Beachin'

There really is nothing that recharges my batteries like a trip to the beach. From the moment we leave, I am counting down the days until we return again. (Someday, I will live there!)

This year on our trip to Myrtle Beach, not only were we able to spend the week with my parents and my sister, but some friends joined us for a few days as well. It was a great time!

 Being there over Independence Day is always a good time! The kids decorated our golf cart and we enjoyed watching the parade at the resort. We were a little bummed that we had thunderstorms that evening, so we did not go down to the beach for fireworks, but it was still a good day.

 We also spent some time at Broadway at the Beach, visiting Build a Bear and Ripley's Aquarium. There is so much to do and see at Broadway at the Beach!

 
Leaving the beach is always the hardest part. I really just wish we could stay all summer! One week is definitely not long enough so before we left, we booked two weeks for next summer!

Counting down the days...

Vacation 2017 Myrtle Beach, SC

Ahhh, the beach=my happy place! 

We had literally been counting down the days to our vacation since the day we arrived home from the beach last year. We needed to recharge our batteries and this is the best way to do it!

We stayed at Pirateland Family Camping Resort in one of their vacation rentals. Spending the week of July 4th at the beach is the best! The weather was nice, but a bit hot so anything involving water was a good thing. We spent some time on the beach, but the majority of the time we were in the pool and lazy river.

The morning of July 4th we visited Ripley's Aquarium. We've been there a few times and always enjoy it. My parents came along with us this year and haven't been to the aquarium for several years so it was fun for the kids to show them a few things. They even touched a jellyfish!

Stella's favorite part of the aquarium is seeing "real live mermaids"!

Also on the 4th, we enjoyed a golf cart parade in the campground and fireworks on the beach.

It really was a great week and we didn't leave without making reservations for next year!

The countdown is on! 

Summer Adventures

I can't believe it's August 8th already! Summer is dwindling away fast and I am not quite ready for it to be over just yet. Back in July we spent a week in Myrtle Beach, SC. I really wish we were still there. Sand between my toes and sunshine on my face is just about my idea of perfection. Also this summer: we've had VBS twice, trips to the pool, sleepovers, cookouts and general summer fun. We'll end the summer with a trip to Gettysburg, PA for the Labor Day weekend. We can't wait!

Yesterday, we had a unique experience with our church. Instead of our usual Sunday service, we went for a river cruise on the Hiawatha Paddlewheel Riverboat. We had a short service after our cruise and followed it with lunch and fellowship. It really was a perfect day!

I'm still looking forward to a few more adventures this summer and I hope you are enjoying yours as much as we are!

Happy Monday!

School is out for the Summer!

The kids have had a great school year, but they were so ready to get their summer started! Today was the last day, so of course, we had to get the party started with a huge water balloon fight! Aaron's last day was last Friday, so I enlisted his help in filling balloons all morning. It was a tough job, but somebody had to do it! 

With game faces on, they were ready for war!

It didn't take long to blow through what took us almost two hours to fill!

Happy Summer!

{Beat the Heat} Painting with Water

There is a heat wave here and finding ways to beat the heat and combat boredom can be tricky. But when all else fails...just add water! This activity is so simple yet the kids love it! Just grab a few paint brushes, fill a bucket with water and let them paint anything and everything they desire. No worries if they paint each other...it's only water!