you can stand under my umbrella

everyone loves a good beach trip.  well, almost everyone.  a certain little one may have had other opinions in regards to the beach.

it's safe to say this trip was quite overdue, but so thankful ash did some last minute research, so we could snag a groupon and hit the road to the beach.  it was a much needed time of relaxation after racing the clock to post final grades for all my students.  seriously, i graded so many papers that week.  i repeat, so. many. papers.  the joy of posting grades before we left meant i did not have to open my laptop while on our vacation, not even once.

posted grades, packed, loaded the car, grabbed some chickfila (sweet tea is a must-have for road trips), and hit the road to sunset beach, which is located in south carolina north carolina.  apparently my brain was so fried from all the grading that week that i never realized sunset beach was in north carolina, instead of south carolina.  i figured it out though when north carolina laws were posted in our room.  vacation, i needed you!

we grouponed (can i submit that word to be added to the dictionary?!?!) at sea trail golf resort.  our little guestroom wasn't anything super fancy, but it sure was splendid for our mini vaca.  one thing i am convinced of...i do need to marry a golfer, so we can retire to a little golf resort.  and i need to retire...like now.  the room was golf-themed, even with a sign that read "teach a man to golf and a liar is born."  as the weekend progressed, i quickly observed that sunset beach = retirement community.  it was truly blissful.  the beach was quiet and relaxing and everyone was super sweet. 

friday morning we got ready slowly and ate breakfast at sarah's kitchen where we had ginormous pancakes.  and they were delicious.  sat outside listening to the seagulls and smelling the beach air.  ash and i taught emmie how to make seagull sounds.  "emmie, what does a seagull say?"  "caw caw."  she makes the cutest little seagull!

a quick grocery run and we were in the car headed for day one on the beach. our muscles got a workout carrying all of our necessities from the car to the beach.  how could two girls and a baby need so much stuff?!?!? 

after setting up camp, we realized just how much sunscreen we had.  we were prepared...or so i thought.  my skin learned a lesson at the beach that day.  sunscreen expires.  who knew?!?!  i spent most of day two under the umbrella with my coverup and my big, derby hat. everyone sing with me, "you can stand under my umbrella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh..."

getting older wiser means i try to protect my skin a bit more.  i absolutely do not want to look like some of those retired folks on the beach with leather skin.

i can't imagine a better way of finishing a day at the beach than to enjoy some italian ice at sunset slush.  so smooth and refreshing.

emmie hated the water.  she also hated the sand.  so she pretty much hated us for taking her to the beach.  exposure therapy, my friend, exposure therapy.  that was the theme for the weekend.  and we did make progress...if even just a little.  another area of progress was thumbs up.  we went from this to this...

who has the best cheese bread in town?!?!  tony's pizza in calabash.  if you visit sunset beach, check them out.  delicious.  we also enjoyed a seafood dinner at ella's of calabash.  yum.  so. much. food.

thankful for time away from work to simply focus on friendship, a very dear friendship.

hoping to make this a new tradition with ash and emmie.  if miker gets an invite next time, it's probably because we need him to carry our chairs and other beach necessities for us...just kidding, mostly.

what summer traditions do you share with friends and family?