a salty escape

We returned from a weekend trip to the Gulf Coast yesterday afternoon, feeling a little weary from the drive but refreshed from the fantastic time we had. Nathan's college roommate/childhood friend Jared's girlfriend, Alison, invited us to stay with her at her family's company beach house in Gulf Shores, with our mutual friends Jason and Jessica. We had a great time catching up, talking, and goofing off.



We arrived in the middle of the night on Thursday, and by the time we hung out together for a few hours, we decided to make it until sunrise on the beach. It was incredible - the most fun I've had in a long time, and the most beautiful scenery I've seen in even longer.







We spend two days after that on the private beach, soaking up sun and spending hours riding the waves. Everyone had a blast, and it was so hard to leave. Fortunately, I spent quite a bit of time hunting for shells, and I'm pretty proud of my collection. Last night I washed them off and sorted them out:



I've got plans for them in jars and possible craft projects. For now, I'm just admiring them.

Anyway, it was a blissful weekend, but now it's back to real life. I had a super busy day at work, and I don't think that's changing soon. At least Spike is excited to have us home.