There is nothing like setting up your fall decorations, and then going to the beach for vacation! We love going to the beach in the fall. The weather is much more tolerable than in the summer. Temperatures were around eighty degrees, the water was cooler, and you could sit on the beach and not melt! In the fall, the sun is not nearly as harsh as it is in the summer months. One still needs to wear sun screen, but you don’t run the risk of getting sun burned nearly as bad. This was Audrey’s second time going to the beach. She could almost sit up by herself, and so with a little propping up, we were able to get some really cute pictures of her! She did great at the beach, and loved the water! Out of all our kids, I believe Audrey loves the water the most at her age. She gets so excited anytime she is even near the water. I hope she continues to love the water. Who knows what her reaction will be the next time we go.

Our first full day at the beach was a Sunday. We decided to start the week off right by attending church on the island! We enjoyed the worship service there. The people were very friendly, and happy to have the kids. We felt very welcome. A kind soul took this picture of us! 🥰

The rest of the week was spent sleeping in, relaxing and playing on the beach, building sand castles, swimming in the pool, and eating really great seafood! Here is a photo dump! 🙂 The pool water was really too cold for us big kids, but the littles didn’t care! They jumped right in! Emma and Samuel especially love playing in the sand. I like building sandcastles with the kids. There is something about watching the sand mold into shapes that is therapeutic I think. Ha! David wanted to be buried in the sand and pretend he was a zombie coming up out of the ground. He loves this time of year, and everything about Halloween from his nine year old perspective. He likes ghosts and goblins, spider webs, and seeing all the decorations people put up in their yards. He convinced me to put those fake spider webs on some of our bushes and hand rails, and then he put his fake toy spiders on them. I must really love that kid!!

Every time we go to the beach I take all these pictures. Then I look back at the pictures we took on our previous beach trips, and I am amazed every time at how the kids have grown and changed whether it is just a few months or a year. It’s crazy how you can see them growing up! Emma for example, in the above pictures looks so grown up to me! I can see her changing so much!! BOOHOOHOO!!! Excuse me while I dry my eyes! 🙂

We did take the time to do a few activities off the beach. One day while we were waiting for one of our favorite lunch spots to open, we took the kids to the park. They played on the swings, and the slides. Andrew tested his rope climbing skills! It was a slick rope, but he almost made it to the top board anyway. It’s been tough getting back into his physical training since his foot surgery. There are still some complications there. Keep him in your prayers. He starts physical therapy on his foot next week. He should have already been doing the physical therapy… but that’s another story for another time. We took the kids to the aquarium. They always ask to go, and while it is a small aquarium, it is a very good aquarium. They have species of fish, turtles, and sea creatures that are native to the gulf and the surrounding area. They have a sting ray and shark petting tank, and a few other hands on stations as well. We always have a great time. Emma bought her a stuffed baby sea turtle at the gift shop. She loves that thing! We took the kids mini golfing too! I mention it because not only was it a lot of fun, but I believe I was the winner! 😉 It doesn’t happen too often, so it’s definitely worth mentioning at least!😊 We also enjoyed sitting and relaxing in our condo after everyone was worn out from the beach. It had a couple of really nice eating areas outside, and so we ate most of our meals outside.

We did sleep later than we usually do at the beach this time. I’m not complaining about that at all! We did go for an early morning walk though. While the sun was already up, it was still beautiful. I love making early walks at the beach! There is something so peaceful about it. The kids like it too. It’s a great time to discover what’s new on the beach that day. After our walk, we returned to the condo for breakfast. We generally just do a quick, small breakfast. However, the island has an amazing bakery, and we treated ourselves to some delicious pastries a couple mornings.

It’s no easy task getting all the kids to look at the camera. At least three of them were happy to cooperate. Audrey was too fascinated by the sand that day. It didn’t matter what I did, she was not looking at me. All she wanted to do was feel of the sand and taste it! 🙂

We made it home from our beach vacation, and this past week has been a very busy week. I wish I could go back to the beach! However, there is too much to get done. Emma’s birthday is next weekend, and Halloween festivities are a plenty! The kids are excited and ready for everything. I feel like I need to make out a written schedule to keep it all straight, and to make sure we have time and don’t forget to do certain things. In fact, I think I will do just that! Stay tuned!

Love,

PK