Beach Extravaganza 2014!

Nadi Family photo!

Every year Amy helps put on a big wine tasting charity gala with a silent auction for Camp Horizon, an amazing effort she is involved with that sends kids in foster care to summer camp. Omar and I go every year, and this year we won a week trip to Hilton Head Island, which we decided to split with the Rossi family.  So Memorial Day weekend we packed up pretty much everything we owned and headed out to the coast.

Thanks Amy!

The condo was a bit small (2 bedrooms for 2 families) so we had our concerns since we had bid on it sight-unseen. But it turned out to be great.  The closets were big enough to put the pack-n-plays in them for the babies and there was plenty of room in the bedrooms for the bigger kids.  EJ actually slept on our floor, which I was worried about, but it was such a novelty for her that it worked great. 

Our beautiful view, accompanied by 4pm daiquiris

The complex was perfect: right on the beach, two large pools, and across the street from a ton of shops and dining.  The weather was perfect: beautiful blue skies every day, warm enough without being brutally hot. And the company was perfect: EJ and the Rossi boys play so well together, and we love spending time with Amy & James.

These two kind souls made our week even better!

What made it even more perfect is that our favorite babysitters, the Seever's, decided to come along for their own vacation and babysit a few nights while we were there: AMAZING! Highly reecomended! As all you parents know, when you travel with kids, it is not really a vacation. It is just a trip. Where you have the grind of normal life, just with different scenery. Being able to have a break and get some adult time a few times made the entire trip much more enjoyable and truly a vacation, and we are so grateful to Ken & Sharon for tagging along.

Date Night! Nice to have some adult time.

The kids loved the beach and had so much fun buliding sandcastles, exploring tidal pools, flying kites, and jumping waves.

Everyone had so much fun at the beach!

Beach baby!

Flying kites!

Building castles!

She loves the beach (and eating sand)
just like her sister did

Beach babies!

My little marine biologist discovered a
starfish in the tidal pool

A rare moment of relaxation

They had an equally great time in the pool, where EJ quickly lost any self-restraint (not that she had much to begin with) and spent her afternoons leaping from the walls and being thrown from the shoulders of her daddy.

This is what pure JOY looks like

I couldn't get my little fish out of the water.

Pizza party by the pool

This is what 6 straight hours at the pool looks like

We also spent a magical afternoon on a real pirate ship, where the kids got to dress up, walk the plank, hunt for booty, and fend off boarding marauders.

Tiny Pirates

Fending off the marauders with water cannnons

Got in lots of great time with my girls, including early morning beach walks, playing in the spraygrounds just down the street, and making all kinds of fun new memories!

Sunrise beach walk

Me and my shadow

Sprayground!

Sweet girl!

Omar with his crew of tiny pirates

What trip to the beach is complete without
ice cream???

The week was a huge success and I really hope we get a chance to go back again next year, especially since the babies will be older and able to participate and enjoy it more.

The ocean makes the best white noise

The babies spent a lot of time doing this

 I am also pleased to report that Amy became an official Old Lady like me while we were there, so of course we celebrated.  Happy Birthday, old friend!

Old Lady Rossi