It's real. It's happening. It's coming up on us fast. Thanks to Matt, I've signed up for one of the most interesting/fun/physical/stoopid races. Ever. http://www.ragnarrelay.com/race/chicago
The Ragnar Relay is a series of 24-hour relays across the country, typically consisting of teams of 12. Amazingly, we couldn't find 12 stoopid people in the greater Lafayette area, so we built ourselves an ULTRA team. Yep, that means we're all running double the mileage. Mileage, you ask? Six of us and two drivers named Kevin and Amy will be trucking it from Madison, WI to Chicago (197 miles), or an average of about 30 miles per person. http://www.ragnarrelay.com/race/chicago/course_maps
If you're interested, we'll be figuring out a way to post mid-race updates, results and perhaps pictures.
Well, we're officially back to reality with work and school after a wonderful week in Gulf Shores, Alabama. It was the Keckler's first trip to Southern Alabama and a vacation we'll not soon forget.
We ventured South with the Clawson family for our second extended vacation together. The kids had a wonderful time playing together, particularly in the pool! The adults found a way to get along, too.
We left May 7 with the intentions of stopping in Birmingham for a night's sleep. However, the adults thought it would be wise to push through and finish the 14-hour trek in one try. So, approximately 3 a.m. we pulled into our beach house. Despite a few whines and "Are we there yet?" from the backseat, we made it safely to Gulf Shores.
Waking up early to swim in our pool was on the agenda. Kari and Nolan (who is 5) were like their own school of fish. We had fun watching Kari swim without her floaties and put her swim lessons to work. To say Kari spent a few hours in the water would be a massive understatement.
While Kari was in the pool, Bryce would scamper around just close enough to the edge to make us all uncomfortable. After a couple days, he finally was OK with jumping in, provided a human safety net was present. Following the first jump, it was virtually impossible to keep him out of the water, too.
When we weren't in the pool, we were on the beach. It was less than 100 yards from our back porch to the ocean. The kids absolutely loved playing in the sand, building castles and hanging out in Fort Keckler that Daddy built them. We saw dolphins, helicopters and even Mommy trying her best on the Boogie Board!
Gulf Shores had plenty of fun places to go where both the adults and kids could have fun. One of them was The Hangout - a huge restaurant/bar/outdoor playground. Here the kids had a chance to play in the biggest bubble machine ever.
At Lulu's, Jimmy Buffet's sister's restaurant, the kids could play in the sand while Moms and Dads could listen to live music. This was right on the inter coastal and the kids even got to see a huge barge float past.
At the Florabama - our younger followers probably have heard of this establishment - the kids equaled the number of adults at lunch time. We practically had the place to ourselves. It's quite a different scene when the bar/restaurant hosts their annual Mullet Toss (be sure to click the video if you want a few minutes of comedy). To comfort those who wonder, we didn't let the kids participate in any fish throwing or other wild activities at the Florabama. Instead, they enjoyed a kid's menu lunch on frisbees, and got their pictures taken a few times.
Have you ever heard of a restaurant famous for its throwed rolls? Well, we'd seen it on the Travel Channel but felt we had to experience it in person. At Lambert's, picture a Cracker Barrel on steroids, they literally have employees who wheel around a cart of hot dinner rolls.
Instead of putting them in a basket or passing them to you with tongs, a young man yells "Hot Rolls" and literally throws them like he was playing summer church league softball. It's quite entertaining.
It was truly a wonderful week to enjoy being with family and friends. We're confident Kari will remember this vacation for some time, which is really neat. I think it's also safe to say that we're extremely grateful for what we have. While we didn't travel through the hardest hit tornado ravaged areas of Alabama, we did see plenty of damage on I-65 in Birmingham.
So, enjoy the pictures and video clips from the vacation!
