Destin!

What a bounty these past days have been!  Meredith, Anna, Tirzah, and I had the most wonderful time together on our vacation to Florida: what memories were made.  Normally I recount every detail, minute by minute, to Daniel.  But in his absence, I will write to you! (don't worry... not a minute by minute one)

Well there we were, the four girls, loading into the Tahoe noon on Monday: Tirzah's first girl's trip!  The drive went well and included a stop at Wendy's for a nursing session and frosty shakes. Meredith had the most wonderful idea of sharing life stories throughout the days, and Anna started off us.
We pulled up to our new home on the harbor around 6ish and went for a walk to enjoy our new surroundings.  Tirzah was an angel with all the changes we made her endure.  There were of course moments of crying (both of us) but as I look back upon our trip, I just see the Lord's hand of faithfulness upon us.  We stayed in a "loft" with one room, 2 queen beds, a kitchenette, bathroom, and a little indent in the wall (for a closet) that became Tirzah's corner.  There we set up her pac n play and hung a blanket to block out most of the light.  She is used to rocking to sleep in complete darkness, so in we would go to the bathroom to rock on the toilet!  Meredith and Anna were incredible friends as they tiptoed around the room and shut all the blinds to accommodate Little One.  The menu for that night:

Salmon with white wine and chives

Orzo pasta with feta cheese and cherry tomatoes

Green Collard Salad

White wine

The evening was spent on lounge chairs placed 5 feet from the harbor wall.  It was absolutely perfect.  We sipped wine, we stared at the stars, we laughed, we cried.  We upheld one another through a huge disappointment: Steve texted Meredith and said they would have to stay in the field another day.  So, we decided we would stay another night in Destin.

Tuesday was our pool day.  We began the morning sipping coffee in the same lounge chairs in the same exact spot as the night before.  We read by the side of the pool and enjoyed a refreshing dip every now and again.  We went for fresh fish-of-the-day sandwiches at the local spot.  Meredith and I both shared our life stories.  The menu for the evening:

Beer boiled shrimp

Crackers with an assortment of goat cheese, white cheddar cheese, and brie

Red wine

Wednesday was our beach day!  We arrived at the pristine beach, set up Meredith's tent, placed Tirzah inside and she was instantly lulled to sleep by the sound of the crashing waves.  She spent the whole time at the beach asleep!  Meredith, Anna, and I delighted in reading and soaking in the sunshine.  That afternoon we traveled to my Aunt Carol's house where we stayed the night.  We made her dinner to offer our gratitude:

Chicken and Shrimp pasta with sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce

We chatted around the table with my Aunt and then took a night dip into her pool.  

And today, we returned home to Columbus to endure this last night of separation from our husbands.  What a celebration it will be to have him home tomorrow night!  I can't stand it!  I am just about to bake a batch of biscotti in anticipation of his arrival.  Praise the Lord for His grace that has seen us through each of these 10 nights apart.

Also, my Dad will be coming for a short visit this weekend!  We will pick him up on Saturday after we venture to the market and have the weekend, Monday, and part of Tuesday to spend with him.  This will be the first time he and Tirzah meet: what a celebration that will be as well!