back from the coast

Miss Irene stirred up quite a bit of trouble up & down the East coast, but we stayed safe (albeit soggy) during our quick run down to Debordieu this past weekend. The wind & rain were pretty crazy on Friday evening, and the power flickered a few times.

I’d packed my computer in hopes of catching up on email & blog stuff in the hotel room, while Chris played his various wedding events. HAHA. The only time I opened this thing was to find a place that would deliver supper to the hotel room… these guys agreed to, praise the Lord! I inhaled a shrimp po’boy in five seconds flat.

I hadn’t been to sleep yet, as I’d come home from a night shift just in time to pack up and hit the road. So after Chris left for the rehearsal dinner, I pulled the room’s black-out drapes closed and put us all to bed at 6:30pm. I remembered some of your tips and packed baby blankets from home, as well as the receiver end of a baby monitor… the white noise makes a mini-sound machine! We slept through the worst of the storm and awoke to a breezy and beautiful Saturday morning.

Our hotel experience was amazing. I can’t say enough about the Hampton Inn. The beds, the linens, the hot breakfast, the bathroom, the amenities – everything was clean, spacious, comfortable, & family-friendly. I also can’t say enough about our kids. I didn’t bring a single toy or activity for Ames. I didn’t even think about it until later. He’s just so easy-going and flexible. He entertained himself by body-slamming pillows on the fluffy bed all weekend. He also squealed every time he caught a glimpse of the water in the marina…”BOTTS!”

The girls weren’t bad, but they seemed to do much better when their Daddy was around to entertain them. They’re just like their Momma.

We had a few free hours on Saturday morning, so we drove down to Myrtle Beach to check out the outlet shops. Okay, really just to check out the Converse & Vans outlet shops. I was disappointed with the prices at the Converse store, but we hit the Vans jackpot. Even the girls got (matching) sneakers for next year… Shoes for everyone! Lucas is lucky. He’s wearing my size these days, so he technically got two pairs.

Because Chris only had to play the wedding & not the reception, he was able to sneak away and get back to the hotel in time to convince me to drive back that night. I was a little wary about how the kids would do how I would stay awake enough to keep him awake & alert, but we made it! We spent most of yesterday catching up on groceries and getting the three little ones back on a nap schedule.

I didn’t see the ocean. However, I had way more fun & way less stress than I could have possibly anticipated. Two thumbs-up on hotel traveling with three under two! Next up, a long beach weekend at a house with three other couples & their kids. Can’t wait! Maybe Jessi will be super fun and blog from her perspective of house/dogsitter while we’re gone. She & her her sweet family will be holdin’ down our fort while we’re beachin’ it up!

I’ve got a “Mama Makin’ It Work” (as well as another post in the cloth diapering series) coming at y’all in the next few days, so stay tuned! I’m off to nap. Workin’ tonight!

P.S. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN SPONSORING LETTERS TO AMES FOR SEPTEMBER, PLEASE EMAIL ME FOR DETAILS! YOU CAN ALSO CHECK OUT THIS PAGE. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!