Vacation Highlights

The beach last week was truly wonderful. If I wasn't so lazy, I would post some of the pictures I took. Knowing me, I'll be lucky to dump them off the camera before my memory card fills up.

I decided that the easiest way for me to share the highlights of my trip with you is to come up with a list - well, two. We'll start out with the not-so-great list (it was harder to make), and end with the great. I like to end on a high note like that.

The Not-So-Great

1. Morning sickness (or in my case, afternoon sickness). That's totally not the beach's fault, but I had to throw it in there because it was certainly a downer. Frequent trips inside for the bathroom was no fun either.
   
2. Being the whitest person on the beach. I had to stop my regular spray tanning after finding out I was pregnant since the fumes are bad for the baby.
   
3. A weird streak of sunburn on my right arm because I missed a spot when I was slathering on the sunscreen.
4. No going out in the ocean for me. I love to float around past where the waves break, but not this week.
5. My mom thinks that pregnant women should not use nail polish. (But then my toes will be NAKED!)
6. J had to leave Monday.
7. I lost at miniature golf. Badly.
8. No one would go eat Japanese food with me. No one trusted that my stomach would hold up.
9. Riding three hours (due to traffic - should have only been 45 minutes) in the car down to another beach with an outdoor shopping/amusement center, only to walk around in the pouring down rain.
10. The wind knocked someone's umbrella up and down the beach - right into my umbrella. My umbrella - you guessed it - decided to take the trip down the beach as well, and I had to frantically chase it before it became responsible for serious injury.
    

The Great

1. My family was so sweet to me. A bit overprotective, but really sweet. They carried all my stuff for me. Insisted, even. And, when we had to ride in the car in groups, I always got to ride up front.
   
2. Sitting out on the beach all day in the perfect weather. It was not too hot with a little bit of wind. Perfection.
3. Catching up on some serious reading time while sitting out at the beach.
   
4. Dipping my toes in the ocean.
5. Going on secret ice cream trips with my dad - who has an ice cream addiction. For example, while we were out shopping one day I had driven separately. "Mom, I should really head on back now. I'm so tired." We just left out the stopping-for-ice-cream-on-the-way-back-to-the-condo part.
6. Spending time with my family, who I don't get to see all that often. Baby Alison was the center of our attention. She loved the beach, so we know that she definitely shares family blood.
7. I beat all my family at Shanghai Rummy, of which I am convinced takes much more skill than stupid miniature golf.
   
8. The endless breadstick supply at Fazoli's, and the awesome pizza at Sharky's. Our waitress at Sharky's dropped one of the pizzas on the way to our table, poor thing - I can really identify with that - so she gave us a discount.
   
9. Riding three hours (due to traffic - should have only been 45 minutes) in the car down to another beach with an outdoor shopping/amusement center, only to walk around in the pouring down rain. Okay, so it was funny. My cousins that were in the car with me are hilarious, and so much fun to be around. Plus, the shopping center had an "It's Sugar" with all kinds of candy that reminded us of the good old days when my grandfather spoiled us all with an endless candy supply.
   
10. Getting to tell all my family about our upcoming addition and see the happy screams, hugs and crying that went along with that.