2012 Canoe Trip

Well…. I guess that isn’t the correct title for this year’s get together!

 

Despite Aunt Jan being in the hospital, Grandma having Shingles, the worst one day rainfall in 70 years for Pensacola, and a last minute change of plans, we had a blast!

 

We held out on cancelling until the very last minute. Sometimes when it is pouring rain in Pensacola, Pace, and Fort Walton Beach, it is dry as a bone up here in the north end of the county. So we had hoped that the rain would stay away until the afternoon.  After waking up on June 9, 2012 in Jay, Florida and realizing that that was just not a possibility at all; the decision was made to cancel the canoe trip.

 

I believe someone tossed around the phrase ‘let’s just reschedule for another day.’  But since it takes us (the Rushing bunch) a good six months to get one Saturday where we are all available, that was just simply not going to happen.  After realizing that it was that day or never for 2012, we decided to go to Lamberts in Foley, Alabama since only three of the people that were going had ever been there.

 

Our lesson of the day… When you go to a beach town and it is raining, EVERYONE packs into the nearest restaurant and shopping malls! After waiting for a good 45 minutes or more, we were seated; all 18 of us.

 

 

Will is taking the picture. Without him climbing into the booth with the people behind him, he only got half of my face, Angela’s roll, and no Luke. And of course none of the kids were paying attention since they were talking 90 miles an hour.

 

I had hoped that Luke would fall asleep on the car ride and be ready to go when we got there. However, that did not happen. So of course, as soon as we were seated he fell asleep. He took about a 30 minute nap like this…

 

 

The waiters and waitresses came around and played their jokes on everyone by pretending to spill a pitcher of tea, mustard, and a pot of beans on people. I think Parker (from what I am told because I didn’t get to see him) had the best reaction of the day. That honor probably would have gone to Mrs. Brooks had she not seen what they did to Parker and been expecting it.  As far as I know the only person from our group to get pegged in the face with a ‘throwed’ roll was Graci (again… I missed it).

 

When our food came out this is what I ended up with…

 

 

I took the majority of it home with me. For those of you wondering, that is a bread bowl that the salad is in.

 

After dinner, we all braved the flood and went to the outlet mall. We found some really good deals and the guys all stayed outside on the sidewalk with the kids and waited (and waited and waited) patiently (and sometimes not so patiently)!

 

This was the closest we got to a canoe for the day. Although, from what I hear, a canoe is what many people needed that day to get out of the homes and places of business.

 

 

We missed Aunt Debbie, Uncle Bill, Donna, Logan, Kaden, Kelly, Billy, Aunt Judy, Uncle Ron, and anyone else I am forgetting that was unfortunately unable to go with the change of plans.

 

Thanks to the three Rushing families, Mrs. Brooks, Tina, Jamie, and Jennifer for the fun day! Oh, and thanks to the lady that we stopped on the sidewalk to take our picture. She probably thought we were crazy for posing with a mechanical boat.

 

Oh, and a BIG thanks to Grandma, Mrs. Joyce, Aunt Joyce, Joyce or whatever else you refer to her as for the meal AND for sharing her and Mr. Butch’s anniversary with all of us!