Fun and Sun 2005

Our vacation was exactly that -a vacation. We went to a quiet, noncrowded beach and stayed there. We went out one time on the very hottest day when it was 114 degrees because the kids could not stay on the beach in that heat. We found air conditioned entertainment and had lunch out. Other than that we did nothing but sit on the beach, swim in the pool, eat, sleep and watch some TV. Steven really needed this vacation away from everyone, just us. We had not even considered going anywhere at all this year. At the last minute I asked him to lets take the kids to the beach. I got online found a quiet reasonably priced house and off we went. I can't even begin to tell you the stress that was showing on Steven's face and in his body especially over the last month. His job is not physically challenging but it is filled with stress and mental fatigue in the extreme sense of those words. Had we stayed home he would have spent the days working in the yard which in many ways is good. It gives him great physical release of stress but it does nothing to recharge his tired body. Steven needed to do nothing but eat and sleep and that is the main reason I really pushed taking the kids to the beach. No internet access so he couldn't do any work while we were away. Cell phones turned off so no one at work could call and ask a million questions. No one knowing the phone number to where we were staying. Completely cut off from this part of our life was a great thing. When you scroll down and look at the photos you will see he did indeed need a vacation. This is what our days looked like:

7:00am Kids wake 7:30am Big Family Breakfast 8:00am On the beach or in the pool 10:00am Snack then switch from beach to pool or pool to beach 12:30pm Dinner 1:00pm Naptime 4:00pm Kids on beach or pool and their pre-supper snack. You know all that fun builds a HUGE appetite. 6:00pm Steven wakes from his nap - Big Family Supper 7:00pm Kids ready for the pool, Steven and I sitting pool side with camera and DVD cam. 10:00pm In from pool, dessert, kids to bed. 11:00pm Steven and I to bed

This is how each day began and ended. These two should be wrinkled still from all the time they spent submerged in liquid. This lovely construction is the sand castle and the moat that held a crab the kids caught. Three girls, surf and sand. Do you know how many shots we have of them facing the other way? Most of my photos are butt shots. This handsome thing is my sweet husband. He slept late each morning. Had breakfast. Went to the beach or the pool. Had lunch. Slept ALL afternoon (1pm until 6pm) causing the children to remark, "All Dad does is sleep and eat." Then an evening sitting until after dark poolside while the babies swam some more. He really needed this vacation. The dark circles left his eyes about day 5. This is what afternoon nap time looks like. Children must nap if they want to swim until 10:30pm. The oldest bathing beauty very happy to be on vacation. Gracie was hesitant last year about being in the water above her waist. She did not trust herself or anyone else. She would get out of the pool and sit on the side if anyone tried to help her learn to float or swim. She refused to put her face in the water. She would not jump in. She had to slowly ease into the water often stopping at the steps and sitting down. This summer she has learned to trust herself. She learned to swim with her face in the water. The first day she was very hesitant. By the third day she was swimming like a little fish. I was so proud of her accomplishment in the way only a mother understands her child and her child's fears. She overcome one of her greatest fears of all time. I was proud but you should have seen Colby beaming at Gracie's success. Anyone looking on might have thought Gracie was Colby's child.