More Beach Vacation Fun

 Aside from spending a chunk of each day of our vacation at the beach, we had some other fun at our condo and in town during our beach vacation.

We always look forward to seeing the ocean for the first time as soon as we arrive at our condo. After a long day of driving this view makes everything worth it. 

Breakfast on the balcony is another tradition. Snuggly mornings in our pjs enjoying some delicious donuts are some of my favorite beach vacation memories.

These donuts are my all-time favorites! I look forward to them every year. 

One afternoon after the beach we played Goofy Golf, another beach vacation tradition. I stil remember the first time Matt and I played when I visited him on a work trip back in 2010!

Things look a little different these days. 

Another afternoon, we drove over to a local science museum. Our Discovery Lab passes allow us to visit other museums for free, so we decided to check it out. 

Even though it was tiny, the kids still played for a few hours. They sure know how to explore a science museum. 

Evening swims after dinner also happened regularly. 

Matt is kind enough to drive into Destin twice during our trip to get fresh donuts. 

Our kids wake up so early on vacation, that we usually played a game or two before heading down to the beach in the mornings. Disney Code Names, Camel Up and Survive the Island were this year's favorite games. 

We did a little souvenir shopping one afternoon. Sam and Elisabeth wanted baseball caps, and Nathan and Katherine got new shirts. 

Our balcony views are my favorite. 

Matt and I escaped for a date night one evening and ate at Boshamps for the first time. It was delicious- perfect for a date night. 

After dinner we walked around the Destin outdoor mall and grabbed some ice cream. A perfect night!

Our last day called for rain, so the boys decided to drive to Pensacola and visit an air force museum. The girls and I opted to stay back at the condo. We read, watched a movie, and played some games. Not bad for a rainy morning. 

The boys had fun too!

Our (mostly) annual beach vacation holds so many memories. There is something special about visiting the same destination every year.

Beach Days

 After spending last year on a cruise ship instead of at our beloved Fort Walton Beach, we were all ready to be back at one of our favorite vacation spots. So, as soon as co-op was over for the year, we packed up and headed to the beach. Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Becca, and Abby joined us too. 

We usually vacation at the beach in late summer, so late spring felt a little cooler. The water was a little chilly, but that didn't bother the kids at all. They were ready for a week of boogie boarding and sand castle building. 

We headed to the beach every morning of our trip. The boys immediately swam out to boogie board for most of the day. The girls spent more time in the sand building creations. Elisabeth always makes a sweet shop and lots of sand baking creations. 

Katherine hopped up one day and started building a sandcastle all on her own. She did a fantastic job. I felt like that was a representation of our vacation this year. Since taking a year off, I noticed so much maturity and independence from the kids. 

The boys were out in the water alone boogie boarding, when in years past, they would need Matt's help. Katherine and Elisabeth could build sandcastles on their own with no help. It's bittersweet watching them grow up. I told Matt that we've been training them for this since they were babies, helping them have fun in the sand and the water, and now they're able to do it on their own. 

It's vastly different than our first trip with the four of them, when they were unable to be in the water unsupervised, and Matt and I would take turns playing with them while the other one watched Katherine on the shore. No need for naps or help with snacks. They even apply their own sunscreen now. 

Matt and I were able to sit on the shore, read, and relax much more this trip, which was nice. It's such a joy experiencing these vacations with them at each stage of their childhood. I'm praying for many more beach trips with them. 

We spent plenty of time at the pool this year as well. It was a little warmer than the water in the ocean.

One afternoon the kids asked to go for a walk along the beach. They were determined to walk all the way down to the pier (a couple miles away). We warned them that it was farther than it looked, but they persisted. I didn't bring a camera, but I wished I would have to capture the image of all four of them walking together chatting away. Matt and I brought up the rear and just watched them trotting along. And they achieved their goal and made it! They were dragging a bit on the walk back. That was a fun new memory that I want to remember for years to come. 

Beach days truly are the best days!