the beach... part 1

the beach.  my mother-in-law was itching to go to the beach.  so she took us...

i had very good intentions to take a picture with my real camera of both kids by this sign...

we went to seaside.  which -- i must tell you -- is very lovely.  and for a family vacation, i truly can not think of a better place.  the town is tiny.  the food is yummy.  and there isn't anything you want to shield your children from.... you know, like drunk beachy people, scary bathing suits, cheesy tourist traps, etc.  this place is sort of a beach utopia.

my husband said it was like central market decided to start a town...

and well, with that you can use your imagination on the stereo types... and it's probably true.  things seemed fresh.  organic.  pretty.  and pricy.  but i will hold firm to my belief that it is a great beach town to take a family vacation.

this is the "busy" part of the beach.  and those chairs were ours one day.  really, i think it was the best time i've ever had at the beach... and with the exception of our last day, the entire time we were there we were jelly fish free... 

september is a great time to go to the beach.  it was still warm every day.  but not crowded.  at all.  granted, they didn't have things like the movie night and the concert night... but i feel like no crowds is better than organized activities.  so skip a week of preschool and go to florida! 

anywho.  i didn't really photograph the trip very well.  i never even took my nice camera to the beach, because i wanted to enjoy the beach without the paranoia of ruining my camera.  because that could happen.  and my husband sort of hates "photo ops."  so these photos are a combo of our cell phones and my husband's waterproof pentax... and a few from my cannon.

this is how we roll... savannah in the car seat/stroller combo...  does toddler travel make y'all feel like pack mules, too?

but let me back up...  we left on a sunday.  and i definitely needed a vacation because of the beating of vacation preparation.  frenzied packing.  but i promise, i am not trying to be ungrateful... it's just that i start feeling like my mind is going to explode.  too. many. details.   and really, this was an easy trip.  no layovers.  warm weather clothes.  not international.  i clearly just need to get my act together, right? :)  also, no preplanned itinerary.  and compared to disney, where i had actual minutes of the day orchestrated.  {as in, 8:55, be here.  9:10, be somewhere else.  psycho!} 

anyway, our flight got in that afternoon and after eating some seafood we checked out the beach before we checked into the house.

my fearless daughter couldn't get enough of the waves.  she totally dove in... wet sundress, diaper, hair.  laughing the entire time.

holy cow.

i prayed that night that she wouldn't drown.  y'all just don't realize how gung ho she was.  wave hit her face... she laughed.  i. am. serious. 

the next day {and for the rest of the week} she was SO TIMID.  didn't want to go in the water.  wanted to be held near the water.  screamed when you put her down.  she did manage to enjoy the sand quite a bit.

i was so thankful.  soooooo thankful.

and i must go attend to a cranky, teething baby... part 2 soon!
xoxo, s