Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Rosemary, How I Miss You So...

Well, family vacation has come and gone.  How does 7 vacation days go by soooooo fast and 7 days of a work week drag on for what seems like eons and eons...  

We do a big Hodges-Wainscott Family Trip every other year (because someone always seems to get pregnant in the off year - so every other year it is!)  Two years ago we stayed in WaterSound and loved it, but this year our house was in Rosemary Beach and it clearly did not disappoint.  Simply AMAZING...

Now, I will say that going on a big vacation with a CHILD is a bit different... WHEW!  A whole new ballgame I will say.  Thank GOD Ledger still naps twice a day:)  We had babies sleeping in closets, one in the laundry room and Maren slept in the media room on the 3rd floor.  Babies everywhere...

And with 6 kids under 6, a Bob, a Bebo (Until Wednesday - Cleaners was calling:), 3 adult couples, and 2 extraordinary "nannies for the week" which are both nurses in real life (Score!), THERE WAS NEVER A DULL MOMENT....

I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Let's get this show ON THE ROAD!
 
Trying to keep this little dude entertained before take off was almost impossible.  He did like the planes though...
 
One flight down, one to go!
 
 And someone is STILL not asleep...
 
 Finally arrived...
 
 This is the front of 267 West Water is where we called home for the week.  It backed up to 30A and was magical!
 
 Didn't sleep the whole Uber ride from the airport to the house until the last two minutes - I kid you not.  PASSED OUT for the next hour - car seat and all.
 
 These two...  Be still my heart.  They are such great buddies.  Ellis and Ledger.  
Don't you even think about dropping some food on the floor with these two! 
Lightning speed human vacuum cleaners like you have never seen.
 
 If I could have stolen this oyster mirror in the foyer without being noticed, I would have.  It was to die for...
 
 Beautiful MJ waiting on the pizza...

My favorite two guys...

 There were lots of walks around town and to the beach...

 A quick day-date while Ledge napped!

 And LOTS of pool time...

 "This is AWESOME, Mom!"

 Ready to hit the beach!

 L wasn't quite sure at first...  He didn't like the sand on his hands and feet.  But by Tuesday, he was a pro!

I think Ledger gets his tan from his Daddy:)  He LOVED being slathered up daily with sunscreen, let me tell you!

One of my faves...

 Just a boy and his Bebo...

 And a Hodges Vacation is never complete without flinging bodies through the air somewhere, even into a pool!

 Even Ledger got dropped into the pool. YIKES!

 Cody and the little girls of the fam...

 Bob and Little Maren...

Slade, Ellis, and Briggsy...

"Seriously, back in THIS thing again?"

Playing frisbee with Daddy...  

 We have one of the most competitive family I may have ever seen...  The trash talking at the ping pong table was at an all-time high!

 Smores after bath time...

Boys of the family...  Minus Ledger.  Bedtime calls.

 Aunt Lindsey snuggles...

Love this little guy so much!

And these people.  Love doing life with them...

Tuesday night before Dad left, we had a family dinner at The Pearl without any children, toddlers or babies.  IT was glorious!  One of the best meals that I have ever had.  I highly recommend the restaurant at The Pearl.  

And no one wanted Bebo to leave, as you can see, especially this little guy.  Lots of tears from his best buddy Knox.  
But as you can tell, 'Vacation Bebo' was over and done.  It was back to Texas in his starched Wranglers, long-sleeved button down, and boots in 95 degree weather.  Bless him!

 Our sweet friends the Gerhardt's drove two hours from their beach house to come visit us!  We have so much fun catching up.  Didn't seem like it had been 6 months since we had last seen them.

The future Mr. and Mrs. Wainscott...

I mean you have to go for it, right!?  That grip.  YIKES!

And these two ladies are SAINTS.  SO patient, loving, and entertaining.  
We LOVE you Juliette and Kate!  YOU two are ROCK STARS.

 Sweet Kate, Juliette and Ledge.  Obviously, someone was tired and over pictures at this point in the trip.

Could stare at this view for the rest of my life and not ever grow tired of it, but back to reality it was.

What a great vacation with the people that I love the most in this crazy thing called life!


Happy June All~

~H