Although our annual beach trip to Pawley's Island was July 8-15, I'm just now getting through all the pictures! (Thanks Bec :)
As usual, we divided up the long drive into two days. We made it to our hotel in Columbia, SC Friday night and were happy to see cookies in the lobby! Poppy would have been jealous.
In years past, we have eaten at Ruby Tuesday (& stayed at a different hotel), but this year we branched out and tried Chili's. (There are not many options in Columbia!) Believe it or not, this was the kids' first time at Chili's, and they thought it was the best restaurant ever!! Truth be told, it was most likely because of the video games at each table :)
Saturday, all my family met at the beach house around lunchtime. Usually, we have early check-in at 1 pm. Not so much this year! There was a bit of a miscommunication ... and my (very pregnant) little sister Becky was NOT happy. Luckily, our cousins have a house next door so the kids got to play on their hammock, eat lunch in the shade, and then hop in our pool until the cleaning ladies finished!! Crisis averted.
We had a new addition at the beach this year!! My older sister, Lora, had her first baby in January. To say that we are all BIG fans of sweet Otis is an understatement!!! He is the best baby ever. Surprisingly, Gibson (Becky's 2 year old) is the one most enamored with him.
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| #pileonGreg |
Due to grocery shopping, unpacking, and getting into the house late, we were unable to get in any beach time on our first day. I don't think the kids minded....they were just happy to all be together. Regardless, we got up bright & early Sunday morning and headed to the beach. We lucked out with a beautiful day!
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| Anderson & Nate boogey-boarded, while Abby jumped waves with cousin Anna |
We came up to the house for lunch and the kids had a little playtime before nap/rest time. These two looooved making hangouts out of tiny spaces, including under the trundle bed!
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| #doubletrouble |
Now, my kids are too old for "naps" persay. But, I made them "rest" every day while Anderson and Gibson were napping. (Basically, that meant they got to play on their devices.) Worked for me, because I got to enjoy some quiet time by our pool......
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| Happiest baby ever! |
One of the kids' favorite games all week was running a large circle between the living room, dining room, kitchen, and hallway. I decided to help Otis participate; he was looking at the big kids with such longing :)
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| #superOtis |
Monday was a bit of a rainy morning, so we enjoyed some hammock time next door and they dug up the old box of dress-up stuff. Gibson had on the funniest (read: girly!) outfits, but I promised his father I would never let those pictures see the light of day :) Abby and Gibson had so much fun though.
Monday night was the dreaded designated time for family pictures! We do a color theme each year, and this time it was coral & navy. Even though it rained all day - and Otis got sick - everything came together and we set a record for the fastest photo shoot ever.
Tuesday morning, the sun was out so we hit the beach. And since Uncle John is in training for swim-run event, he needed to put in some laps in the ocean. The kids were fascinated with his swim cap and buoy backpack :)
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| Nate was SUCH a fish this year! He loves body surfing and boogey boarding, just like his dad. |
We always get a cake to celebrate all the July/August birthdays at the beach. Well this year, cousin Will (from next door) got to be celebrated too - he just graduated high school & is headed to Clemson in the Fall! So, we had the Ervins over for a big BBQ lunch and to help us eat all that cake!
That night, we had family game night. Definitely a must for the annual Gibbs beach trip. (Adult beverages are a must too!) And if you've never played Speak Out, order it off Amazon today. It is the MOST hilarious game!!!!! Bec pretty much peed her pants. And I have a picture but I don't want to embarrass her on the off chance she reads this :)
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| Yes, we are nuts. |
Wednesday, we had some much-needed Girl Time and finally treated my mom to her belated Mother's Day present - breakfast out & the spa! Mom got a facial & massage and we all toasted her with champagne. I had an awesome pedi, Lora had a massage, and Bec had a pre-natal massage. Girl time FTW!
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| #bestmomever |
Luckily, the kids were still alive when we got back to the house, so we decided to do a craft project after lunch. Bec brought a tie dye kit from home and it was a big hit!!
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| Some were happier than others to participate :) |
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| My fave picture of the trip! |
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| Which cheerleader has better form!? |
Every year, my mom buys all the grandkids matching/coordinating outfits. It is getting harder and harder to do, as the sizes now range from 6M to 10. But, she found some cute ones, and we bribed the kids with s'mores if they smiled for these pictures :)
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| S'more time! |
All week, Bec had been getting up super early (did I mention she's very pregnant!?) and walking on the beach. Thursday was her last day at the beach, so I decided to join her. Sister time!! (Lora stayed back because Otis was still recovering from teething sores/possible HFM. She was exhausted to say the least!!)
Once we got back from our walk, we found these two cuties playing together :) I have never seen a sick baby be so happy!!
The tie dye shirts were finally ready to wear!! It was so fun to see how different they all turned out. We sported them that morning as we headed down to the beach. I love my new bathing suit cover-up!
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| #trashytanktops #wheresunclejohn |
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The whole gang!
#poppyslooksrough
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We headed down to the beach one last time with *everyone* there. It was the best day yet! The Ervins from next door came & played for hours in the sand and water. Will even showed Nate & Anderson how to use his surfboards!
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| Cutest family ever! |
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| Anna is the sweetest & always so patient with the kids |
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| Nate opted to boogey-board, rather than surf! |
Bec & her fam headed out around 4 pm that day, but not before a little battery drama!! Luckily, we had some jumper cables and they were on their way. Poor Bec just wanted to be home & in her own bed!
That night, we let the "big kids" stay up late and we played another family game....LCR. It's a dice game we learned from Aunt Gena over Christmas time. And since it involves money, the kids love it! They were even happier when I won round one, because they knew I would share if they showed me their "cute face".....gets me every time :)
Friday morning, we had to say goodbye to Otis (cue the sad face!!) Oh, and Lora and John too :) They were all troopers the whole week, seeing as how Otis wasn't eating well because of his mouth sores. Poor little dude! Despite that, we all had fun loving on him and singing him "B-I-N-G-O."
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| Poppy with his littlest grandson |
So, we had quite the small group when we hit the beach for our last day. Just us 4 plus my parents. It was a quiet day but still fun! And, looked who finally decided to boogey board!!!
Friday night, we had clean out the fridge leftover night and then headed for ice cream. We got to walk along the marshwalk in Murrell's Inlet, one of our traditions. Sad it wasn't everyone this year, but we just ran out of time. I think we need to make our beach trips two weeks going forward....
Another #gibbsfamilybeachweek in the books! Lots of laughs and even more memories!
And next year, we will have "Jim" with us. Yay for more babies! :)
