Our September Family Beach Trip.

Last week, I was lounging on the beach with my family. It was our last family get-away of 2012. We were blessed with beautiful weather, perfect for days spent digging in the sand and splashing in the ocean. We went without a plan. Instead, we followed the cues of Gracie and Ethan. When they needed to nap, we let them nap. When they were rested and ready for more excitement, we took them places and stayed busy. It seemed to be the way to go. We often push our kids to their limits on vacation, which results in cranky moments and frustrated parents. I loved the relaxed vibe to this vacation; we just did what we wanted, when we wanted. 

We were also vacationing with Sean's dad and step-mom. They seemed to enjoy chasing Ethan down the beach so Sean and I could sit and stare at the wonder that is the ocean. We even managed to fit in a date night at Liberty Steakhouse and Brewery while the kids hung out with their grandparents. One of the highlights for our family was visiting Ripley's Aquarium. We've been once before, but Gracie was only 18 months old.

(I do want to share some of our pictures, so I'm going to add them in a couple of posts. I honestly haven't even completely finished looking through the ones I took, but I don't want to get too far behind.)

Ethan really loved playing in the sand. He is great at entertaining himself at home (most days) and the same was true for our time on the beach. He just used our shovels and buckets to dig and play!



Gracie is a beach loving little girl! She had an absolute blast playing in the sand and the ocean. She loved sitting in the ocean and letting the waves push her around. Sean and Gracie also spent lots of time jumping waves a little farther out than I was willing to go. I remember doing the same with my daddy as a little girl, so I completely understand why that was so much fun for her. 

Little Brother, on the other hand, was not a fan of the water. At all. In fact, the picture of him below, where the waves are washing over his little feet, is the only picture I have of him in the ocean... and he started crying right after I took it.



I love this picture of my girl. It was a pleasure for me to watch her in these carefree moments. It was also precious watching Ethan take in this new experience. He wasn't walking during our May trip, so this was truly a whole new world for him!


Aquarium pictures to come!

Comments

  1. Platinum RoseSeptember 24, 2012 at 11:47 AM

    I am so glad you all were able to get in one last beach trip for the year! I love the photos, especially the last one of Gracie. Poor Ethan, afraid of that water! I bet next year, you won't be able to stop him from going in farther than you want him to!

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