Family Beach Vacation 2016

Call us crazy. We took an almost 2 year old and a 2 month old on a 13 hour car ride to Florida. We drive at night so that they sleep for the majority of it---or at least thats the hope anyway. 

We left at 10pm Friday night in hopes we would get there about lunchtime the next day. We gave Holt some Benadryl to help him stay calm and hopefully sleep (don't knock it until you've tried it) and hit the road. Everyone did great until about midnight. We had to stop to use the bathroom and that woke Holt up. He was awake from midnight-4AM! Thanks a lot Benadryl. He did well for the most part but then he started getting SUPER cranky as he got more tired, but finally drifted back off to sleep. We had to stop and feed Evie about 3:30AM, again at 7 AM (thankfully we stopped for breakfast at a Chick-fil-A so Holt could run off some energy) and again at 10AM (Cracker Barrel this time) before making it into Seaside about 11:45AM. 

Mom, Dad, Hannah, and Kirby met us there about 1:00PM and we ate lunch at the Great Southern ( a MUST if you're ever down on 30A) before heading over to our condo. We got in around 3:30PM, unloaded and unpacked a little before getting ready and heading out to an early dinner. We were exhausted by this point and so ready for bed. 

The rest of the trip consisted of beach time (and pool time) during the day and heading out for dinner at night. Evie did great for the most part--she just slept out on the beach. And of course we kept her shaded and as cool as possible. I brought a portable, battery powered fan and some "cooling" towels that once wet, they cool your body temperature down. Holt had a FANTASTIC time! We just thought he loved the beach last year! He played in the sand and water with his toys and buckets and loved to chase the "duckies" (toddler code for sandpipers) and go for walks with his RoRo and his daddy. We also had an amazing shallow sand bar this year and he loved to go out there and be in the water. Speaking of the water, it was GORGEOUS this year--crystal clear, a great sandbar, and minimal waves. Perfect for young kids! 

A funny story for the week: Night ONE, I lost one of Holt's sandals. I knew it was in the condo somewhere, but absolutely could not find it. I brushed it off and figured I'd find it as I continued to unpack, but NOPE. Our kid went shoeless to every single restaurant throughout the week because I could not find his other sandal! I even went and bought a $25 pair of toddler flip flops (which KILLED me) but they ended up being a tad too small. Ugh! Anyway, long story short, we found it the day we packed up to come home. Good grief. 

All too soon, it was time to pack up and head back home. We slept a little this time, getting up at 3AM so I could feed Evie and then we ended up pulling out of the condo about 3:30AM. Since we drove more during the day this time, we had to stop more often so Evie could eat. It ended up taking us 18 HOURS to get home. Longest. Day. Ever. I was never so thankful to see my house! But, worth it for getting to spend a week on the beach. 

Here is more photos from our fun trip! You can view the entire album HERE

These two had a blast with RoRo and Melly

Sweet sandy-haired boy

sleeping beauty

Evie's first selfie with Aunt Hannah

Looking for "duckies" 

My world

L to R: Kirby and Hannah O'Meara, Mom and Dad, Me, Evie, D, and Holt

Snoozin' on the car ride home

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

Florida 2012

I NEVER tire of this view. EVER. The beach is unquestionably my favorite place on earth. Praise the Lord my parents take us every year. :) This year was our second time to go since we have been married and I'm not quite sure who was more excited about going--me or Daniel. We had such a wonderful time! Of course it went by WAY too fast---I feel like I blinked and the week was completely over! We got some much needed "recharging" time with mom and dad and Hannah, ate some great food, watched the Olympics while eating cake and ice cream (like every night), enjoyed the sand and the ocean, and OH YEAH...and we had a flat tire! Apparently, it's our goal to do something every year to make it more memorable---last year Daniel lost his wedding ring in the ocean (and by a miracle, found it) and this year we had to get a new tire. Lol. Things happen. All in all, it was an absolutely fantastic week and we can't wait til next year!

Here is some documentation of the memories we made :)

Our "first-vacation-since-being-married" Family Vacation

A couple of weeks ago we had our "first-family-vacay-since-being-married" vacation. We joined my mom, dad, sister, and her friend in Seagrove, FL for a week of fun and relaxation. [My family has taken an annual beach vacation since I was 2 and this was Daniel's first time to experience it]. We had a fantastic time! The weather there was absolutely perfect...sunny in the morning, short rain shower about lunch time, and then more sunshine for the afternoon. We did all sorts of fun things like suntanning, reading, sand sculpting, boogie-boarding, and even kayaking. We also ate at some great places for dinner-- stuffing our faces with fried seafood, grilled seafood, raw seafood...you name it, we probably ate it! It was a great time to be with family and take time out of our busy lives to rest and recharge. I miss it already!

"Go Hogs"... our Razorback sand sculpture. Not that we are proud to be Razorback fans or anything



Me and my handsome man before dinner one night





My beautiful family