So I’ve heard about these things called Babymoons. They belong in the same elusive category as things called “push gifts”, aka a gift you are given by your spouse after “pushing” out a baby. Neither of which belonged in my vocabulary when I first became pregnant with Q and I have to say, neither have been adopted by our family over the years.
Listen, I am NOT judging here, but for me, a “Babymoon” sounds like an awful lot of work: packing, flying/traveling, finding sitters for older siblings, and carting around an extra, say, 20 pounds…all while sober?! Call me crazy, but I think I’d rather have an “After-Baby Moon”, you feel me?
All of the above is precisely why we are calling the trip we just returned from: “Our Last Four-ah”. (see what I did there?)
Yup, our last little dose of travel as a family of FOUR!!
Was it relaxing? Nah.
Peaceful? Nope.
Exhausting? Yep.
Worth every last memory made? You betcha.
So we took the whole “Spring Break” excuse and ran with it…and pretty last minute, too! We are new members of a pretty fun vacation club that allows us access to rentals/villas/units all over the place. All we had to do was plug in the dates a few days before we wanted/needed to leave and any available options popped up. We went with Sea Island, GA mostly because we had never been before, there were lots of activities for the girls to do, and most importantly: short flight.
(Girls play gowns/night gowns: Plain Jane)
We stayed at a property at The Cloister Resort and it was so beautiful. The girls loved that we had our own pool, that we could walk to the beach, and that there was a plethora of shells to collect. Add in a beach playground and a candy/ice cream shop on-site and the girls were pretty much in heaven. We scheduled a kid-friendly fishing expedition and horse-back riding. Both were a huge hit…tied right up there with the candy shop.
(Links: Ardyn’s rash guard top, all other swim suit pieces)
(Links: yellow swim suits and blanket)
Plus, we were there for St. Patty’s Day so we got to wear our green, make s’mores by the fire pit and chase a real life bag piper around a fancy golf course. It was great fun & I’m pretty sure we are never invited back…
(Links: Dresses and St.Patty’s Day Flair, Denim Jackets, Q’s shoes & knee socks, Ardyn’s Shoes & knee socks, Ardyn’s shamrock bow.)
Aside from the fact that we caught a blue crab, a sting ray, a sea squirter and ZERO actual fish, the girls had a blast “fishing”…
(Links: Play Gowns, sandals, sunglasses)
But, I think they had the most fun at the horseback riding lesson. Thelma & Louise were the sweetest horsies ever, and I was very jealous to be left out of the riding experience. This place was great, they even let the girls feed and brush the horses afterwards. Also, we all want a pony now… (we= me and the kids).
After our little stint on the East Coast, we went home for about 24 hours, repacked, and headed out to the West Coast. (Unlike our spur of the moment GA trip, this next leg to CA had been planned for months!)
We started in La Jolla Cove, San Diego at La Valencia Hotel (for those of you who asked on my IG stories!) because Ryan had to make a pit stop there for this little thing called “work”. While he conferenced, the girls and I explored the coast (aka the stinky seals and awesome tide pools), did some shopping in town (it was SUCH a cute town!), and enjoyed plenty of room service.
(Links: blue dresses, sweaters & shoes, Ardyn’s bow, Q’s bow)
(Links: bows, dresses and sandals: see above.)
PLUS, we even got adventurous & took a road trip up to LA to visit our bestest Insta-friends, @helloerinv & her crew. Our day included wigs, candy, and Q & Lex trying on everything in Lex’s wardrobe. It was pretty much the best day ever…
Just ask these two:
(Links: Q & A’s outfits, Q’s bow, A’s bow)
After Ryan’s conference, we headed back up the coast and straight to Disneyland to celebrate Cubby’s 3rd birthday. (We planned this trip instead of a birthday party this year.) We met Ryan’s parents, sister, her husband, and their three little girls there and Cub was in birthday bliss all day long! It was an absolutely exhausting good time and I’d do it all over again tomorrow…swollen feet and all!
P.S. Lunch at Ariel’s Grotto was a great way to knock out all the Princesses without any lines!
(Links: leotards, A’s tutu, A’s birthday headband, knee socks, shoes)
After Disney, our entire extended group headed to Newport Beach for a little R&R (after a pit stop at Del Taco, of course). We all stayed in a house at Pelican Hill Resort and it was so much fun being able to stay in one place together. All five cousins got to cook breakfast with Papa in the mornings and have movies nights together. I love watching the girlies together, especially since we live across the country and don’t get to hang out very often. It’s important that the times we DO get to be together is good quality time!
(Links: girls’ bathing suits, hair clips)
(Links: pink jeans, shell sweaters (last year), A’s bow, Q’s bow)
After our time in Newport came to and end, we were homeward-bound. That is, until our plane was grounded due to storms and we had to spend one more night in a hotel (sans luggage) before finally getting home the next afternoon. But hey, a little room service in bed never made anyone mad…
So now we are FINALLY home and ready to settle in and get ready for Baby Boy Mac to arrive.
I have to be honest with you, I get asked about how we travel with the kids all the time and I’m telling you- these trips TOTALLY kicked my pregnant butt!! It’s three days later I’m still trying to bounce back. Laundry, grocery shopping, unpacking, lunch packing, chauffeuring, cooking, homework-ing, and Easter prepping have my head spinning, I’m not going to lie.
I’ve found that the best way to handle it all, is to take a nap instead. It’s really working out well for me. 😉
Maybe I do need a Babymoon after all…location: my bedroom.
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