Vacay 2013- Friends and Family unite.

Last week we gathered our family and a few friends and headed to Myrtle Beach for vacation.  It seemed like forever and we were feeling long overdue since we went a little later in the year than our Spring Break trips over the last several years.  

It was an old times sake vacation, if you will, heading back to Myrtle Beach, SC after a 3 year run at our favorite Johns Pass and St. Pete Beach, FL hangout-- again gathering up our peeps in one place at one time. 

A party of 18 when we were all in the same spot piled up and down the beach or taking up the side of a pool for some relaxation, football, Frisbee, wave riding, skim boarding and warm Double Stuff Oreos in the sunshine.  We added some newbies to the trip, Maddie our friend and babysitter came along to help with the boys, Shayne's friend Buddy and Kristen's boyfriend Joe came with too.   And sweet Olivia added life to the party- she wasn't yet born the last time our core group of peeps vacationed together.

For us and the Nance's, we knew in our hearts it would probably the last vacation all together with our own kids flying the coop and starting lives of their own.

We reminisced on some good 'ole memories- revisiting our favorite restaurants like River City Café, Ultimate California Pizza and Sara J's.   And we created some new ones, like the importance of Lifeguards when your 8 year old goes missing for a few minutes and that it is possible for 18 people to wait 3 and 1/2 hours on dinner and live to tell about it.  Can I just confess, I'm not so much a fan anymore of bathing suit pictures, just sayin'.

South Carolina may never be the same.

 

Buddy and Shayne getting started on the first of many dig projects of the week.

Shayne riding the waves with Elijah

 

A little bologna, a little sand, a little shade.

Rex getting kisses from Isaiah

Buddy, Maddie, Shayne, Elijah & Phillip

Elijah & Isaiah

Shayne

 

Empty-nested love birds, Lane & Cheryl.

 

Missing Lane & Cheryl we're down to 16.
Photo taken at our new favorite restaurant, Thorny's

 

The weather wasn't perfect but not horrible.  We were able to enjoy the ocean and pool every day and it seemed right when it rained Saturday morning as we loaded up and headed home.

And while we were getting sand covered toes, getting Elijah over his sun-poisoning and giving salty kisses, life was happening at home. 

Our newest great-niece, Norah Grace was born on June 20th.  Her mommy, knowing I love baby piggies took this picture for me.  You can see more pictures of sweet Norah over at the Naffs.

And lastly, heavy on our hearts while we were away was knowing that Rex's mom was being moved from assisted living at Emeritus to a nursing home.  We're all a mixed up bag of emotions on that one.

So now we are just trying to get back in the swing of our normal routine, buahahaha.

Happy Monday y'all, it is Monday, right?