Hilton Head 2009 - part 1

Posted on Aug. 16, 2009 at 2:18 PM - Post Comment

We got back from our week-long trip to Hilton Head, SC last night.  Nana, Papa, and Grammy Pat ("Yummy Pat" according to Grady) accompanied us for some fun in the sun.  We had a fabulous time and really hope this becomes a yearly trip.  Little G seemed to enjoy himself more than he ever has on a beach trip (this was his 4th one).  He slept great, loved the pool at our house, and had so much fun out on the beach.  The weather was quite nice - hot and sunny most of the time with just 2 stormy nights and a drizzly morning.  We ate at lots of nice restaurants (Grady did great - he loves to dine out!), rode bikes, swam, and relaxed.  Grady also got to go to the Sandbox (a children's museum), the stables to ride a pony and visit with animals, and the Coastal Discovery Museum.  He really did not want to leave (I don't think any of us did!) and kept saying how sad it was to leave the beach.  I told him we could come back, and he said he wanted to go back to the same house.

Speaking of the house, it was beautiful - very large and new with a big pool/jacuzzi.  It sat overlooking the lagoon and golf course, about a 3 minute walk to the beach.

the living area:

dining area:

When we first got there, Nana and I took Grady down to the beach where he promptly laid down in a little tide pool and got soaking wet.  He wasn't even in a bathing suit!  So we stripped him down and he gleefully swam "nudie" for a little bit.  I really do mean gleefully - giggling, dancing around, and smiling this HUGE smile.  I think someone loves the beach as much as his mama!  He even walked back to the house naked - too funny!

When we got back to the house he had to try out the pool.  Since we didn't have it heated, the jacuzzi was like a little baby pool for him.  He loved the bubbles and learned how to turn them on himself.  He would just float in that shark floatie, like he was in heaven.

See him floating on his back?

Then it was off to dinner at the Beach Club - it was so nice that it was only a short walk away.  We took advantage of that while we were there!

Our first full day at the beach

snacking in his tiny beach chair

dragging around a giant piece of driftwood

Grady loved to be buried!  We liked that it allowed us to go off and get drinks while he stayed put.  Just kidding of course!!!

just a little head coming out of the sand...

back at the pool with Nana

Eric, on our little path to the beach.  It went over lagoon where we spotted gators several times!

Before dinner, Grady watched a show in the living room.  Doesn't he look tiny in that huge room?

That evening we had dinner at the house, compliments of Papa. 

The next morning we took a nice bike ride, which Grady enjoyed

then we headed to the beach, where Grady attempted to be helpful and set up his own chair

and, of course, found himself in another hole

he's always got a job

he loved going out into the ocean and had no fear

what a beautiful stretch of beach!

more of us burying our child

As Grady would say "what's going on here?"

That day we went to the beach club and Grady got to make a tie-dye t-shirt.  He requested pink and blue as the colors for his shirt.

telling the man what colors he wanted

watching him dip it

watching with Nana

He later told Dada that he was proud of his artwork!  After that we got him a snow cone, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

walking back to our chairs

That afternoon Nana took him to The Sandbox, a children's museum.  Apparently he loved it because he asked to go back every day for the rest of the vacation.

Apparently much time was spent playing with the car carrier.  The funny thing is, he loved that last year too.

he also loved the register

Some of the big people got to go out to dinner at a jazz club that night because Yummy Pat was nice enough to stay home with Grady.  Here we are before dinner, with the lagoon behind us.

I'll be back with lots more!