The first Hill family vacation is in the books! I'll never understand how a week at the beach goes by so quickly, but y'all, I'm thankful for the time together. We headed out bright and early on a Saturday morning with my mom and sister for time in Hilton Head and a mid-week day trip to Savannah. Husband and I had been talking up the beach and ocean to Greer the week leading up to our departure, and she was SO excited to get there. We were certain she would be over the moon about all the water and the sand. We couldn't have been more wrong about that, and we were shocked by her reaction.
It took a couple of days for her to warm up to the sand, as in she wouldn't stand on it at all in the beginning. And even then, when she finally gave it a chance, she insisted on wearing her water shoes. Thankfully, we had packed an outdoor blanket I had grabbed in the Target dollar section (it wasn't a dollar, I'm just saying) and she loved standing and playing on it. The material was perfect for sand and water, so I didn't stress about it getting soaked or sandy. And as far as the ocean, girlfriend was. not. having. it. No, m'am. But, two days before we left, the ocean settled into a very calm lull, and I walked right in without her resisting. She ended up loving it with no waves and a gentle bobbing sensation. I think she was pretty proud of herself for conquering that fear. We were proud too :)
Like any beach vacation calls for, we made sure to indulge in fresh seafood throughout the week. Our first seafood was locally-caught shrimp. Husband manned the kitchen on this one, and I'm thankful he did. This gal doesn't de-vein shrimp, and I'm much happier to enjoy the finished result and not the prep on foods like this. Anyone else??
This perfectly depicts Greer's feelings toward the sand. One foot up and away, the other willing to test it out, until it actually comes to standing her up in it. Those first days she was much happier in the stroller than running around during our evening strolls.
And do you spot the sweet surprise we enjoyed watching one evening after a walk?? There were about six dolphins in all, swimming the shoreline. I had just been wondering if we would see any this trip, and then there they were. Moments like those I can't help but think that God heard my inward thought and then answered.
I think these are the neatest castles. And husband makes them so well. Every morning while we readied for the beach (you know sunscreen for everyone, a swim diaper and then another one because someone peed through the first one, a round-up of towels, and so on) Greer would yell out, "Castles! Ocean!" because this girl loved playing with her buckets and watching her daddy build her castles. Now that we're home, she's still yelling it.
Greer's exact feelings about the sand. And you can see the pink outdoor play mat that saved the day for us! She was happy as a clam on it, with buckets full of water and shovels and shapes to play in the sand with. Yes, she didn't mind touching the sand with her hands, it was just something about standing on it.
Most nights we made dinner in, but we headed out for a seafood medley at The Old Oyster Factory, and it was delicious. We ate outside on the deck with a view of the marsh because that's my favorite way to dine. And after our meal, we walked around to see more of the marsh. There were oyster shells everywhere and hundreds (probably more) of tiny crabs just barely bigger than my fingertip.
This one melts me over and over again. My two favorite people in all the world with the sweetest and most perfect profiles. I could go on and on about them. And can I just say that this girl was in heaven having her daddy with her throughout the days all week long. Can we always have it this way??
So besides the beach, we also had a pool. And Greer was always asking for the pool, to swim after our mornings on the beach. We kindly obliged as it was the perfect way to cool off. Her very favorite part.....daddy's high-in-the-air tosses. Who wouldn't love that?
Easily my favorite picture from our vacation. Time has flown by since welcoming Greer into our family. She has changed so rapidly in the last twenty months and it has been amazing to watch. She's as smart as a tack, funny, and just darling. Sharing new experiences with her can bring its own challenges (because that's life with a toddler) but it's more joy than you can imagine too. I'll be sharing more of our vacation with part two. And our time in Savannah will be its own post as well!
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