Man, this year has been a doozy. From a pandemic to social injustices to super vocal differing opinions about EVERYTHING, this world feels overwhelming and stressful. When my mom called and invited us to a week at the beach on a pretty low-key island in the middle of October, we said YES. Would we have to miss work and school? Who cares. We were ALL IN. So that’s exactly what we did a couple weeks ago and it was pretty much the best decision of all 2020.
This guy couldn’t have possibly been more excited about an early morning wake up call at the airport. We had two flights ahead of us but one included COUSINS!
We arrived in Panama City with 4 crazy kiddos and a whole bunch of luggage! There was a 2 hour car ride between us & the beach (and Nanan & Pops!).
We had arrived to our home for the week and all the rejoicing ensued! Just in time for some seafood for dinner. The travel may seem intense for little ones but believe me when I say that it was WORTH IT.
The next morning, we were up & ready for the beach!
We took a break around lunch time to head back to the house to eat & rest. This became our routine everyday. Beach, lunch, rest, pool. Now that’s a schedule I love! Lounging around on our back deck was pretty much incredible too. I would happily just move in to that deck.
We had bikes for the week so an afternoon bike ride usually got fit in there too.
That evening, we decided to walk down the long pier on the bay side. Four small little ones walking down a pier with no railings is a bit ambitious but no one landed in the water so all was good.
We allowed them to take a picture at the very beginning where there was a railing. However, Luke was still required to stay in his stroller because homeboy is unpredictable.
The next day we did it all over again!
Back for lunch, rest, & then pool!
Don’t forget our bike ride! This one wasn’t quite as leisurely due to some wind but we powered through. Biking to town and back on an island just makes me feel like I’m straight in an Elin Hildebrand book.
This guy also loved him the back deck too!
Day 3 began a little differently! The men left to go golf for Chris’ birthday while Ash & I went for some yoga at the beach. Grandparents for the win!
But don’t worry, we still made it to the beach with the crew!
This was the calmest day on the water. It almost felt like a lake with how still it was which made for great paddle boarding!
After resting, it was pool time! It’s funny how quick the kids learned the ‘new’ routine. If only life could be as easy as deciding between the pool and beach everyday.
We decided to venture out into public for dinner that evening to celebrate Chris’ birthday! We even went off the island to the nearest town to hit up a restaurant there.
Can you guess what we did on Friday?!
Nick & I actually snuck in a bike ride on this day! At one point, I thought he was going to have to tow me back because of the wind but I’m happy to report that I did it all on my own.
Pool time was a little shorter that afternoon because we also had to get ready for family pictures on the beach.
Family picture time! Can you hear all the kids groaning from there?! Ashley came armed with gummy bears to try and ‘encourage’ the children.
Saturday was our last full day and we were definitely feeling the sadness. I think God knew that we were going to need some help leaving, so he made it a little chilly and windy. This led us to start off with a walk instead, all decked out in tie dye. Because if you go to the beach and not wear tie dye, did you even go to the beach?
It warmed up a bit and we made it to the beach!
We decided to explore the little town that afternoon, especially the lighthouse. When we were there two years ago, Dylan was too little to go up and I was too pregnant. Now he had made the cut and Luke watched from below!
We ate at a restaurant right on the water which is something I miss in Colorado! Seafood while staring at the ocean makes my heart so happy. If you’ve seen Facebook, our oldest even got bribed to try an oyster. He conquered so he’s now the proud owner of a new hot wheels track. I’m pretty sure he will never eat an oyster again, but I guess both boys got what they wanted.
And that’s it! If anyone has made it thru this massive trip recap besides my mom, job well done! We got up the next morning and made the road trip and two flights home back to reality. And this is how I felt about it…
This is how the boys handled it…
This trip really was the brightest spot of this whole year. A whole week dedicated to rest and fun, without having to worry about any single thing. Obviously that’s what is always so great about a vacation, but it felt like an actual gift during this crazy year. So thank you to Nanan & Pops and thank you to the precious Saint George Island!
Trying to Keep Up With My Jones' 