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| 5 O'Clock Somewhere, St. George Island, FL |
Our first vacation of the season has come and gone. St. George Island is a beautiful, relaxing, uncrowded beach with a bike path the length of the island and a local ice cream shop that saw us almost every day. Good thing we took our bikes b/c we needed them for burning off all that ice cream!
Our 3rd year for the Brooks/McQuilken family beach trip, we stayed in a new house this time, "5 'O Clock Somewhere." It was 3 stories with tile stairs and common areas, 4 carpeted bedrooms, 3.5 baths and an elevator! The master was on the main, the top floor, along with the kitchen and family room/dining area, while the secondary bedrooms were in the middle with a second, smaller living room that also had a Foosball table! The bottom floor was really just an entry way, but it was spacious enough to host our coolers among other items that collected there throughout the week. There was a large screened-in porch off the top floor and a deck directly below it, and although across the street from the beach, the view of the ocean was still spectacular. Additional perks of this fabulous abode include a gated pool and a golf cart which was not only fun, but also helpful, since we were not directly on the beach.
The ride there was basically uneventful. We managed not to stop except for one bathroom/gas break, but we never even took Jack out of his carseat. Near the end, as he was getting restless, I pulled out the M&M Minis I had stashed away for just the right moment, and they kept him occupied right up until we pulled into the oyster shell bordered driveway. With chocolate and colored candy coating adorning his shirt and face, Jack happily greeted his cousins, Taylor, Brooke and Kadyn, and said hello to "Unc Cot" (Uncle Scott), Aunt Suzi, PaPa and GRandi. Jack became reacquainted with Uncle Robbye and Aunt Cathy, and Aunt Mimi was also already there with her dog, Cean (short for Ocean). Tug and Della made themselves at home and took immediately to our room, Della protecting our "cave" as she did every year. We unloaded our gear, got into our suits, and pretty quickly we were in the pool, all of us together laughing and talking, reminiscing about prior years and forecasting our plans and excitement for what the next week would bring. After GRandi, PaPa and Aunt Mimi's delicious taco dinner (with yummy mahi-mahi freshly caught and brought from NSB), The McQ Zoo rode our bikes with GRandi, Aunt Suzi, Taylor and Brooke to Aunt Ebby's for our first round of ice cream. It was a beautiful night. 
The next morning I took Jack for a bike ride while Daddy went to get ice. When we got back, everyone was gathered in the carport and the girls rushed over to tell me that Della had an accident! I was at first startled and kinda freaking out, but I also was trying to remain calm. Turns out Mr. McQ was driving Aunt Cathy and Uncle Robbye to the beach with Della and Tug riding along. Although Della seemed to be doing fine next to Daddy on the front seat, she somehow got spooked or excited and she jumped out of the cart while it was going full speed. She landed and skidded across the blacktop, acquiring a pretty nasty gash under her chin as well as some road rash. Mr. McQ picked her up and held her as they rushed back to the house. By the time Jack and I arrived she was doing fine, but we were told she had briefly been in shock, but they watched her, soothed her, gave her lots of water, and took very good care of her to make sure she was okay. They even called around to find the local vet in case we felt she needed to go, but we all agreed, the salt water would be the best thing for her. We were so lucky that she didn't break her leg! Mr. McQ was the most upset of all, but it was finally time for the beach, so we got packed up and drove our dogs in the truck over to the beach (no more golf cart for Della!), and once he saw that Della was happy as a clam with her tennis ball swimming in the ocean, he began to feel better.
We played games and the grown ups drank some adult beverages while the kids enjoyed the new "baking" sand toys GRandi brought along. The 3 dogs and most everyone swam, and the water felt great! Crystal blue with clean, soft sand, St. George is really a gem, and since the leash law there is voice control, we couldn't ask for a better place to take our dogs. As it was The McQ Zoo's night to cook dinner, we left the beach a little early to go back to the house and clean up, but we got side tracked by the pool and spent some QT together swimming first. Jack is awesome in the water. He swims with water wings. He loves to "float" on his back. He can jump in all by himself, and he especially loves when Daddy throws him way up high in the sky! To see Jack in action at the pool, click here! You'll also see that Della loves the pool too; it is a great way for her to cool/rinse off after the beach as well as another place to play fetch!
The vacation continued on, with more beachin', swimmin' and bike riding. Every afternoon Mr. McQ and I took Jack for a nap ride, and being so worn out from all the sun and playing with his cousins, he slept great each day. Twice he slept so long that we didn't even make it to the beach, but we didn't mind b/c we had some really special family time at the pool. One night we tried to ride up to the island playground before bedtime, but Jack fell asleep on the way there. It was still fun, and all part of the memories and adventure.Our ice cream rides were also a blast! Some nights it was dark, and the ride was a little risky, but it was also a lot of fun riding by the glow of the moon. There are no street lights on St. George Island, so the sky is pitch black, except for the shining stars that you don't even realize exist while living in the city. I am pretty certain I even saw a shooting star one night on the ride back to the house! Of course each night Jack fell asleep in the bike, and it was an easy transfer to the bed after such a long, hot day full of fun in the sun!
Friday morning we finally made it to the playground, by way of the golf cart, but we left the dogs behind! There was a school from Apalachicola having their end of year field trip, and the playground was buzzing with big kids, which of course intrigued Jack to no end. He followed them through the tunnels and down the slides and on the see-saw, and we enjoyed watching him in his element, climbing, running and jumping, as he does best! When Jack showed interest in the basketball court we took a ride back to the house to pick up a couple of balls, and then we spent another half hour shooting hoops! After our little recreational escapade we topped off the golf cart's gas tank and took a little joy ride through the back roads to look at all the houses. We decided to let Jack drive the cart, and he was so happy! He loves to "drive," and he asks to all the time, so this experience for him was extra special! 
That night The McQ Zoo (minus the 4-legged babies) went on a family date via bike ride to the local pizza place. While we waited for our meal, Jack pretended to play the video games in the adjoining arcade. We also enjoyed a fried broccoli and cheese appetizer, which was so good that I am determined to re-create it in the near future! It was a nice relaxing time, an evening to just unwind and take in our last night of vacation together as a family. After dinner we made our last stop at Aunt Ebby's for one more ice cream cone that we shared. Then we rode our bikes back to the beach house. Jack did not quite fall asleep this time, although he was very agreeable to going to bed, so I cuddled with him and fell asleep too. It was a wonderful end to a lovely vacation.
But all good things must come to an end. It was time. Jack was beginning to get a bit homesick. We needed our normal life back, our regular routine. Jack was also asking for the zoo, and as GRandi pointed out, even though he doesn't understand the concept of time, he certainly realized he had not been to the zoo in awhile, and therefore it was a reasonable request! Saturday morning we all got up bright and early, cleaned and loaded up our vehicles, and we left 5 O'Clock Somewhere about a half hour before our required check-out time. Unfortunately for us, the ride home was much more stressful than the ride there had been. Jack wanted nothing to do with sitting in his seat, and he cried for a good portion of the trip. Not even M&Ms made him happy! But we made it home anyway, safe and sound, and so did everyone else of course. It took us a few days to get settled back in, and on that Monday, as promised, I did take Jack to the zoo. We are so lucky to have the opportunity to take such a wonderful family vacation, thanks to the generosity of PaPa, but even as awesome as it was at the beach, there is just something comforting about coming home...See ya next year SGI!