Easter at the Beach

We had a wonderful long weekend at the beach! We left here on Saturday morning headed to Holden Beach via the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher. It was a long day in the car, but the kids did fine because we broke up the trip. We stopped at Carolina Beach to play at a town park and to have lunch at McDonalds (luckily Erin was able to choke down her nuggets and fries, even though she is a Chick Fila snob), then went to the aquarium. Erin was a little nervous at first because it was dark inside, but she did warm up a little. We'll have to go back again! From there, we took the ferry over to Southport, which took about 45 minutes (plus the 45 minute wait because we just missed the 1:45 ferry). It was neat, but both kids were super tired, so Anna slept and Erin sat and sucked her thumb. Then we drove about 45 more minutes to Holden Beach.

We had a fabulous time, perfect weather, and the kids loved the sand and ocean. Daddy reminisced about his childhood trips there. The only issue was with Erin and the pack and play. She was not having it and climbed out of it each time we tried, so we had to let her sleep on a big bed. Considering she sleeps in a crib at home, this was a big change. She was too excited to sleep much any of the 3 nights, but we got through. We had lots of fun on the beach and didn't really go anywhere else except church (para una misa hispanica) and to a yummy seafood restaurant on Monday night. Anna did wonderfully and managed to keep her normal sleeping and eating routine. All in all, it was a great time and so nice to get away! Bella went to the kennel, so it was nice to have a little break from her too. Now, the kids are recovering by taking naps and Bella has been bathed. So, we are back to normal again!

At the park at Carolina Beach:

Outside the aquarium:Beach bum #1 (who refused to wear her swimsuit):
Beach bums #2 & 3: