Thursday, July 3, 2008

Back From The Beach

We just got back from a LONG stretch at the beach. It was not the normal beach vacation! We were supposed to stay from June 21-27 in my grandparents' condo, but it flooded from the condo above us. SO- we stayed with industrial fans and a giant dehumidifier in the middle of the condo for the first week. NOT FUN, and NOT conducive to sleep for a one year old! It wasn't that much of a vacation when we were spending a lot of the day waiting for workmen to arrive, or calling insurance agencies to make sure they would cover the damage. Also, Brandon was supposed to have plenty of study time, but the work inside the condo cut a good chunk of that out.
We would take Kate out first thing in the morning, come in for a nap, go out again after lunch, come in for a nap, and then go out to dinner. We were still able to enjoy the beach and pool and some delicious food, but the sleeping arrangements were not ideal! Originally, Brandon and I stayed in the master bedroom with Kate's pack-n-play in the closet (not as scary as it sounds), and my mom stayed in the other bedroom. BUT- the flood poured water through the ceilings of the master bedroom and bathroom and we couldn't stay in there anymore. My mom offered her room to us and she took the fold out couch bed (also NOT comfortable). Even if it the beds had been comfortable, you still had to listen to machines going all night and the temperature was upper 70s from all of the machine motors going!
My grandparents have another condo in the same building that was rented until Friday, so after it opened up, my mom and dad headed that way for some peace and quiet! My dad was only there for a few days, so he and my mom spent the weekend staying there while we went to visit Brandon's grandparents in Geneva for the weekend. Brandon and my dad left on Sunday, but Mom, Kate and I stuck around for a little relaxation until yesterday. All in all, we really did enjoy ourselves, and I was very thankful for the time we had there! With Brandon's schedule, we have no idea when we will have another family vacation. I loved him being there to play in the sand with Kate (I don't love the sand) and he sat up in the condo studying while I was able to lay by the pool and read!
Oh yeah- another highlight- the Children's Place Outlet had an AMAZING sale and I went nuts over the $1.99 rack. Kate got several pairs of pajamas and some sweaters and pants for the winter. I got Blake some pajamas, pants, shirts, sweaters, booties, etc. I don't know why I was freaking out that this child has nothing so far... we have some time left! I just always feel bad now when I buy Kate something to wear and not anything for him (he isn't even here yet). I am just trying to start off being fair! :)

Kate loved to jump waves with her daddy! The water was clear and beautiful for the first few days, but a storm came and washed in seaweed and lots of jellyfish... so we played on the very edge of the water!

Kate turned against the wind and we caught this awesome picture of her hairdo! Her hair is so light that she doesn't look like she has a lot of hair, but you can see it when it is standing straight up!

She loved walking on the beach- it was very hard to stay sturdy in the sand though. She is practically running on solid ground now, so it was funny to see her a little wobbly again!

"YUCK- sand doesn't taste like I thought!"

She loved the raft because she could just chill out and watch everyone. I passed on my people-watching skills to her! This hat stayed on for about 7.8 seconds!

Hanging out in the corner! I laughed at the stares that we got when people saw Big Momma with her tiny toddler... people would ask, "how old is she?" and then casually "and how long until the next one?"

Ready for dinner! She would walk/run around the condo, but these shoes slowed her down for a second so I could get her picture. She loved the space to move around!

This was a fun day on the beach. Kate got a little grumpy with sand in her suit and in her mouth the day before this picture, so we just took a baby pool down to the beach and put a little water in it and some toys... she was a happy camper! It was a lot easier to keep her clean! I now understand why families with several kids just set up a giant tent and leave it there all week- it is a hassle to take everything down and back up after just 30 minutes of playing! I thought it was a hassle this time, and next year I will have another child to carry along with all the gear! We are glad to be home and Brandon doesn't go back to work til Monday so we are enjoying a little more vacation time at home!

6 comments:

LB said...

the bow looks really cute!! How do you get it to stay in? Ada takes hers out as soon as I put it in there.

Melissa said...

yeah I am with LB--I have to distract Ella so I can get her bow in. It usually stays in her hair about 10 minutes, max! I was laughing when I read that you put Kate in the closet---Brandon and I do that too..it gives you the feeling that they have their own room and if they wake up they don't see y'all and want to get out!

Julie-Anne said...

Glad you guys had a safe, eventful trip!

Ann said...

I laughed when you said people were looking at you w/Kate wondering how much longer until the next one. I remember going out with Ellie on my hip and pregnant with Luke(because Ellie took her precious time to walk and didn't start until right before Luke was born) I would hate it if I forgot to wear my wedding ring-I felt like people were like-"wow, when will she learn her lesson?"

Amber said...

It sounds like you had a good trip! I get that question all the time about when is the next one due while they look at me like I am crazy. I am sorry about having to work around the flooding repairs etc. It sounds like yall made the best of it!

Jennifer and Michael said...

Hey Lindsey!
I miss you guys a ton! Looks like you had a great time at the beach. Kate is too cute.

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