Back from Vacation: Part 2

After an already packed weekend, we left for the beach on Saturday morning. We had torrential rain all the way down, which was both unusual and sort of depressing, plus rain all day Sunday, but the sky cleared and we had gorgeous weather for the rest of the week.

  Thanks to my sister, I did have a maternity swimsuit to wear.

 

While still in manuscript form, my mom's book has been bound into several copies, so just about all of us spent the week reading through and doing lots of discussing. Let me tell you, it is a fantastic story.

We did a lot of fighting over this little one too.

There's no denying that she was the center of attention this year!

Why yes, those are burgers the size of a man's head! Ross and Sam decided this was the year to challenge a Jetty Giant each. I'll spare you the gory details, but here's how it went down:

Feeling motivated. 

Making progress.

Slowing way down.

The cold sting of defeat. After the one hour time limit, they managed to finish all but the bun (which was actually a whole loaf of bread).

But they made up for it by digging an enormous tunnel...

..and then crawling through it...

...and destroying it.

There were also movies, card games, ice cream nights, more reading, relaxing at the pool, dinner out at our favorite beach-side and harbor-side restaurants, playing with kiddos, sunset walks on the beach - basically perfection.

Last night at the beach.

Goodbye until next year!

After getting back to Georgia, we had dinner with Sam's family and older brother who was back in town from the Middle East, then were lulled to sleep that night by the sweet sound of cicadas and crickets outside our bedroom window.

I was NOT happy to leave. In fact, I may or may not have had an emotional breakdown as our plane took off for Utah. Every year it just gets harder. I want so much to live near family and call the South my home again.

Also, flying is terrible now. The ugly truth about air travel while pregnant: 

Ankles become nonexistent.

After getting a surprise work holiday today for Pioneer Day, I've been happily unpacking lots of adorable baby things and loaned maternity clothes and looking forward to the fall. Since I have her arrival to look forward to and prepare for, it makes the slow end of summer so much easier.