Our big Leavitt family vacation this year was to Virginia again for the last time.
It was the kids and I. Josh stayed home because of summer school. He is really working hard to finish school as fast as he can. And he has been a complete champ about letting us go and have fun while he stays back and studies.
Thank goodness for mom's help on the plane. She made it so exciting and fun for James as she had activities and gifts for James the whole trip. James loved it and it really helped so much with his attention span for flying and being confined into one seat for many hours. As it always goes, the kids fell asleep just before we landed almost every time (not during though ,sadly).
We had a week at the resort, right off the ocean and beach. The view from our window was amazing and so refreshing. The weather was a bit cool, but we did spend 3 days at the beach.
James' favortie parts were playing in the sand,
running around and chasing the birds
boogie boarding,
jumping the waves and getting wet
playing with cousins, papa and nana
and finding treasures.
As for Rachel, it was her first time at the beach. Her favorite part about the ocean was holding onto mommy as much as she could, trying out the sand to see if it taste good and touching the water and than crying because it was so cold. Rachel's experience was a lot different from James' time at the beach. James is a lover and Rachel was not to fond at all. To cold and too uncomfortable.
For myself, one of my favorite places on earth is the beach. I just LOVE how crisp and fresh the air feels and the beautiful waves that crash upon the shore. The sound is music to my ears and I am in love with how warm the sand always feels under my feet and how it just runs right through my toes. This trip was so much fun just being with my fabulous sisters (except Linz, who couldn't join us), their kids and husbands and especially my mom and dad. Being with my family is one of my other favorite things in this world. So this week was a little piece of heaven for me.
But it was extremely hard being away from my one and only hubs for so long. We missed daddy so much and it is just never complete without him. I think he missed us more, as he told me that I can never leave for 15 days again and that it was just way to long. What can I say he loves us and needs us in his life.
We need him too.
Once we were done with the beach or it got to cold for the kids, we moved to the inside pool. We spent hours here. We'd sneak the little ones into the hot tube because they were so cold and they would keep us busy making sure each child was with an adult in the water.
I had a total startle.
Little James is such a dare devil around water and it is sometimes scary just how comfortable he feels in it. Well, he had ran around the pool to the other side and I turned for a second and the next thing I see is him trying to get into a little tube, and the second later his head is smack down in the water. I started yelling from across the room, but the muffle was so strong that hardly anyone could hear me. As I moved as fast as I could across the water, it felt like slow motion. Stacy happened to walk in right at that moment and she reacted so fast and saved James. Oh....that was so freaking scary. I went and hugged him to death and thanked God and Stacy for saving him. He choked out the water and only gave 2 moans and than seemed OK. Well, he was back in the water right after that. He's my little swimmer and I am so glad he is OK. And amazingly not even a little scared of water.
One of the nights we got to rent some cool bikes. We rode up and down the beach. It was so much fun racing the others and almost knocking each others bikes over. We were all pretty tired after and totally got a good work out.
On our way we stopped and visited Titan, danced and sang to a band playing and got some yummy ice-cream.
Another night we went on our traditional girls night out. One thing we do each year is have a theme for it that all of us participate in. This year mom was in charge and the theme was HANDS.
H- humble
A- atonement
N- nice
D- diligence
We each talked and discussed our subject. I talked about nice. My whole point was " BECAUSE NICE MATTERS" and "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."
It was a great night. We went and got pedicures and manicures. We were there for a few hours. Went shopping for our little ones and than went for desert to Apple Bees. I am so lucky to be so close to my sisters and mother. We talked and got our up lift, cried and laughed and became even closer. It is these moments that we are all able to realize that each of us go through our own challenges and that we all support each other no matter what.
The guys were in charge of all the kids. It was a sight to see when we got home late. As we were walking up to the resort, we hear Talmage screaming at the top of his lungs. We walk into the room and there is James dressed in Channings clothes (6 month clothing) and a big poppy diaper stinking up the place. Along with Izzy still in her wet bathing suit. It was hilarious. We were just glad all the kids where still alive.
Family is Everything!!
We stayed for another week and a half hoping for the arrival of Benson, but sad to say he never arrived while I was there. But we did have an amazing, no stress and no plans week.
Thanks to mom and dad for always placing family as a priority.This trip was truly needed and thanks for all the planning and time you put into making it all happen. We are so blessed to have you as our parents and be so loved by you two. Every family trip we go on is because mom and dad think it is so important that we continue to stay close and continue building relationships. Plus, they just adore their grandkids and the kids think their nana and papa are the coolest.
We are all so happy to be part of the Leavitt clan. Can't wait till next year!
We stayed for another week and a half hoping for the arrival of Benson, but sad to say he never arrived while I was there. But we did have an amazing, no stress and no plans week.
Thanks to mom and dad for always placing family as a priority.This trip was truly needed and thanks for all the planning and time you put into making it all happen. We are so blessed to have you as our parents and be so loved by you two. Every family trip we go on is because mom and dad think it is so important that we continue to stay close and continue building relationships. Plus, they just adore their grandkids and the kids think their nana and papa are the coolest.
We are all so happy to be part of the Leavitt clan. Can't wait till next year!
