Myrtle Beach Pandemic Vacation - Day 3

 

Day 3 of our Myrtle Beach "Pandemic" Vacation was a relaxing one! Life is always GO GO GO for us at home, so we try to take it easy on vacation. In September, we took advantage of all the restrictions still in place, and just did our own thing at the beach. It ended up being one of our best beach vacations!

It was perfect, because we started each day slowly, spent our afternoons at the pool and the beach, ate dinner together as a family, took walks on the beach, and enjoyed late night swims. Although a few days were a bit more adventurous, day 3 was all about relaxing and just enjoying being at the beach. It truly is our happy place! 

I'm not quite sure what this month's vacation to the beach is going to be like, but we will definitely be adopting a few of those lazy days strategies. Slow mornings were new to us on this vacation, and we all agreed that it was exactly what we needed. Recapping this last trip from September is making us feel so excited for our upcoming family vacation!

Myrtle Beach Pandemic Vacation - Day 2

Our first full day at the Myrtle Beach was perfectly relaxing! We were just so thrilled to be back at our happy place, despite all the restrictions due to the pandemic. We weren't quite sure this trip was going to happen, and we were so grateful we were able to pull it together with just one month of planning!

Life is so busy with 5 kids, so when we go to the beach, we keep things low-key. We focus on simply relaxing, and spending uninterrupted time together as a family. We all love the beach, so just being there is enough for us!

Our trip involves slow mornings, hours spent at the beach and the pool, family dinners with the balcony doors open, evening strolls on the boardwalk, night walks on the beach, shell collecting, late night swims, sunrises, and relaxing on the balcony overlooking the beach. We try to plan one or two small outings or dinners, but we mostly love our beach days. Someday - someday - we will move there, or at least get a timeshare!

Myrtle Beach Family Vacation - Reminiscing About The Last Day

It has been almost one full year since our last family vacation. If you have been following along for a while, you already know it was a big one. While we were in Myrtle Beach, we found out we were expecting baby #5! And the rest is history...

My final Myrtle Beach family vacation recap got lost in my drafts folder during those 9 very long months of morning sickness, and those exhausting early days with a newborn. Because I tend to be very particular about some things, I can't just leave it hanging around in there. I have to finish my recap, or else it will bug me until I do!

Right now seemed like a good time to recap, and I found myself reminiscing as I finished writing this post. Sadly, we're not going to the beach this year, and it's my happy place. I'm very bummed (my husband and kids are, too), but traveling that far this year was going to be very tough. It's a combination of adulting, and having a new baby who DESPISES the car.

Every so often I want to say let's just do it, then I imagine being tethered by a breastfed baby who likes to eat all the time, while my 5 year old runs in the opposite direction toward danger, and I change my mind. Plus, 8-12 hours each way of Coen screaming would be rough. But I want to - I really want to - and if we didn't have to get a new SUV or pay for some home repairs, I would go anyway. So I'm just going to look through all of these pictures when I feel a longing for the beach, and count down the time until we can go back. (But not too fast, because my kids need to slow their grow!)

Here's what we did on the last day of our Myrtle Beach vacation, and on our trip home...

Diapering Essentials For At Home and On The Go

I received some of the items below as a complimentary gift. As always, I only share the items I truly love!

During the first year of your baby's life, you're going to be changing a LOT of diapers! Stocking up on diapering essentials can be overwhelming at first because there are so many brands and so many types of products. There are many products you won't need, but also quite a few products that will make this messy job quick and easy to do!

I have five children, and my diapering essentials list changed with each baby. Some products were simply a waste of money, and I never bought them again. I also discovered new products over the course of 14 1/2 years of parenthood. If you have the basics - diapers and wipes - you're set, but some extras just make the job easier!

Stock your changing area with these must have diapering essentials:

Travel Trays for Kids + 10 Mess-Free On The Go Items

*I received the Nuby cups for an honest review.

With five kids, we log in a lot of travel time in the car! Although we only go on a few road trips each year, we spend hours in the car each week driving our kids to school and activities. Like most older kids, Dylan and Lexie are glued to their phone and iPod, but our little ones get bored. Keeping a well stocked travel tray in our SUV helps us avoid hearing the dreaded "I'm bored!!!" while we're driving or waiting during sports and activities!

I've always kept my car stocked with road trip activities and snacks, but I had to pack a separate bag that we could take out of the car when we arrived at our destination. We ended up with so much stuff in our car. Then I won a travel tray from Kenley Kids in a giveaway, and it was truly a game changer! I honestly wish I had taken the plunge, and bought one sooner!

Not only does a travel tray hold all of our on the go essentials, but it also stores easily in the car, opens up into a convenient lap desk for on the go play, and can be carried like a bag to and from the car! It also has elastic pockets and zipper pouches to store cups, snacks, and toys, a convenient protective holder for a tablet, and a removable storage wall. It is the best car seat accessory for kids of all ages, and my young crew loves it!

Hopefully I convinced you to make your life as a parent a bit easier, and buy one (or two or three) for your kids. But what should you put IN the travel tray? Here are 10 Mess-Free On The Go Items for kids...

Family Pictures On The Beach & The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk

Our 6th day at Myrtle Beach was busy and fun! I take our family pictures every year on the beach, and it has become our tradition. We usually wait until the last day for our mini photo session, and end up scrambling to get them done, so we decided to move it up a day this year. It was a great decision! The session was still rushed as the light was fading, because I didn't realize how far of a walk down the boardwalk it was to our chosen spot, but I love how they turned out!

It was so hard to narrow down the 500+ pictures I took on day six, but I managed (somewhat). Now I know which pictures I want to print out for the Family Beach Pictures Gallery Wall that I have planned. (Yet another project to add to my mile-long to do list!)

Although most of the pictures are from our family photoshoot, I also wanted to share a few fun moments from our day at the pool and on the boardwalk!

Living the Beach Life

I made it my goal to complete our Myrtle Beach Family Vacation Recap within 3 months of our trip ending. I had to be reasonable, considering I'm currently growing a tiny human who is incredibly worth it, but making me so sick every single day! I wasn't able to mention it before breaking the news, but we actually figured out we were expecting shortly after we arrived in Myrtle Beach. I'll save THAT story for another day!

We're quickly moving toward that 3 month mark, but I'm so close to finishing! Only three more days to go after this one. I just need to make my way through 1,000 more pictures. For now, I'm keeping this throwback thursday post short and sweet today...

Myrtle Beach Family Vacation

It happens every year. Summer lasts well into October, and I find myself wishing for Fall to arrive. Once it does, it hits with full force. We don't have transitional weather in Pittsburgh anymore. We go straight from 80+ degree weather to 50 degree weather overnight! Now I find myself wishing we were back in Myrtle Beach, enjoying family time and gorgeous beach weather!

If you've been following along, I already posted a recap of our road trip to the beach on Liam's 5th Birthday, and our second day in Myrtle Beach, along with our favorite tips for vacationing at the beach with kids! If not, I included those links at the bottom of the post. I'm determined to finish the complete recap by Thanksgiving, unlike last year's vacation, which took an entire year to finish. Going through thousands of vacation photos is a daunting task!

Here's what we did on day 3 and day 4 of our Myrtle Beach Family Vacation...

Down For Adventure in Myrtle Beach (+ TIPS)

Every Summer, we go on a family vacation to the beach. We always go to Virginia Beach, but this year, we decided to switch things up a bit and try a different place! So on Liam's birthday in late August, we packed our SUV to capacity, piled in, and headed to Myrtle Beach for a week of family fun!

I already recapped Liam's birthday, and our road trip to the beach. We decided after just a few hours of being there that we loved Myrtle Beach just as much, if not more than, Virginia Beach. Our first full day was so lovely, that I can't help but wish we were back in paradise right now!

Virginia Beach: The Final Recap

It's hard to believe the final Virginia Beach recap I'm posting took place almost a year ago to date. I didn't intend for that to happen, but life got in the way of blogging about vacation. I wanted to finish it before this year's vacation, and I hope to be more timely with that recap!

Speaking of this year's vacation, as this post goes live, we will be preparing for our trip to the beach! We're leaving very early Saturday morning, which also happens to be Liam's 5th Birthday. Spending 12+ hours in the car isn't exactly the best way to spend a birthday, but he will be spending the evening of his birthday on the beach! (Hopefully that will make up for it.) We're all looking forward to spending a fun, relaxing week together at the beach!

For now, let's go back to almost exactly one year ago today...it was day seven of our Virginia Beach vacation, and it was Liam's 4th Birthday...

Family Fun at Virginia Beach {Day Six}

We are less than two weeks away from our next family vacation, and I have yet to finish recapping our last trip. I took so many pictures during the last three days in Virginia Beach that I have to break it into two posts, but I'm determined to finish the recap over the next week! Although I do want to share our family trip, it was honestly very low on my list of priorities over the past year!

We absolutely love Virginia Beach, and have gone there the past few years, but we opted for a different beach this year. We're excited, but looking back at all the fun pictures makes me regret that just a bit! If only we could plan TWO beach vacations each Summer...or just move to the beach!

8 Fun FREE Things To Do With Kids In Virginia Beach

We are about 5 1/2 weeks away from our next family vacation to the beach! After spending the past few years in Virginia Beach, we opted to visit a different beach this year. We are really excited to explore a new vacation spot with our family, but we are going to miss spending time at one of our favorite places!

I know this is ridiculous, but I never managed to finish up my vacation recap from last year! I just take so many pictures, and it turns out to be a daunting task. The busyness of life took over, and sharing our trip got pushed to the side. I do want to finish it before our next vacation, so I decided to break the last half of our trip into several separate posts.

As I was glancing through the pictures from Day 5 of our trip, I realized that we spent the day taking advantage of all the fun free activities Virginia Beach has to offer! They also happen to be our favorite things to do while we're there. So rather than just recapping our day, I wanted to share 8 fun free things to do with kids in Virginia Beach, just in case you happen to visit there one day! (And I highly recommend you do!)

Down For Adventure in Virginia Beach - Day 4 {Travel With Kids}

Life in a big family is always an adventure! Vacation is no different. Two parents + Four Kids + 1 Extra Chromosome + Our Favorite Beach Vacation Spot = Extra Fun Family Adventures!

Life with Littles: February Moments & Memories

I love the month of February! It arrives with the promise of Winter being halfway over, and is usually full of fun events for my family. This February was even more exciting than usual! It began with a fun mini getaway for my family, and ended with a new puppy!

Travel with Kids: Family Fun at Cedar Point's Castaway Bay Indoor Waterpark Resort + GIVEAWAY

DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored by Castaway Bay, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Last week, my family and I left Pittsburgh, and made the easy 2 1/2 hour trip to nearby Sandusky, Ohio, for two days of family fun at Cedar Point's Castaway Bay Indoor Waterpark Resort! The timing was perfect for a trip with kids. The winter blues were kicking in, and what better way to chase them away than by escaping to a fun, tropical-themed water park?!?

We Went On A Family Trip...And Left One of Our Kids At Home

Before we became parents, there were so many things my husband and I said we would NEVER do as parents. Even after we had children, we still had quite a few things on that never list. We quickly learned to never say never because life happens. And this weekend we did something on our never list...we went on a family trip and left one of our children at home!

A Day Trip With Liam {Life with Down syndrome}

When we brought Liam home from the hospital after his birth, there was no time to relax. With three older children, we were living a very busy life, and as the 4th child, Liam was along for the ride. He got used to life on the go when he was just a few days old! That has been our life for the past 4 years, and the truth is, Down syndrome was only a little hiccup on our parenthood journey. There simply wasn't time for it to be anything more!

Virginia Beach Family Vacation Diary: Day 3

It's time to take a break from my regularly scheduled blog content, and go back a few months in time to our Virginia Beach family vacation! We just might have had a 61 degree day yesterday, but the winter blues are hitting hard, and we are in the midst of the coldest, snowiest Winter we've had in years. I am counting down the days until we're back on the beach this Summer!

Virginia Beach Family Vacation Days 1 & 2

A few days ago, we returned from our family vacation in Virginia Beach! It was a great way to conclude our Summer Break, but we were immediately thrown back into reality when we arrived home. Not only did 4 out of 6 of us come down with a virus, but we also had only 3 days to prepare for the first day of school, all while unpacking!

Reality hits TODAY. Today is the day when 3 of my 4 kids head back to school. And this year, Dylan starts school over an hour earlier than last year. His bus picks him up at 6:43 AM, so our new wake up time is 6 AM (a full hour and a half earlier)! I'm dreading the start of the new structured routine, and already missing the beach!

Although I can't go back (until next Summer), I can share my favorite pictures, and reminisce about all the fun we had!

VIRGINIA BEACH DAY 1

We left Pittsburgh shortly after 6 AM on Saturday. Every inch of our SUV was packed full of our belongings, including the cargo rack on top, and everybody was excited for the week ahead! We stopped for gas, then began the 8 hour drive to Virginia Beach!

The drive was relatively uneventful. The kids were well-behaved, we took a (longer) more scenic route which Grant preferred, and although we hit a bit of rain and some traffic, we made it to Virginia Beach exactly when we expected.

Unfortunately, even though our cargo box was within the vehicle clearance, we found that it wasn't quite the case on every level of our hotel's parking garage! Grant had to pull over, we had to unload the cargo box, place everything on Dylan's seat in the SUV,  then remove the cargo box so Grant could park. Dylan and I ended up carrying it up several levels and into our suite.

This was our first time staying somewhere different, and although the hotel was nice and had an amazing view, it was a deal breaker for next year!

SO...everybody was exhausted from the long drive and unloading our belongings, but we still had to go to dinner, and buy some drinks and snacks for the week. Some of us couldn't quite make it through the shopping trip...

When we returned to the hotel, it was almost dark, but I promised the kids that we would go for a quick swim in the ocean. It wasn't exactly the best lighting for pictures, but my entire crew was thrilled to be reunited with the ocean again!

Once we returned to our suite, dried off and changed clothes, we hit our favorite spot: The Virginia Beach Boardwalk! The hotel we stayed in was oceanfront, and our balcony overlooked everything, so we had easy access!

We had a fun first night in Virginia Beach!

VIRGINIA BEACH DAY 2

We slept great, and woke up early on our first full day in Virginia Beach! After getting some breakfast, we spent some time on our balcony drinking hot tea and coffee, and just admiring our favorite view!

Everybody was excited about our first day spent on the beach! We loaded up our new beach cart and headed down to the beach! (If you don't have one, GET one. It's a must have for beach vacations! We have THIS ONE.)

After spending some time splashing in the ocean, all four kids played together in the sand. Burying each other in the sand is one of the first things they like to check off their lists!

They even found a little friend while they were digging!

This is one of my favorite pictures! Liam's expression is hilarious, but I assure you, he didn't mind that much!

The kids had a great time at the beach, but before long, it was time for Liam to take a nap. Grant took him back to our suite, and Dylan and Lexie joined them.

 Lily, who is a beach bum just like her mama, stayed on the beach with me!

Although we could have stayed on the beach until dark, we had to head back to the hotel to shower and get ready for dinner.

That evening, we went to our favorite restaurant in Virginia Beach: Raven! The food is delicious in this local pub-style restaurant, it's affordable for a large family, and all the kids meals are served on souvenir frisbees!

It was such a beautiful night, that we took our time walking back to our hotel. And Grant officially fell in love with baby wearing Liam in our amazing Lillebaby CarryOn! (Stay tuned for more about this carrier, which is made for older kids up to 60 lbs!)

Since it was a Sunday evening, my Game of Thrones-obsessed husband had to watch the new episode. I opted to watch it later with him, and took the kids for a swim in the indoor pool instead! (Oh, but that episode was SO good! Probably my favorite episode ever.)

We made it back to our suite just in time to watch one of the weekly fireworks displays from our balcony!

After watching the fireworks, we went for a long stroll on the boardwalk. Dylan rode his hoverboard, the girls rode their scooters, and Liam escaped the stroller and ran (barefoot of course)!

We headed back to our suite around midnight and everyone got ready for bed. Liam opted to forgo his travel crib, and sleep on the pull out couch with Dylan, instead! Everybody fell asleep quickly after a long, but very fun day!

Our first two days in Virginia Beach were memorable and so much fun, but there was plenty more fun to come throughout the week! It took over 2,000 pictures, and because it's so tough to narrow my favorites down, I'll be breaking our recap into several posts. Stay tuned for days 3 and 4 of our Virginia Beach Family Vacation!

Now excuse me while I cry because three of my kids are gone all day and Summer Break is officially over...



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