Vacation Days 5, 6, & 7: The BEACH!

Our time at the beach was my favorite part of vacation.  We stayed in St. Joseph, Michigan, on Silver Beach.  The beach got a high rating of beaches in the US and great family vacation spots, and boy howdy do I understand why!  The place was absolutely beautiful and so family friendly.

We stayed a couple blocks from the beach, so had a nice stroll to get there.  We strolled a little differently each time.  Meaning: with stroller loaded up, with no stroller and backpacks, everybody walking, everybody riding, holding Layla and Charlie, on and on, and we discovered there is no easy way with three little kids.  Having said that, each way was still worth it.

Every morning we ate breakfast then headed straight for the beach.  We would stay through the morning, head back for lunch and naps, then back to the beach until late evening, eat supper, swim in the hotel to "wash off," then baths and bedtime.  Perfect three days!

Where's Layla?

Where's Maleah?

The worst part...sand EVERYWHERE!!!

Yes, we only did this once.  Pushing a loaded up stroller through the sand was less than ideal.  Live and learn.

Right next to the beach was a splash pad.  It was so fun and a good change of pace if they were getting antsy (also known as starting to fight with each other) on the beach.  We would run over to the splash pad, cool off, and wash off.

He loved, loved, loved, the water.

Every 15 minutes the canons would shoot water to the middle and everyone would go stand in there and scream and laugh.  So fun!

You better believe Layla had a purse on the beach.

So many non prompted, candid moments, that melted our hearts.

What's better than a playground and sand?  A playground in the sand! 

Filling up the hole.

We got ice cream every day, at least once a day.  What?  It was vacation.  This was the favorite (called Superman!).  Clearly, he was enjoying himself.

Sweet.  Makes my heart overflow with joy.

See them out there?  The water was unbelievable!  So clear, and so shallow.  It was so nice as we didn't have to constantly worry about Charlie walking out or even the girls getting too far.  So fun for them to be able to explore in the water.

This little group of toys occupied the kiddos for hours upon hours.  Dal and the kids are in the water out there.

My beach babe.

Showing the water was as far as the eye could see!

Splash pad with the canons going off.

Carousel right on the beach.  Again, so family friendly.

Momma and her babies.

Our walk to the beach every morning...beautiful and peaceful (usually, ha!).

Fine, fine, fine sand.

Still in his jammies.  Yep...that's vacation mode.

We were so sad to leave the beach.  Layla wanted to stay there "forever," and Maleah was literally in tears leaving.  Charlie wanted the "water," and Mommy did too.  What a great couple days!