Monday, August 10, 2009

as for today ... we're still on vacation

This is where we've been the past week...


At Wild Dunes on the Isle of Palms. Thanks in large part to Kathleen, who works as a travel agent when she's not swimming for drowning prevention, we were able to rent an amazing bungalow, 200 yards from the beach.

The scenery was gorgeous, the weather was beautiful, the ocean water was an incredible 80-something degrees. This was our first "true" vacation as a family ... if you define "vacation" as an event where you lay around and do absolutely nothing except body surf, build sand castles, wade to sand bars to hunt for seashells, bury your toes in the sand, indulge on delicious foods, and devour good books while your children run from waves.

Oh, and then ... at the end of the day ... sit on a deck overlooking the intracoastal waterway and sip ice cold beer, while the sun sets on your tanned shoulders and you blissfully watch dolphins jump and frolic in the tide.

In a word this week has been: epic.

After spending time at this beach, swimming in these ocean waters, I have come up with reason number 2,567 I would like to move back to South Carolina. Indeed, our trip at the beach was so stellar, I cried more than the children did when it was time to leave.

Over the past 14 days I have taken no less than 600 pictures. Tonight, as I was uploading them on to Flickr, I noticed that midway through my photojournaling extravaganza, Carolyn hijacked my camera and snapped off at least another 200 pictures of various objects including her nostrils, my running shoes, Charlie's toothbrush, and the pots and pans at our rental house. I'll probably opt to leave those shots out, but I do plan to post several pictures of our time away, once we return home.

We are due to fly back to California tomorrow evening. But before we do, we have a full day planned. In the morning, I will run (or most likely walk) the Swamp Rabbit Trail with my cousin, Margaret. And while I do that, Charlie will be visiting what he considers to be the most awesome YMCA in the country to swim a few laps while my mother takes the triplets to visit a local children's museum. Then, we'll reconvene, load up our 12 passenger van, and drive two something hours to Atlanta to catch our direct flight back to San Diego. We'll be arriving home at around 11 PM tomorrow night. Just in time for a business meeting I have scheduled first thing, Wednesday morning.

I'm desperately trying not to think about that.

Right now, I'm thinking that there are approximately 22 hours remaining before we board our plane. Which means there are approximately 22 hours of vacation time remaining.

We're not done quite yet.

And that's a very good feeling.

11 comments:

  1. Good for you! I'm so glad you are having a great time. Vacations make for great memories and they get you through the rough patches. I suggest planning another one as soon as you get home, so you have something to look forward to.

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  2. What a beautiful place you chose to vacation. I am glad you have had a great time, but enough of that...I have missed you and your wonderful family. Can't wait to hear more about it and see the pictures.
    Kathy

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  3. It sounds like you all have had a great time! And as much as I missed reading your normally almost daily blog, I am actually proud of you for only posting twice. You took the time to relax and enjoy your family. We are planning to relocate to NC next summer or fall so we will be making some SC sojourns as well. Have a safe and uneventful trip home!
    Nonna2trips

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  4. Jen, Can't believe you were on Isle of Palms. You know I used to live there, right?? I was on Sullivan's Island RIGHT NEXT DOOR! I used to ride my bike through Wild Dunes all the time. Like you, more often than not, I run down the reasons to return to South Carolina. Now, 15 years later, I can't remember exactly why I decided to move back here. What was I thinking?? Is it too late to go back??
    So glad y'all had a great vacation! Hurry home and start posting again.

    XOXO AM

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  5. Love getting an update on the Amazing TRIP! So glad to hear it's everything vacation should be! (yes, I'm one of those complete strangers who is addicted to your blog.) We stayed at Wild Dunes in Isle of Palms once for Christmas...an outstanding choice when you're from Cleveland...ah, Christmas without salt-bleached streets and piles of exhaust-covered snow. Heaven.

    Anyway...please say hi to my Virtual Buddy Margaret! I've been thinking about her lots lately...your whole family is just such a treasure!!!

    -Amy in Baltimore

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  6. Really enjoyed our "walk" this morning. Thanks for the time. Your the best.

    Hopefully I raised the number of reasons to 2,570! Just think if you moved back -- after our Saturday workouts we could have some "bagels with cream cheese"! And more time to talk!!!! ;-)(Yeah Henry!)

    Enjoy your time and your flight home. Hope to see you soon.
    Love, Marg.

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  7. Sounds like you guys are enjoying yourselves! Sounds beautiful also. Have safe trip home and can't wait to hear all about it and see pictures.

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  8. Glad you had a great time. I know I don't comment often but couldn't help it since IOP is only 15 mins from my house. I love living here. :-) I should have kept my eyes open the past week and maybe would have run into you all around town. It would have been like running into someone famous...ha ha.

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  9. Sounds like a vacation, sounds DREAMY!! Glad you are having a fabulous time. Have a cold one for me :)

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  10. Boy, I really really wish you would move here, it would be so nice to have you, especially when you bring in strawberries, and make the fruit salad. The wine wasen't bad either. Now if you do come back, I would have to have your Mother move to calif, because she hog's thoes kids.

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  11. It looks like an amazing trip! I'm so ready to get away...4 weeks until our DIsney trip!!!! Have a safe trip back.

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