Beach Week 2013

We enjoyed our week at the beach. It took Henry a few days to get into it but he warmed up after holding his little hand up at the ocean while yelling stop. Let's face it, vacations with kids are are not relaxing. Instead, it's a chance to spend lots of time with your family and make memories. We made lots of special memories and enjoyed being together very much.

Here's a quick recap for memories sake with lots of pictures.

Saturday: We drove to Jacksonville and spent the night to break up our trip a little. Evie and Henry are infatuated with hotels and it was a fun night.

Sunday: We drove to St. Augustine and walked around a bit. I was excited to tour the oldest schoolhouse in America. Last time, we just snapped a picture of it. We enjoyed a yummy lunch followed by a trip to the candy shop. It was a short jaunt to the beach from there. We were all excited to see the ocean and play in the sand.

Monday: We hung out on the beach. Evie loved building castles, islands and writing her name in the sand. Henry enjoyed eating way too many snacks and tried to stay faraway from the ocean. We went out to dinner at a restaurant on the beach. Henry was a tiny bit loud and I could tell the couple behind us was annoyed. It was a flip-flop kind of restaurant but we moved. The couple made it clear they were not too happy with us as they walked out the restaurant with some unfortunate word choices and gestures. It was really bad! Carl and I decided to skip restaurant eating although they caused way more of a scene than sweet Henry. 

Tuesday: More of the same - sand and sun! Evie turned 4.5 so I took her out for a sweet treat and to pick out a present while Henry napped. She was so excited to be 4.5! I was excited that she picked out a $4 jewelry box at a consignment store plus a $1 train for Henry. We headed back out on the beach and made dinner at our condo. 

Wednesday: Marineland was our morning activity. Both kids loved seeing the turtles and fish. We climbed up 204 steps to the top of a lighthouse. Evie was a trooper and made it all the way up the spiraling steps. It was worth the effort to see the beach from a new perspective. We dined with the birds for lunch. Henry loved that! It was an outdoor restaurant with pelicans coming in for occasional landings. The waitstaff pelted them with water guns to keep the birds from invading our space. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening at the beach. Henry decided that the beach was a blast and willing went into the water. He even encouraged Carl to take him further out into the water. Henry played in the sand and learned to wash his hands in the water. Carl and I were more than thrilled when Henry decided that he liked the beach.

Thursday: Our morning was spent on the beach. Everyone was in the groove and the kids played so well on the beach. We decided to try an early dinner and everyone did great. We came back for pictures on the beach and then an evening swim. Evie was so excited to use her new diving toys. 

Friday: Another day of fun in the sand. We broke out the boogie boards and got a little exercise in pulling the kids around in the waves. Henry and Evie would make great beach bums. It was a fun day! It's always sad to leave the beach.

Saturday: We left Ormond Beach and headed to Tybee Island to see Mary and Lucy. Evie was so excited when she found out the surprise. She loves her cousins and had a ball jumping off the dock, taking a boat ride and having a sleepover with Mary and Lucy. They take such good care of her that it is break for me. I wish they could move in to help me out on a daily basis. Kurt and Lollie picked up a delicious shrimp dinner and we had so much sitting outside enjoying dinner. What a fantastic way to end our trip!