A Trip to the Beach!

We didn't think we would be taking a real vacation this summer, so when my mom asked if we'd like to go to the beach in August, I was very excited! We went from Aug. 2 to 9th. The beach was called Seabrook Island and is close to Charleston, SC. It is somewhat upscale while also being kid-friendly. We stayed in a condo called the Atrium Villas, which was right across a quiet street from the Seabrook Island Club and the beach. The club was where the pools were located. As guests in the condos, we got to use the club membership cards to access the pools. There were two larger pools and a kiddie pool. There was also a restaurant/bar beyond the pools and with a good view of the beach - it was a nice place to sit at a table under an umbrella while feeling the ocean breeze. Very refreshing!

The view of one of the pools and the Pelican's Nest restaurant from our condo balcony

Caroline had been pretty nervous in swimming pools lately, so we weren't sure how much she'd enjoy getting in the ocean and the pool. But she warmed right up to it quite quickly! She enjoyed laying in the shallow part of the ocean and letting the waves rush over her. It didn't even faze her as she followed Daddy out into the ocean, waves nearly knocking her down! This is the Atlantic Ocean, but there is a skinny little uninhabited strip of island out beyond Seabrook Island, so it seemed to keep the waves pretty tame. There were actually signs up that said "Extreme currents - no swimming at any time," which was odd, because people were out in the ocean every day we were there... and so were we! I'm guessing the signs were a warning so people wouldn't try to swim out very far. Caroline only went out about waist-deep. I got stung by something (a ray?) on my ankle on our second day there, and while the stinging only lasted a half hour, it still made me reluctant to go out as far again! But Caroline and Chris went out into the ocean every time we went down to the beach!

We enjoyed hanging out at the pool, too. We had great weather the entire time - just one rainy afternoon. so we spent most mornings at the beach and the afternoons at the pools. We brought a tiny inflatable pool for Cecilia and set it up on the beach and on the pool deck so she'd have her own little area to splash in. Caroline went out into the big pools with her water wings on... and then she even let Daddy take them off her, and she stood in the pool where the water was three feet deep! She really seemed to enjoy herself, and it was good to see her pretty much over her fear of going out into the water. We were thinking she'd end up staying on the steps the whole vacation!We are so grateful that my parents took us on this trip! It was so relaxing to be able to just hang out at the beach and pool, to not have to do chores and cook, and to be able to enjoy each other's company! I am always so sad when I have to leave the beach. But we took many photos to help us remember the great time we had!