Hilton Head Island Beach Trip 2009

We've been married over four years. In that four years, we have been to the beach a total of ZERO times. THAT is crazy! (And we've got the tan lines --or lack of-- to prove it!) Since we have the mountain house in Maggie Valley, that seems to be our vacation destination for most family trips. I would say that overall, we are Mountain people. We LOVE the mountains! There IS, however a balance in things such as these and we were really wanting to make it to the beach sometime this summer.
Benson's Nana and Papa (My dad and Mrs. J) generously rented a condo for the whole family in Shipyard Plantation on HHI and we had such a great time!
Here's some of my favorite pics followed by a slide show of all of them for those of you (grandparents:) ) who care to see them :)

And if you're REALLY looking to burn some time-- see the following post with all of the videos from the beach. :) The first annual 2009 cartwheel competition on the beach is a must see! :)

I printed out an 11x14 of this one to hang in our room. I just love it! What a fun memory!

Benson LOVED the sand-- but this was just about enough water for him... He was not a fan of the great big ocean!

Of course the best smile of the whole week would be captured when he has a PULL-UP on his HEAD! Such a boy!
Don't you love the B shirt kell gave him for his birthday?!

Just readin' a bit on the beach...


Here's Mrs. J with nancy, the sweet friend who let us rent her condo for the week! Her daughter Leigh Ann is a dear friend and is involved with the Navigators in New Mexico and Nancy helps with an amazing charity called Hilton Head Heros-- I was seriously crying on the beach about some of the stories she told about this organization.... SUCH a cool fam!

Yeah.. these two HAVE been to the beach... and the pool... and are not blinding like B and me :)

Ash turned 21 while we were at the beach!
here she is showing her ID..

And with her first strawberry daiquiri....






Group Pic on the Docks...



This was where Benson slept all week.. he had his own little nook with a pallet in it.. he slept so good in it! We're considering taking down his bed in his room at home!


I mean, wow.. what a good lookin' couple!

I love this sunset!!

This totally looks like an engagement picture, but.... it's not.

Hilton Head has a lot more packed sand than say, Myrtle Beach-- there were people riding bikes on the beach all over the place and the Jogging stroller worked great for our long walks on the beach :)

Sorry to the Grandmothers that these pictures worry-- Benjamin has very quick reflexes and I fully trust him to throw our child high up in the air... Plus Benson thinks it is just the COOLEST THING EVER... you should hear him laugh....

Ok, yeah, we need a tan... admittedly so...

OH SO COOL!! We found a real live starfish!!! The only starfish I've ever seen are in formaldehyde in a biology lab-- this was a totally exciting experience for the science teacher in me :)

We picked it up and found it's mouth and counted its arms... very neat indeed!

Givin' papa some dap..

This boy loves his Nana and Papa!!

I love how he's cutting his eyes at Mrs. J right here..

This was Benson and I walking to the beach the day that Ashley and Chris said they had gotten too good of a parking spot to leave and come get us (after Benson's nap) Real cool guys! :) It was like a ten minute walk-- not bad at all!

Of course I had to take a picture of base camp... The EZ Up Tent is the ONLY way to go on the beach! We could stay out there all day without getting fried like a piece of bacon!

And Benson's Great Aunt Bonnie gave him this little tent for his birthday which worked PERFECTLY for naps on the beach! We'd just adjust it so that the wind was blowing in it... and he was OUT..

I mean.. really OUT.....


Dad kept referring to us as The Clampets. Listen.. anybody who knows me, knows I like to be "prepared" for whatever may come my way! :)

Sooo.. big football player guy Chris got stung by a stingray out in the ocean in waist deep water. He was in some SERIOUS pain from the venom-- the life guard took him, in their little beach patrol jeep, back to the car. The barb went all the way through his toe. It was aweful. I was about two feet behind him walking out into the ocean. If I had stepped on that thing. I think I might have just laid down and died right then and there. He was tough though.. here he is giving his "thumbs up" while wincing through the pain! OUCH!

Our little monkey...


I love this group pic. We went to see Greg Russell at Harbour Town-- an experience I would recommend to ANYONE of ANY age! It was HILARIOUS!!! I'll definitely be downloading some of his songs from itunes!!! The icecream was de-lish as well :)

Benson wasn't so sure about this clown... but Papa helped him warm up to her..

Seriously awesome pic!

Cool dude..

Benson, trying to prop his feet up like us...

On the way home, he slept from the time we put him in the car in HH through a 30min. stop at the outlets on the way home all the way untill we pulled into our driveway... About 3 and 1/2 hours! This boy was POOPED!!! What a fun time we had!!

Packed in like a sardine...