Our Long Awaited Trip to the Ocean

I had been waiting for this day for years... The ocean is my happy place and lately I've been craving it like nothing else. We "planned" on going to the ocean soon after coming back home to California but then life happened and things got crazy and we never made the trip.  So, on August 2, 2013, we decided to take a little day trip to "the sea" as my girls kept saying. It was about a 3 hour drive to get there and worth it all. The last time we saw the beach was when Scarlett was a baby so she didn't remember it and Ulysses had never been.  Uly LOVED the sand but was not too happy about the water. If it touched him he would burst out into tears. Totally broke my heart. I was taking lots of pictures so he stuck by me most of the time while the girls played with there Daddy-O in the water. It was really windy and really cold but we had a blast and made some sweet memories. We really needed the day to get away from the normal shtuff and escape into some family fun. We can't afford a vacation but I really wanted to do something memorable with the kids this summer before we start back into school (which starts next week!) and before this little baby #4 arrives. I was just two days shy of being 37 weeks preggo.

It was a really sweet day. I love semi-long car rides too because it gives me and the Hubs a good long stretch of time to just sit and talk without being distracted with day-to-day life... Except when the kids start yelling or fighting or laughing excessively loud or someone spills something or drops something or they start screaming for you to get something for them or listen to them tell you a story or sing you a song.... Otherwise, it's pure bliss. :0)

So here are *some* of the pictures of the day... Too many to post all but here are some of the highlights.

This was such a sweet Father/Son moment. It's when my son met the ocean. 

We attempted to get some family shots. Didn't turn out too good. Oh well. It was crazy windy. 

I also attempted to get a good picture of my three... Again, didn't really work out.

Check out my boy's mustache! Cuter than cute!

Here are some 37 week bump shots... Again, super windy so my hair was outta control! haha

Uly getting his yawn on!

Moriyah has a special bond with her Daddy. They played and played and played. So sweet to watch.

This picture is a favorite of mine. He rarely smiles in photos unless it's a sneak attack. I got a cute one here. I was stoked. He's a handsome Baby-Daddy. :0)

These are a little blurry but they show how much fun Mo was having. She's a rad kiddo.

My sassafras did a lot of yelling from the beach to her sis playing in the water. She's pretty darn cute.

More yelling from the beach! Haha! I love her to bits and pieces! 

This boy was so sweet. He wasn't excited about the water so he walked with me while I took pictures. Every time the water started to come up close to our feet, he would tap my leg and say "Chout, Mom. Chout, Mom."  He was looking out for his Mama! I'm such a smitten kitten for him!

The ocean and some good Daddy playtime was so good for them. They were in heaven!

"Jump, Uly!!"

Cutest little runner!

She was cold so Daddy saved the day.

Moriyah was busy collecting shells. She's such a beauty. 

Another failed attempt at getting a photo of my three.

This is what Ulysses did when I said it was time to leave the cove. He got mad. Oops!

This baby bump of mine makes a nice little seat for my kiddos. Thankful for these pictures to remember this time. 

Aaaaand one last attempt at getting a photo of the three. I gave up. Haha! 

And that's a rap, folks! The beach makes everything better, at least while you're there. Ahhhhh.... This Mama was one happy camper!

Happy Monday!

lovelove, Abs