Little Walsh: Destin, Florida

Monday, June 17, 2013

Destin, Florida

We got home yesterday from a wonderful week in Destin, Florida - it was even better than I expected! Grant originally planned the trip to meet for a few days with his Culhane Meadows founding partners, but then we decided to expand the trip, bring the kids and make it a vacation/Grant-work trip. One of his partner's, Heather Haughian, and her husband Shane had planned the trip to celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary and they were gracious to invite us to the events and also to sacrifice some of their vacation time for the partners meeting.

We arrived on Monday and Grant worked Tuesday and Wednesday with his partners which left the kids and I with two blissful days of swimming, napping and evenings on the beach. The kids were really behaved for me - I think they sensed Mom couldn't handle too much craziness. We never left the resort and just had a good time being together whether it was on the beach or playing dominos in the condo.

Then on Thursday Grant wrapped up his meetings and DD and Big John arrived and we picked up the pace! Thursday when DD and Big John arrived we planned to go to the Dolphin cruise and then meet with friends for dinner. This was my only pregnancy crisis on the trip, but when we arrived at the boat for the cruise there was zero shade on the boat and at 3:30 in the afternoon the sun was beating down on us! I sat down for about 2 mins. and then announced, "We are getting off this boat!" The kids were sad because they wanted to go on the boat and see the dolphins and the other adults were probably a little annoyed (although they were nice about it) because we had scrambled to get there on time, but I could not sit in the sun and bake for and hour and a half. We had to kill some time before our dinner but DD and Big John helped by taking the kids on a long walk after we had gotten some ice cream. The dinner at the Crazy Lobster was good and then we wandered around more waiting for the 9pm fireworks show over the ocean.

On Friday we went to Big Kahuna's water park and the kids loved the slides and we even went around the lazy river a few times together as a family. On Friday night Grant and I went to an adults dinner at Dewey Destin's while DD and Big John took the kids for a Dolphin cruise do-over.

On Saturday, Grant and I attended the vow renewal ceremony/party on Crab Island for Heather and Shane while DD and Big John had a beach day with the kids. Grant and I got back to the hotel around 5pm and were able to play on the beach and watch a final sunset together. The beaches and water are so beautiful in Destin and I definitely want to go back. Our condo was convenient with a full kitchen, washer/dryer, nice balcony and even room to spread out. It wasn't fancy or luxurious, but it was great for our needs. There was even enough room for Jack Ranger to sleep in his pack and play in our closet! He loved it and because we stayed up late at night and it was dark in the closet the kids slept until at least 8:30am every day and a few days past 9am. So nice.

Great dinner during the first founders' conference--joined by Shane Haughian and Erin Walsh!— with founding partners Heather Clauson Haughian, Kelly Culhane Rittenberry, , Jim Meadows and Grant Walsh.

DD and Cadie on the boardwalk waiting for fireworks. Cadie liked playing with the lobster tentacle from Big John's dinner.

DD is the best at entertaining the kids! She doesn't need any gear, just imagination and whatever is within reach.

At dinner we sat next to a family and the kids and I talked and played with the little girl. Turns out the Dad owned the water trampolines and they gave us a good deal to go jump!