As I mentioned in my last post, the cousins this year were obsessed with the resort pools in Gulf Shores. They LOVED hanging out at the pools, and there were so many to choose from. There are 3 main pool areas that are all quite large with slides, expansive decks, and fountains to play in. Then there are 3 different indoor pools as well as a rooftop lazy river. Every day the kids had a new favorite, but they enjoyed them all and definitely preferred them over the beaches this year. Despite what appeared to be a rainy forecast, we had sunny skies during our entire stay and we were so thankful for that!
Morgan cousins in front of the docks, on their way to enjoy one of the resort pools.
Group pool pic - so much fun!
And now for a silly pose :-)
Jeb and Alli.
Ryah, Madison, and Kaitlynn.
Michelle, Chris, and Gracie.
Marissa loved it when Jeff threw her up in the air.
Kaitlynn loved it, too. Look how high she is!
MeMe and Granddaddy enjoying the pool.
Kaitlynn and Jeff.
The cousins were so happy when they discovered this slide at one of the pools, and they all wanted to slide together.
After a few attempts at a "cousin train" down the slide, Uncle Jeff stepped in to show them how it was done!
The skies were so sunny that occasionally the kids wanted a break from the heat. No problem at all -- they just went to one of the 3 indoor pools and had just as much fun there. I tell you, we love this place!
Enjoying the indoor pool for a break from the hot sun.
Back to the indoor pool one evening after dinner. Never a shortage of activities for these crazy kids!
The lazy river at the resort is very unique in that it's only 18" deep. It's perfect for the kids because they can move around very easily in there, and the adults don't have to worry too much for their safety. There's even a little hut area in part of the lazy river that looks like a swim-up bar, and the kids loved playing there as well.
Kaitlynn and Marissa in the Lazy River.
Ryah and Makenna.
Connor, Renee, and Madison.
One evening, we went onto the rooftop pool deck to watch an outdoor movie that the resort was showing for the kids. While the movie was being set up, the kids went over to the lazy river to swim. Next thing we know, my brother is telling me to go check on Kaitlynn because she has apparently set up some type of bar with beer bottles and everything.
Sure enough, Kaitlynn and Marissa had collected many empty beer bottles and cans (left from some of the day's guests) and were filling them up with pool water and trying to serve them to other guests, a.k.a. "customers." Oh my!
It was a little disturbing to hear our precious littles offering other guests some "beers" but they sure had fun and even continued the activity the next day. Our little entrepreneurs, ha!
Kaitlynn and Marissa's "bar"... oh my.
They quickly corrupted the rest of the cousins!
The next morning, they were back to bartending. These girls!!
I have to admit, pool time was by far our favorite activity in Gulf Shores this year. We love the beach, but there's only so much of the sand and strong current that we could take, ha!
But speaking of the beach, we did manage to make the most of the beautiful scenery with some family photos. That's up next, stay tuned!
Our family decided on the Gulf Shores area for our summer vacation because we're all spread out across Texas and Georgia, so this is a great beach spot that works for everyone. The beaches are beautiful and not too far to access. Compared to our nearest Texas beach (Galveston), you just can't beat this gorgeous view!
Our beach view in Gulf Shores.
We were all excited to finally feel our toes in the sand. And this year we made sure to come more prepared with a canopy for shade, extra beach chairs, and tons of beach toys.
The Morgan cousins with one of their sea creatures, a huge starfish!
One of Jeff's sand creations, LOVE!
Connor, Makenna, and Renee.
Ryah.
Kaitlynn.
MeMe and Granddaddy.
Aunt Charlotte (Ben would cooperate for this pic, ha!)
Regina and Charles.
Jeff and me.
Jeff with his handmade koozie.
Jeb and Alli.
Ryah and Kaitlynn began digging a hole to China.
Michelle and Gracie.
Connor and Renee.
Granddaddy.
Regina and Charlotte carved this face-down mermaid in the sand.
Then Jeff had to tackle his Houston Texans sand art.
We had beautiful sunny days at the beach.
Jeff ended up attracting quite the crowd.
The finished product!
We had several boogie boards this year and the kids really got into it. Here's Renee after a wipeout.
Makenna.
Connor.
Ryah.
Gracie.
Connor.
Connor caught a good wave here.
Even Michelle and Chris got in on the fun.
So much fun!
More fun in the sand with Kaitlynn.
Jeff was our pack mule for the beach trips. Carrying all that stuff in the thick sand is a workout for sure!
I think this was the last day on the beach. Soak it in, girls!
More sand creations.
Jeb and Alli.
Jeff even brought his metal detector to the beach this year. It was fun for a while, but no major treasures discovered.
We all had a great time enjoying the beautiful beach in Gulf Shores. Usually the kids can't get enough beach time, but this year the gulf waters were a little rougher than usual this trip due to recent rains/storms in the surrounding areas. We had several days of red flags and even one day of a double red flag (dangerous currents)!
After the first couple of days on the beach, the kids decided they preferred hanging out at the resort pools. So, pool-time it was -- stay tuned!
