For Nee-Cee

Who knew that a baby and a cookie container could provide so much entertainment...she played like this all Saturday afternoon and most of the day today!

Fripp Island

We loaded up and headed to Fripp Island for Ansley's first trip to the beach for a long Labor Day weekend!! Kristen's aunt and uncle own a house there equipped with an elevator and 2 golf carts... ...Our modest accommodations

This is the view from their backyard. The house is on a canal with the ocean right across the street!

Ansley sitting at the bar the first morning...such a big girl
The gang would play Rummy every morning while the kiddos napped...this morning when Ansley woke up she wanted in on the action.

Here you can see our sweet child helping Asher try to get a better look at the carpet on the back porch...we spent most of the week in this room!

We took the golf cart down to the end of the road where Ansley got her first look at the ocean!

The first day we were there we didn't actually make it to the beach in our bathing suits but wanted to walk across the street to the ocean to give Ansley a warm up of what was to come!

...she refused to be put down!

The next day we hauled all of the stuff apparently required to make a seaside trip with children...we all had our hands full! Unfortunately, Ansley spent about 85% of her time crying...fortunately, I only got 1 picture to prove it! For some reason she did better the first day than the second. Once she warmed up to things all she wanted to do was walk around...nowhere close to the water however!

For those of you who wondered what the humidity would do to her hair!

What's a trip to the beach without Beaufort Stew?! Ansley and I reading a book before dinner...we were talking about a frog with his tongue out!

Our nightly stroll to the end of the street to watch the sunset

The last night we were there we wanted to try to get a decent family picture. However, there are some kind of flies that eat your flesh and gnats that swarm and try to burrow in your skin (I may be exaggerating a tad) that made standing still quite a task. It seemed not to be as bad if you were moving around but once you stood still they attacked. They especially liked the kids heads...Here are the few pictures where we aren't swatting

We thought we would have better luck at the end of the road but, as you can see, they followed! The man who lived here told us the gnats were referred to as 'no see ums'

So we tried for a few more family shots the next day...here are some of those!

This is Ansley's reaction to "going home day"

This is mine...

Our car ride home, Ansley's way of saying "Hey guys do you think we could get some sun shades on these windows back here?"

We had such a great time! I don't know that I've ever been on a vacation where I wasn't even remotely ready to get home. I would go back every weekend if it was possible. We're lucky to have such great friends who let us tag along on trips like this...and even more lucky to have Kristen's parents stuff us with such great food while we were there!! I'll carry such great memories from our first trip to the beach as a family of 3!!

Ansley's First Jewelry Box!

Our neighbor, Mrs. Peggy, mentioned one day last week that she had a surprise for Ansley she would be bringing over. Tuesday she came over with this gift...a VERY nice jewelry box, Ansley's first! She is mesmerized by the twirling ballerina and the mirror on the back. She LOVES it!!
Mrs. Peggy gave me very strict instructions that when Ansley breaks off the ballerina I am not to get mad and punish her! Lucky for Ansley, it seems pretty sturdy!