Six months ago when we stayed in Pensacola, Florida, we had planned a trip to the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in Fort Walton Beach. However, when we arrived, we learned that a baby dolphin had just been born that day, so the place was closed as everyone was taking care of the newborn.
Now, six months have passed and we decided to visit the Gulfarium again, while staying in Destin for your “destination birthday party” for your 5th birthday.
It was a short drive in the 2015 Lexus GX from our resort. The first thing you did was buy some souvenirs with some of your birthday money.
You loved being able to see all the marine animals, right there on the Gulf Coast. But by far, the highlight of our visit was when you got to pet and feed the dolphins; for something called Discover Dolphins.
I was particularly impressed by the way the staff handled the situation: After having already paid the extra $22 for you to be able to go out to the tank to pet and feed the dolphins with a few other children, you became afraid to go out there so close to the water.
Mommy and I were unable to give you enough of a pep talk to convince you otherwise.
However, the dolphin trainer took notice that you had stayed behind instead of going out to the dock with the other kids. After she had already let the other kids pet and feed the dolphins, she came back especially for you.
She recognized that at the minimum age requirement for the event, which is 5 years old, you needed some extra attention to gain the confidence to out to the water.
Had it not been for her being gently proactive on her end, you would have missed out on such a magical opportunity.
Being able to pet and feed the dolphin is definitely one of your favorite memories from our trip to Destin for your birthday; and that’s saying a lot, because our family did a lot of cool things during our stay!
It was such a “once in a lifetime experience”. It’s not something kids get to do on a regular basis.
I totally recommend the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park to all families vacationing in anywhere in the stretch between Destin and Pensacola.
It was a very exciting family experience. Granted, I would recommend budgeting the extra money for the Dolphin Encounter. It’s completely worth it.
Last weekend our family stayed at a condo rental called Barefoot by the Sea, which is part of the Amalfi Coast Resort on Miramar Beach. We had such a great time that I felt it was worth sharing with anyone out there who is considering staying in the Destin, Florida area.
We chose to stay there as part of our son’s “destination birthday party” for his 5th birthday. Things were made extra special when I learned we would be able to drive a 2015 Lexus GX 460 there and back, from our home near Nashville, Tennessee. (That’s a perk of being a blogger!)
Because rentals in Amalfi Coast Resorts not directly on the beach, but instead, just across the street from it, prices are more affordable than most Destin resorts we looked into.
However, we still had a great ocean view from the kitchen and living room; as well as the deck, where we could enjoy the fresh beach at any time.
Additionally, the place contains 2 full bathrooms, as well as a master bedroom and a set of bunk beds in the hall, where our son slept. It was his first time to get to sleep in a bunk bed.
We had plenty of room. We are already trying to figure out when we can go back and stay there again. The place was perfect for our family’s needs.
Though we never took advantage of it, we also had access to the 2 swimming pools on the property.
Instead, we spent much of our time at the private beach, which was just right across the street. We had access to a gazebo which grants access to the beach.
It was very private. I think we were the only ones on that private beach each time we were out there.
Not to mention, it’s location within Destin itself was a good central location to plenty of restaurants, grocery stores, as well as fun family activities, like the Gulfarium and the dolphin cruise; both of which we participated in.
In closing, please check out the casual video tour I made using my Samsung Galaxy S4:
I totally recommend this place. In fact, please feel free to ask me any questions you may have about it.
Here on Family Friendly Daddy Blog, you’ve probably noticed that for the past 2 weeks, I’ve done a post featuring a video which spotlights the Philips Norelco Shaver 9700.
First, the shaver showed up in the 2nd webisode of my superhero series, Jack-Man, as Jack-Man’s secret weapon to defeat the evil and stoic Bath-Man. That’s when my customized theme song for the 9700 was introduced:
“In your face!
9700
In your face!
You’ll be glad you found it
It cleans itself like a smart razor should
The percentage display shows the charge is still good
In your face!”
Then last week I debuted my unboxing of the Philips Norelco 9700, again featuring my theme song:
So this week, leading up to Father’s Day, I now share my review of the product; now that I’ve had a few weeks to really try it out.
My favorite part about the 9700 is how easily I can switch from the shaver heard to trimmer, and back; it just simply snaps off; using the SmartClick system. So perfect.
On any other electric razor I’ve owned, I always had to depend on that flimsy, awkward trimmer on the side of the shaver that would always fold in when I used it.
Not with the 9700; so easily I can switch back and forth.
I also love how the display screen shows you exactly what percentage charge remains. That’s awesome!
The last major thing I want to point out about the 9700 is how light it is. It’s the lightest I’ve ever had.
Beyond this, the 9700 also comes complete with its own self-cleaning station as well. And you can shave either wet or dry.
If you’re considering a very special Father’s Day gift, this could be the one.
I hope you’d enjoyed my review and my videos to go along with it. Thanks for reading and thanks for watching.
I would have to say that one of the most influential, relevant, and touching songs I have ever known is Hillsong United’s “Oceans” from their 2013 Zion album.
So when I was asked if I would like to receive an advance copy of the Australian worship group’s newest album, Empires, to review, it was an easy decision for me.
Empires, (which was released today on May 26, 2015), has been playing in my car for more than a solid week now. My process of reviewing it has been to refrain from paying attention to which individual track I was listening to; instead, only investigating the song after it really stood out to me as the album played as a whole.
I love this album.
It’s the kind of album that just flows in a cerebral experience, like ColdPlay’s Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends; as if there were not 12 individual songs, but instead a never-ending trip to a different, higher place. I would almost refer to it as an out of body experience.
Though I absolutely am obsessed with the the entire album, my favorite songs from Empires are the 6th and 7th tracks: “When I Lost My Heart to You (Hallelujah)”, a seemingly romantic song (which it is not, actually) that reminds me of the 1970’s Peter Gabriel era of the progressive rock group Genesis; and “Even When It Hurts (Praise Song)”, a track which might actually deem too honest and real for some members of an American audience.
Here’s an excerpt from the “When I Lost My Heart to You (Hallelujah)”:
Love laid its breath against my chest
My skin was thick but You breathed down all my walls
Love like the fire steals the cold
The ice wore thin as Your light tore through my door
You have my heart
As for “Even When It Hurts (Praise Song)”, I predict the honesty of the raw lyrics will distract some listeners from hearing the true meaning:
Even when the fight seems lost I’ll praise You
Even when it hurts like hell I’ll praise You
Even when it makes no sense to sing
Louder then I’ll sing Your praise
Here in America, we think nothing of the word “bloody” as an adjective, as we reference what we think as a thoughtless British adjective. However, I hear it serves as profanity in England.
I think it’s a similar case with the American use of “hell.” Unless someone is literally referring to hell in a Biblical manner, many Americans deem it as profanity; though that doesn’t quite seem the case overseas.
Either way, it’s safe to say that “hurts like hell” isn’t something I’d let my 4 and a half year-old go around saying. After all, with this being Family Friendly Daddy Blog, part of what I do is screen for potential offensive content.
However, the Bible itself isn’t rated G or even PG; and neither is real life. And this album isn’t targeted for children. It’s for people who are seeking God, from a place of humility, desperation, and honesty.
Despite it being a “worship album,” it’s not “churchy”. It’s real.
So if you’re able to get past the culture shock of that phrase and try to understand the possible place in life that the songwriter Joel Houston was referring to, it can be a deep and meaningful way to illustrate from what depths of despair (hell) we can “choose joy” by deciding to praise God in the most unthinkable times.
I think that “Even When It Hurts (Praise Song)” may even contain the ability to unintentionally expose how easy it is to praise God in a church setting but not when you or someone who know is actually going through “hell on Earth”.
From divorce, to loss of a steady job, to experiencing a miscarriage, these are times when it’s not so practical to want to praise God.
As the song says, “when it hurts like hell… when it makes no sense, I’ll praise You.”
And that goes back to the track before it, “When I Lost My Heart to You (Hallelujah)”: “You have my heart.”
If Christ truly has our hearts, we will grasp on to straws to keep our faith in Him, if that’s what it takes; not just in the midst of a worship service at church… but when life is too real, when it seems the furthest from Heaven… “when it hurts like hell.”
That’s why this album is personally challenging for me. Beyond its well-produced, well-polished “spa rock” sound, it’s definitely the most brutally honest worship album I’ve ever been exposed to.
Thanks for reading my review today. I hope you found it helpful.
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Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”
I love being on the Warner Bros. distribution list for upcoming children’s movies, which I suppose I landed on because of my apparently good SEO here on Family Friendly Daddy Blog.
So I jumped like a lemur at the chance to review the Blu-Ray Combo Pack of IMAX Island of Lemurs Madagascar, which includes the Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital version of the movie in Digital HD with UltraViolet. This is the first time I’ve had the chance to review an IMAX feature.
I love IMAX! When I think of IMAX, I always know it’s going to be about something compelling and larger than life.
(Back in 2nd grade, in 1988, I remember my Cub Scout troop saw an IMAX movie about space shuttles. I remember how I began coughing as I truly believed the heavy smoke from the launch was blowing through the screen.)
This wildlife documentary (which is narrated by Morgan Freeman) takes place in the island country of Madagascar, which I didn’t realize until I watched it that it’s the only place in the world where lemurs exist. That is because no lemur has ever survived in captivity off the island of Madagascar.
Actually, my family learned a lot of interesting things about lemurs. For example, it’s the females that are in charge, which is not what Iwould expect for primates.
There are many types of lemurs; the smallest kind being the pygmy mouse lemur, which is the smallest primate in the world. However, up until a couple of hundred years ago, there was a type of lemur the size of a guerilla, but it was hunted to extinction.
I imagine it would be difficult for a person not to be equally entertained and fascinated with this film, as my family certain was.
The Blu-Ray and Digital HD includes a bonus 3D version; as well as Making of Island of Lemurs: Behind the Scenes, The Cutest Lemur, and Go-Kart Racers.
This Blu-Ray Combo Pack of IMAX Island of Lemurs Madagascar will arrive on March 31st, 2015.
I really enjoyed sitting down with my family to watch it. I know my son did as well- it kept him from having to take his Saturday afternoon nap!
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