Bakewell Beach Trip 2017

Mondays always get a bad rap, but is there a worse Monday than the one after vacation? Gosh it was hard to power through the work day and not think about all the fun we were having this time last week! On Saturday, we returned from a whole seven days at the beach. It is always a week we look forward to because of the uninterrupted time with family and the break from the usual hustle and bustle. Boomer and I love the easy routine of meals, beach time, porch sitting, and walks on the beach. Even as I am writing this post, I am looking forward to next year but also thankful for the memories we have from this year's trip. 

We left last Saturday, the 21st, just after 8:30AM, hoping to time our trip around Em's morning nap. She slept for a little bit and was such a great traveler during the 3 1/2 hour car ride. We made a detour through Wilmington to see Uncle Kyle. He has been living in Wilmington for almost 2 years, and we had not yet seen his new house! We also grabbed lunch with him, and it was a good way to break up the drive. I couldn't resist snapping a quick picture of the two brothers and Emmy -- there is no denying they are related!

We were back on the road just after 2:30PM, and our arrival to Ocean Isle Beach was perfectly timed with the 4PM check-in time for the house. Mom, Dad, and the Houston clan had arrived just before we did. This was our first year going to Ocean Isle. In the past, we have stayed in North Myrtle Beach at a family friend's house called Monkey Business. There was the possibility that the house would be sold by summer, so we had to find another option for 2017. My dad did a lot of research and found a great house with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, plus a loft with extra sleeping space, just one block off from the ocean within short walking distance to the public beach access. And the kicker: it was called Mema's Place, the nickname that Boomer calls my mom, knowing that she much prefers "Grammy"! From the name and also from some of the things in the house, it is obvious that the owners enjoy having guests with children. There was a high chair, a pack-n-play, toys, books, and other children's items, which was very nice for our family with three little ones. In comparison to North Myrtle, Ocean Isle has more of a family feel and is less commercialized. There are a few restaurants and ice cream shops, but mostly the island is made up of single-family rentals. While there were certain things we missed about Monkey Business, we all were very happy with the location and the new house. 

On Saturday, after settling in and bringing everything in from the cars, we made our first trip out to the ocean. We didn't put our suits on, but we enjoyed walking in the sand in our barefeet. Zander and Maddox splashed a little bit in the water, and only the promise of pizza lured them away from the beach and back to the house. The first day ended with Domino's Pizza (our traditional first-night meal) and then a trip to the grocery store. Meg, Mom, and I had quite a long list of things to buy for the week, but with the divide-and-conquer approach, we knocked it out pretty quickly. 

The rest of the week followed with six full days of sun, sand, and seafood. With three kiddos under 5, we had pretty early mornings, usually getting up around 6AM or 6:30AM. In rounds, the Houstons and then the Kennedys would get in some exercise, while Grammy and Grandpa watched the grandchildren. It was a treat to go for a run with Boomer; I don't think we had done that since before becoming parents! Then we would have breakfast: eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles, sausage, or one of Mom's casseroles - yum! Since Em is still taking two naps each day, she would go down for her morning nap around 8:30AM. A few mornings, I got in some extra exercise with a 2-mile walk with Mom. Wow, it's amazing how much you can do when you get up early! While we waited on Em to wake up, my dad would go out early with the Houstons to set-up our base camp for the day. We would follow shortly afterward, usually around 11AM after putting on our suits and lathering with sunscreen. We discovered last year that the inflatable baby pool was a hit for Maddox at that age, so again this year, we brought down the pool each day. Zander was such a big helper filling it with water for his "baby cousin Emerson." One day, we attempted to skip the morning nap, and while I loved the cuddles when Em feel asleep on me, we decided it would probably be best to stick to the 2-nap routine. Em's second nap would be around 1:30PM, so it really only allowed a couple of hours on the beach. While that is certainly shorter than my beach time in past years, I enjoyed spending the afternoon back at the house. It was relaxing to sit on the porch and even take a nap myself! 

Three of the nights we ate in, with each couple taking a turn to make dinner. Then the three other nights, we went out to eat: Inlet View Restaurant, Dockside in Calabash, and Twin Lakes in Sunset Beach. I loved the dinners we ate out, but I equally enjoyed the nights we stayed in. We usually had dinner around 5PM, so that all the kiddos could be in bed close to their normal bedtimes. One night after the kids were asleep, Grammy and Grandpa babysat so that Meg, Zack, Boomer, and I could go out for a bit. We went to an arcade and did a couples challenge of skee ball, pool, and air hockey. (FYI, Team Kennedy won!) Then we walked on the pier and had ice cream. On a different night, Boomer and I went for an evening walk on the beach and got ice cream (again!) Bedtime for the adults was around 10PM. The days passed by so quickly; I'm glad to have the pictures to remember it all! 

 

When the week was over on Saturday, we made our way back west with one important pit-stop. We stopped by the peach stand that Boomer used to work at when he was in college. It has been a tradition each year, and there's really no better medicine for the vacation blues than ice cream! Boomer got his usual peach ice cream, and I got the nanner pudding. Even Em got a small taste of each! On Sunday night, we ate dinner outside on our back patio, and like ice cream, it helped to drag out the feeling of vacation. Boomer knows sweet treats and eating outside are two things that I love! 

Here are a few pictures from over the years, all from the same dock in Calabash. It was a special trip this year as we added a very adorable little girl to our family!