I apologize for the marathon blogging technique that I seem to have acquired. Nothing like sharing a week of pictures let alone catching everyone up on three months of what our family has been doing. This summer seems to have been particularly full of activities and fun things for our family to do.
So, here begins the vacation to Hilton Head Island, SC. We went with the whole Rankin family and all shared a house together right on the ocean. It was a memorable experience that I hope our children will always remember. The first time to see a beach, to see the ocean, to see dolphins, and to ride on a boat. Smiles were abundant, exhaustion was common, and sleep was welcome at nap time and at the end of each day.
Day 1
The first ocean/beach experience. Ainsley loved it. Andrew wasn't so sure. He liked the sand and then he didn't like it. We got there mid-afternoon so it was a short taste of what we would experience all week.
Day 2
Loving the beach! We spent the morning building sand castles, walking the beach, and running in the water. By the time we returned for the afternoon nap, Andrew was exhausted and Ainsley was ready to get washed up. Though it was just the beginning, sand was everywhere on both the kids when we returned home. Each day the crevices the sand got in seem to get worse. Ears, toes, nose, you name it...sand found it. Happy Birthday to Chanie!
Ainsley's first rescue, a starfish. She picked it up and gently placed it back in the ocean. We did find a few with missing arms throughout the week. Ainsley knew not to be sad though, she knew they regenerate their broken pieces and that gave her even more reason to rescue them.
Day 3
Twins, nothing like a pair of matching suits to show you are related and good buddies. We saw a sting ray on the beach and stood by while we watched someone else rescue it. Poor guy had been hooked and gotten flipped over. We got a lesson on the spike at the base of the tail and the proper way to hold one. Happy Birthday to mom!
Day 4
Bring on the pool. Nothing like a noodle leash :)
Afternoon on day 3 brought the rescue of shark number two. (Mom didn't have the camera for the first rescue.) Yes, this is a real shark, yes my daughter is holding it, yes it freaked me out both times. This was a highlight though for Ainsley. Feeling the skin, looking at the teeth, letting it go back in the ocean. Every person who has asked about vacation has been told the story of the shark rescue.
Andrew loving every minute is never short on the smiles!
This is probably the best family photo we have had to date. So, I'm sure you all may see this again at Christmas.
Day 4
Brought us out on the ocean. We went on our very first dolphin cruise with Greg Russell. Officially it's called the bubblegum boat tour. We had live kids music, up close dolphins, old lighthouses, and even one tarpin!
Nothing like a little natural product. Between the sweat and the sunscreen, Andrew always had a pretty cool hairdo.
Here's our hermit crab castle. Ainsley found a hermit crab and wanted to bring it home with us. After researching and determining that it was in fact an aquatic hermit crab, we built a home for it so it could naturally be taken back out by the tide. This made the parting much less sorrowful.
Day 5
As vacation is wrapping up and you've seen the biggest highlights, here are a couple of favorite pictures of the kids. The beach and ocean always offer such stunning backgrounds!
