Moody Mania: A Sand-sational Vacation!

Vacation 2016 is in the books and was the best yet, so grab a lounge chair and enjoy!

PS...You do not need sunscreen for this activity.

I intend to take this picture of us every year. My little girl will never be too big for my arms. She will, however, tower over me at some point in the near future. Maybe by kindergarten.

One of the greatest things I packed (aside from enough outfits to clothe everyone in this picture...)

was a beach-themed Sands Alive kit. A what?!

Whoever invented this is a genius. It's foam that looks and feels exactly like sand but is (mostly) mess free. Kids will spend hours molding mermaids, fish, and seashells...every possible chance they get.

"WANNA BUILD A SAND CASTLE, MOM???"

One major plus this year is that we had a beach house all to ourselves. Our private community also had indoor and outdoor pools, an awesome splash pad, a really nice playground, and...our newest obsession...OUR VERY OWN GOLF CART!!!

Ok, I admit it. I've been that driver before who has gotten behind a golf cart on a main road while in a hurry and been really irritated. OUT OF MY WAY...AHHH!! But the moment I set foot on the gas pedal, all my preconceived notions about this device were changed.

It is so. much. FUN! With the wind (and sand) in your hair, you just feel on top of the world.

Leo after a test spin in his first golf cart.

I wonder if UPS drivers feel the same excitement when they ride with their doors open on the interstate. Who knows. But we soon began looking online to check out golf cart prices, and let's just say they were slightly higher than Emerson's Minnie Mouse car.

Well, this seems like an affordable option.

So maybe one day we will ride in a cart of our own...perhaps from the church to Emerson's wedding reception. And my justification will be that it's cheaper than a horse and carriage.

"Honey, I know it may not be exactly what you envisioned, but aren't you and your husband going on a cruise, anyway?"

In any event, I got THIS look when I told her that she couldn't drive it by herself...

The first day we enjoyed the beach with Ryan's parents and realized that we would never again go to the ocean in the heat of the afternoon.

Sweltering heat and wind are not a good combination.

But sometimes you've just gotta look past the cons and focus on everything good, like Tropical Sno icees. These became my latest craze.

After we dried off like wet dogs we found an arcade and picnic area with music playing, and Emerson danced her heart out.

Then we had lunch at Cookout, and halfway during the meal Emerson pointed to the guy at the table behind us and said, "Uncle Jay!" The resemblance is striking. That was so sweet of her. Jay is always with us in one form or another.

Our next stroll to the beach was in the evening, and it was much more doable!

We also - adults included- had lots of fun at the playground.

We loved going back to our house each evening. It really was nice, but I noticed something strange in the laundry room the first time we washed a load of towels. The spin cycle was so loud that it almost shook the entire house and sounded like a tornado. And that gave me an idea...

I called my entire family into the laundry room for an important announcement. I then held up a fake microphone and yelled above the noise, "I'M REPORTING LIVE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA IN WHAT YOU CAN SEE ARE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS. THIS IS SERIOUS, FOLKS. SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!!!" My parents died laughing; Ryan just shook his head.

Next up was a trip to Wild Water & Wheels; a MUST for kids! Here's a look at last year vs this year.

I'm ready for my sun "scween!"

I'm not sure who had more fun riding the animals: Emerson or Poppy. But the water felt GREAT!

Afterwards we were so tired that we could barely open our eyes.

The next day was July 4th, and we kicked it off at the Fun Warehouse. It was a BLAST! Ryan and I raced go karts (he won, for the record), and we actually went roller skating for the first time in well over a decade.

Emerson also had an entire room of inflatables to herself and as usual, made a friend! This place was SO cheap, too, and the staff were awesome! It was definitely one of the best things we did.

When coordination calls.

That evening Sharon and Chris hosted a WONDERFUL 4th of July cookout. They are excellent hosts, and we had a fabulous time!

Emerson and Madeline had a ball together popping bubbles and running around.

Look at the difference from last year!

Madeline had a huge stuffed turtle from Ripleys, identical to the smaller one we bought during Emerson's first beach trip. I recognized it immediately. How is it that I can remember details such as this but never where I put my keys or purse?!

The hotdogs and burgers they cooked that night were delicious, and to top it off, Ryan had given me specific instructions to order cake from a place called Coccadott's: marble cake with buttercream icing and caramel icing in the center.

When we picked it up we could hardly believe our eyes. It was complete perfection! Seriously...some of the best cake I've ever had in my life.

#CakeByTheOcean

I was sunburned and skipped out on the pool, but everyone else loved it!

We also really enjoyed visiting with our friends and catching up.

At 10:15 we watched the fireworks, and the kids enjoyed every minute! Carter and Emerson were so sweet.

The next day we had a great dinner at King Street Cafe, followed by a Broadway at the Beach trip.

This was the first time Emerson rode a ride all by herself without prompting AND thoroughly enjoyed it. She rang that bell every time she came around.

Look at this resemblance to Ryan on a similar ride when he was little!

And now for a 2014, 2015, and 2016 comparison on the carousel. You can see that she has gotten much more comfortable with it as time goes by.

Picture 1 = No way, Jose!

Picture 2 = Hanging on to Mama for dear life

Picture 3 = Smiling and waving to our family like Miss America

The next morning we headed to Ripley's aquarium because 1) Emerson loves fish and sea animals, and 2) Ripley's has good air conditioning.

This was our first trip with the sharks in 2014.

And then this year...

We also played a family game ofputt-putt. She kept an inventory of the color of everyone's golf ball, and we were only allowed to play with the color that was assigned to us.

Red, Brown, Yellow, Black & White...this won't go down without a fight.

She is very athletic and really did love it.

Almost all of us got a hole in one at some point, myself included!

I foresee a Sports Scholarship in Emerson's future. She whacked the hang out of the golf ball.

Another fun-filled evening at the beach followed.

Nothing will wipe that smile away!

We also took a trip to the pier where we saw Jaws himself. I've always wanted to yell "SHARK!!!!" in a crowded area so that chaos would ensue, but I didn't have the heart to cause pandemonium during others' vacation. But when we spotted him from the pier there were people swimming within a slightly uncomfortable distance.

What you don't know won't hurt you...or will it?

In all seriousness, why are people so surprised to see sharks in the ocean!? That's their home! I don't freak out when I see a rooster on a farm, but then again...they don't have a massive set of teeth.

The next morning I did something that I've only done a couple of times in my life: see the ocean at sunrise. It was breathtaking.

As if our vacation weren't packed enough, I was playing piano and singing for Cindy and Chad's wedding that weekend. They are a very special couple with two awesome families!

And we also celebrated Trace's third Birthday super hero style!

THANK YOU to the amazing Shuttleworth family who bought all kinds of goodies and games for Emerson to enjoy over the weekend. They are too wonderful for words!!!