Home Away From Home

I grew up in several different land-locked states and therefore, did not get to experience the beach until I was a Freshman in high school. After my first trip of soaking in the sand, sun and surf... I was hooked! I am a beach lover and I couldn't think of a better place to call, 'Home Away From Home.'

Any beach is fine with me, but I really enjoy visiting Garden City Beach, SC. This particular beach is very special to my husband and his family. Matt and I look forward to this beach trip every year, and this year was no exception.

Our days in SC went something like this: Wake up. Run on the beach. Breakfast. Beach. Lunch. Beach. Shower. Dinner. Relax, explore, have fun! Below are some pictures of our time spent, where else... the beach!

When cousins, Jack and Finn, were not using their inflatable raft in the ocean, Ava borrowed it and used it as a make-shift swimming pool.

Ava enjoyed collecting sea shells. Last year, we brought a few seashells home with us and I wrote '2010' on the inside of each one. I look forward to writing '2011' in the ones we collected this year, and adding them to Ava's collection. 

Ava found a new playmate... Her shadow.

Ava's favorite thing to do...

Whenever Ava got cranky, we'd put her in the wagon and take a stroll up and down the beach. Thank goodness for Radio Flyers! On another note... Check out Ava's hair! Ava definitely has my curls, and the salty, humid air just amplified them! 

Toward the end of the week, I discovered that Ava liked Boogie Boarding... Baby style. Thanks to cousin Adam, for letting me borrow your board and drag Ava up and down the beach. 

If you know Ava at all, then you know that she suffers from mild OCD when it comes to cleanliness. Here is a perfect example... Washing off each and every sea shell she found, making sure to remove every single grain of sand.

Once the shells were clean, it was time to eat! Have no fear... We didn't let her, but she tried!

More than anything, I enjoyed spending a week with my 2 favorite people. (Again, check out Ava's crazy hair!)

We spent 7 days on the beach. Ava wore a different bathing suit every day and she still had 2 left over at the end of the week. Hand-me-downs are a wonderful thing! Here are just a few of my favs.



You would think that after spending all day on the beach we would be too tired to have any more fun. Well, you'd be wrong. One particular evening, Erin busted out the face paint for the kiddos. Wanting to be creative himself, Jack decided to turn Matt into a pirate...

Complete with facial hair, eye patch and skull & crossbones (in the middle of Matt's forehead).

Ava got her first (of many) tastes of an Icee Pop....

...While sitting on the dock off the back of the beach house.

Poppy enjoyed having some snuggle time with his grand kids.

The kid table gets bigger every year.

Thursday night is our traditional, "Family Kingdom" night. Last year, Ava got to ride the carousel. This year, a few more rides were added to the list. First, Ava got to drive her very own sports car. She enjoyed it, and unfortunately, this was the only ride she enjoyed... Keep reading.

Next up? The swings. Ava loves swings! I thought she'd be in heaven. I apparently thought wrong. She eventually calmed down and quit screaming at the top of her lungs. 

Now, I know what you're thinking. Ava is not screaming/crying, so she must have enjoyed the carousel, right? Wrong! She was fine until the horse she was on started moving, and then she spent the rest of the ride trying to climb around my neck.

And last, but not least... the boats. Just look at her face. Is it cruel that Matt and I were silently laughing the whole time? Fortunately, Jack and Finn were able to comfort her and eventually Ava settled down. Sweet Jack... He even kept his arm around her back for the majority of the ride.

Words cannot express how much I love my family and how thankful I am that we were able to spend such an amazing week relaxing and recharging at the beach. Thank you, Lord, for your many blessings!