VACATION

I did promise a while ago that I would post pictures of my family reunion, didn't I?

The second week in July brought my whole extended family together-minus several people who couldn't make it because of work. We gather at the same place every year, Oak Island, North Carolina. My fondest childhood memories can be found there. For me, the term vacation was used very loosely because my husband had to stay home and work so it was toddler Danny and myself all on our own. We still had fun. We still made memories. WE definitely appreciated Daddy that week!

The whole gang, minus a few who couldn't make it. Notice that my grandparents have 27 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. For the first time in a very long time no one is pregnant. . . I think.

The Outlaws aka the ones who've married into the family.

Grandma and Grandpa with seven of their ten greats.

Danny, Me and Bob in Southport.

My son ate 6 pieces of watermelon in one sitting.

Very inventive-Ike attached an umbrella and four noodles to an old beach chair-i

Waiting for dinner. . . they don't make living rooms big enough for us.

Three lovely ladies heading out for an early evening stroll.

I hope that my family continues this 21 year long tradition for many years to come. It is wonderful to get one chance each year to gather and connect as a family. We are all so different, yet have so much in common because we come from the two best people I have ever met in my life-my Grandma and Grandpa. What a great idea they had many years ago to start this vacation as a way to keep their family in touch.

Vacation?

I plan on writing about my vacation and posting some pictures, but first I want to talk about the whole idea of vacation. . . with a one-year-old.

Does it really count as a vacation?

I spent half of my week at the beach slathering the spf on my little guy (he has really good olive skin but I was still worried about burns) and carting a ton of junk to and from the beach. Not only was I flying solo because my dear hubby couldn't take time off from work, but I have the most rambunctious one-year-old on the planet. He was not afraid of the water at all. As soon as I set him down on the beach he took off towards the ocean. And I chased him. I probably could have lost five pounds while I was away had ice cream not been served for desert every night :).

So here are my tips on how to make vacationing with young children a bit easier:

1. Plan ahead-make sure you bring everything you think you could possibly need. Don't be afraid to over pack. Kids to better when they are in familiar surroundings so don't be afraid to bring a ton of their stuff.
2. Relax-don't spend too much time worrying about the baby eating sand or making sure you get the perfect tan. It is a vacation, you are supposed to have fun, but at the same time life is different now, you will be playing more than sun bathing.
3. Let people help-I am lucky enough to have a wonderful Aunt Jodie who was dying to spend a day with my son, so while she played grandma (she has four children, but not any grandchildren *ahem*), I drank some mommy juice, worked on my tan and conversed with my dear cousins.
4. Safety 1st-don't forget that you are in an unfamiliar place for your child, always be on the lookout (much more than you are at home where everything is baby proof and you know what is safe/not safe). This might not be the time to read your new book, wait until the little ones go down for the night.
5. Have fun-Remember, you're on vacation. Have fun, relax and enjoy yourself!