4xfaithful: Our Beach Vacation

My absolute favorite place to be is on the beach. Add my best friend (aka- husband) + my 2 favorite preschoolers = Best. Vacation. Ever.

Following are an absurd amount of beach vacay photos, and of course this is all of like 2% of all that I took. Good thing my family loves me despite.

And thanks again to my wonderful grandparents that let us use their condo on the Gulf!

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Cuban Daddy and the kids feeling the sand btwn their toes for the first time this year:

I loved the cornrows K rocked the first couple of days we were there. I had my mom do them the day before we left. They were so easy to keep & it was just fun to do something different.

Unfortunately, these pics were taken 'at their worst'...I took them out the next morning.

"K, don't get your clothes wet yet."

I think this is about as close as he can get.

All boy. Scooping and throwing sand into the ocean. Over. And. Over.

We chose 'beach' or 'pool' each morning/day, occasionally getting to do a little of both.

Check out this water and sand!!!

K's face. Ahahaha!

Daddy always took turns taking them out to jump waves. Dads are so fun.

My loves.

We often went to a super fun outdoor mall area, complete with Carnival-type rides.

Of course we had to play!

One of my tricks: Dressing them alike helps me keep up with them.

One day, I'll need 4 turquoise shirts... Eeee! :)

They're so fun!

Surfer boy

One of our favorite beaches there is at a jetty. SO perfect for little kids!!

...and this was the most crowded we had ever seen this beach. Memorial Day week brought the crowd.

I was *allowed* (ha) 2 nights on the beach to take all the pics I want. Thankful my family obliges!

G took this:

Possibly some of my favorite pics of them...ever!

I'm a sucker for 'sunset on the beach'

Little Bit, G, turned 5 while we were there!

The morning of, she woke up to a few gifts from us, a balloon, and the annual 'birthday banner' on the back of the chair. (Which I made with a pillowcase. I used the matching pillowcase to create a special bday one that they sleep on the Eve of their birthday. They LOVE this tradition!)

She's 5!!!

She gets these gift-open expressions naturally.

Doesn't she, Noni?!

We usually do pancakes in the shape of the number/age they are. A little difficult at the condo, so we settled on a treat - mini powdered donuts w/ a "5" candle! Obviously, they were okay w/ this compromise.

We told her she could choose on her birthday: pool or beach.

Pool it is!

(She always starts w/ floaties, but about 1/2 way thru each day, she goes without)

Cuban Daddy has proven to be a great swim coach to the kids! They always make great strides when practicing 'going underwater' with Daddy.

Picnic birthday lunch at the pool

After naps, we headed to the spot I explained earlier. They had been asking for days to get to do this:

It was K's first bungee experience, and he really liked it. This is maybe the 3rd time for G.

She LOVES it. She was practicing her backflips.

They also rode the planes together. She's quite the little daredevil when it comes to rides, always wanting them to go "higher" and "faster"!

This cracks me up.

There wasn't a whole lot K could do (being 3 yrs & under 40" tall), but we discovered this little 'Merry Go 'Round' of sorts...with cars. There were firetrucks (he loves), police cars (he loves), trucks (he loves), and this pink car. We told him to go pick one and climb on (he was the only kid riding)...and yep. The pink car.

You should've seen CD's face. Funny!

You make that look cool, buddy.

G's birthday dinner out

...and they brought free dessert.

B/c the chocolate cake I had at the condo for after dinner wasn't enough.

Aye.

My beautiful, sweet, kind, loving, thoughtful, smart, silly, talented little baby.

How are you 5?

My other allotted 'beach pic night' =)

Nope, I didn't pose them. This was all them!:

They really are the best of friends. I always wanted my children close together - in age and in relationship. I'm so thankful they have such a special bond!