Family Vacation at the Beach (post 2)

We are now back home and sand free.  Our Little Man did not appreciate the sand on the beach a whole lot and he would not have minded if we would have just pooled it every day.  But we decided to do both.  We started the afternoons with going out to the beach and enjoying the sunshine, sand and ocean waves.  Then after a few hours, we packed it up and went back to the pool at the beach house.  Both were fun but I did have to remind myself that the years go by so quickly.  Dragging out the beach chairs and the sand toys and the cooler and the water jug plus the little children ... it was work!  The sweat out, work out, it took to get on the beach and back again was not always an easy task!  I did say, "I thought we were on vacation?  This feels more like a work out!!!"  Because, after bringing all our beach things from the ocean and walking about two blocks, we then went up 48 steps to get into the beach condo, it was still fun!!!  Why?  Because we were doing it together as a family and making memories!!!

The one afternoon, we got creative and the boys made an alligator in the sand.

And this was a popular scene with these two kids.  Austin and Ashlyn didn't like their hands all sandy, so we filled up our small bucket with ocean salt water to wash them off.

Can you see it???  Alligator in the sand!!!

 Mike took each of the children out one on one during the week for a treat.  He took Hadassah out for a coffee.  And with Matthew they went for pancakes on their bikes.  He took Ashlyn to Candy Kitchen and she got to pick out some candies.  And for Austin, they went to Fractured Prune for some warm donuts.  The kids all loved this!!!  We had planned to go out with just Mike and I on Friday night but last minute decided to stick with the main reason for our vacation ... spending time together as a family.  So we all went out for dinner, one last time on our vacation.

Ashlyn was over the top thrilled about her candy selections and daddy time!!!

It rained one afternoon so we played games and then went to the muddy park in the evening.

 

 

 For dessert one night, we stopped by for frozen yogurt.  Fun fun!!!

After Mike went to the Fractured Prune, I decided to take the kids on Friday morning and pick some different flavors and then eat them back at the beach house.  They were hot and delicious!

We had a very sunny, warm day on Friday!  We hit the beach a bit earlier and hopped that these two would like it one more day!!!  They did just fine.  After I showed them how we used to do when I was a kid, it got fun!

My wish and command was to take a few pictures of the kids on the beach before heading back home.  We did this Thursday night.  Taking pictures of the kids is hard work because they whine and salk about having to do the photo session thing but really all they have to do is sit or stand in the sand and smile.  How hard can that be???

I love him so much!!!  XOXO!

The sun was still bright but believe me when I say that I couldn't be real picky and we took pictures before supper, so bright it is.  I love these children!!!

   
The whole week of family time and beach time and pool splashes, and even though it wasn't drama free, my heart is full and we had a wonderful vacation!!!

We are now back home.  Doing laundry and canning peaches.  It will be only a few days and school will begin!!!  For now, it's still summer vacation and we will enjoy it to the fullest while we got it!!

Two baskets of Loring Peaches!!!

PS.  I didn't have any special glasses to watch the eclipse today but the sun did darken and it was cool to be outside in the middle of day and having it feel like it was the break of dawn.  God is so awesome!