Getaway

You may recall that we got a Big Toy this summer and that was our “vacation” this year.  Well Rob and I were still hoping to find a way to get the family away for a little bit.  Last year we did a weekend getaway in a nearby big city.  We stayed at a hotel and swam at the pool (and had to come home early when the housesitter called to let me know my favorite cat had suddenly died) and it was alright.  So we considered doing that again but then a friend of mine said that her aunt and uncle have a house near the beach  in SW Washington and that they some times let trusted friends stay there.  Sweet! 

I love the ocean, love, love, love it!  Would live so much closer to it if we could.  Also, the next town to theirs is one where my parents took us on vacation when we were kids.  A rare vacation.  OK, maybe THE vacation.  There might have been two.  Regardless, the point is we didn’t vacation much when I was growing up so it was pretty special.  Fond memories.

Thursday the 11th Rob headed off to work and I stayed home to finish packing.  He came home after lunch and we trundle off with our laden van and the kids leaving critters, home and daily concerns behind. 

We drove for many hours south and west grabbing lunch on the way, stopping only occasionally and we get there in time for a late dinner and the moonrise over the beach.  The little house we stayed in was about two minutes from this spot.  We felt (feel still) so blessed to have been allowed to come and stay.  The week ahead proves to be a great one!

The next morning we wake to discover lovely flowers all around the house so I strike off on an early photo expedition and never even have to leave the yard.

A little later we head to the beach.  We are lucky that there is a little tidepool there that is free of the strong waves that are easily capable of sucking any one of my precious babes out to sea.  So we can lay out a blanket and freely let the kids splash and play in the water (albeit not the cleanest water but in this case I’ll take safety over purity).  They ALL FOUR loved the water, not a fear or hesitation among them.  However, later there was some sunburns among them (mostly where we missed spots).  Good thing I brought the aloe lotion.

 

Back at the house after exhausting our crew we snack on mint Oreos and just relax.  Ahhhh.  The sweet life!

As it turns out Elias favorite place in the whole house is on the coffee table (and Rob is chewing a bit of Oreo I think which is why he looks that way).  No surprise there.

The house is a two-bedroom house with one bedroom just big enough for a queen bed and space for the play yard where Elias sleeps.  The other three share the bedin there.  I would sit in the living room with Rob after we put them to bed and smile over all their stories and giggles.  I hope they will remember this and know how special it was.  I guess I will just have to keep reminding them.

More to come, I only have a few hundred more photos of our getaway (no worries, I won’t post all of them).