Bumgarner Beach Trip 2011

Every year for as long as I can remember, and with very few exceptions, my family has rented a condo at the beach for a week during spring break.  We've vacationed at various locations up and down the east coast, and every year has included different combinations of my siblings, our friends, our spouses, and our babies.  This year was no exception -- Dad and Cathy rented a condo and invited us all down, and we gladly went.

This year's crowd was Ashley and her husband John, my stepbrother Sean and his awesome girlfriend (seriously she's a keeper) Olivia, and me and the kids.  Don't worry, we didn't leave Mark at home just for the move.  This week was his relief shift at work, so he had to stay within two hours of Raleigh anyway (the beach was just a convenient way to get the rest of us out of the way, which is why the move was scheduled this week in the first place).

Ashley took Nathan and Anneliese on Monday, and they got a head start on the beachiness.  I didn't get down here until Wednesday afternoon, and I was shocked at how much more both of my kids were enjoying the beach itself (sun, sand, surf) than they have in the past. 

Nathan usually does fine at the beach, but when he's done, he's done.  Usually that happens when there's too much sand in his eyes or something.  But this time he was all over the place, fearlessly pushing his dump truck (his big dump as he calls it.  makes me laugh every time.  yes I am such a grownup.) right up into the waves. 

He also spent some time fishing and flying kites with John (his newest hero).  And by the looks of things, loved it.

And Anneliese?  Hoo boy.  She was just about the most adorable sweet little sand crab you've ever seen, crawling all over the place, scampering on all fours across the beach.

She also liked Nathan's big dump.  :)

And did some walking practice with Grandpa.  She let him do it holding just one hand (a special feat of bravery she won't try with just anyone... like, for instance, not mommy).  This picture makes me smile so much.

Anneliese has been feeling under the weather the past few days (lots of fussing, low grade fever off and on, I think probably she's the newest victim of the Fifth's Disease that's been going through her mother's morning out class -- but it's mild, and she's managing) and I think the beach totally wore her out.

Even though I cringed to see her dozing in the sun like this, none of us could bear to wake her because A- she's so darned precious, and B- she finally wasn't fussing.  So I re-coated her in sunblock and let her be for a short nap.  During which I took (maybe a lot of) pictures.  Of course.

Today it's been too chilly for beach play, so Ashley and John and my dad took Nathan to play mini golf.  He had been once before, but it was kind of a disaster.  Apparently today he did much better! 

Although he did hit his ball into the river and somehow convinced John to go fish it out for him instead of just getting a new one. Nice huh?

Both my kids love their grandpa! (And his hilarious animal noises while reading bedtime stories.)

Thanks for the getaway, Dad! :)

For more beachy cuteness, click here for the photobucket album.