What a way to welcome summertime! I am so thankful that the kids and I were able to enjoy a full week of beach bum pleasure in Edisto! The memories and good times had were perfect in every way! Sunshine, sand, salty air and tons of seashells kept us all busy and happy!!!
Getting this crew of 6 to all look at a picture and smile never really worked out! Picture taking was never really on the top of their priority list! But the mommas aimed for the stars and attempted the photos anyways!
After quick sunscreen spray down, the little loves were ready to hit the waves!
I am so thankful that these little loves of mine have each other. My heart was always happy seeing them play in the sand and sun together. Being able to spend this week with them was a little slice of heaven!
Keeping 6 kids entertained on the beach was of utmost importance! Nothing makes me happier than a day in the sand and sun. So that means finding ways to entertain kids so they stay on the beach was a must for the week!!
We did the usual, digging hole after hole after hole. Wylie is quite the digger and in a skinny minute can have a impressive hole dug for you to play anything from "Barbie Dreamhouse" to "Seashell Pool"!
This past week, the horse shoe crabs were pretty much everywhere!! I never want to forget the moment I was asked by Bess to "Look!" Her response to her discovery made my day! "Look Mom, his gutters are gone!!!!" She was so proud and for the rest of the week referred to horse shoe crabs by discussing their "gutters" with me!! Love that sweet baby and her willingness to attempt adventure!!!!
Leave it to a group of little girls to decide to hold their own gymnastic competition on the beach to entertain themselves!! While the mommas judged their form and technique, we couldn't just sit back. Thankfully we have no proof of the gymnastics competition between the mommas that occurred from our little girls!! It is a blessing there are no pictures of this friends!! However, in our minds, I am pretty sure we all looked like Olympic hopefuls on that beach!!
Charlie, bless his soul, was the oldest boy for a few days! Being 6 and surrounded by more girls than boys is tough! Thankfully my little buddy was able to find adventure in the world around him! He chased bugs on the sand, tried to catch minnows in the tidal pools and just sat in the salty water thinking about a world of things by himself! Precious and patient little boy!! The day he discovered one of his soccer buddies was at the same beach, the child's world shined brighter than you could have imagined!
I am not scared to invent a game on a beach!! If I can score more sun time outside in the sand and have the kids happy, I am willing to give it a shot!! While I can't say this particular game interested the majority of the crew, Wylie was quite impressed with herself! This little game of Seashell Shooting was a hit with her!!
The tidal pools are ALWAYS a popular choice for little ones! Hours, literally hours, were spent in these tidal pools discovering the wonders of the sea! I am not so sure that the minnows, hermit crabs or strafish would agree but these little girls played in these pools until every bone in their body was content! Such a happy heart!! Seeing them play together and just be happy with water and sand and a bucket is refreshing and a site my heart enjoyed so much!
Thankfully, Ben was also a fan of the pools! This little smile just screams happiness sometimes!
Another entertainment item for a perfect beach day would be SUNGLASSES! On and off again these little loves put on glasses to rest and eat their snacks or simply lounge. Any way you look at it, sunglasses on little loves are pretty much the most adorable thing!
But more than anything, more than the buckets the games the sunglasses or the tidal pools, the thing that makes me the happiest is seeing these little loves smile!
And all week long, I was blessed to see those pretty smiles grace their faces!
Later in the week we decide to brave a Boat Day with the 6 kids!
Beaufort and back in a day with 6 kids under six! Totally do able!!!
The crew was decked out and ready for a fun day in the gorgeous weather!
But within a matter of minutes our loud active bunch had turned into silent sleepers!! WHO KNEW a boat ride could place some kind of sleepy spell on these chaps? Not sure how or why but I do know the mommas much appreciated the "down" time thanks to these naps!
Bess (on nap #2!!!)
Charlie… out like a light…just on the boat deck!
Hidden under that RED octopus towel is little love Bennie Boo! Thankfully this happened because he certainly NEEDED a nap in a BAD way this day!!
And shockingly… Wylie!! The child that opens her eyes within minutes of the sun rising finally couldn't keep those baby blues open!!
Charlie moved from the deck to a much more comfortable spot on the ride home!
But all good naps much come to an end! At least we had smiles after it was all said and done!!
Last summer Ben still napped regularly. So when he napped on the beach last summer, it wasn't a shocker! However, never in a million years did I expect him to do it again this year!
It was pretty much precious to see him go from a active three year old to a napping fool! Under a blanket on a chair, in my arms or laying down in a ball under the umbrella… the kid can rock a beach nap!!
And wake up ready to face the rest of the afternoon!! Love that smile!!
But he wasn't alone in his napping. He actually had a pretty good bit of competition from Reese! Now, talk about a child that can rock a beach nap!! This child would make it ten minutes on some days before her sweet eyes were closed and her little body was covered in a chair or under the umbrella!
And on a rare occasion, a six year old will just become so tuckered out he too must rest his eyes! Yep, this baby passed out in the tidal pool ! Now, that is impressive!
When we were not at the beach, more entertainment was required!
Thanks to the easy yet VERY challenging Ring Toss game, these little loves were entertained for about 15 minutes at a restaurant!
There were plenty of movies to watch on our lazy evenings too!
And what could be more fun than a backyard pool to rinse the sand off with a hose pipe before being called in for supper!?!?!
I don't think, I know, that the kids adored having their Daddy come to the beach to play too! Boogie Boards are always the hit when Daddy comes to the sand!
But so are more ocean discoveries! Thanks to good daddies, these loves had some exciting critters in their buckets!
This picture melts my heart! I am so thankful for such a wonderful husband and daddy to my girls and boys! These girls are head over heels in love with him, just like I am! We are so grateful to get to spend this time together as a family!
The weeks of the beach always go by too fast. This one included.
The giggles, good times, and great food made it fly by faster and faster!!
There might have been moments of "time outs" due to sibling quarrels but in the end, the week was WONDERFUL in so many ways!
Just the simple nature of being surrounded by family and friends made life at the beach a perfect week!
Thank you Bubba for a wonderful week! Our family enjoyed every seashell hunt, hermit crab and boogie board run we had! There could not have been a better way for us to have started off our summer! We are so thankful you were able to make this dream a reality for our family!
We Love You Lots and Lots!
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