The drive took about 6 hours, but it worked out perfectly both times, because we waited until later in the day when Eli usually takes his 3-4 hour nap, stopped once to eat/feed and change the baby/stretch our legs, and then hopped in the car again just as Eli drifted off for the rest of the night! Basically, he slept both ways, and we had a nice relaxing drive (thank you GOD!). When we arrived late on Thursday night (which was also our anniversary), we put Eli down to bed, and got to hear the ocean waves right out the window of our room, though we couldn't see much! The next morning, we got to sleep in, and wake up to the most amazing view of the water right out our window!!
We enjoyed the morning leisurely, taking pictures of the seals right across from the house, walking the beach with Eli, and enjoying the beach house before the rest of the family got there. I felt like we were millions of miles away from home (in a good way), with all the time in the world! And I had my two favorite boys to share it with!
Later on Friday, we were joined by Aunt Patty, Cousin Alison, and Alison's son Gavin (2 years old, and inevitably the gang leader of our growing group of baby boys!). Gavin was SOOO interested in baby Eli, and couldn't wait to see him and hold him! We snuck into the bedroom to spy on sleeping Eli during his nap, and after lots of "shhh-ing," whispering, and tip-toeing, cute little Gavin got so excited that he shouted in glee for his mom on the way out of the bedroom! hahaha Good thing Eli is a sound sleeper! Gavin and Eli have a lot in common in that they are both reeeaaally tall for their age, and people often mistake them for being older than they are!
Later on, Grandma and Grandpa Bollinger showed up, and we all enjoyed a fun day of visiting before the Cramer's had to leave. The grandparents babysat the kiddos while Jake, Ali and I went shopping downtown - it was fun to get some "adult time." Uncle Casey, Aunt Cassie and baby Jack came in late that night, so we saw them the next morning. On Saturday, we had some girl time down at the shops again, and also brought the baby cousins down to the beach to get some pictures. Eli thought the sand was really interesting, and loved to move his hands around in it (which of course resulted in sand-in-the-mouth, despite our lightning-fast parental reflexes). It was all a great experience for Eli, regardless! He'll be like his daddy - growing up eating things like dirt...and fertilizer.....and dog medicine.......(thanks big sister Cassie!), and his immune system will be all the better for it! HAH!
We celebrated my birthday that night (so that we could save Sunday for Mother's Day), and had a fun night working on puzzles with Grandma B. Sunday was Mother's Day, so we had a special Mexican-style brunch with John Wayne Casserole, potatoes, chili and mimosas, and then Jake and I spent our last day flying a kite down on the beach with Eli. He seemed somewhat interested in the rainbow colors, but wasn't a huge fan of the wind or looking up into the bright sky. Oh well...it was fun for us, at least! Jake and I agree that this weekend was such an awesome 4th anniversary/birthday/Mother's Day blessing, and such a great chance to relax with family in one of our favorite settings on earth! Hopefully when Eli grows up, he will love the beach just as much as his parents do!
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