The babies and I enjoyed another annual vacation to St. Simons Island with Gram this past week. I cannot believe we have been going for five straight years now. Maggie had just started walking during our first trip and now we had added one last wild baby to the mix!
It was a challenging year with Jacob since he is an energetic toddler who will not stay still for longer than 45 seconds, but that did not stop us from experiencing some amazing memories and highlights this year!
The beach was the perfect spot for everyone. We tried it out on our first full day after a grocery trip. The kids loved digging in the sand, splashing in sandy puddles, and meeting new friends (especially Jacob who approached every group withing walking distance!)
Brogans was a fun spot for dinner. Cornhole was a hit for all the kids, and Tuttle was actually very good! I know he will be back in 12 years with his fraternity brothers celebrating a Georgia win against Florida and winning a cornhole game.
This comparison is only a two year difference. Time really does fly.
Tuesday morning held one of the most loved events during the entire trip. Gram made reservations for the big kids to ride horses at the island stables. When we arrived, the facility was absolutely beautiful. Maggie and Tuttle learned how to groom the horses and then rode two horses around the lake. It was a complete success, and both kids cannot wait to ride again!
One of the highlights of the new condo we stayed in was the pool right beside our rental. Tuttle and Maggie spent hours swimming which allowed Jacob to take a couple good naps during the day.
We tackled a different casual restaurant every night, but some evenings went more smoothly than others. This photo represents Jacob's attitude at the Mexican restaurant. Luckily margaritas made the time a little more tolerable for the adults. :)
We always loved to end our day in Jacob's Happy Place.
Wednesday we returned to the water park at Jekyll Island. Last year everyone had a blast, and it was even more fun this year! While Jacob's favorite areas were the lazy river and wave pool, Tuttle and Maggie spent most of their time on the giant water slides. Gram even went down once with Tuttle. I bribed Tuttle with a dollar to ride the biggest high thrill water slide with me. He did it, but he was not too happy with the little adventure.
We ate dinner at the condo and then went out for our daily dose of ice cream. We tried out four different ice cream shops this year, and the overall winner was Sunset Slush with the Italian ice flavors. The Crybaby flavor was consumed several times by everyone!
Gram and I were able to sneak off on Thursday for a kid-free lunch while a babysitter took Tuttle, Maggie, and Jacob to the park. We have already declared that we will be hiring a babysitter 2-3 times next year, so we can relax! We grabbed a yummy lunch and browsed around the beach shops. We definitely needed the down time.
Later that afternoon the Corbitt clan came over to swim at our pool. It was just a coincidence that everyone was visiting St. Simons during the same week, and it gave us an excuse to hang out for a while. After a swim we returned to their house while Larry and Gram picked up BBQ for dinner. Unfortunately the night was cut a little short with Jacob needing to head to bed, but we loved spending some beach time with family.
On our last day of vacation Gram took Tuttle and Maggie to a movie while I walked with Jacob to shop at one of my favorite children's shops, Bailey Boys. We happened to be there when it was having its annual sale, so I stocked up and helped some friends shop, as well.
Jacob shopped until he dropped and allowed us to meet Gram and the big kids for pizza where he slept for half the meal.
I insisted that we end our amazing vacation with a final trip to the beach.
And this photo perfectly portrays Jacob's effect on our family. He is pure chaos, but his cuteness helps convince us to keep him around. :)
A HUGE thank you to Gram for another memorable trip to St. Simons Island. I know the babies are creating such special memories every year. We love you so much!
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