We did it! We took our first vacation as a family of seven . . . to the BEACH! We took reinforcements with us of course. Even we're not crazy enough to try to take 5 kids under the age of four to the ocean with only two adults, but we are crazy enough to do it if there are 5 adults (one per kid, you can't go wrong). So, a quick thank you to Granna, Poppo and Aunt Kiki for making this vacation possible for us and for letting us crash what could have been a relaxing few days for you guys if we had stayed behind. We had a great time and we were so grateful for the opportunity to get away!It was a short trip, but I think it was the perfect length with all the little people along for the ride. On Friday, we put our kids in the car for the 6 hours to Granna and Poppo's. Then we loaded up again on Saturday for almost 9 hours to the Texas Coast! And yes, we were all still sane at the end of the day. We had two vehicles and swapped out who was in the car with the kids (though they did pretty well all things considered and on the way back, they were angels!)
We got to Corpus Christi Saturday night and checked into our hotel, then walked to a restaurant for dinner (it was the first time we have tried to take “the bus” into a restaurant and it kind of made us even more of a spectacle than we usually are). After dinner, Jackson and Poppo went swimming while we let babies play for a little while and then to bed. We spent Sunday (which happened to be our 7th anniversary) sight seeing in Corpus. Poppo, Daddy and Jackson went to the U.S.S. Lexington and then met the rest of us at the Texas State Aquarium to marvel over the dolphins, laugh at the otters and stare opened mouthed at the sharks. This was the first time we have gone, on a weekend, to a major public attraction with the babies in “the bus”. I have to admit that I felt a little like one of the attractions. Lots of pointing and staring and whispering as we walked by. And if I had collected a dollar for every time someone made the comment, “wow, you really have your hands full,” I could have paid for our admission into the aquarium. We did hear one woman say that she thought it would be easier to have four at once. Hmmmm. I will say though, that there was one lady at the aquarium with 4 kids that were almost stair-stepped and I thought she had it a little rougher than I did. Four of my five were securely strapped into a stroller, her four were all having to be corralled and she was definitely getting a work out doing it! We’ll have our turn with that, but for now, I’m enjoying the stroller years!
The babies were mesmerized by the aquatic displays. Brooklyn especially, could not take her eyes off of the sea creatures. Jackson had a pretty good time too. Though I think he was more excited about the giant military boat than the sea creatures. He talked a lot about the airplanes on the boat and the guns that didn’t work any more because there wasn’t a battle to fight, “but if there was a war, we would fix those guns and fight ‘em!” I think a good time was had by all. . . except that it was HOT!!
U.S.S. Lexington
Daddy and Jackson practicing their firing skills
Poppo and JacksonWhen we finished sight seeing we piled back in the car for the short trip to Port Aransas where we spent the rest of our time in a condo right on the beach (my favorite place to be in the whole world is on the beach). We got to cross over to Port Aransas on a ferry, I think a first for us all and I thought it was kind of fun! By the time we got settled in and did some grocery shopping, the day was pretty much gone, but Jackson did manage to sneak in a quick trip to get his first ever view of a beach. I think it was Aunt Kiki and maybe Poppo that took him on a quick walk to the beach. He immediately wanted to start building sand castles and had to be talked into waiting until the next day. The first night we picked up family style grilled shrimp and Snapper from Fins Restaurant and Bar. I highly recommend this place if anyone is planning a trip to Port Aransas. The Snapper especially was fantastic and so were the hush puppies and usually I don’t like hush puppies! Clint and I did sneak in a quick trip for milk shakes and a moonlight walk on the beach by ourselves since it was our anniversary.
Monday kicked off our two days of beach bliss after our pirate adventure of course. That’s right, we went on a dolphin watching tour and we were attacked by pirates! After cruising in some of the coastal waters, watching the wild dolphins swim around us, a pirate ship attacked our boat with huge water guns, but thanks to the water gun slinging skills of Jackson and the other children aboard, we were able to fend them off and make them surrender! Following the harrowing pirate battle, we got to see and touch some wild life from the ocean. The first mate of our ship threw out the shrimp nets and caught some small wildlife for everyone to see. He threw back anything that might bite, pinch or cut us, but the rest he put in a tank with water and we were able to hold some of them. Very cool! Jackson warmed up to this after a few minutes and touched a few after Clint and I picked them up for him.
Granna, Jackson and Kynlee ready to set sail
Fighting off the pirates
Puffer Fish
Holding the stingrayWhen we made port, Clint and I headed down to the beach with Jackson and the sand toys and Granna and Poppo followed shortly behind us. Aunt Kiki stayed behind with napping babies because she and the sun don’t get along too well for extended periods, so she read a book for a little while in the safety of the condo.
Jackson immediately wanted to get to work on a sand castle, but I talked him into a quick dip in the ocean first. Once he got in, he didn’t want to get out. I will selfishly admit that I am glad that Jackson and I got in together without anyone else for the first time because it is a moment that I will treasure forever! I cannot even begin to express the joy I felt watching him experience for the first time, something that I love so much and have so many fond memories of doing myself. There is nothing greater on this earth than getting to re-experience something through the eyes of your child. To see again the pure and unadulterated excitement, the pleasure of being able to do something fun and different, the discovery of something that is truly joyful! Jackson took to it immediately. He was running into the waves, racing them to the shore, he was laughing when they hit him, he was giggling when they knocked him over . . . and without even being told to do it, he said, “Momma, let’s jump when the water comes!” and just like that, we were jumping the waves together for the first time, something I remember my mom showing me how to do as a little girl. I would have to tell him when to jump, but he was a pro in no time. I was worried that after a few mouthfuls of ocean water, with eyes stinging, he would decide enough was enough . . . but it was NEVER enough. He loved EVERY minute and when he did get knocked down, he would just get back up and say, “I’m okay.” He was really a little too brave for my liking at times, so I just stayed close. I think if anyone had been looking at my face in those first few moments they might have thought I was crazy. I couldn’t wipe the huge, joy-filled grin off my face. It was one of those moments that you just want to imprint permanently on your brain!
Jackson and Mommy: first moments in the ocean
Jackson and Daddy
Fun in the sun with Aunt Kiki
Coming down to the beach for the first time in "the bus" with Poppo (Gage had managed to make a slightly earlier appearance than everyone else, so he was already enjoying the sand and the surf during this picture
Brooklyn liked it okay. She thought it was fun to splash in the water at the shore, but when she got knocked over, she did not appreciate it! She did like crawling around in the sand and she was a sand eater! She doesn’t love the beach yet, but she definitely seemed to like it overall.
Broolyn in the ocean
Gage loved it (the first day, the second day he was cranky). He splashed in the surf and tried to chase the water as it came into shore (this was sooo funny). He was chasing a volleyball through the water, pushing it forward, then chasing it again. He loved crawling around in the sand . . . really, I think he had almost as much fun as Jackson, he just doesn’t have the stamina to have fun all day yet.
Gage chasing the volleyball through the water. This was a favorite game of his!
Gage doing his signature excited arm flail on the beach
Westin . . well, he could have done without the ocean. He was just kind of generally irritated that we were subjecting him to it, but once we put him under the canopy to play, it didn’t take him long to go exploring through the sand. He loved crawling on the beach and finding things that he didn’t need to put in his mouth!
Kynlee and Westin (in "the bus")
Kynlee will be a sunbather (Aunt Kiki had already predicted this and I believe she is right). She did actually come home with a tan and honestly I didn’t think I would ever have a child capable of getting a tan. She wanted NOTHING to do with the ocean and would cling to anyone holding her in the water. Like everyone else, she did enjoy crawling around in the sand and like Brooklyn, she was a sand eater, but I think she would have been happy to do without the whole experience!
KynleeAll the babies kept trying to eat shells that Jackson and Granna had collected. You had to watch them like a hawk. They were all a lot more brave about going off to explore than I thought they would be. They like to stay close at home, but put them in wide open space and they are off!
Besides playing in the waves, we built sand castles, played volleyball in the ocean (no real game, just messing around with the ball), played Bocce ball, found small mussels and watched them bury themselves back in the sand, took walks and generally had a good time.
I got to read “The Help” which I have been wanting to read for a while (it annoyed some people how I could tune everyone out and get lost in the book, but I enjoyed it). Clint got burned to a crisp the first day, so his second day was a little less enjoyable, but overall, I’d say he had a good time too. We ate seafood, enjoyed some good drinks and generally relaxed! Couldn’t ask for more!
On Wednesday, it was time to head back to Granna and Poppo’s, but vacation wasn’t quite over. Clint and I got to spend Thursday night at a hotel ALL BY OURSELVES after having dinner and playing a little pool and shuffle board. It was a belated anniversary date and it was great. Thanks Granna, Poppo and Kiki once again. We needed a little child free time!
The vacation week was brought to a close with a short firework Friday night over Lake Grapevine. I missed fourth of July fireworks this year and was so sad, but this made up for it and was the perfect end to a great week. Now we’re back home and back to our usual routine. Actually, while vacation was fun, it’s time get everything back to normal! Sorry for the super long post, but lots that I don’t want to forget from our first family vacation and first trip to the beach with the kiddos. Looking forward to many more in the years to come!
We wore ourselves out! (Gage and Kynlee)
Clint and Jackson
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