Silent Sunday - Beach Days

The Beach, Part Two

Lots of pictures left to post. Monday was Labor Day and we could tell. There were people everywhere. We didn't get to take our traditional family picture under the beach gazebo until Tuesday. Just because there were so many people coming and going. Monday we just hung close to the condo. Hung at the pool and just relaxed. The night before, we watched our traditional movie, Courageous. Hubby and I had gone to the movie theater to see it a bunch of years ago. It was such a good movie with such a great message. Our first year at the condo we let the kids watch it. Now it is a tradition.

Monday night the we were all super excited to watch our first Harry Potter movie. They loved it. I fell asleep. During my favorite part too. Well, one of my favorite parts in the book anyway and I really had wanted to see how they did it in the movie. Oh well. I guess I was tired!

Loved seeing daddy and EG holding hands walking down the beach. She love, loves her daddy. 

EG had to have a picture with her toes in the sand.

While we were walking on the beach, a young couple caught our attention and had to show us this crab. Boop chased it all around getting it's picture. EG and I think we found it's hole/home in the middle of the beach. He is kinda cute!

EG loved the water. We would walk ahead and I would turn around and she would be running and playing in the waves. And, of course, the sunsets on most nights was spectacular. Sunsets at the beach never get old. . 

The Beach

It has been almost a week since we got back from our much anticipated beach trip. Going to the beach is such, such a blessing for all of us! We know it isn't real life. We know it is a place for us to just unwind and relax and regroup. 

The week before, the kids ask if we can do this certain thing or that certain thing. Our response is "no." Not that we won't probably do much of what they ask, but we go with no plan whatsoever and no demands on our time. If we want to shop, we shop. If we want to fish, we fish. 

We spend most of our time going from pool, to hot tub, to beach. Repeat. It is just so good for our souls.

The view off our back porch. Pool and hot tub directly to the left. Beach directly across the street.

EG became an official swimmer on this trip. She was more than able to keep up with the big kids.

Once again, the majority of the week we were the only ones at the pool. Which worked for me because I didn't have to keep reminding them to be mindful of others. One particular day the kids, I felt, were being a little loud and disagreeable with each other. I said to myself "Geez, they are with each other all the time. Why all the fuss?" The next day I struck up a conversation with an grandmother type lady who was staying in the condo next to us. She, of course, asked about the kids and the whole school thing because it was the week after Labor Day. I explained we homeschooled and we go on vacation when everyone else goes back to school. She immediately said "I knew something was different. Your kids are quiet and so well behaved." I had to laugh inside because of my thoughts just the night before. The kids really were well behaved!

My people on the beach. The views the first night were spectacular. It was sooo good to be back and feel the sand in our toes. Our goal was to walk the beach every morning and every evening. That did not totally happen.

There was rain on the horizon the first night. LM was able to take a picture of the beautiful rainbow over the water and sand. So, so pretty.

The condo we stay in is super small. One bathroom for the six of us so it really can test our patience at times. Especially when you have to pee! But, the kids do their part to be considerate and somewhat thoughtful. I think because they enjoy our downtown just as much as we do . . . 

Last Beach Day

We have been back and into the swing of things for quite a few days so my memory of the details is kind of fading.  All I know is, these pictures are from our last day at the beach on Friday.  Because of the Labor Day Weekend we didn't even go near the beach.  Also, I think it was the first Saturday of college football.  So we swam a little and watch a lot of football.

It was super windy and overcast.  Although the storms never came ashore.  At least not by us.  Boop and daddy had a great time trying to fish with the crazy waves.  At one point they were so strong, they knocked daddy over.  Needless to say I had my eyes on them the whole time!

We packed up Sunday and I would like to say I was ready to come home but that wouldn't be exactly truthful.  I hope we will have the opportunity, again, next year.  In the meantime I will look at the pictures and smile . . . 

More About My Happy Place

I think Wednesday started out with an early beach trip to surf fish.  The kids and daddy had big fun playing in the water!  We had a couple sets of flippers and snorkels and the kids loved following all the sea life in the water and waves.  It seems like we had more time for fishing because of the beautiful weather.

Wednesday was also the day that daddy took Boop to a military plane museum.  They had gone the year before and Boop begged to be taken back. He LOVES planes!  So, the girls opted out of the trip because they wanted to shop.  Thankfully daddy was able to drop us of and we were close enough to the shops that we could walk back to the condo.  This picture is of the big girls way ahead of me and EG.

EG was not as thrilled with our shopping experience and then having to walk home.  But she was a trooper and was pacified with the fact that she could swim until the boys got home.  Wednesday was also the night that daddy treated us to Outback (we had a gift card from Christmas.)  It had been a long time that the little guys had eaten at a restaurant like that.  They wanted to know what was rolled up in cloth on the tables.  We had to tell them it was their silverware!

Wednesday was a good day filled with all kinds of activity.  More pictures to come . . . 

The Perfect Vacation

I love to travel.  I love to see new places.  I love to go to places I have never been.  I love to go to places that I have been before.

But, as far as vacations go, this absolutely ranks up there!  We went from the beach to the pool to the beach to the pool to the hot tub.  And got up and did it all over again the next day and the next day and the next day.  Well, you get the picture.

It took me a day to get the hang of it.  I can feel guilty about doing nothing.  But, by day two I was in the zone! We got up in the morning and drank coffee and ate breakfast on the porch watching the joggers go by.  We would walk on the beach and come back and swim.  We would eat lunch and swim some more and then go back to the beach either in the afternoon or at sunset.

We did some shopping at Bass Pro, of course, and the outlet mall.  We ate ice cream and walked along the harbor which was a big time tourist trap!  We went to a movie, to a couple local air museums on military bases and one night went fishing.  We played games and watched movies.  But, we mostly swam and walked the beach.  We swam and sat in the hot tub in the rain.  (It wasn't thundering or lightening.) I read a whole book!  We ate a lot it seems.

The kids were fabulous!!  I was a little nervous all six of us in such a tiny place.  But, they really did awesome.  They worked out sleeping arrangements on their own.  (EG and NG in the fold out bed.  LM on the top bunk and Boop on the bottom.)  They did things like take out garbage and sweep with out any complaining.  We had to keep things pretty neat because their just wasn't room for a mess!

They played games with each other in and out of the pool.  They took turns teaching EG how to swim.

I don't have a bunch of pictures because my battery on my camera was low and I didn't bring the charger.  But, I have a few to commemorate the vacation.  We are going to try to take advantage of this awesome opportunity again.

What a great way to start our school year . . .

Front of the condo.

The beach access across the street.

The first night we were there the waves were about 6 feet!  It was crazy to watch them roll in.

Gorgeous sunset.

My beautiful family on the beautiful beach.

The moon!

Nature is so awesome!

The view from our patio.

The pool right to the side of our patio.

Silly morning girl!

Bathing beauties.

Still crazy waves for a few days.

Gotta love her just doing her own thing.

Finding sand fleas.

Sun and sand and siblings.

Naval Air Museum on a rainy day.  Such a great place.  Boop is over the moon about military planes now.

My angels getting their pictures taken in Blue Angels.

Daddy in all his glory.  Big guns!

There I am in the corner of the picture.

Our complete vacation with a trip to Bass Pro.

Daddy teaching Little Mama to fish.  She said it was her favorite part.  No fish caught though.

Everyone got a chance to fish but my camera died.