Girls' Trip to St. Lucia

Or perhaps another title for this blog post... "the trip that left the group chat!" I still have to pinch myself that I got to take a vacation to a dream tropical location with all of my best friends. Over a year ago, we started the conversation about a 40th birthday trip to mark the start of a new decade. Little by little, we narrowed down the dates and the destination, picked out our resort, and booked our flights. For some, it also meant renewing passports, asking off work, securing childcare, and buying travel essentials (for example, adapters for the British outlets!) With all of these tasks complete, we finally departed last Thursday, June 18th. Six of us flew together from Charlotte, with Casey meeting us there on her way from Atlanta. The resort we chose was called Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, and it was a convenient five-minute drive from the Hewanorra International Airport. By 4PM, we were checked in and already enjoying our first drinks. After months of planning and hundreds of text messages, the group chat had become a reality, and the seven Garland Girls were in St. Lucia!  

Our trip was planned for Thursday, June 18th through Tuesday, June 23rd. When we woke up on Friday morning, we had no set agenda except for dinner reservations later than evening. We started our day with breakfast at the main dining room, which included several self-serve stations and also made-to-order items, like omelets (my favorite!) After breakfast, we were in our suits and poolside by 11AM. That day, there just so happened to be an afternoon foam party, and although at first we watched from the side, we eventually joined in. You're never too old to join in for a foam party! 

While we spent Friday, Sunday, and Monday at the resort, we ventured out into St. Lucia on Saturday for a pre-booked excursion through Edmund Tours. We were picked up from the resort around 9AM and returned around 3:30PM. The 'land and sea' tour began with a drive along a mountainous coastal road through banana plantations and fishing villages. We stopped at a scenic overlook which offered a beautiful view of the Pitons, the famous St. Lucian cliffs that rise out of the water and are depicted on their flag. We then took a boat to Sugar Beach for some snorkeling and leisure time. Once back to the dock, we had lunch in a local restaurant in Soufriere Bay, before continuing on our journey to the Toraille Waterfall. Our last stop was the Sulphur Springs for a mud bath in the sediment of the nearby inactive volcano. Snorkeling was probably my favorite activity of the day - but the mud bath provided some very funny photos! 

 

For the days we were at the resort, there was a simple rhythm of eating, sunning, and lounging. After the first morning, we discovered a different breakfast option called The Veranda, where I had the most delicious French Toast Breakfast Croissant Sandwich (for three straight days in a row!) Lunch was usually picked up from Flip Flops or the Jerk Tree House. And of course there were the yummy drinks. While most of the girls loved the Dirty Banana, I discovered the combination of a Strawberry Daiquiri blended with a banana, which tasted just like a smoothie. And sorta healthy, right?? Ha! In addition to several pools and hot tubs, the resort also had a lazy river and two water slides, which we were brave enough to try just once. In the evenings, we changed out of our bathing suits and cleaned up for dinner. On Friday night, we ate at Calabash, which had a Caribbean menu of local staples, like flavorful chicken, plaintains, and rice. I had the Surf & Turf with a New York strip and coconut shrimp. On Sunday night, we ate at the Asian-inspired restaurant called Silk, where I got sushi and spring rolls for my appetizer, with a Thai noodle entree. For our final night, we ate at Trattoria for Italian fare. This restaurant was semi-enclosed, with open walls to the sounds of the ocean and the breeze. I had the grilled chicken and shrimp over a tomato-based pasta covered in Alfredo, and for dessert, a lemon ricotta cheesecake that was to-die-for. The food and drinks were definitely a highlight of the trip. After dinner, there was entertainment around the resort: a fire show, karaoke, a piano lounge, and a large TV area that was broadcasting the World Cup. The resort definitely surpassed our expectations with the food and amenities. 

On Tuesday, it was with sad hearts that we said 'goodbye' to St. Lucia and slowly said 'goodbye' to each other as we departed one-by-one to make our way home on various stages of the journey. Before we separated, we secured our dates for next summer's beach trip and also talked about maybe not waiting until 50 for another big vacation. Perhaps 45? ;)

While I was gone, things in Kernersville continued on with the usual docket of sports camps, ballgames, and birthday parties. Boomer did an awesome job as the solo parent for six days. Father's Day happened to fall during our trip, and rather than getting a break from being a Dad, Boomer assumed full responsibility. It's no surprise that he rocked it out and continues to be the 'fun parent.' He took Emmy and Eli to the Forbush basketball camp on Thursday and Friday and even fit in a Dash game on Thursday evening. Over the weekend, the 7U District 2 All-Star Tournament took place in Clemmons at Southwest Little League, and Eli's Walkertown team played one game on Friday evening and two games on Saturday. They went 1-2 and unfortunately did not advance to the championship bracket on Sunday. I tried to stay in the loop on the games while in St. Lucia, and several of the other moms sent videos and photos, which I much appreciated. After the weekend, my parents chipped in to help when Boomer was at work on Monday and Tuesday. They shuttled Emmy to her basketball camp in Winston, and Grammy even did a pool day in the afternoon. Now that I am back in Kernersville and have resumed my mom duties, I am thankful for the time away and for the wonderful blessing of being home. While it's not sitting on a tropical island sipping fruity drinks, my regular, everyday life is pretty amazing too! 

Emmy's Junior Retreat

Emmy just returned from her very first overnight church camp! When we signed her up for our church's Junior Retreat, I knew it would be a big 'first' for all of us. While we have certainly spent nights apart with our various travels and trips, it was a new thing for Emmy to be completely on her own without family. But we knew she would be in great hands with our children's pastor Mr. Tim and the rest of the TBC counselors. The Junior Retreat is specifically for 3rd and 4th Graders, and they left on Monday morning and returned on Wednesday afternoon. They stayed at the Blowing Rock Convention Center, and Emmy enjoyed all the activities of creek wading, the duck race, play time, their skits, the ice cream sundaes, and the time in the room with her friends Maddie, Addie, and Adeline. I'm so thrilled that she enjoyed her time at camp and that she is growing closer to Jesus while developing friendships at church. The pictures tell the story - she definitely had a lot of fun! 

I can't say that Eli missed his sister too much. He quite liked directing our itinerary and enjoying the 'only child' status for three days. On Monday, he accompanied me to the grocery store and even brought along his wallet to do some shopping of his own. After much deliberation, he decided on a Hot Wheels loop track and walked proudly out of the store with his purchase. Then we met up at the pool with Aunt Megan and Zander, who were also down to only one child with Maddox on the Junior Retreat too. After the pool, we stopped for an icee at Sheetz, which was a perfect treat for a hot day. Later that evening, the 7U All-star team had a scrimmage in Winston at South Little League. The boys are preparing for their upcoming tournament this weekend. On Tuesday, we went to Science Center, and Eli was enthusiastic and cooperative for photos - "Take a picture of me on this!"  Today, we spent the morning at Triad Park, and we explored the walking trail with the fishing pond. After a picnic lunch and some time on the playground, we headed back to the church to pick up Emmy. While it is special to have the one-on-one time with each child, we were missing Sissy - all feels right in the Kennedy household with her back home again.  

Summer is my favorite!

This past week of summer was the perfect mix of activities. We returned to some of our favorite places and visited some new places too. Earlier in the week, the kids and I went to Reynolda, where we enjoyed walking down to the waterfall and then of course getting fresh doughnuts from Dough Joe's. On Tuesday, we went to the downtown public library and the nearby Dinosaur Washington Park. Midweek, we did a pool day with the Houstons and Williamses. Pool days now last almost five hours and can fill the whole afternoon between lunch and dinner. It's funny how the rhythm of the summers have changed over the years, depending on the kids' ages. Gone are the days of rushing home by 1PM to put babies down for their naps. While some days (okay...most days!) my body still would like an afternoon rest, we usually go hard until sundown, when we all collapse from a day well spent. 

 

This week saw us accomplishing several of our summer to-do list items. On Thursday, Megan and I took the four cousins to Great Wolf Lodge. The kids received free passes from a fundraiser at school, so we planned a day to use the passes when the Dads would be at work. After an essential stop for coffee, we were on the road by 8:30AM. Our planning was perfect; we arrived to GWL just before 10AM when the water park opened. We did it all: the slides, the wave pool, the outdoor pool, water basketball. Although the park stayed open until 8PM, we were changing into dry clothes just before 7PM, which meant we still enjoyed 9 hours of water park fun. After a dinner stop on the way home, we returned to Kernersville around 9:15PM. It was a full day, and the cousins sure had a blast! (And the moms too!)

On our Friday with Daddy, we checked off another summer to-do list item: Bethabara Park. Emmy went to Bethabara during a recent field trip with school, and she was excited to be our tour guide. We walked around the original settlement, the gardens, and to the cemetary called "God's Acre." There was an informational demonstration on colonial medicine, and it was interesting to learn about the early uses of plants and herbs. After Bethabara, we went to lunch at The Daily Basket in Germanton, which was another to-do list item. We were on a roll! A mix between a general store and a sandwich shop, the Daily Basket had indoor and outdoor seating and a delicious menu, perfect for a summer lunch. We enjoyed our meal and then purchased some candy by the pound. We love our Fridays with Daddy!

This weekend saw us back at the ballfield for the conclusion of the 8U All-Star Tournament. The team played their fourth pool play game at 11AM on Saturday, and after that game, with a 4-0 record, they secured the second overall seed (out of 13 teams!) Eight teams moved forward to the bracket play, and our Walkertown boys immediately played again in a nail biter that ended in a 6-5 victory. In the last inning, Rowan had the bases loaded and only one out. Coach Boomer called a well-timed meeting at the mound, and the Walkertown infield excecuted the two final outs to secure the win. Four teams advanced to today's semi-finals, and our Walkertown boys faced a tough team from East Chatham. Although it was a pretty ugly loss, we are so proud of the team for making it so far. It was exciting to play on the final day of the tournament, especially as the host site. The boys were 5-1 over the two weekends, and in addition to the baseball, we enjoyed the time with family and friends...not to mention, the sweet treats at the ballpark! The good news is: Eli's baseball isn't over quite yet. He will be playing next weekend in the 7U All-Star Tournament hosted at Southwest Little League in Clemmons. The boy loves baseball and will be ready to take the field again on Friday!