Martinique

We just got back from the beach with the extended family. It was our first time to Orange Beach at place called Martinique on the Gulf. The house was beautiful and held all 12 of us without any trouble. Kate and Charlie had a ball learning how to "surf" on Uncle Tom's surfboard, swimming in the pool, and building sandcastles in the cool evenings. The adults spent most of our downtime working a 3,000 piece puzzle that Katherine brought (we will be finishing it at Christmastime). Uncle Michael and Aunt Sara enjoyed taking late walks on the beach, reading, and visiting with the kids. The Owen's branch of the family met Pops at the Blue Angels air show one morning in Pensacola and went to the flight museum afterward for a cool indoor activity. The kids loved "flying" the airplanes. One of the highlights of the trip was seeing Fort Morgan where Tom grew up camping and exploring. I think my favorite pictures are from our time at Fort Morgan.

Happy Birthday, Tom!

Tom turned 40 July 19th. I tried to make it a little less traumatic by surprising him with the grill of his dreams - The Big Green Egg!! I think it is going to be a gift that keeps on giving. My meat dishes are taken care of for the rest of my life! Yea! Above are some pictures of his first chicken and pork roasts. The chicken was just skinless, boneless breasts with salt and pepper - normally dry and chewy on the grill. These were juicy and tender. The pork was tender as well, he smoked it all night with no worries. Go Tom! Happy Birthday, Sweetie!