Monday, July 27, 2015

Holt's First Beach Trip

My family has vacationed in the panhandle of Florida every summer since I was two. We originally started in Destin, but after about 12 years or so, tourism had boomed and it was WAY crowded. My parents decided to move down the beach about 20 miles east to the quaint little town of Seagrove on Highway 30A and we have been going there ever since.

All of us look forward to this time every year---we seriously start counting down the days in January. It was really special once I got married and I got to bring a boy with me, but this year was equally special because it was the first time my child got to experience the ocean. I cried watching him--his huge grin, squeals of delight, splashing in the water, walking in the sand. I will never forget it.

love at first sight

that belly though

loving the water

Let me start from the beginning of the trip…..

We left Friday night at midnight and it was a 12 hour drive. How did we manage having an 11 month old in the carseat that long? One word-----BENADRYL. Don't judge until you've tried it and know how magical it is. Holt slept all night while driving and then the next morning after breakfast when he was awake for a little while, he just sat back there contentedly (which he never does at home). He did awesome! 

We arrived about 12:30 or 1:00PM Saturday afternoon and stopped in Seaside to stretch our legs and eat some lunch. Holt loved walking around the amphitheater and watching all the other kids. 

Holt and RoRo 






We got into our condo about 2:00PM or so and Holt saw the ocean for the first time from our balcony.



We immediately unpacked and got our suits on to head down to the beach. It was a magical moment to watch my son experience the feel of sand and saltwater for the first time. 


The water was absolutely beautiful--crystal clear and perfectly shallow for a toddler. He had the time of his life. The rest of our week consisted of beach time (and nap time) during the day and going out to eat at night. I had to let go of our schedule a bit and just kind of adapt to vacation time, but Holt did beautifully. He played so hard that he napped well during the day and slept well at night. 

precious sleeping baby


All too soon, it was time to head back home. My mom, Daniel, Holt and I left Friday night around 11PM (again with Benadryl) and got into Conway about 10:30AM Saturday morning. We had a 2-hour layover there for lunch, and just to have a break from driving, before hitting the road for the last 2-hour leg home. The not-so-fun part was arriving home to our A/C being out (and it's 100 degrees outside---no bueno), but thankfully we were able to get it fixed within a few hours and the house slowly started cooling off (thanks Mike and Denise!!). 

I'll leave you with a few other photos from vacation, and you can view the whole album HERE

I'm not sure who had more fun ;)

beach BABE

family selfie

my favorites

L to R: Kirby and Hannah O'Meara, Missy and Roe Henderson, Holt Lowery, me and D

sunsets are prettier at the beach

baby cheeks (saving this for his future wedding slideshow)

magical week with my boys




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