Marriage Retreat courtesy of the Military

For a month Shaun was secretly trying to get our name on to a list for a Marriage Retreat to Panama City, FL. He literally jumped through hoops, bent over backwards, walked a tightrope and came home last Friday to say "How would you like to take an all paid vacation to Panama City, FL?!" Yes! Yes! Yes!

The Military Chaplains arrange for these Military Retreat to help soldier's in need of rejuvenating their marriages. Our retreat was three days, two nights at Bay Point Marriott (which was right on the beach), two breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, AND daycare for the children ALL PAID FOR!! All we had to do was listen to the Chaplain on how to better improve our marriage. Shaun and I learned a lot, but we really just loved that we had a vacation for free. At the beach. With lots of sun. It was great.

This is the Marriott's personal boardwalk that leads out to their own private beach with a boat dock and Restaurant.

These cranes were walking everywhere in the shallow water next to the boardwalk.

Ian was always getting to close to the edge. He's a crazy one, that boy.

We were so excited to see the beach we took off running as fast as we could.

My two sweet boys.

Izzy making her sand cake.

Shaun bravely walked out as far as he could to see what there was to see in the water.

All part of the private beach.

This is heading back to the Marriott. That's the Lime Restaurant behind us.

It was a bit cold in the wind, but we are just super excited to be here.

This is the next day on our way to Shell Island. The Marriott offers a free boat ride to the island that's 20 minutes away. It was beautiful and so wonderful to smell the ocean again.

I got new sunglasses for the kids, thank goodness, because it was really bright with the sun reflecting off the water and white sand.

My little sillies.

It was Ian's nap time so he was asleep most the time we were at the beach.

Shell Island is appropriately named because the beach was covered in shells!

She couldn't wait to start digging.

Izzy and I made a beach car!

Back at the Marriott. Shaun fell asleep at Shell Island so he wanted to go exploring one last time. He found tons of hermit crabs of all sizes covering the shallows. He brought some up for the kids, which they promptly tried burying here while he went back out for more.

Our last night we decided to check out the place called Smuggler's Cove. It had a go cart track like I've never seen! It was 3 stories tall with the track itself made out of wood planks. It was awesome. Izzy has finally grown big enough to ride as a passenger, so Shaun was the first to drive out with her next to him. She was terrified of Shaun's driving. As they went under the bridge I was on Izzy was crying and reaching out for me. Shaun desperately tried to get her to calm down, but she more than ready to get out when it was over.

I went next and had a lot of fun. I couldn't stop smiling.

This one and the next picture are of me cruising by.

After the carts we played some games at the arcade for awhile. He was adorable dancing on the DDR pads.

This is our last day in front of the Marriott, just about to take off. Amazing it stayed sunny the entire time we were there, till on the drive home it started to pour down rain. Talk about lucky! Or a huge blessing, whichever way you want to call it.