Hello and happy Wednesday! How is the week treating you?! So far, so good for us. We’re still recovering from a busy weekend and now getting things accomplished that we didn’t have time for over the weekend.
It’s the second Wednesday of the month, so I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for this month’s edition of Let’s Look.
When I saw this topic, I immediately remembered a post I wrote a few years ago where I recapped some of our favorite vacation spots.
In that post, I included this “bucket list”:
New York – I’d shared that we had a full trip planned in 2020 for spring break only to have to cancel it due to Covid. Trav and I have been to New York (before we met), so it’s been a while ago, obviously. We just thought it would be a fun spot to take the kids especially now that they are older. We have some possible short term plans for NYC.
DC was also on that list. Again, not necessarily a bucket list item in that it’s a luxurious spot, but just an important place that we felt like the kids would enjoy. Well, we can check that box, because, as you know, we went to DC for spring break 2024. Truly, though, I’d love to go back. There’s so much we didn’t get to see.
Pacific NW – This is another box we’ve checked since I wrote that post. Last summer, we went to Oregon mainly for the Olympic track trials, but we did so much more than that. We started in Oregon and ended our PNW trip in Washington.
Mexico was also on the list. Trav and I went there twenty years ago for our honeymoon, and then we took the kids there the summer after 6th grade. Mexico did not disappoint. The travel to get there was pretty easy, the all inclusive resort was nice, and we had plenty of time to relax.
So, still on the list are:
Hawaii – and while this destination remains on my list, it’s probably the one I would rank as the lowest priority.
Nantucket – Maybe one day!
Europe – London, Paris, Italy, Greece
BVI – The British Virgin Islands look like a lovely place to relax!
One addition – I’m intrigued by Costa Rica, so I will add that to the list.
Something about summer always makes me think about travel. We really don’t have any major travel plans this summer, and honestly, that’s ok too! I appreciate the time at home just as much as the time away at this point in my life.
What a blessing it’s been to check some of these destinations off our list.
Yesterday, I shared a quick recap of our spring break trip to Isle of Palms, SC.
As I started to unpack, I do what I’ve been doing at the end of most trips…putting together what I actually wore to show myself that those outfits would fit in a smaller suitcase…and then I keep telling myself that maybe one day I won’t over-pack on a trip. That being said, I pack a medium suitcase, so it’s not like I go completely overboard. I still swear by packing cubes to keep me organized and free up some space in my suitcase.
I do have a few packing lists that I use depending on where I’m going, and I update those lists once I return. I also give a list to the kids, but they tend to be pretty minimal as to how much they pack. Most the time we are traveling by car, so I don’t feel bad having my medium sized suitcase.
Once I pulled out the clothes I did wear, I tossed them in this laundry basket because I wanted to snap pics in the outfits.
Maybe in the future, I can use this laundry basket as a gauge on whatever fits in the basket will fit in a smaller suitcase!
The condo we stayed in didn’t have a full length mirror and this Fashion Files idea only came to me once I went to unpack my suitcase. Please forgive my hair in most of these pics as I snapped them after my Saturday morning workout.
I’m linking up with Kellyann and Jill for Fashion Files.
I wanted to be comfortable. I wore a pair of my SSYS scallop hem leggings, my Amazon sandals, black SSYS tank and Amazon cardigan. (This “apricot” color cardigan was a new purchase…I now own it in four colors, and I love it so much! This cardigan was actually the MVP of the trip as I wore it the most!)
In regards to the sandals, I’ve had them for almost four years, and I wear them more than my actual Birkenstocks. I think I will buy another rose gold pair this summer as these have been worn so much that a new pair is probably a good idea. (I did size up to a 10 from my regular size 9)
For dinner that night, I wore my black SSYS Sophia set and the same tan cardigan. These sandals are from Target last year, and they are the “nicer” pair that I turn to the most for wearing when “dressing up” a bit.
Tuesday:
For my Tuesday morning walk, I just wore the same leggings and black tank from the drive on Monday as well as a sweatshirt.
For time on the beach, I wore an Amazon swimsuit that I’ve had forever (This seems to be the same one, but with more patterns), an Amazon cover up (I did size up to an XL in case it shrinks a bit in the wash), Havaianas rose gold flip flops from Nordstrom (I have two pairs of these, and have had them for years), and my hat is from Etsy.
For dinner with friends, I wore this dress from Target that I’ve had for a couple of years, the tan cardigan, and Target sandals.
Wednesday:
For my Wednesday morning walk, I wore SSYS leggings and SSYS long sleeve frill neck top. My Nike Air Maxes aren’t my usual walking shoes, but I brought them because they are my faves to wear with leggings.
On Wednesday morning, Hadley and I went out for breakfast (well, more like brunch!). I came home from the walk a bit sweaty, so I changed into navy SSYS scallop leggings, an over-sized Amazon t-shirt, my SSYS “shacket,” Amazon sandals and my Coach cross body purse.
Later that afternoon, my friend and I walked around a few shops and got a drink and I wore the same leggings and a sweatshirt I brought.
Once back to the condo, I showered and put on this outfit (SSYS leggings and tank, Amazon cardigan) to hang out on the balcony and read for a bit.
For dinner, I wore my new Amazon short sleeve sweater, Old Navy kick flare pants, SSYS shacket, and Target sandals. (Y’all – I only paid $14 for both of my sweaters, but a couple of colors are $9.99! This is such a great closet staple!)
Thursday:
For my Thursday morning walk, I wore SSYS leggings, pink SSYS frill neck tank and Target scuba material jacket.
Thursday was the best beach day. I wore my Amazon one shoulder swimsuit under my Amazon cover up. For this trip, I did buy a new beach hat. I still love my Nordstrom one that I’ve had for years, but this was does have a strap…
…which is sometimes needed with the beach winds!
Also, my Amazon sunnies are still my favorite shades to wear. Plus, if I lose them, they are very inexpensive to replace!
For dinner, I wore this SSYS dress along with the MVP of the trip…my cardigan!
I wore the same strappy Target sandals that I wore with “nicer” outfits.
Friday drive home:
For the drive home, I wore my Old Navy kick flare pants and my new “Charleston” sweatshirt, as well as my Amazon Birks. I like to be comfy on car rides.
This photo is actually me right when I got home, started unpacking, and thought to myself “I wish I had documented what I wore on vacay!” haha
In this post, I am missing an outfit or two–but just shorts for lounging, a sweatshirt, and my other pair of Old Navy kick flare pants. Also, I packed three pairs of PJs, but only wore two. While it’s obvious that I packed enough clothes and didn’t really repeat an outfit, I do wish I’d packed this set. It would have been perfect for walking around the shops and just hanging out on the condo balcony.
Our condo did have a washer and dryer, so we did laundry before we came home. It was nice to open our suitcases and just put clean clothes away.
What about you? Are you a good packer? I am glad that my kids seem to not over-pack, so I’m the only one with suitcase issues.
Signed, a permanent over-packer,
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Today, I’m sharing a little vacay recap about our time in Isle of Palms, SC last week.
We’ve been to IOP a few times through the years, but the last time we were here was summer of 2021. The Charleston area is a pretty easy drive from Lexington, and I do think Isle of Palms is such a pretty area.
Hadley left for Charleston on Saturday of break, and she had a couple of fun days with friends before we arrived.
Travis had the “all clear” to go out of town a couple of days after his surgery. He was just under strict orders – no hot tub, pool or ocean. I did drive most of the nine hour drive, and we arrived at our condo around 5:00. It was so cute!
…and had a great view!
It was pretty blustery on Monday, so we had some time to unpack and get the lay of the land.
That evening, our friends brought Hadley to us, and we hung out for a bit before heading to dinner at Acme Low Country Kitchen. It was a great seafood meal!
Our friends headed back to Charleston, and we went back to the condo and watched the NCAA Championship basketball game before going to bed.
Tuesday morning, I woke up to this view:
And…I’d slept solidly for over eight hours. I really didn’t realize how exhausted I was. From being worried about Trav’s surgery to being up early on Saturday to get Hadley going to driving most of the nine hours on Monday, I was thankful for some solid sleep! I slept great all four nights we were there!
Anyway, I spotted Trav outside and we had breakfast.
Coffee with this view was something I won’t take for granted.
I really wanted to make sure I got my steps in while on vacay, so Trav and I went for a walk, and then I went a bit further and closer to the water.
Then, it was a beach day! In my family, I’m the one who likes the beach the most. That being said, I love the view…and am fine not getting in the water.
When we decided on this trip, we knew we’d be rolling the dice a bit in regards the air temp. The week before we were there, IOP was in the 80’s, but for the three days were were there, it was 70 degrees. There was also more of a wind than I was expecting, but Tuesday and Thursday were great!
Hadley joined me on the beach for a bit, and then our friends who were staying in Charleston made a beach afternoon of the day.
Hayden’s never been the biggest fan of the beach, and this trip confirmed it for us. I had to convince him to come down and hang with us…he brought a golf club and some golf balls and chipped around the beach.
Again, another reason we chose this location was we knew we had friends nearby, Hayden could golf, and we could all kind of do whatever we preferred during the day. And, with the condo’s great location, even sitting on the balcony or in the living room and seeing the water provided a different view for a few days.
My friend and I had a 5:00 marg!
…and the sun started to set a bit.
On fall break, it’s dark by 6, so it was nice to have more daylight for longer on this trip. That being said, sunsets over the Atlantic aren’t the same as sunsets over the Gulf…but I’m not complaining!
We met friends for dinner at Islander 71. We’d never been there, but the food was great and the restaurant had wonderful views of the water. My kids have known these kids since they were five, and while they go to different schools, they live in our neighborhood…and it only took us going on vacay to have dinner with them twice! haha
Wednesday morning started with coffee and breakfast and then another walk.
It was pretty windy this day, so I walked on the beach for a bit before finishing my walk inland looking at all the pretty houses. Maybe one day I’ll hit the jackpot!
This pink flamingo house understood the assignment!
Trav took Hayden golfing, so it was just Hadley and me for breakfast. I’d spotted the Sea BiscuitCafe, and texted Hadley to see if she wanted to got there for breakfast. I walked back to our condo as she was getting up, and we headed that way.
As we walked in, I realized it was cash only…and thought I had to go back to the condo for money. Well, I turned around to see an ATM in their parking lot. haha How convenient…I bet that gets used a lot.
We had a great breakfast…
…and then explored a few shops before our friends arrived at the condo.
The friends staying in Charleston had planned on going home on Wednesday, but the girls convinced the adults that they should stay an extra day. We had space, so they checked out of their hotel and headed our way.
Trav said Hayden played well on a tough course. He almost made his first eagle.
With such a windy day, we actually didn’t do too much in the afternoon. We hung out for a bit, sat outside, and then we walked around for a bit.
Then, it was dinner time, so we headed to Mt. Pleasant for pizza followed by ice cream on Sullivan’s Island.
After that, we came back and played a couple of rounds of Play Nine.
Thursday morning, the other family headed out early…so early and so quietly, that I didn’t hear them leave!
Like the other mornings, we just eased into the day.
Trav took the kids for a workout at a nearby track while I went for my walk.
Then, Hayden settled in for the day to watch the Masters golf tournament. He’s really into golf lately.
Meanwhile, I headed to the beach. We walk past the pool to go to the beach, and I realized the pool was heated!
I always pick up a couple of seashells when we go on a beach vacay, and I have a glass jar in our sun room where I keep them as a nice memento of our beach trips.
Trav had ordered me an umbrella for the day. Our condo came with a credit, so we had four beach chairs (not the fancy ones…just normal fold out ones) for our stay as well as two bikes. I needed the umbrella because I’d gotten a little bit too much sun on Tuesday…and I knew I wanted to stay out there as much as possible on our last full day.
On spring break, I finished reading a book, got about halfway through another book, and even finished listening to a book! That’s my kind of relaxation!
I got up every once in a while to walk by the water…truly, one of my favorite things to do!
Hadley and Trav joined me on the beach, and Hadley snapped a couple of pics.
I stayed at the beach from 11-5 or so, and then came back to the condo to shower and hang out for a bit before heading out to dinner.
The kids let me snap a pic…
…and thanks to Hadely’s selfie skills, we got a great family photo with a pretty backdrop!
I was thankful we got a few family pics when convenient as I don’t think my kids will fully understand how much I treasure capturing those moments.
Then, we headed to Sullivan’s Island to go to the highly recommended Mex 1 for dinner with our friends from night 2!
The tacos and pineapple marg hit the spot!
Love this sign!
We did go get ice cream before saying bye to our friends for the evening. We’ll see them back at home soon, I’m sure. Once we were back at the condo, we took about thirty minutes to tidy up and pack up. Then, “forced family fun” with a game of Play Nine. So many of our friends love and play this game. It’s a good one if you need an Easter basket idea! We also love Racko.
Then, it was bedtime!
Friday morning, we set our alarms for seven. Trav was ready to roll, and I told him to slow his roll! I wanted one more cup of coffee on the balcony enjoying the sunrise.
We packed up and headed out around 8:15.
Until next time…
We had a pretty easy drive home. Another perk of Lex to IOP is that it’s around a nine hour drive (stops, included). So, we were home by 6, and I was mostly unpacked and settled by 8.
Tomorrow, I plan on sharing what I wore on vacay, and have now added another sweatshirt to my stack! I couldn’t resist this “Charleston” one even though I wish it said “Isle of Palms.”
Like most trips we’ve taken, this is just what we needed. If Trav hadn’t had surgery, this probably would have been a Sunday to Friday trip, but having the weekends on either end of our spring break is my preference, and provides us with a good mix of downtime and productivity. Also, I think I’ve done a good job “managing my expectations” through the years…and now that the kids are older, I kind of let them do whatever their preferences are, but with that, I get my down time with my toes in the sand and an ocean view.
If we had one more day, we would have made it to Charleston. This is the first time we’ve gone to SC and not going to Charleston for shopping or dinner. That’s ok; I know we’ll be back!
Well, all good things must come to an end. Today is our last day of spring break. Of course, we have the weekend left, and I need it!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week.
The first favorite is that we’re a week out from Trav’s surgery, and he’s doing great. He’d been having A-fib episodes, so we’re hoping the heart ablation will put those at bay. My friends were a huge help last Friday…from school pick up, track meet drop off, dinner and cookie deliveries, prayers, and texts, we felt the love and support.
Now, on to spring break…
This week, we spent a few days in one of our favorite places…Isle of Palms, SC (and the Charleston area). This vacation was only a “go” if Trav was feeling up to it, and it worked out for us to leave for SC on Monday.
We had friends who’d planned on staying in Charleston, so Hadley rode down with them last Saturday, so she’s had a couple of extra days of fun.
It was pretty blustery when we arrived on Monday afternoon, but by Tuesday, the sun was shining and it was less windy.
I’m sure I will do a more formal recap although with being there three full days, we didn’t do a ton and tried to relax as much as possible.
We’ve been to this area a few times through the years. The last time we were here was 2021, and it’s been great to be back.
Here are a few favorite pics from the week:
Coffee with a view.
Fun with friends:
…and family…
Sunshine & reading:
Favorite Mom Meme:
Turns out kids don’t pick up after themselves on vacation either 🤣
On this trip, the kids each had their own rooms and they definitely settled in like they were at home. Haha
They’ll help get everything picked up and tidy before we leave today.
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
We’ve visited Folly Beach/Isle of Palms/Charleston quite a times through the years. This pic from our first visit with the kids in 2011 will always be a fave. I actually have it in a little frame in the kids’ bathroom.
Our monthly Share Our Lives link up is on Monday. This month’s topic is…creative outlets/free time. We’d love for you to link up with us and/or read our posts.
Well, while it did feel like a long wait for our spring break to arrive, now it’s mid-April with about six weeks of school left! I’m grateful for the weekend to get my suitcase unpacked, do laundry, meal plan and prep for the week ahead.
I treat this blog as a journal of sorts, and I like to capture the big and little moments in our family.
Like he did in middle school, once high school cross country season wrapped up, Hayden started his club season. He continued training and ran two races in November.
LW Memorial Distance Festival:
Hayden’s club puts on the Lloyd White Memorial Distance Festival in honor of Trav’s dad. The club director is our nephew who is a professional runner and trains runners throughout Kentucky.
This was the fourth year for this race, and there were 150 more runners than last year’s race. It’s been fun to see this race grow through the years.
There have been years where it was frigid, but this evening was pretty nice.
All the fam waiting for Hayden’s race.
I’m proud of Hayden as he asked to be put in a faster heat to be pushed a bit. This was his first 3200 as a high schooler.
My action pictures aren’t the best. Usually we watch from the stands, but we were down on the field by the track to take a family picture after Hayden’s race.
Thankfully, there was a professional photographer on site!
Hayden ran an amazing race. He ran :56 seconds faster than his last 3200 as an 8th grader. He was really happy with his run!
We snapped a quick whole family pic right as the girl’s race started. It turned out really nice. I know Trav’s dad is proud of all of his kids are grandkids!
Since Hayden was in a good mood after his race, we got some pictures. haha
…with his cousin/coach, Trav, and Mamaw!
Our tradition after the race is to eat at Boombozz pizza near campus and then head back to Lex.
Once we were home, I got a pic of Hayden in his Lloyd White race shirt. He was a tired but happy kid!
Foot Locker South Regional Race:
There are four regional Foot Locker races, and this year, Hayden ran in the south region race in Charlotte, NC.
Due to Hurricane Helene, the highway that’s the more direct route to Charlotte was inaccessible, so we had to go a different route. Since the goal was for him to run the course on Friday for a workout and to get familiar with the course, we left on Thursday after Thanksgiving in Louisville in order to be there with time to spare..
We left our house around 6:00 and drove to Beckley, WV. We arrived at our hotel around 9:00 and settled in for the night.
The next morning, we headed out around 9:00, and drove the rest of the way to Charlotte.
After we got settled in our hotel, Travis and Hayden went to the course. Hadley saw the mall next door, and wanted to use her Sephora gift card that was burning a hole in her pocket!
We walked around the outdoor shopping center before making our way to the mall.
Shew! It was busy (obviously!), but we walked around, stopped in a few stores, and then Hadley used her gift card. We took one look at the massive amount of people in the food court, and decided to eat at the Mexican restaurant by our hotel.
The walk to the restaurant was festive!
We shared this taco plate and watched the Chiefs game that had just started.
Then, we headed back to the hotel to rest for a bit. Once Travis and Hayden got back from the course, they went to the same restaurant…for the same reasons…they were hungry and the Chiefs game was on!
While Hadley hung in the hotel room, I met them and enjoyed a marg…and a Chiefs win!
Then, we had some downtime in the hotel for a bit. After that, of course, Hayden needed to “carb load” before his race the next day. We drove to “Little Mama’s,” and it did not disappoint!
Hayden got chicken Alfredo, Travis and I split this pasta…
…while Hadley reached her protein goal for the day with one meatball!! Travis helped her eat some of her spaghetti. The meatball was really good!
We headed back to the hotel to hang out and go to bed at a decent time before our early 6 am wake up call.
Once we got to the course, Hadley and I sat in the car for a bit since it was 40 degrees outside. Hayden’s race was a 8:30, so it was early and cold.
Travis told me he put my chair to the right of the Foot Locker guy. Well, that was easy to spot!
Ready to run!
My spot during the race was right by this pretty lake. This was a tough course with lots of running happening in the woods. Hadley and Travis went to a few spots to see him. I saw him run by around the halfway point and this was also at the finish.
I could tell when he came by the first time, that he was hanging in there but discouraged.
Hadley sent me a couple of pics…
…and then we were all at the finish to cheer him on.
You just never know how a race will go. Even with all the preparation, sometimes a race doesn’t go your way. (Or so they say…I don’t run. haha!) Hayden was disappointed with his performance and time, but this race includes the best runners in the region. The top 36 received medals, and that ended up putting a smile on his face and some peace with how he ended the season.
Charlotte is such a cute city! I guess this might be a yearly race, so maybe we’ll be there sooner rather than later.
This memory of Hayden running an AAU race two years ago popped up in my Facebook memories. He’s still running…and doing what he loves to do.
I know I share a lot about Hayden’s times and achievements, but as you’d expect, Travis and I are most impressed with his dedication to his training and that he is a good teammate.
He’s been running six days a week for quite some time. He wakes up early on the weekend and on vacations when most teens would be sleeping in. He stretches and foam rolls. I joke that he he has more appointments than any of us as he goes to physical therapy, takes ice baths, and even does compression therapy to increase his blood circulation and for recovery.
I wondered how his freshman season would go. I truly didn’t know he’d run varsity…and I definitely didn’t know how intense varsity races are. Obviously, he’s running a longer distance (3.1 miles) than in middle school, upperclassmen are bigger and stronger and there are more runners in the races. He’s been pushed and spiked in races, but he doesn’t give up even when a race isn’t going according to plan.
He accomplished quite a bit this season, but I know he has goals for next year too. As a freshman, I’m sure he had some nerves for most races, so hopefully he will continue to settle in next year.
On another note –Hadley started track workouts this week, and she’s sore! Hayden’s giving his legs a rest after running over 1,100 miles in 2024! He will join Hadley in the track workouts soon enough.
TGIF! After being sick at the end of last week, this full week of school sure did feel like a long one. That being said, it was nice to get back into a routine!
Thanks to being sick and just life being busy, I haven’t recapped our trip to 30A for fall break.
I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites...
…for a little…
This is our third year of having a full week for fall break…and it’s also our third year traveling to the 30A area with our same group of friends. This vacay is definitely one of our favorites.
We weren’t sure if this trip would happen until we saw the fall sports schedule. Thankfully, for us, cross country and volleyball didn’t have anything scheduled, so we were able to take this vacay.
By the end of this post, you might be sick of pics of sunsets and me reading my Kindle. haha
Here are the details of our trip:
Saturday:
We left our house around 8:30 on Saturday morning, and had a very smooth ten hour ride to 30A.
Two families left the night before, so they were getting the house settled right as us and another family arrived.
After we got unpacked, everyone scattered, but my friend and I went to the beach for sunset which is my favorite part of a beach vacation.
We had about thirty minutes on the beach.
Once we got back to the house, again, people kind of did whatever they wanted. The dads/husbands ordered pizza and wings and stayed home to watch football.
The moms went to Seaside where most of the kids were, and we enjoyed our dinner before going back to the house for the night.
Sunday:
We had a lazy morning with breakfast at home.
Eventually, we made it to the beach around noon. Because Hurricane Helene had just blown through, the flags were red, and the water was murky and choppy. The water reminded me more of the Atlantic Ocean as opposed to the Gulf of Mexico. We could still get in the water if needed, but no swimming or playing around. So, the kids mostly hung on the beach.
I read most of the afternoon.
The kids played on the beach. The girls mostly laid out, and the boys played bocce ball. Eventually the kids left and went to Seaside.
It was such a beautiful day.
In the late afternoon, the guys went for oysters and the girls went back to the house.
My friend Megan and I stayed all day until sunset.
This crew joined us at the beach for sunset. They are such a sweet group!
Sunsets never get old…
That night, we grilled out for dinner, played “Play 9” and had s’mores.
It was a great first full day at the beach.
Monday:
Monday morning, we took our time getting started with the day. The girls had gotten up early for the sunrise, and shared their pretty photos
We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, but the girls wanted muffins, so I took them on the golf cart to Seaside.
This view is always so pretty:
Then, we went back to the house. Some of our friends also had a house in our neighborhood, and they suggested Black Bear for breakfast. We’d never been, and it’s now a few fave for breakfast!
This bagel hit the spot:
Then, we went to the beach for the day. The water was calmer, but we still had a red flag.
I stayed a few hours, and I headed back to the house in the early afternoon.
I love nothing more than an afternoon nap on vacation. Also, because I’d stayed at the beach all day the day before, I was kind of a lobster in some spots. So, I headed back to the house for a shower and a nap before breakfast.
The kids wanted to go out to eat for dinner, and one of the easiest places to do that is at the Big Chill. There’s a variety of restaurants to choose from and lots of space to hang out.
It was a really pretty night.
We enjoyed dinner and a drink for a couple of hours, and then we went home. Most of us went to bed pretty early.
Tuesday:
We have something planned for breakfast every morning at the house, and Tuesday’s breakfast was bacon and biscuits.
That morning, we went shopping in Seaside…and I got my traditional post office pic with Had.
Of course the girls got a pic too!
Then, we did a bit of shopping. Hadley got a sweatshirt, and I got a t-shirt.
Trav and Hadley went over to Black Bear for breakfast, and my friend sent me this pic:
Then, it was time for the beach…and it was a yellow flag for the day, but the water was back to a pretty green/blue color that we are used to on the Gulf.
How Hayden does the beach:
The kids were so happy to be able to play in the water after the two red flag days. This is such a fun crew:
Hayden and I were back to the house by 3:00 to watch the Royals game play off game.
I had asked my family to make sure they were at the beach for sunset as I knew the next day, we wouldn’t be able to be at the beach at sunset and there was a chance of rain on Thursday.
Anyway, I was happy to get a pic with the fam:
…and a few other pics:
The girls were there for the traditional sweatshirt pic. I love that the pretty colors of their sweatshirts match the beautiful water and sky.
Besties!
At Modica Market, I picked up this 30A Rose’, and it was the perfect beverage for the beach.
After sunset, we went back to the house and had tacos for dinner.
Wednesday:
Wednesday was another beach day. We spent time at the beach 10:30-3, and it was the best beach day we had. The water and the temps were perfect. My friend overheard another beach goer say that they picked up sand dollars at the sand bar that we could see a bit out past where we could touch.
So, we swam (with our flotation devices) to the sand bar. We were out there for about 45 minutes and came back with so many sand dollars.
Of course, the little girls laid them out and counted them once we got back.
We even had some cloud coverage that day which was so nice.
I had lots of time to read…
…before I headed back to the house for the Royals game 3:30. They won both games on Tuesday and Wednesday which was so fun to watch.
That night, while we were getting ready for the adults’ dinner, the girls went to the beach for their own sunset pics.
We headed to dinner at Cafe Thirty-A. I got the lobster alfredo, and it was delish!
We came home to the girls working on a puzzle.
They completed a couple that week!
It was a great evening with an early bedtime.
Thursday:
A few of us decided to hit up Black Bear for breakfast one more time on Thursday. It definitely hit the spot!
After breakfast, we spent some time in Seaside, and did some window shopping and some real shopping.
A rare glimpse of the boys!
Of course, after that, I headed to the beach for a few hours. We “forced” the kids to go to the beach since it was the last day.
It was a purple flag day…so the girls were on the look out for some jelly fish. We did see a few in the water that day.
The girls just kept their toes in the water. haha
Well, the kids didn’t last more than an hour. The girls went to the pool, and Travis took the boys golfing. So, I had a few hours on the beach to read and enjoy the view. A few of the other adults stayed too. We wanted to soak in the last day.
Once I got back from the beach, I showered and started to get organized and pack.
Hadley went to Rosemary Beach with one of the other families.
Eventually, Travis and I made our way to Seaside where Hayden was. The post office was decorated for fall.
While we waited to be seated at Great Southern, Hayden snapped a pic with me 🙂
The three of us had dinner, and the boys ran off again to hang out.
Once we were back at the house, the girls had movie night, and we packed up to leave in the morning.
Friday:
Friday morning, we finished packing up the car, and I forced the kids to take one more pic in front of the house. Truly, they weren’t happy with me…but oh well…I’m used to dealing with moody teens. haha
Then, we hit the road back home. It took us a bit longer to get home; we didn’t do a good job planning our stops. Also, one of our stops was Bucee’s where I’m convinced Travis picked up Covid, got sick, and then passed it on to me. Oh well…we’re all feeling better now.
It’s always sad to leave the beach after a good trip, but it’s also so nice to arrive home and sleep in our own beds.
A few thoughts:
This was our third year doing this trip with the same families, and I feel so lucky to have a crew that gets along, makes plans, but goes with the flow, and we all enjoy each other’s company.
It’s important to have low expectations when traveling with a big group, and I think we do a good job of that. Also, we have followed the same at home breakfast and dinner plans the past few years, but also adjust as needed. For example, the kids all wanted to go out to dinner, so that’s how we ended up going to the The Big Chill rather than eating at home Monday night. Some families or couples end up making their own plans, and that’s fine too. Some love to beach all day, and others just go for a few hours. I think we’ve done a good job embracing each other’s preferences. They all know I love to catch as many sunsets as possible, but I know there are nights that won’t happen, and that’s fine.
Each year has gotten easier as the kids get older. Do I wish my kids, and even Trav, were at the beach more because that’s what I like to do? Yes. But, it’s nice that the kids are old enough to have some independence too.
Bikes come in handy as that’s the kids’ main form of transportation. The house comes with some, but there were extra ones this year, and Trav rented one to use to follow Hayden on his runs.
The golf cart is also a key factor for us as that’s the easiest form of transportation to most places in the Seaside area. We pay extra to use the one at the house.
This was the first year we used the “Splitwise” app. I’d heard of it, but had never used it. We would just add in expenses, divide it up, and settle up using Venmo at the end of the week to repay whoever needed paid.
This year, we arrived on Saturday evening, and usually we drive halfway on Saturday, and arrive late afternoon on Sunday. It was SO nice having the extra day, but then still having the weekend to recover and regroup after a week away was perfect.
Overall, it was a great trip, and we hope to do it again if the athletics schedule allows.
Well, this week went by quickly. Why is it like that when you have time off? We’ve been on fall break in Florida this week, and it just went by too fast!
I hope you’ve had a great week.
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are a few faves from the week:
We left Saturday morning and drove the ten hours to 30A Florida near Seaside. This is our third fall break doing this with three other families, and it’s truly become one of my most favorite weeks of the year.
We arrived at the house around 5:30, and I was able to catch the 6:30 sunset with a friend. I do hate that the sun sets so early in the fall!
We had the best week with our kids…the girls…
…and the boys.
Due to Hurricane Helene, the waters weren’t very clear the first two days. The Gulf looked more like the Atlantic Ocean, but with each passing day, the green blue water reappeared.
We had fun shopping in Seaside and grabbing breakfast or a mimosa most mornings.
We were able to catch a few sunsets this week. Honestly, the four of us weren’t on the beach together often as the kids kind of did their own thing, and Travis isn’t really a beach guy, so I was thankful to snap this sunset pic on Tuesday.
Seaside sweatshirt pic…per tradition!
Every year, I stop in the Sundog Books store and pick up a book or some other souvenir.
I loved this quote when I stopped by yesterday:
I’m sure I will do a full recap, hopefully next week, but we had a great week filled with sand, sunshine, family and friend time.
Favorite Mom Meme:
Hahaha…Hadley is like me in many ways!
One more fave:
Two afternoons this week, Tuesday and Wednesday, Hayden and I came back from the beach in time to cheer on our boys in blue. The Royals swept the Orioles and are headed the ALDS series which starts tomorrow vs. the Yankees in New York.
It’s been so fun watching them this season, and we even went to a game while in KC this summer and then we went to Cincinnati about a month ago to watch them as they beat the Reds.
What are your weekend plans? We’ll get home tonight, and then I need to spend the rest of the weekend getting my life in order! I see laundry and grocery shopping in my future as well as some downtime to watch the Royals game on Saturday.
Hello and happy Tuesday! I didn’t mean to skip blogging yesterday, but the weekend got away from me.
**I shared this post last summer, and I wanted to update it after our trip to the PNW , share recent DC info, and in a couple of states thanks to road trips)**
Since we are in the thick of summer, it got me thinking about travel. While we do go to a few places throughout the year, we tend to travel a bit more in the summer.
Growing up, we didn’t go on yearly vacations. We spent lots of time at the Lake of the Ozarks…and when we did go on vacations, they were usually farther away and for at least a week.
These days, it does feel like people travel more. Also, I guess since I live in Lexington, we can get to the beach in about nine hours. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to tally how many states I’ve visited.
I’ve also shared before that while we have some favorite places to visit, we do make an effort to take the kids somewhere new when we can.
When I’m counting states visited, it means I’ve stayed there or spent some time there.
Honestly, I feel like I’m “blanking” and maybe I’ve been to another state or two…but I guess the updated total is 26.
Alabama- We’ve pit stopped in Birmingham, AL the past two fall breaks on our way to Florida.
Arizona – We took the kids to Arizona/Grand Canyon in the summer of 2018. I blogged about that trip. I also went to Arizona on spring break in college one year.
California– I’ve been to California many times. The first time I ever went was in 1992…I think. My aunt and uncle had moved to Santa Ana, and we visited them. While we were there, we went to Disneyland too. We went back to California when I was in high school. By that time, my aunt and uncle (and cousins) had moved back to KC, but they went with us on a trip to northern California.
In 2008, Travis and I spent over a week in San Fransisco and Napa.
Travis and I went to San Diego in December of 2012…(maybe?) to watch our nephew run in a Foot Locker national cross country race. It was really neat to be there in December.
In 2018, after going to Arizona, we headed even further west to San Diego with the kids. That was their first (and only time so far) in California. We were there four days and drove to LA for a couple days before going home.
I’ve also been to Del Mar with Travis a couple of times when he’s gone there for work. It really is one of my favorite places.
Colorado – I’ve only been to Colorado one time, and it was during the summer when I was a kid. My grandparents spent the month of July there, so we went to visit them. While it’s not a short drive, I am still surprised we didn’t go there another time or two since just the state of Kansas separates KC and Colorado.
We would like to take the kids there one day…and I still think we’d go in the summer.
Florida – Florida is one of our favorite vacay destinations. We go to Siesta Key every few years and then we went to the Destin/30A area for fall break last year. (recap part 1 // recap part 2)
Georgia – I’ve been to Georgia only a couple of times…once to Atlanta to watch the Cats play…I think it was the Sweet 16 game in 2012.
Then, more recently, Travis and I went to Julep Farm in Dillard, GA.
Illinois – I have mostly only driven through Illinois, but we visited my Chicago family a couple of times when I was younger. I am surprised we haven’t gone more considering Chicago has lots to do and is only a five hour drive or so from Lex.
Indiana – While Indiana is close by, I think I’ve only been there (for an extended period of time) once. I think it was 2014 and on spring break, we took the kids there because Kentucky was playing in the Elite 8.
I remember Hadley shaking her bell (see photo below) at an opposing fan and yelling, “Go Cats!” 😆
We also went to the children’s museum and the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner one night.
Kansas – Fun fact: Kansas City is in Missouri …not Kansas…I’m always surprised that people don’t often realize that. That being said, there is a Kansas City, KS, but I don’t think most people know that either. The big Kansas City is KCMO. I have quite a few family members who live in Kansas (and cheer for KU — we love them anyway) 😉
Kentucky – I can’t believe I’ve lived here for 19 years! I’ve grown to love the Bluegrass State.
Maine – One summer when I was in high school, we flew to Boston, and rented a car. We spent time in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. I do remember Maine being so pretty. We actually went on a whale watching tour…and I remember when my mom went to get that roll of film developed, the film place lost the photos. She was so bummed.
Maine is another place I’d like to get back to and take the kids.
Massachusetts – Same trip as with Maine. I’ve only really been to Boston. I do remember walking the Freedom Trail and visiting the Cheers bar.
Minnesota – In high school, my family went to Minnesota for a vacation. I remember my brother and I getting stuck in the middle of a lake on a paddle boat. haha
I also visited my friend, who lived in Minnesota at the time, after she had her first baby.
On both of those trips to Minnesota, I visited the Mall of America 🙂
Missouri – I obviously know my way around Missouri 🙂
Nevada – Travis and I went to Lake Tahoe for our 10th wedding anniversary. We waited to go over my fall break rather than in June. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton, and it was so nice. Truckee, CA was nearby and super cute. I’d really love to go back to Tahoe.
New Hampshire – We went to NH on the same Mass/Maine vacation.
New York– I’ve only been to New York once, and it was when I was twenty. I visited my friend who was staying there for the summer.
In 2020, we had our whole trip to New York planned for spring break with the kids, but then the world shut down…
North Carolina – We’ve been to Asheville many times, and recently we went to Highlands, NC when we went to Julep Farms.
Ohio– Living close to Cincinnati, we’ve been there quite a few times. We’ve gone to Reds games, shopped at Ikea, gone to Kings Island, been to a Chris Stapleton concert at Riverbend and more.
Oregon- For the first half of our PNW vacation, we spent two nights in Portland, then we went to Eugene for the Olympic Track Trials, and then finished our time in Oregon with two days on the Oregon coast in a cute cottage steps from the water.
South Carolina – We’ve gone to the Charleston area (Usually Folly Beach or Isle of Palms) quite a few times for vacation through the years.
For spring break this year, we visited Greenville, SC. It was a lovely town.
South Dakota – Thanks to a high school boyfriend, I visited Sioux Falls, SD in high school with his family.
Tennessee – We’ve been to a few cities in Tennessee through the years. Travis and I visited Chattanooga on the way home from the Atlanta/UK basketball trip we took.
We took the kids to Knoxville for spring break their kindergarten year. UK was playing Tennessee, and we spent a couple of days exploring the city.
Then, we’ve been to Nashville quite a few times. We have friends who live there, and we also took that kids for spring break 2021 when we stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.
Virginia – After my mom retired from teaching, she took my brother and me to the DC area including Virginia…and Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello.
(I wanted to go to the beach…my mom and brother out-voted me and we ended up in DC haha)
Washington – We stayed in Olympic National Park at Lake Quinault Lodge for one night. Then, we spent one day and night in Seattle to finish up our PNW trip.
Washington, DC:As I mentioned in the Virginia section, I went to Virginia/DC with my mom and brother in 2004. We took the kids to DC for spring break this year (2024), and saw so much! We really enjoyed our time in Virginia, DC, and Georgetown.
West Virginia: We drove through West Virginia on our way to DC for spring break. The capitol building was so pretty.
Other thoughts…
I can’t believe I’ve never been to Texas, Oklahoma, or Arkansas. Just being from Kansas City, those states aren’t too far away.
Close to Kentucky – West Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama, Michigan and others that I bet I’ll get to some day.
One of my neighbors was talking about their upcoming trip to Maine, and I’d love to go there again and take the kids.
This was a fun post to write. Honestly, it was one that I thought I’d just sit down and write quickly, but took quite a while! I wrote this over a few days, but I loved looking back at all the places I’ve been.
…for the fifth and final post about our vacation to the Pacific Northwest.
Let’s wrap up this trip, shall we?
After driving from Lake Quinault Lodge, we arrived in Seattle around 12:30. We booked our hotel on the drive to Seattle. Can you tell we were over planning trip details at this point? haha
Really, we knew it would be easy to get a hotel, so we just pushed that final decision to the end. The bad news is that $400/night is about the cheapest you can find in downtown Seattle. We did end up at Hyatt Place for a bit less than that, and we were very pleased with the hotel and the location.
We figured we were too early to check in, but Travis went to the front desk, and they gave us access to park in their garage. Then, we got our bearings, but literally, when we looked up from the hotel, we could see the Space Needle, so that was an easy attraction to locate.
Travis had told me I was in charge of this part of the trip, and that was easy enough…I wanted to go to Pike Place Market and figured the Space Needle was a tourist spot we should see (and we’d get a great view of Seattle).
Also, I read Andrea’s blog daily, and she’s been recapping their time in Washington. They started their trip in Seattle and highlighted a few things like Pike Place Market.
We were about a mile from Pike Place, so we started our walk there.
It was a beautiful day in the low 80’s, and the walk was about 20 minutes.
We’d arrived…and I was so excited!
We were hungry!…but we spent about 20 minutes getting the lay of the land.
Trader Joe’s needs to take note on the beautiful peonies.
It was so fun to see the market with fresh flowers and fresh produce. If we were staying longer, we would have purchased flowers and fruit.
We did end up at the fish market where they famously throw the fish to each other. That was a popular spot, but we enjoyed standing there for a few minutes.
After that, we split up, and Travis and Hayden went to find something to eat as did Hadley and I. It was around 1:30, and before we parted ways, I booked the Space Needle tickets for 3:30. We’d said we’d meet back up around 2:30 after we got our food.
I’d missed it on the first pass by, but I spotted the original Starbucks. The line was out the door. It sounds silly, but if we were there one more day, I would have come back and stood in the line for coffee and maybe a coffee cup souvenir.
Hadley spotted a French bistro…and she loves a macaroon, so we stopped in there to pick up a few for dessert.
I’d spotted Beecher‘s Handmade Cheese, and I’d remembered that Andrea shared about it too. Mac and cheese is one of my favorite foods ever, and I was hungry. Hadley wanted the tomato soup, and then we also split a grilled cheese sandwich. They had a counter where you could stand to eat, but we also were able to watch the workers making the cheese. It was really cool to see.
We walked around a bit more, and I’d texted Travis to see where they were. He said they were at a pizza place by the gum wall…and I’d remembered Andrea sharing about that too. Anyway, we made our way to the restaurant and sat with them while they finished their pizza.
The gum wall is equal parts mesmerizing and gross…
…but of course we had to get a pic!
Then, we made our way out of the market, but the kids obliged me in taking one more pic for the memories. I truly could have hung out there quite a bit longer, but we needed to make our way to the Space Needle.
We arrived at the Space Needle, and I pulled up the tickets on my phone. Well, I apparently purchased tickets for an observation deck somewhere else? I’m guessing it was an observation deck with view of the Space Needle?? I’m not sure, and do you see why I shouldn’t be in charge of the itinerary?! haha
The look on my face must have shown my panic because the very nice lady gave me four tickets, but we’d have to come back at 5:30. I was so appreciative, and actually, it was probably a good call because we walked five minutes back to the hotel, and had about an hour to cool off, relax, and regroup.
As we entered the hotel, they were handing out champagne…see, it did work in our favor to come back to the hotel for a bit…haha
At the hotel, we checked in and got our bags from the car. Then, after about an hour, we went back to the Space Needle around 5:15 and got in line.
The line is outside and reminds me of getting on a ride….and then once you get inside, you still weave around until it’s time to get on the elevator to the top. While in line, there is a spot where they take your pic and give you a QR code to access the photos at the top.
We were probably in line about twenty minutes before getting in the elevator to go on up. I don’t love heights, so I was a little nervous that I’d be anxious, but once we stepped out of the elevator (which only took about 40 seconds, I think?), this was the view. It was so pretty…and I had no worries at all.
Mt. Rainier was easy to spot!
We walked around the top in order to see 360 degrees of views.
The Puget Sound was so pretty as well.
We even spotted our hotel.
We snapped a few pics…
…and then we went down one level to the revolving glass floor. I don’t think we took pics correctly…haha
How many times can you say you hit 10,000 steps at over 600 feet in the air?
We were probably at the top for about 45 minutes, and then rode the elevator down. As you exit the elevator, there’s a Space Needle made out of Legos!
While we were at the top of the Space Needle, we visited the kiosk to choose our picture backgrounds. Hadley had quite a few she liked, so I received four emails with four different background pics.
These two were my fave:
Then, we walked back to the hotel to take settle in for the evening. The track trials were on TV, so that was a great way to spend our evening. We were tired. The kids relaxed, and Travis and I said we’d go find dinner. He’d already spotted a few places near the hotel.
A funny thing happened though when we walked around the block…We’d paused at a restaurant to read the menu that was on the window, and the door burst open, and someone shouted “Jennifer!” Hardly anyone calls me Jennifer, and I was startled at first…but it was one of my co-workers! What are the odds that we were both in Seattle at the same time?! He’d just arrived in Seattle with his family that day and were headed to the Space Needle after dinner. Small world!
Even with the walk around the block, we settled on the pizza place right across the street from our hotel. Even though Travis and Hayden had pizza for lunch, they were fine with having it again for dinner. I got a salad as well. While the pizza baked, Travis and I got a beer and chatted.
We ate our pizza in our room, took turns showering, and then watched the track and gymnastic trials on TV.
We were all truly exhausted, and had no trouble falling asleep by 10:00. This hotel room also had a pull out couch, so it was nice to let the kids each have a bed to sleep in.
The next morning, we were up early and at the hotel breakfast by 7:00 when it opened. Our flight was at 10:30, and thankfully everything was on time. I was really impressed with Alaskan Airlines. We had a direct flight to Cincinnati and no delays! We got home to Homer around 7:00, and it was so nice to shower and sleep in our own beds.
The following night, we were all still awake at midnight, and it dawned on me that we were gone just long enough to adjust to Pacific time zone.
If you don’t read Andrea’s blog, you should check out her trip recap. She has lots of posts about Seattle and Olympia and all that they did.
Trip Recap:
Here are the posts about the other parts of our trip in case you missed one:
Thanks for following along on our journey. We saw so much and covered a lot of ground; some of the best memories were logged in the car and at various pit stops along the way.
I’d like to think we’ll be out that way again some day, but no matter what, I’m really thankful for Travis for planning it all, and I’m grateful for this time with my fam visiting new places.
Shew! I feel like the weekend flew by. Did you catch my Sunday post all about s’mores? S’mores in the summer are a favorite, for sure.
Today, I’m picking up where I left off on our vacation to the Pacific Northwest, and sharing about our time at Lake Quinault Lodge in Olympic National Park.
After driving a couple of hours from Rockaway Beach, Oregon, we arrived at Lake Quinault Lodge.
We did arrive about an hour before we could check in…
…so we explored the property a bit.
Big Foot!
The weather was partly cloudy and windy, but the views were still very pretty.
We sat in the lawn chairs for a bit, and then Hayden and Travis left for Hayden to get his run in. At least he was able to run in a national park…that’s pretty cool.
Hadley and I sat inside for a bit, and I enjoyed a drink.
Then, our room was ready. I spotted some pretty hydrangeas on our walk to our room.
Our room was in the Boathouse near the lake.
After we got settled in our room, we got back in the car and drove around a bit. One of the stops was at the “World’s Largest Spruce.” It was probably a half mile hike to see it…
…and it was quite the sight…
We got back in the car and drove to a hiking spot in the rain forest which was really neat.
We hiked for about an hour…
There were pretty views everywhere.
Then, we headed back to the lodge. Right across from the lodge was a general store, so Hadley and I walked over there for some snacks.
I got ready for dinner, and went and sat outside to read for a bit.
Then, we headed to dinner at the restaurant at the lodge.
The kids let me snap a pic…
Dinner was delish. We had pretty views of the lake. Hayden got a burger, Travis and I ordered salmon, and Hadley had clam chowder.
The sun was setting as we left the restaurant.
Family selfie!
The kids went over to the general store to get some ice cream for dessert. Then, they found the only TV on the property to try to watch some of the Olympic trials, and I enjoyed a glass of wine.
So–one thing about this lodge (that we didn’t know until we arrived…) was that WiFi is VERY limited. Each device can log on for 30 minutes of free WiFi per day. You could buy a data package for less than $20, but if you are by the lake, even it wouldn’t work. So, when we used our 30 minutes, we had to be in the lodge and not in our room. Point being, we survived! Obviously, it was a nice break from technology, but Travis and I both agreed it would have been nice to be able to send a text message!
After dinner, we sat out on the patio and played cards.
In the lobby, there were puzzles and games, but I’d brought a couple of games with us like Uno and Monopoly Deal. We sat outside and played for a couple of hours before bedtime.
We did pause our game at one point because Hadley and I wanted to go down to the lake to check out the sunset views.
She loves a sunset as much as I do!
We played a few more hands of Uno, and then walked to our room around 10:00. It was crazy to me that it still wasn’t fully dark outside yet.
This was the nighttime view from our room:
Honestly, I didn’t have a great night’s sleep, so I was up pretty early.
Friday morning, after I got up, I walked up to the lodge with my cup of coffee.
I sat outside and used my 30 minutes of WiFi, drank my coffee, and read for a bit while the Hadley slept. Travis and Hayden left for Hayden to get his daily run in before we left.
We woke Hadley up around 9:00 when Hayden got back from his run, and they walked over to the general store to pick up a few things for breakfast like donuts and juice. We packed up and left the lodge around 10:00 to head to Seattle.
For the second time on our trip, I gave up my front seat for the “Passenger Princess.” haha
It took a little over two hours to get to Seattle. We stopped for a snack and a drink on the way. We arrived at our hotel, Hyatt Place, around 1:00. As soon as we stepped out of the car, we could see the Space Needle. Our room wasn’t ready yet, but we could park in the hotel garage. Once we did that, we walked to Pike Place Market.
*view of Space Needle when we went at our scheduled time…not the view of the SN from our hotel 🙂
I will share part 5 (the last part! about our time in Seattle) later this week.
