the bad part about going to the beach...

... is having to leave! 

I had so much fun on my beach vacation last week! I went with 2 other wonderful youth minister girls - Beth & Abbey. Beth & I interned together at Mayfair back in 2005. That summer, we met Abbey at Impact; she was also working as an intern for a church. Now, just a few years later, we are all three working full time in youth ministry. Crazy, the things our God works out!

(me & Beth)

(and me & Abbey)

So anyways, early last Monday morning we loaded up my Vibe and headed to Gulf Shores for 4 nights. It was absolutely wonderful. We spend our days by the pool (that we had all to ourselves) and our nights out on the town! (Don't worry, by "out on the town," I basically mean eating. And shopping. And maybe driving down the coast with the windows down singing along with the Black Eyed Peas at the top of our lungs. Don't judge. haha). One night, Amber (one of the children's interns from the summer) even joined us for dinner at Lulu's. 

Curious as to where we ate? Here's the lowdown on our dining experience:

Night 1 - Gulf Island Grill. Probably my favorite meal of the whole trip. I don't remember exactly what I ordered, but I know it was fish, there was lemon butter involved, and parmesan. Oh yes. Good stuff.

Night 2 - Lulu's. Jimmy Buffet's sister's place. It was such a fun place! The wait was SO long, but worth it. There was a fun play area for little kids (where I secretly wanted to play), but warning for parents. The children playing were covered in water and sand. Don't bring them in their nice clothes. haha

Night 3 - Lambert's. A favorite. But honestly, I don't love the food. I am never hungry enough to actually feel like I've eaten my money's worth, and the food really isn't that spectacular. But let's face it. I love bread. And I love that they will throw it to you from across the room. Plus it is just a really fun place to eat! (There is usually a very long wait, but we got there at 8:30. No wait for us!)

Night 4 - The Hangout. I had never been here before, and it didn't disappoint. Good burger, and great place to.. well.. hangout! haha. I did almost have an anxiety attack when they called people who were celebrating their birthday and made them dance on the table. It wasn't even my birthday, but I DID NOT want someone to decide to come up with some reason to make me get on a table! There was a little Cupid Shuffle that went down, but that all stayed floor level - not as scary, and there was live music, which is always a plus.

I loved getting some time to relax and recover from the crazy summer, and really, I couldn't have been with a better group of girls from such a thing! Youth ministry is one of the most incredible jobs in the world, but it is also exhausting, and there are just some things you can't understand about it until you find yourself in it. We were able to share ideas and stories of the incredible things God is doing, vent about frustrations, seek counsel from one another, find accountability, be inspired by one another's strengths, and find comfort in the fact that you aren't the only one with weaknesses. 

This trip was much needed. I feel so refreshed. 

Beth & Abbey -

I love you girls! You are both such blessings in my life! Praise God for what He has done and will continue to do!

Wanna see more pictures? You can find the rest of them in my Facebook album. Enjoy!