PCB

We left for Panama City the day after Juliana and I returned from our mission trip in Kentucky. We packed up the night before and piled tons of luggage, pool and beach toys, two adults, three kids, lots of supplies and food, and the dog and set out.

We rented the beach house owned by a friend of mine's in -laws that sits across the street from the beach. We had our own private golf cart to carry us there and to the pool (and the dog potty facilities!). I've decided it's one of my goals in life to own one myself. Lofty goal-setting, I know. Juliana had a few driving lessons (first ever) and I've decided that this future instruction will fall to Birch.


We had such a fabulous time, especially when we compare it to last year's "staycation". I won't fall for that one again. I really can't remember every enjoying a week any more than I did this one.

To answer the numero uno question we were asked, there was no oil. We'd heard about it all week and mentally prepared for it, but we missed it. It was blue. It was green. It was clear (how can it be all three?). It was sandy. It was serene. It was perfect.

To Juliana and Birch's dismay, it was relatively calm. It reminded me a lot of Montego Bay where we went on our honeymoon. It was like floating in an endless pool. You had to wade a ways out before you even came to waist high water. One of my favorite moments was hanging on to Holt in his life vest (is that wrong?) as we both floated effortlessly back and forth in the warm salty sea. I could've really stayed like that for hours.

We made sand chairs (because we're rednecks who didn't bring actual chairs) and reclined in them with our toes in the water. Walkers were forced to step over us. Sorry. The amount of sand you collect in an aptly named sand chair is staggering. We made sand castles (okay, Birch and the kids made sand castles), but mostly we lounged and swam.



We divided our water time between the beach and the pool. The resort had two pools, a big one right on the beach and a smaller heated one at the back of the community. We checked out the first one on our first day there, but when we returned the next day, it was "broken." We had to use the smaller heated one the rest of the week, but amazingly, it was never crowded. The heat was a bit much, however, until some genius finally turned it off. It was June in Florida, yes?





Up to this point our littles haven't been prone to even dip their piggies in the water. They liked to stick to kiddie pools. The first day we were there, Birch announced, "We're going to be here all week. You might as well decide you're not afraid or you're not going to have any fun at all." Amazingly, this worked. By the second day, they were jumping in from the side. Maybe reason and logic will work with them in other areas. Hmmm....



At the resort, we played at the park and walked around the marina, hunted for scurrying crabs, and wondered at the reality that a sign was needed that read, "Do not feed the alligators."

Because our hosts were kind (crazy?) enough to let us bring Walter, we plugged the extra $200 we saved into our entertainment budget. We only cooked dinner twice (and truthfully that was just Birch on the grill), ate out the rest of the evenings, and were able to really cut loose. We spent one evening at a putt putt/ arcade.

Holt played a mean air hockey and came close to dislocating one of my fingers. In some ways, he really takes after his daddy.

Juliana triumphed at Deal or No Deal and skeet ball, Mouser liked the Stomp the Spider game, and Birch, Holt and I raced (They raced; I crashed into objects and tried to figure out how to get it out of reverse).




Carolina made her first attempt at putt putt. It was a bit deja vu in that the last time we played putt putt at the beach, Birch was tutoring this same subject to Juliana.



Amazingly (frighteningly?), Juliana was unaware I was about to take this picture. This was not posed. There's some saying about an apple and a tree. I wonder.

Wednesday was one of my favorite days. We took a boat ride out to Shell Island. The boat ride itself was half the fun. We rounded past a place called Bird Island that you smelled long before you heard or saw it. It's literally painted with pelicans who have their own sushi bar, yet no bus boys. The stench of Fish Past offensively coats every nose hair you've ever grown.


Once you arrive, you traipse up a wooden sidewalk until you reach this green glassy wonderland. My only regret is that we didn't have longer to enjoy it before we had to grab our things and run back to catch the boat before it pulled up anchor. Next time we'll take the ferry where you can choose your times to come and go. We all were sun and fun exhausted on the journey back.




Coming home from PCB was jolting. Never have I had such a difficult time transitioning back into everyday life. It was truly one of the most perfect weeks I've spent. It was magical. My kids all got along like they'd been sprinkled with fairy dust. No one got badly sunburned (minus Juliana's scalp; thus the Orioles hat all week). Walter didn't destroy anything. I didn't cook. There was homemade ice cream involved. Twice.

And while the memories are sweet, they are almost painful. In the words of Arnold I-can't-spell-his-last-name, "I'll be back."