Our Mini Beach Vacation Recap

We may have been a little late to the party. With Fall officially arriving this weekend, it was about time we were able to make it to the beach!! All summer I have been DYING to go. Not just because the last time we went was while I was still pregnant, 7 months pregnant, actually, but because this would be Miss A's first time at the beach. But with moving in late May, settling in to our new home in June, and the hubby starting residency in July, there was just no time to go to the beach. Until now.

As soon as I knew about the hubby's time off, I searched for a hotel by the beach. Luckily I found a few on Groupon and we decided on Myrtle Beach, which is a few hours away from home. Miss A did amazingly well in the car; she napped, ate lunch, and played with a few new toys and books. As soon as we arrived, we checked into the hotel and changed into our suits. It was a little cloudy, but the sun eventually peeked out and warmed us up. 

I'm happy to report that Miss A absolutely loved the beach. I swear she had the time of her life. We were so excited to see how she was going to react. She loved everything- the sand, the waves, and the water. The only thing she didn't like was when a huge wave almost rocked her over! Luckily we were tightly holding her hands. The current was very strong so we definitely didn't want to go in very far. 

She played in the sand for quite a while. We had buckets and shovels yet what she really wanted to do was use her hands. Trying to prevent a toddler from eating sand is impossible. I'm sure ate a couple of tablespoons worth!

Of course, Daddy made a giant hole and buried her in the sand. She didn't mind one bit!

We thought she was going to take off running at some point to explore the shore. Instead, she wanted to hold on to our hands. It was much harder than I thought it was going to be for her. She kept sinking right into the sand! Once she got her feet wet, she was thrilled. She didn't want to stop! Back and forth we went, and every time the current came in, she squealed. 

She also liked the seashells. She'd point at one she liked, bend down to pick it up, and hand it to me.

After we polished off all our snacks, we started getting hungry and packed up to shower and change for dinner. There were so many restaurants to choose from, all sitting right on the water. 

Miss A was by far the most behaved she has ever been at a restaurant. She must have loved the fresh air. She also loved the classic rock the restaurant was playing and couldn't stop dancing.

Before we called it a night, I had to find myself a vanilla ice cream cone. With sprinkles of course. Isn't that the happiest face you ever did see? 

The next day we woke up to chilly temperatures. I was disappointed, but I expected it. It was too cold for Miss A to get in the water so we walked along the shore until it was time to check out of our hotel.

Even though our trip was short, it was so worth it. Seeing her squeal, laugh, and play in the sand and water was too precious for words. I'm going to remember this trip forever. She had so much fun! My husband said it was one of the best days of his life. It was one of mine too. Now I can happily embrace Fall with open arms. After all, it was 60 degrees when I woke up this morning! Thank goodness we made it to the beach just in time.