Myrtle Beach and Savannah Vacation!
We just came back from an extended vacation and it was both fabulous and exhausting!! I used to think of vacations as a time to relax. Since having a kid (and now adding another to the mix) I have learned that vacations are a change from the norm and a lot of fun, but are rarely actually relaxing. But, they are fun! So, as long as I don't expect them to be relaxing, I have a really good time! :)
I'll post some of my favorite pictures on this post, but if you have a desire to look at more, they are here (there are like a million, sorry!).
We had a 16 hour car ride (not including stops) to get to Myrtle Beach. Our goal was to make it 8-10 hours the first day. Isaac woke up earlier than normal that day to nurse and we ended up getting on the road at 5am! It was nice to get a few hours under our belts while the kids were still sleeping. We had told Kayla we would scoop her up in the middle of the night and put her in the car to go on vacation and she would get to sleep some more. When David went in her room that morning she told him, "Thank you so much for taking me on vacation!" The kids did amazing in the car. Isaac slept for more of the trip. He was never really awake for more than an hour before or after our stops, so that was really nice. When he was awake we had a tub of toys for him and I continually handed them to him and he would play with them and then drop them! Kayla got to help choose what toys she wanted to bring and we had a bunch of surprises for her also. She did amazingly well in the car. We listened to music (please, check that video link, it's hilarious!), we colored, we had tea parties, we played with stickers, and we talked. In fact, they did so well that we decided to go all the way to the Taylor's house in NC (a 13 hour drive plus stops). We made it there in 16 hours - we took 3 different 1 hour breaks. I had looked up playgrounds close to the highway and malls with play areas so we could stop and get some exercise. My research paid off as we were able to run around outside for awhile on the way down (and the way back too). We got into the Taylor's at 9pm, a very long day. Kayla was so happy to be out of the car and to see Pop-pop and Grandma. Isaac had a blow-out diaper about 20 mins away from their house, so we had to do laundry as soon as we walked in the door! We relaxed at their house the next morning after sleeping in, and drove the next 3-4 hours to Myrtle Beach that afternoon.
Our timeshare in Myrtle Beach was AMAZING. It was right on the water. Our room overlooked the pool area and the ocean right behind it. You could walk right from our door to the ocean (well, we were on the 7th floor). We hardly wore shoes while we were there! Kayla LOVES the water and had such a blast running around, playing with her sand toys and in the water. The weather was only in the 70's during the day, and it was cool in the mornings and evenings. But that did not deter her (or us) away at all! Somehow 70s meant that we could comfortably run around in our suits and be in the water! And there was always the hot tubs (the big bathtubs as Kayla calls them) to warm us up. Kayla can tolerate a variety of temperatures. She likes her baths very hot, she likes to drink hot water out of the sink, and she can stand to be wearing very little clothing when it's cold. So it's no surprise that she adores hot tubs and no surprise that she could run around in a suit when I was wearing a sweatshirt!
We spent the next 3 days relaxing on the beach, in the pools, in the lazy river and in the hot tub. We walked along the beach to eat dinner 2 nights and bought stuff to eat picnic lunches during the day. The kids both crashed at nights and by the end of the day we were quite exhausted too! Our place had 2 bedrooms so Kayla had her own room and we had the master suite. It was really an awesome set-up!
We also went to a huge shopping area where we played on a playground, got fudge and went mini-golfing. Kayla did ok there. She played the first several holes and then was more interested in the decorations. There was a dragon and a volcano that spit out fire. At first she couldn't get enough of the fire. Then she was suddenly scared of the fire. So... that's what you get with a toddler I guess!
On Wednesday we checked out in the morning but stayed a played until after lunch. Then we made the 4+ hour drive to Savannah! Again, the kids did really well. They had both just fallen asleep and David and I wanted to stop at Bojangles to get a biscuit and sweet tea. Rather than stopping and possibly waking them up, I ran in and David drove in circles around the store - making about 15 loops before I came out again!
Thursday we went to Tybee Island with Laura and explored the Lighthouse and museum. Then we ate lunch and walked on the pier and then hit the beach.
My parents arrived on Thursday. They decided to come to the wedding both to see Steph and to help us out with taking care of the kids. Since David, Kayla and I were all in the wedding, it was nice to have someone designated to take care of Isaac and also help out with Kayla.
Thursday night everyone went out to a restaurant where we had some fabulous seafood. There was live (loud) music that Kayla loved to dance to!
Friday was a fun day for everyone. The guys went and played golf together. The girls went and had our nails done complete with champagne and strawberries. Then we headed to a luncheon with delicious food! Both David and I were very thankful my parents were able to watch the kids while we did these things because there was no way that we could have done that with them. They took the kids back to the beach and had a great time!
Friday evening was the rehearsal. Kayla was very excited to walk down the aisle during the first practice round, but the photographer (apparently) scared her and she refused to walk down during the 2nd practice round. Steph and I came up with a plan that instead of Kayla walking by herself that I would swap spots walking down the aisle and would go last with Kayla. I thought that was a good idea because I was very afraid that she wasn't going to walk at all!
After the rehearsal my parents took the kids again and we went to the rehearsal dinner. We went to the Pink House and the atmosphere and food was amazing! I had possibly the best dessert I've ever had, a Praline Almond basket. Nick's parents hired a singer who serenaded Nick and Steph a few love songs. It was such a joy to see them together - and we are thrilled to officially welcome Nick to the family!
Saturday was another fun filled day. The girls all had their hair done in the Carriage House (which Kayla nicknames her castle!). One of the bridesmaids, Kristen, who I designated the name "Super-bridesmaid" did a few of us girls make-up and also did Kayla's hair. The guys were off to lunch and getting ready, so it was another day that was really nice to have my parents help with the kids so we could really enjoy doing wedding stuff and not be worried about watching them. Kayla was rather wound up and was a little out of control (shocking, I know!). She eventually calmed down enough to let Kristen do her hair while snuggling in Grandma Slighter's lap. Before you knew it we were getting into our dresses and headed into the limo! Kayla LOVED the limo ride. She thought it was really fun that she could move around and not be trapped by a car seat! I was still really nervous that she wouldn’t walk down the aisle and was trying to keep her as calm as possible. The girls all took pictures at the church. Kayla was in them for awhile and then was crabby. Thankfully my mom took her and sat quietly with her and calmed her down again!
We bribed Kayla with just about everything you can think of (candy, a movie on her green phone, toys, etc) to get her to go down the aisle. She and I walked hand-in-hand for a little bit and then I encouraged her to throw some flowers. It felt like we were inching down the aisle and she kept nuzzling more and more into my side, it was quite adorable. When she hit 3 rows to the front she sprinted into David's arms for a hug (um, and candy!). Then she sat with my mom. Steph was an amazingly beautiful bride and it was so fun to watch her walk down with dad. The ceremony was beautiful and before you knew it we were taking more pictures afterwards! (sadly, I have no pictures of the wedding, since we were all in the wedding and each of my parents had a child!)
The whole bridal party got to ride in the limo on the way to the reception. Kayla loved having both mom and dad in the fancy car!
The reception was really fun. It was great to see family and friends and talk with people and just enjoy things. Isaac had fun with my dad chasing Kayla around and they both got tuckered out and took a little nap!
Sunday there was a brunch at the house. We started to try to pack everything up, which was disbursed throughout the large house! It was a bit of a nightmare getting everything together, packed, down the stairs and into the car! We started heading back around 3pm. It was so hard to say goodbye. It's always hard to say goodbye when we leave family, but this time we were leaving both sides and I cried (as usual).
We had SUCH an amazing vacation. Both Myrtle Beach and Savannah were beautiful places to visit, the weather was incredible, and I love our family of 4, and love all of our extended family, so it was fun to spend time together.
The drive home was another 16 hours (without stops). We did about 6 hours the first day, leaving 10 for the last day. David took off the day after we got home too, since we got home last the night before. That allowed us to unpack the car, start laundry and do some grocery shopping! It was a nice relaxing way to end the vacation.
I could do without all of the driving, but honestly the kids did fabulous, all things considered. The actual vacation was so fun and we all have good memories. Kayla keeps asking when we can go on vacation again!
Congratulations Steph and Nick - we are so happy for you guys! Thanks for asking us to be a part of your wedding and sharing in your joy. We love you.