Beach and Babies

Beach, beach, more beach and lots of babies.

My first beach trip this summer was with my sweetest friends Anna, Kate and Lauren. Anna was photographing a wedding down in Hilton Head and invited us to adventure with her, enjoy her beach front hotel room and be beach babes while she worked. It was dreamy, last minute and crazy, but totally worth it. Sam watched Kael for me so I had a baby free weekend, soaking in the sunshine and the waves. We literally spent ALL day Saturday outside in the sun. Heaven. My heart experienced some of the most precious talks and inspiring conversations that weekend. Seriously, those girls are beyond amazing. Sometimes, I take a step outside of myself and look at the beauty of hearts surrounding me and I get overwhelmed. They are too wonderful. We spent Sunday in Charleston, laughing, exploring and eating yummy food. 

Anna bought this preggy a super amazing pina colada. We sipped them and soaked up the rays as we talked about anything and everything to do with being a creative crazy.

Can I just say the forecast was supposed to be stormy. We got sunshine, gosh dang it! Boy did we soak it up! Anna, you are the coolest.

Lauren and Kate, two of the most treasured hearts ever.

I found some pretty cute maternity shorts at Target, the night before we left...stoked about how cute they looked on. This was pretty much my travel and away outfit of choice, the whole trip. (I'm not usually a stripe girl, but after all...I was riding down with Anna...the stripe queen, so I couldn't not. ;) )

We stood in line FOREVER to get a tasty bite of the famous "Jestine's"!

Zip on ahead to the following weekend... 

Jessie and I ran a booth together at a Music festival, we rocked it. I sold a couple of dolls, some jewelry and ate way too many festival food items. 

We were pretty much festival goddesses of vintage and handmade wares and things. I love my Jmath.

Now Wednesday rolls along... 

My girlfriends and I had an AMAAAAZING beach trip last year. If you remember, we did this last year and the time had come to have part 2. (you can click here,  here ,  here and here to recap last year's adventure.) It had been in the works for a couple months and now, along with our 10 babies, we were going to brave a 4 bedroom beach house and see if we could turn up sane on the other side. haha. Can I say, thank you Jesus for portable car DVD players? Jessie and I piled our 3 kids in her mom wagon and it was smooth sailing for 3 hours, thanks to that amazingly divine contraption.

We had a great beach house, with a pool and lots of space! The mornings were precious with bed headed toddlers everywhere, ready for snuggles and mischief. The afternoons were slightly insane, but fabulous. I pretty much prepared my mind for a mom trip  and not a "lay in the sun and relax" time. Kael was kind of intimidated by the water and had a pensive expression on his handsome face most of the time. But, as long as he had a purpose or common mission, aka digging a "community toddler sand hole" or filling a bucket up, he was good. My heart was bursting watching all of the kids play together and squeal. I've known most of our babies since they were in the womb, so it was extra sweet getting to spend 4 solid days with them and their mommas. I love them all so, SO much. They are treasures. 

Beach kisses.

First day of the beach trip. He didn't move for almost an hour. haha. He sat there, ankles crossed, filling his bucket with sand.

He actually took a mini cat nap like this! It was divine. All you mommas of toddlers know how precious and rare this moment was.

Group project: bucket filling. 

Our last day at the beach...

What happens when babies nap? spontaneous dance parties erupt of course...   ;) (left to right, misty, lindsay, jessie, lissie and me.) 

left to right: Sparrow, Isabel, Yaden, Micah, Kael, Tillie, Arrow, Wilder, Henly (His momma Tiffany) Noah Fox. <3 I love all of the so strong. 

Morning story time

Kael having morning snuggles with Aunt Lorni

Evening group dinners...my fav. 

Ocean water is pretty much all awesome for my hair AND... I braided some shells into a few locks. They are still holding up strong.  

24 weeks

Once night settled in and all the kids had been fed and sent off to dream land...it was party time. Not really, most of us were so exhausted from the day that we ended up eating treats and snuggling up on the couches, talking the hours away. One evening, a few of us went for a late night beach walk. It was divine. We ended up running through the tide, screaming, doing spontaneous, solo dance routines and cartwheels on the beach and through the waves. The moonlight was our spotlight and we were all little girls without a care in the world. The ocean is a new beauty to my heart. It's just been in the last few years that I've gotten to know it. Every time we meet, a part of my soul breathes a little more clearly and calmly. That night was one I'll remember forever. We ended our walk talking about the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord in a big group hug. Being carefree and spontaneous with heart friends is so magical to me. 

Moonlight beach dancers. (Caitlyn, me, Lissie, Jessie and Anna who is taking the pic.) 

Being new to beach culture and ocean ways, I didn't know little boys could get chaffed by the sand. :( Poor little buddy, by day 3 he was pretty much done with the hot sun and ocean grains. When I changed his diaper, I noticed he was so red and raw from the sand, I had had no idea. So, the last day he and I spent up at the beach house cuddling. Once he went down for a nap I spent those 3 1/2 hours at the pool that was attached to our little bungalow napping, swimming and yes bronzing my skin. 

I don't know about any of you girls, but dang, when I have a tan I feel a HECK of a load more sexy and 5 lbs lighter. I have naturally olive skin anyways, but when I get some good quality time with my friend the sun, mmmmm fantastic things happen. haha. I'm sure everyone says this, but one day, I really do want to live on the beach or close enough to go everyday. I love everything about it. 

I left our "mom vacation" a day earlier than I had planned. My heart missed my guy so hard and I could tell Kael was ready to be home. Every morning he would wake up saying "Da da?!" His pack n play was half in the corner of my room and he always thought my roommate and friend Lissie was Samuel under the covers. Until she would roll over and smile at him. Then, he would get a confused look on his face. haha. Being separated from daddy, while in a TOTAL "Daddy everything" season was kind of hard for us both. 

I got home late Saturday night and found Samuel bleaching the kitchen. Mice. Yep, our kitchen had been invaded. It was war. Safe to say our kitchen is now the most sanitary kitchen in Charlotte. That episode with the rodents gave me the kick in the butt I needed to get my nesting on. Ha! There were 3 mice. They are very gone now. GROSS! Ugh. The next evening Sam busted his elbow open, trying to set a trap under our stove...a trip to the emergency room at midnight, 7 stitches and 3 hours of what turned out to be a comical "date" for us, proved that war on mice is a serious business. ;) (Thank you "Uncle Jason" for coming over and crashing on our couch at the last minute so we didn't have to wake our little stink bug up!)

So many iPhones pictures, and nutshell stories. But, there are some fun snippets for the past month!  :)