervous to venture out without reinforcements... but little did I know that between the Toy Story line and another impressive show (Little Mermaid this time) our day would be eaten up. Joey, Mark and I traded Stephanie both kids for the Tower of Terror. I think she was more traumatized than us, haha.

And, we returned to the Ham just in time to set the clocks forward. Needless to say, we are all exhausted- and here are the pictures to show why :)

Glad to be home!