Beach Time!

We had a wonderful vacation! It went so fast even after we decided to add two extra days to our stay. Tennessee is a LONG way from the beach so it seemed like a good idea to make it worth our while.

Friday: We headed to Atlanta around noon after spending way too much time packing the car. Our van was stuffed with clothes, beach stuff and baby necessities. We arrived in Atlanta around 6 so it took us about 5 hours with the time difference. That had us slightly worried about how the rest of the trip would play out since that first leg took so long. Our beautiful niece, Mary, made her First Communion and it was our honor to celebrate her special day. Evie had a ball seeing both her cousins and playing with all the kids. Dinner was delicious and we all enjoyed mini-cupcakes for dessert.

Saturday: Evie was so excited to be on the way to the beach. It took us forever to get to Charleston since we had to make so many stops. We stopped to feed Henry, eat Maurice's barbecue for lunch, pick up some boiled peanuts, eat some ice-cream with our cousins, and grocery shopped. It was so fun to meet Elissa and her kids for ice-cream. Tucker and Taylor are so cute! Carl lugged all of our stuff inside and we headed out to the beach. Evie was delighted and had a blast on the beach.

Sunday: Carl took Evie out for a bit while I enjoyed some peace and quiet. It was a nice day after the rain cleared but rainy days at the beach are nice too. We headed out to the beach and then everyone napped again. Evie was cranky so we opted to stay in for dinner. Carl prepared filet's and that was the perfect dinner for Mother's Day. Perfect because he did it all!

Monday: We headed out to the beach bright and early after Henry's short nap. Carl's parents joined us out on the beach when they arrived. Evie was so surprised to see them show up on the beach. Carl's friend, Ben, came out to have dinner with us since he is local. It was so good to see him! I went to bed early since Henry did not sleep well at all while we were at the beach.

Tuesday: Carl and his parents took Evie to the beach. Henry took a long nap that morning and I did too! Carl and his parents went to The Ocean Course to get shirts and enjoy a drink on the patio. I stayed back with the kids while they napped. Henry woke up and went on a bike ride with us while Evie slept. Carl and I went on a date while his parents babysat Evie. We had so much fun! It's always fun to go out to eat on vacation but not so much fun to take kids out to eat while on vacation.

Wednesday: Carl's parents left around 9:30. I took Evie to the pool before heading out to the beach with Henry. Evie slept forever that afternoon and I finally woke her after almost four hours. Something about the beach makes us all hungry and sleepy. We went out for a quick dinner at the market.

Thursday: Evie and I did a little shopping at Freshfield's Village. Note to self, everything costs more on vacation, take plenty of medicine for everyone. Evie and I checked out the Lilly store and sweet girl was throughly impressed with the huge selection of pink and green. She just could not decide what she wanted between shoes, dresses and tiny trinkets. We had to check out a shoe store because Evie LOVES shoes. Then, we perused the local toy store and had to make a speedy exit. I am pretty sure that we were not the first ones to have to leave quickly. YIKES! We took a family bike ride to Night Heron Park and Nature Center. Evie loved seeing the baby turtles and kept asking to see more "quariums." After naps, we went out to the beach then Carl picked up take out for dinner.

Friday: My parents arrived around lunchtime. They brought a highchair for Henry. I did not bring it and that was quite the experience trying to feed Henry without a highchair. Evie was thrilled to see her Ipop and Nana. They brought her some binoculars which she referred to as her "noculars" because she tends to dismiss the need for the first letter of so many words. Evie rested and Henry napped while my mom and I went to the beach. We came back to get the kids and take them out to the beach. It seemed like a great idea to go out to dinner but it was CRAZY. Evie was tired even though it was 5:15 and had lots of meltdowns. She HAS to have a nap! Dinner was delicious and the pictures make it appear like it was a fun night out on the town. Trust me, Carl and I lost a few years of our life with that experience but we did enjoy our night off Kitchen Duty.

Saturday: Carl and my mom took Evie to the beach while Henry napped. Then, we all spent some time on the beach. It was cloudy and a little chilly due to Alberto. Evie was not at all bothered by the change in weather. She even requested some pool time until she turned blue in the water. Carl and I had another date night while my parents kept Evie. Two dates in one week - WOW! That has not happened in a long time. Carl and I went to the Ryder Cup Bar and it was absolutely the most stunning view with an amazing sunset. It was the highlight of our week!

Sunday: Carl and I took Evie out on the beach while my parents stayed with Henry. It was a little chilly again until the sun came out but we were not about to miss a beach day. Henry came down with my parents after his nap and I took a few pictures of him in his Easter outfit. My parents left after lunch and both kids napped for a long time. Ben came out to see us again and I took Evie out to the beach for some pictures. Then, I treated my sweet girl to ice-cream at Beaches and Cream in The Sanncturary. She loved the fancy ice-cream shop and was a perfect shopping companion. Carl and Ben took Henry to pick up some dinner. Everyone went to bed early. Henry had a horrible night! I went in there at least 12 times before going to bed myself. He was just not a happy camper at all.

It was a fabulous week at the beach with lots of precious time together, a few nights with the grandparents, long bike rides, special moments with our kids and seeing Evie experience the wonder of the beach. That girl loves the beach. She would announce, "It's the beach, it's the beach." Every single time, as we arrived.

I mentioned last year that going to the beach with kids is not a vacation. Instead, it's called "taking your kids to the beach." It's not exactly relaxing but it sure is fun. Two kids at the beach is a lot of work between logistics, sleep schedules and safety. Henry is well past the age of being able to sleep anywhere so naptime had to happen in his crib but that's okay. Next year, it will be a whole new ball game. We are already looking forward to our next beach trip! There's nothing better than sand between your toes, waves crashing and seeing pure joy on the faces of your children.