Happy 4th from Gulf Shores!

What better way to start the holiday than by going down to the ocean?  

I can't think of anything I'd rather do.

These girls were ready to jump some more waves and try out our new boat.

Cami was a little bit intimidated of surfing the waves, even in the comfort of the boat.

The older girls were all about it, though!

After an hour on the high seas, it was time for some sand volleyball. 

The beach was packed for the 4th.

The Alabama crew next to us rolled deep every day.  I was so envious of all their patriotic attire! 

So many people! 
It reminded me of what I always thought Spring Break in Panama City must have been like.

We hung out at the beach until after lunch and then got ready to see the Eagles play some ball.

Jackson and his buddies came ready to play!  

I love this picture of the boys being goofy on the mound.  Such a great group of kids who still just love to play this game.

Jackson pitched so well.  Probably the best I've seen him throw in a long time.

The Eagles lost 3-2 on a botched call that allowed the runner to score.  

Afterwards, the umpire apologized to our team for missing the call. 

These girls love the USA and the Eagles.

Lila and Jillian became sweet friends...

and all the girls loved doting on Mason's baby cousin!

Go Eagles!  Happy 4th of July!

We made it back just in time to watch the fireworks from our balcony.

Beach Combo - Friends and Baseball

July 3rd kicked off with some seeing some friends from home at the beach.  Such a nice surprise!

Tucker and his family were in town for his twin sister's dance competition.  Bonus!

We assumed a storm was blowing in because the waves were enormous!  These kids said it was perfect for boogie boarding, though.

Fierce!

Thank goodness the little kids were happy playing on higher ground.

While they were on break from jumping the waves, Maddie caught the tiniest crab ever.

I enjoyed visiting with Tara...

Jared and Cayce caught up as well...

and Cami and Nash had a little seaside date. 
Seeing one of your boyfriends at the beach--priceless!

After a few hours, we said goodbye to the Bartons.  Jackson had to get to his baseball games and Brently was starting her dance competition.

The girls and I decided to stay at that beach that afternoon.  It was so pretty and we knew there would be plenty more days of baseball.

The girls were thrilled!

This little lady even took a short ocean-side siesta.  

A nice breeze, seagulls in the air...

Pretty much a perfect afternoon.

And this little mermaid even made an appearance, too!

The boys kicked things off with a bang as well!

Jackson batted lead-off and got the Eagles rolling.

Go #7!
The Eagles beat the Texas Bandits and Texas Energy pretty handily.  We traveled all the way to Gulf Shores and out of 37 teams, got matched up against two other teams from Texas!  

Beach Bums

On Monday, we awoke to another wonderful day at the beach!

I really do think we could stay all summer and this view would never get old.

I just love our time together.

We found Matthew at the beach that morning.

A little while later, Reid and Beau came to visit, too.

The sand keeps kids entertained so well...

until other little sisters show up to go boogie boarding with!

A few hours later, our favorite 10 year old cousin arrived!

The excitement was palpable.

Maddie is so good with all ages, from burying little Dylan in the sand...

to hanging out with Lila.

These girls had so many laughs trying to ride the blue noodle in the ocean!

The little ones chose to play on the beach instead of out in the water.

Dylan was so sweet, he even shared his shark kite with Cami--very cool!

A few hours later, we were all showered and ready for the Eagles team dinner.

The Hangout is where it's at! 
There is a live band, foam party, ping pong and countless other options of entertainment.

Good thing there was so much to do, because we had to wait a really long time!

It gave us plenty of time to catch up with my dad and for Jackson to give him the latest scoop on his baseball tournament.

This place was packed!

Such a fun night with these boys...

and all of their parents. 
The tournament began the next day and everyone was ready to watch the Eagles play.