Vacation!

We just got back from our week long vacation at Sullivan's Island with our dear friends, the Crawford Family.  It was fantastic.  Kate is at the perfect age for frolicking in the sand and water and I loved having so much time with her (this past week was the most time we've had together since my maternity leave and I soaked up every minute with my sweet girl).  It's crazy to think this was our last family vacation as a family of three, and there were many times this week when Matt and I would comment that next summer and beyond there would be a little BABY BOY chasing after these adorable girls.

Even before we had kids, we figured out that going on vacation with friends makes it more fun.  Chances are higher that someone else might want to do the same thing as you.  For example, the ladies can go off to get pedicures and pampering while the guys can kayak in a flooded street (yes, both events happened on our first full day there).  However, now that there are kiddos in the mix, having your friends with you on vacation is even more brilliant because it divides some of the parenting responsibility and allows the glorious option for adult only dinner dates with your spouse. We even hired a babysitter one night so that the four of us could go out to a nice dinner without the girls.

Ellie, Kate, and Caroline may all be different ages and at very different stages but they played together great all week long.  Of course we frequently used the phrases "SHARE!" and "wait your turn" and "don't touch her!"... but overall it was the sweetest thing watching their friendships form and knowing that they would grow up together making memories like the ones this week.  We ate delicious food, played lots of board games and cards once the kids were asleep, took naps, bike rides, and splashed in the waves.  Here are some of the highlights in pictures of our wonderful vacation, with another post probably coming later once I get a few more shots from Laura:

Taco Boy!  Kate and Caroline wait for the tasty feast to arrive.

Caroline's first official dip in the Atlantic, don't let the hesitant face fool you, she was a beach bum by day 2

Ellie and Kate like to spend their vacation catching up on some reading

One rainy Sunday, the street flooded and the boys tested out the kayak.  Boys will be boys?

We rode our bikes around the island several mornings, it was the perfect way to explore

Expert sand destroyers

Kate and Caroline enjoy a morning at the park

It's vacation... which means it's perfectly acceptable to splurge on an early morning trip to the local donut shop

Enjoying iced coffees, donuts, and pleasant morning temperatures at Joey Bag of Donuts

Story time- a frequent occurrence at the house 

More story time

Early morning bike ride to the cafe on the island for pastries and coffee

Kate and Caroline- best pals in the double stroller on the pier while Ellie pushes them along

A failed attempt at a group picture of the girls 

Ellie rides a dolphin, we saw some real dolphins at the beach too!

Naked time!

This girl could not get enough of the ocean, she LOVED it

Our little beach bum

Right before we hit the road and said goodbye to our lovely beach house

I thought taking a toddler to the beach would be exhausting, but thanks to several nights out, daily napping while the girls were taking their afternoon naps, and casual island life... the trip was very relaxing for me too!  Stay tuned for more beach week shots to come later this week!