A happy hello to you! We just returned from the Outer Banks of NC for our first real family vacation in about two years. We went back and forth questioning if we could even pull it off right now, with two babies under the age of 2, but in the end we decided if we were going to lose our minds, we might as well do it at the beach! Ha. Traveling with 2 babies is WAY different (and harder) than traveling with one. Either that, or I am getting older and weaker (probably that). 🙂 Gear galore. Pack n Plays, booster seats, backpacks, and double stroller, take up a ton of room, and the nap and nighttime strategy took a full family platoon effort. We had one room with 7 people, so we were definitely cozy, and after 7pm had to tiptoe around so as not to wake the babies. We stayed in a hotel because it had free breakfast, and indoor/outdoor pool, and was located on the beach. With our very modest budget, this was a HUGE blessing because we would’ve never been able to afford a home with those kind of benefits on the beach. Although Jim and I were exhausted from the physical aspects of the trip, I am so glad we went. I was concerned about Karolina having hard time with so much new stimulation, but she was fantastic overall. We did have challenges, like running after her because she bolts and doesn’t respond to any verbal commands like “stop, “she tries to dart directly into the pool without hesitation, and she screams repeatedly if she’s unhappy, but these are all things we were prepared for. It definitely was NOT the read-a-book-on-the-beach-for-3-hours kind of relaxing getaway, but the escape from the daily grind was a welcomed relief. Even though we came home tired, Jim and I agreed we both felt oddly rejuvenated too. Spending uninterrupted family time, and gazing at the ocean does a body good. 🙂
So, on to the fun stuff. Here are a few of the pictures of the kiddos (whose legs seem to all be getting longer and longer every time I look). It is for this reason that we decided to have professional beach portraits taken. Julie Dreelin was our photographer, and she did not disappoint! When we met her, it looked like she had just stepped off the pages of Athleta magazine. She is energetic, fit, and positively radiant. She put the kids at ease and clearly has a gift for what she does. With as quick as time passes and as fast as the kids are growing up, my heart is so grateful to have these keepsake pictures to hold onto. I will forever cherish the images she captured. Head over to her blog to see a few more images she captured (and look at her awesome porfolio). Thank you Julie! The top photo of this post is from the shoot.
Here are some of our own candid images. This might be my all-time favorite funny picture of Karolina. It’s hard to explain without knowing the day-to-day stuff, but she doesn’t “pose” or smile or even really look at the camera when I take her picture. The times she has, are the images I post. So, to have her looking, smiling, AND seemingly “posing” was super fab-tastic, especially with this hamming-it-up swimsuit shot. She looks like she’s doing a muscle flex?! Niiiiice. Flex those biceps, girl!
That about sums it up! I really should’ve taken some pics of the REAL stuff, like everyone smooshed in the mini-van like sardines amid the bags, or me with sweat rings from chasing the babies in the hot sun, but those special memories will live on in my heart nonetheless. 🙂
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