Emerald Isle 2016...July 9 & 10

Saturday, Day 1-

Jeff and I did some serious planning before our beach trip.  We made lists in OneNote for everything including paper products, cooking supplies, grocery list, beach fun supplies, inside fun, things to bring in the car, etc.  The lists and staging room (guest bedroom) made packing fairly painless.  It'll be just that much easier next year because we already have our lists made and removed items that were not needed and added those that we would have liked to have.  

Part of the prep for the trip included making binders with activities for the girls. I did not want them staring at a screen for 6 hours, so I loaded them up with bingo, scavenger hunts, a science experiment about the most popular car color, and other games.  I used page protectors so they could use dry erase markers and play as much as they wanted on the way down and back.  Between the binders, toys, and tablets they were set and neither of them complained or asked how much farther on the way there or back!  Maybe it's because they signed contracts;)

There will be picture overload on the next few posts!  I couldn't stop myself from taking pictures since it was Hailey's first trip the beach and our first family vacation all together.  

One bin with toys and binders, snacks, and pillows :)

On the road

Almost there!

 Before we even unloaded, everyone headed out to the AMAZING deck and took in the ocean.  We made sure that we'd have enough time to tough the water before bed time.  It was hotdogs for dinner, unpacking, and out on the beach!

Hailey's first time seeing the ocean

First touch of the ocean water!

I think she likes it

Hailey holding her first sand flea

Love this one!

 We weren't planning on getting in the water, but you only live once!  Jeff told the girls to go ahead and sit in it:)

First waves

All cleaned up and in pjs for the first night

One of my favorite captures

Pelicans

The girls watching the ocean

Mr. Snead and a vodka and OJ

I was happy! 

 Sunday, Day 2 - Jeff and I started with a quick trip to the ocean to fish while the girls were still in bed.  We didn't catch anything and didn't do anymore fishing the rest of the week.  We were just too busy doing other fun things!

The girls started the day off slow, just sitting in the water, but soon grabbed their boogie boards and played with them near the ocean's edge.  We didn't want them to venture too far out at first, but knew as the week went on we'd all get a little more adventurous.  The worst part of the day?  Everyone getting shells in their bathing suits!  This was probably the worst part of everyday.  I don't know how many times we had to go back out in the water and try to dump them out or run back up to the outdoor shower and try to rinse them out.  Even after all of that, it was like dumping out half the shells in the Atlantic when we would go inside to shower in the afternoon!

Highlights of the day included seeing dolphins while we were eating lunch at the house and watching out the window!

Enjoying the shade from our tent

Our evening ended with a GORGEOUS sunset.  A walk on the beach to look for crabs and shells was just what we needed.  Not a single crab was seen the entire week, but there were plenty of holes out there.  They must have just been shy!

Dinner included fresh shrimp from Captain Willis's fish market and some frozen fish (as we were trying to ease Hailey into seasfood!).  The girls had no problem eating them all up even though we had to hear all week about how Hailey "hates" seafood. ;)

Perfect!

Our funny story for the day- After Jeff and I had a few drinks (wine and beer for him and rum and cherry coke zero for me), the girls joined us to watch "Cops" on tv because they heard us laughing so loud.  They thought the people getting arrested were just as funny as we did and one in particular will go down in history for us.  There was a huge guy that couldn't get out of his car and Jeff called him a "fat bastard."  The girls thought it was hysterical and kept asking what you call a fat person and he'd reply- "fat bastard" and they'd laugh uncontrollably.  So needless to say, that phrase came up again and again over the week and got plenty of laughs.  The girls know that it was a "beach only" phrase and doesn't get said any other time!   You had to be there to get the full effect!