Beach Babes...

For the first time since Bentlee was three (six year ago), we took a "family" as in, all most of us, vacation! 

I started scheming this about a year ago and mentioned off and on, planting the seed of thought throughout the year.  When I got the go ahead and we were all able to find dates that worked (shocking and miraculous, I tell you), I was thrilled!

My sister and brother-in-law couldn't come with us.  For one, they aren't big beach people, but more importantly, they had a mare expected to foal around the time of our vacation.  They wanted to be there, of course, and they were able to witness the birth of an adorable little colt! 

So, we missed them, but the rest of us (My Mom and Dad, Brother, Sister-in-law, nieces, the girls, Chris, and myself) loaded up and headed to St. Augustine, FL. 

It was a great trip!  Chris, the girls, and I went down a day early and enjoyed a long 8-night vacation!  What a treat!  We had the first day and last day all to ourselves.

It was so fun having all the girls there to play together!  It really took the usual what-can-we-do-to-entertain-the-kids thing out of vacation, which was great! 

With cousins as playmates and extra adults to keep eyes on everyone it was a remarkably relaxing vacation! Granted, it was a far cry from the do-nothing, sit-on-the-beach-and-read-sleep vacations of my past, but it was still restful and fun!

 Of all the fun things we did and saw, the best part for me was watching the girls have such fun!

 I now know for sure that both girls are 100% beach bum... just like me!

The second best part of vacation?  We converted my not-a-beach-person husband in to an ocean-playing, wave-riding, crab-catching beach bum!  Self-proclaimed, I tell ya!  The words came out of his mouth on day two and I will never forget them!  "This is fun.  Alright... you've converted me."  Turns out he just needed to go to the beach with the right person... and to the right beach.  ;-)  We *might* just retire to a beachy town some day... just sayin'.

Many Many more beach pictures to come, but that's enough for one post!

Good night!