Beach Trip

(Warning: There are tons of photos attached to this one!)

We returned from St. George Island, Florida, a week ago yesterday, and really had a fabulous time. This was our second visit to the island, the first being when Elsa was nine months old. We have not been to any beach since that last trip (at least with the kids -- Jarrett and I did go to Jamaica last year), so it was Aveline's first experience at the beach and Elsa's second.

I knew it would make quite the impression on Elsa this time around. She was looking forward to it and, once there, just really took it all in. Sadly, the trip did not start out too well, as she tripped down the front porch stairs here at the house and hit her mouth. Thankfully, even though blood was around her two front teeth, they seemed solid, and she was only left with a fat lip, which you can see in some of the photos from the first couple days of the trip. But the beach air made everything better. She loved the sand, as expected, with her love of sandboxes. And she really took to the pool, even becoming brave enough by the end of our five days there to hang on to the edge and make her way all the way around by herself. However, she still remained quite timid when it came to the ocean and its waves. Kate was actually the person to first get her to put her feet in the water, the day before we left, of course. And then Elsa decided the waves were fantastic. As long as she was holding onto one of our hands, and jumping up into our arms on occasion.

Avie was also intrigued with the sand, although she did not spend a whole lot of time on the beach because she is a wonderful napper, but my one attempt to get her to nap on the beach was a failure, and I decided not to try again. So, with two naps per day, it did not leave a lot of beach time for the baby. Like Elsa, she was not a fan of the water -- ocean or pool -- at first. I cannot really blame her, as both were fairly chilly, especially the pool. But it was the pool she eventually warmed up to once I got in with her and carried her around in it. Because the water was so chilly, though, she never made it into the float like Elsa did on her first trip.

The entire family had a lot of fun with the two other families we were with -- Kate, Tim, and James, and Shelly, David, and Christian. All of the kids got along swimmingly (for the most part), especially in the bunk bed room, which was where Elsa slept. She slept on one of the bottom bunks and was very intrigued with having her very own nautical light above her bed, complete with its own switch that she could turn off and on at will. Surprisingly, she did not turn it on and stay up when it was time to go to bed. I think she was too exhausted every evening for it to even come to mind. Avie slept in Elsa's bathroom in the pack-n-play, which actually worked out quite well and allowed Jarrett and me to have a kid-free room. The house was big and pretty much perfect for all of us. James had a room to himself, as did Kate and Tim, and Shelly, David, and Christian were in a room together, which is how they usually end up at home anyway, so they were happy with that arrangement. The house was two rows back from the beach, with an expansive porch that provided an unobstructed view of the sand and surf. When I was not on the beach itself, I was perfectly content on that porch with a book in hand.

We had fabulous meals too. The guys went out fishing with a guide one morning and caught their limit of sea trout and redfish, which provided a most awesome dinner of escabeche and blackened (really) fresh fish. And our fridge was so loaded down the entire five days, I am not really sure how we could ever have gone hungry. Jarrett and I also went out to dinner with Tim and Kate one evening to the Owl Cafe, in Apalachicola, while Shelly and David stayed home with the sleeping kids. This was really nice, considering Kate and Tim's impending move to North Carolina. And then Shelly and David had a night out later in the week.

Because the guys had their fishing day, us girls went out one morning ourselves into Apalachicola and had a coffee in a local coffee shop, lunch at the Owl Cafe (we like that place), and plenty of window shopping. As much as I love our children, it was nice to get away for a little bit and have some uninterrupted girl time.

We came back home sun-drenched, tired, and happy, with traces of sand on all our belongings and plenty of seashells collected from the shore. I cannot way to make our way back there again.

The kids were intrigued with Tim's catch.

The bunk bed.

She was so excited over her first, very own, kite.

The house.

Miss Aveline Muir

A pregnant belly -- perfect resting place.

Elsa, finally deciding she might like the ocean waves.

Not so happy at first dip.

Those rolls!