Family Visit Down South To Alabama & Florida

If you're friends with me on Facebook or Twitter, then you know my family came to visit (I was only counting down for the two weeks prior!)

We had an awesome time!!!!  The weather wasn't ideal but we made the best of it and had a great visit.

Saturday morning Nick, the pups, and I headed to the FinDick's House (that's how they're known to us until they get married (a combination of their last names)).  The girls were all so happy to be reunited (as always), the boys did their boy thing (as usual) and Leah and I headed out to buy food and supplies before the family showed up.

Dad, Mom, and Ben showed up that evening and we just hung out all evening on their back patio.   We called it an early night (I'd like to say it's because we all had an early morning, but let's be real....it's because we're all old and can't hang like we used to.)

Sunday we ventured out to play some mini-golf and ate some oh so bad for you food at a diner just outside base (Ft. Rucker.)

(for the record, Nick doesn't pop his collar...he's not a douche like that.  His neck was getting sunburnt so this was his only fix for that lol)

After we got back home, Nick and the pups headed back to Florida (he had to work) and we again just hung out all evening on the patio.

Monday we headed to base and walked around the Aviation Museum.  Then we drove over to Kyle's airfield and saw all the various helicopters (Apache, Chinook, Kiowa, Blackhawk, Huey, Cobra etc).

Inside the Chinook.

This is the Chinook.  It's a massive helicopter.  (The helicopter that Nick wants to fly (pending open slots because they don't select often for them, the MH-53) is even bigger than this!!!!)

I could be very wrong, but I believe this is the Apache, the helicopter than Kyle is hoping to select at the end of July.

Okay, in this picture I can totally see how people say Ben and I look alike.  (I just much larger eyes lol)

This is the TH-67, the helo Kyle is currently training on.  It's the EXACT same Robinson helo Nick flies, except the Navy calls it the TH-57.  It's pretty cool that Nick and Kyle are so close (friendship/family-wise and are pretty much in the same place of training on the exact same helo.  With the same love and fascination for it all.  It's pretty cute.)

It was rainy and a pretty gross day so we all headed back to Enterprise and ate lunch at a hole-in-the-wall amazingly delicious place, Annie's.  Then us ladies walked around a bit at the shops while the dude's headed home.  That night, we decided to head to Maggie Moo's for dinner.  I mean, it's vacation so you're allowed to eat poorly, right?  So ice cream for dinner it was.

Kyle's banana split and my hot fudge mint sundae

Then more patio sitting until we all went to bed.


Tuesday we headed to Dothan and visited their botanical gardens.

In my dream home, I will have a beautiful Japanese Garden like this and the picture below.

You're supposed to place a lock on this fence with your loved one.  Cute idea.  Too bad my loved one had to return to Florida for work.

Beautiful rose garden.

More of the Rose Garden

Then we headed over to Landmark Park which was an old town.  It was really neat.  Call me a nerd, but this old school stuff truly fascinates me.  It's amazing to think about how simple life was back then!

School House

Inside the school house

Headland Presbyterian Church

Inside the church

Blacksmith workshop

Inside in the blacksmith shop

House

Inside the house

Inside the house

After this, we headed back to Leah's, packed up, and we all drove to our house in Florida (minus Kyle, who had to stay behind to work.)

Wednesday we headed to Navarre Beach.  It's my favorite beach down here so I definitely wanted my family to experience it.  Unfortunately, the weather was crappy.  It was soooooo windy and cold.  We sat around in hoodies the entire time.  We didn't last more than an hour and a half before we decided to head back home.  There was sand in every crevice of our bodies (we felt like we were eating sand for the next 2 days....we just couldn't get it out of our mouths!) and it was all over all our bags.  It was insane.  The wind covered my flip flops in sand in a matter of 5 minutes.  That's how strong the wind was.  My legs were so sore from the sand beating against them!!!!

That night, we took my family to McGuire's Irish Pub, a Pensacola staple.  As to be expected, everyone loved their dishes!!!

Nick and my mother in a chugging contest with their signature mason jar drinks.  NOT a brilliant idea.  Looks like I'm DDing!  (Nick won).

After dinner

Thursday we waited around the house for the rain and storms to pass and then headed to Pensacola Beach.  We had better weather this day but not fantastic.  The water was still cold with there not being much sun.  There were some pockets of sun and the wind was nowhere near as bad so we were able to lay around in our swimming suits.  It ended up being a pretty good day (with Mom, Dad, and Ben getting pretty burnt).

After the beach, Nick met us across the street at Flounder's for dinner (another Pensacola staple).  Everyone in my family (except Nick and I since we were driving) ordered their signature (super strong) mason jar drink, the Diesel Fuel.


Friday we all headed to NAS Whiting Field.  Nick took my family to North Field to show them where he did Primary.  He showed them the hangar and the flight line.  He also took them in and showed them the two various simulators he had in Primary and explained a lot of that to them.  (they weren't able to actually do the sim, but looked at it all and Nick explained a lot of it.)

T-6B Texan II cockpit simulator.  This is what Nick flew in Primary Training.

Then we ventured over to South Field.  He took us in the hangar and explained the difference in the two helicopters he flies in Advanced Training (both TH-57s but one is the Bravo model and one is the Charlie model).  Dad and Ben took turns getting in one with him while he explained it all.

TH-57 cockpit.  MUCH different and much older than glass cockpit (computerized) T-6B he flew in Primary

Then we headed to the academic building where he showed them and explained how a helicopter actually works.  It was super cute to see Nick in his engineer/professor mode, explaining every tiny detail of how the helicopter operates and what controls what and how it all works together.

(I learned what a "Jesus nut" was this day!  Basically, if that nut falls off, you're going to meet Jesus.  It's the nut at the very top of this contraption.)

The engine of the TH-57

Then we went to the simulators and he showed them those as well but not pictures allowed.


Afterwards, we headed to NAS Pensacola.  We stopped off at the NEX for my family to pick up some Navy gear and then we went to the Aviation Museum.  We hung out there for about 2 hours and my Dad was like a kid in a candy store!

Ben in a Blue Angel

Afterwards, we ventured to the lighthouse.  We didn't take a tour but walked around and took some photos.  Then we headed down to the beach on base in the hopes of seeing some dolphins.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen because we were there around 6pm and they usually come in the cove much closer to sunset.  But it was worth a shot.

Saturday morning was the sad part.  They left bright and early.  I always hate saying goodbye. But things are always easier when I have a countdown and know when I'll see them all again.  My mother is coming back at the end of June into July.  Ben (and possibly my aunt and cousin) might be joining her as well.  (They heard she was coming again and wanted to come...and I will never object to family coming to visit!).  I will also be heading home for two weeks in August.  AND then some members of my family will be coming back for Nick's winging at the end of August!!!!
So while it's sad to say goodbye, I'm so thankful for this trip.  I'm thankful for technology to get me through until we see each other again.  And I'm thankful I get to see them all again soon!!!

[This is not all of our photos.  As I'm sure you can guess.  If you'd like to see more of our beautiful faces or outings, check out my SmugMug site HERE.]