Folly Beach 2012 - Part 1

We returned to Folly Beach again this year for beach week as a family! We are so thankful to spend this time with our sweet boys, as well as with Ben, Melissa and Mac! These three cousins are so sweet together, and really enjoyed playing together in the condo and at the beach. Banks very much fills the big brother role with both of them, and I think he believes he is their protector. I cannot tell you how many times I heard a, "No, no Eli - that is not your toy." or a "No, no baby Mac (who's older than Eli), that might hurt you." He's a little bit bossy, but mostly sweet and he firmly believes he is doing the right thing.

I have so many pictures of these two boys from the week. I couldn't stop taking pictures! They just made my heart so full - and I know they'll only be this age once. I hope they grow up loving each other as much as they do now!

On our first day at the beach, we bought Banks a boogie board. I wasn't really sure he was old enough for it, but it seemed a fine time to try. Well, he LOVED it! He truly, genuinely loved it! He called it his surfboard, and here is a conversation between us walking to the condo one morning -

Me: I like your boogie board, Banks.
Banks: It's a surf board.
Me: Well, we can call it a surf board, buddy.
Banks: We'll call it a surf board because it IS a surfboard.
Me: Noted.

As you can see, the surf board even made it into the first family picture of the week on the beach!

This was a common scene - at least one parent walking Banks out to catch an "awesome wave." Let it be noted here in the minutes of our life that I, too, took Banks "surfing" and he told me I helped him catch some of the "most awesome wavers EVER." Turns out Mommy still has it - I like to think I was quite the boogie boarder myself as a child and I still have it in me.

Sweet Eli had a tough acclimation to the beach. He wasn't really scared of the waves, but he didn't like the feeling of the sand washing out under his feet as the waves washed back out. We spent most of the time in the little tide pools with him. Beach days also got easier when we realized about mid-week that he was just exhausted and needed to revert back to two naps for the week!

What a wonderful start to the week! So thankful for family and time away together!