Family Vacation

After months of anticipation...off to the beach! Along with my parents and my sister's family, we headed towards the beach at the exact same time as Hurricane Hanna. Yippee! Good thing it wasn't that big of a storm. There was a tad bit of flooding and electrical issues at the place we stayed, but it was basically fixed by the time we got there. The beach, however, was in need of repair. Large sections of the beach were closed off while they surveyed, measured the depth of the sand, and pumped sand from the ocean onto the beach with large pipes. It was quite an operation. But they worked very fast and we were able to enjoy the beach for several days.


This contraption seemed to be from the War of the Worlds. The body of the machine was at the top, several stories high and then branched out to three legs on wheels. It would roll out into the ocean depths, measure and survey, then roll back up and move down the beach...very slowly. The machines on the boats were drilling and pumping the sand on land.




The tractors were there to smooth out the sand and create a new beach.








Along with beach access, we were able to enjoy a pool, jacuzzi, lazy river, fountains and sprinklers. Here, E is running through the sprinklers that shot out of the ground.They also had hanging buckets that dumped water on those below. E was a little nervous around those.






Lovin' the jacuzzi, or should I say "the bathtub". E and her cousin realized very quickly how things worked. The sprinklers and jacuzzi worked on a timer. So every 15 minutes they would stop whatever they're doing to go push the buttons in order for everything to start up again. If they were in the jacuzzi, the pool, or eating snacks...those buttons had to be pushed.





This was probably E's favorite attraction...the water fountain. She loves water, being in control, and pretending to shower. With all the fun water choices surrounding her, E spent a great deal of her time here. She's very imaginative and she was having a fabulous time.






The lazy river was the favorite by all. We had a lot of fun jumping in, exercising by going against the current, having races, or doing exactly what it was meant for...sitting in a tube and relaxing while the current takes you around. And even though we had a rainy day, we still played in the lazy river because it was oh so fun and so stinkin' warm.





It was exciting to have W in the water for the first time. He fit perfectly in the center of our tube. He was a little nervous, but liked splashing in the pool. He's a big kicker, so I had to hold his feet and bum so he wouldn't kick himself out of the tube.






This is where the boys were most of the time while outdoors. We got this awesome SPF50 tent to take to the beach and pool area for the boys. What a lifesaver!







We tried a new sunscreen with E. What a mistake. She has such sensitive skin and as a result, her face broke out in a rash covering her entire face. It didn't bother her, nor did it last long.







Whenever we hauled ALL of our stuff out to the beach...chairs, tent, toys, cooler, diaper bag, snacks, towels, two toddlers and three infants...the adults just wanted to sit down, relax and enjoy the beach. Suure! We probably never stayed more than an hour and within that hour things were on the verge of chaos...mass hysteria.

Here's an example of some of the relaxing fun.



Here, E has been pleasantly playing in the sand for the past few minutes. She was unaware that during that time Daddy decided to hit the ocean.








Suddenly, a chill in the air. E looked up to see Daddy in the ocean.









Nooooo! Why? Enter mass hysteria.









Come back! High pitch scream. Alligator tears. Add a few claps for more drama. Cue stares from strangers and casual glances within 100 yards.








Tries to comfort herself. As much as I try to soothe her and reassure her that Daddy will be right back, she was not satisfied. She wanted to be in the ocean with Daddy.

So, we flag him down and wave him back to the beach. E goes into the ocean with Daddy.




Cue hysteria.

They didn't last more than 2 minutes. So, they came ashore and we packed up our stuff. This was not a good day at the beach. Plan B.






Back to the water fountain.









Let's end the day with some lazy river fun.









A little change of pace. We decided to pack up the crew and explore the aquarium. Neat to admire the sea life, but I soon had chest pains after paying for the admission. Holy cow, that was expensive! Then came the back pain from carrying W for several hours. Since our van was packed solid for the week, there was no way we could bring our stroller. So A and I Bjorned the babies. Uhg! By the end, we were all tired and hungry.




Rare family shot.
Big O is already asleep and W is workin' up some drool!








We made it! A family outing! Hooray! We decided to leave before the meltdowns got out of control.








This was a good day at the beach. We have smiles for everyone!









Or rather, squints for everyone.









And more squints.









Daddy rode the waves.









E gave sand back to the ocean.









The boys were asleep.









E had a grand ol' time.









Fun until E realized she was hungry. And with everything we brought to the beach, I forgot to pack a snack this time. Cue mass hyteria?








Nope! Cousin M to the rescue! He gladly shared his Cheerios.









It was a good day at the beach. We had a fun week. We were relaxed and all the kids had a blast. The beach was nice, but the pool area was a lifesaver for the kids. Maybe in a few years we can waste away on the shore, soak up some sun, look for shells, read a good book, or actually spend a decent amount of time in the ocean. But for now, we're going to enjoy our little ones and the life we have at this moment. It's great. And in a few years when we're reading our book on the beach while our kids are jumping the ocean waves, we'll look back and miss these days, our little ones, and all the craziness.
Thanks to the family for a wonderful week! Love You!