Myrtle Beach - The Fun

*Lots of pictures. Lots of pictures. Lots of pictures.*

My boys tan nicely. They brown, actually. And their hair gets light. Handsome little men in the summertime. Is it wrong that I envy their tan bodies? They are lathered in sunscreen each day but since they live outside most of their waking hours they have the skin (and dirty fingernails) to prove it.

We enjoyed wonderful weather - nice ocean breezes and not a gray cloud in the sky. Since we were always wet it didn't matter that temps were in the low 90's.

And yes, my boys are pretending to put out fires in this picture. I bet you couldn't have guessed, huh?

Myrtle Beach is known for its boardwalk - lots of shops, cafes, and entertainment. And lots of, "Can we eat that?" and "Can we get that?" and "Can we ride that?"

Dinner each evening was nothing but the finest. You know, burgers, pizza, corn dogs, and all that other healthy-low fat-low calorie-low cholesterol- beachy-type food. A full day of sun and playing meant a serious chow-down dinner.

It's always funny to me when my boys notice something for the first time and eagerly announce it.

"Why does that man have a smoking stick in his mouth?" That, my son, would be a pipe.

"Why is that person riding in a stroller when she's not a baby like Annalyse?" That, darling, would be a wheelchair.

"That person just threw trash on God's earth! That is not nice at all!" Yes, I know, but please stop pointing.

People watching on the boardwalk was priceless entertainment.

After walking past several arcades, Grady decided we ought to venture in and let the boys have a few tokens to run wild with. According to Micah: "This is much bigger than Chuck E Cheese!"

And what's a fun evening on the boardwalk without ice cream? Micah wore most of his and Grady Lee had his licked clean and gone before the rest of us were half way through. Even Annalyse got a small taste - and she decided right away that she liked it. Atta girl!

During our walk, Grady Lee and Micah took turns taking some pictures. Since Grady and I don't have many pictures of just the two of us, I asked Grady Lee to "take a picture of just Mom and Dad. Be sure that you see our faces in the small box and then press the button, kay?"

This is the result. Judging by the goateed chin, I'm pretty sure that is my husband by my side. Who'd know for sure though since half his face is missing.

And here is Micah's picture of Grady and I. Yup - nothin' but sky and trees.

My handsome men - two of whom are making it very clear they'd much rather be exploring the pier rather than sitting still for a picture. Pfshh... get with it Mom.

The boys are scoping the water for sharks and dolphins. Grady is asking, over and over, that the boys not stand on the railing. Annalyse is chewing her fingers and wondering what the commotion is about. And I'm several feet back just imagining what family vacation will be like when we add another one or two kids to the mix.

Thank you Ms. Random Stranger for taking our family's picture. We appreciate it. And, you did a pretty good job, too, since everyone is actually looking at you and actually giving a semblance of a smile.

Each morning and afternoon we flipped between the pools and the beach. Having the hotel right on the beach made it easy for meals and naps without having to lug things back and forth. For making a last minute arrangement via the web, I think we landed on a pretty good setup. 

And look who is starting to be Miss Independent and trying to take steps?! I'm in no rush for walking to happen though.

Micah spent lots of time "surfing," Grady Lee spent lots of time "putting out fires," and Annalyse spent lots of time just being cute.

There were oodles of shells each morning at high tide, which the boys loved to collect and Annalyse loved to try and chew on. I found sand in strange and unusual places but thank goodness I haven't found any shells in those same places. I think we managed to keep them out of her mouth 99% of the time.

We had a laundry basket jam packed with pails and shovels and trucks and sifters... but most of the time the boys preferred to just run and jump in the waves or dig in the sand with their hands. I love that they loved playing with just each other.

Truth be told, the beach is a tiring place to be when you're managing three little people that are easily swallowed by waves. They need a hand to hold. The sand is hot on their feet. They get hungry. They get tired. They are, well, they're needy.

Gone are the days, at least for a few more years, of plopping on a blanket with a good book. So it's no wonder that there was a day or two where I snuck in a nap when I could.

I <3 the beach. Good golly, did I really just type <3?! I'm so not one to LOL and OMG and all that other txtng stuff. But it's true, I really do love the beach.

My three men love the beach, too. It's nothing but a wide open playground where they are allowed to be loud and rough and move as much as they want. And yes, in some respects that includes my husband as well.

My little lady is still deciding if she loves the beach. She's temperamental about it all. It's the one thing in her short life that I've discovered she has an opinion on. Some moments she loves it and five minutes later she's done and let's you know it.

Mostly though, mostly I just flat out, shout to the world, never gonna trade them, love - <3 - my family. And speaking of, how about if I share some fun family pics from the beach. Coming right up...