St Simons 2011

Seven adults, nine children (eight and under), and a week in St. Simons, GA! I have condensed down over 300 pictures for this blog, so be impressed with my conciseness with that in mind!

After having to delay our arrival by a day due to a stomach bug, we did the whole plan-to-leave-at-5 a.m. but actually got out at 5:45... this was unposed mid-morning on the way down there.

In case you didn't know, don't be deceived by this picture. Traveling with 19 month olds and a 3 yr old is VERY BUSY and involved! We were very glad to arrive!

Jake brought this mack-daddy wagon to haul our beach stuff and kids to and from our fabulous house down to the pool or sand. It was a huge hit!

Jake's and my great love of all things ocean has not exactly taken root in our kids. All three were not big fans of playing in the water, though the little girls especially loved playing in the sand.

Most of our crew in the pool- lacking my big sis and two of her three kiddos...

Uncle Chris and Uncle Jake digging a baby pool. The big kids were so sweet with the little ones all week long. Blythe and Joy kept dumping out the water that the older kids brought to fill up the pool... and the older kids just laughed. I'm so grateful for how well the children get along.

The house we stayed in was PERFECT for our needs... three bedrooms on the bottom floor, living space on middle floor with huge deck off the back where the kids were banished, I mean, invited to eat. The top floor had a bunk room where Grammy slept with the oldest five (which included Abby Jane, who was ushered down to her mom and dad's room in the middle of the night a few nights of the week). But the rest of the upper floor was a covered deck area where the kids could all safely run wild... and not disturb any babies sleeping on the bottom floor! Hence, a great deal of family peace. Here is a birthday celebration for Jodi, Susan, Scott, and Ashley, who were all born on May 29!Abby Jane and Ashley, three months apart and thick as thieves, having breakfast one morning with Grrrr, Ashley's bear.

There are some moments that I especially see the uniqueness of the whole twin thing. Seeing those two little chubby baby bodies running around together in the sand was definitely one of those precious "twinny" moments!I love this. Even though Abby Jane was not exactly a beachy girl on this trip, I can remember hours upon hours upon hours of the first 18 months of her life that she spent in the California sand, so I am more than confident that she will find that part of herself again in years to come.

The three mamas and 7 of the 9 kids- the other two were out in the water with the dads.
Grammy on the pier with all nine of her "babies".

The siblings... we were so proud no one ended up in the water with so many little people running free on that pier while the six of us were taking this!We followed the pier with playing on the playground by the water and ended up with ice cream from St Simons Sweets. Don't feel too bad for the Blythe and Joy being the only ones without cones. They ate half of mine.

Their Aunt Betsy and Uncle Paul gave these super-cool suits for Christmas, and it was awesome to have to cover that much less skin in sunscreen! Not to mention they looked like little surfer girls!

Susan talked to me several months ago about splitting up the work to make shirts for all of the kids with their number in the birth order hand-appliqued on the back. It was a fabulous idea for a precious photo!

Number 9, a.k.a. Maggie, got a little squirmy after a minute, and I like this one even better. Mischievous little bookend...

Getting ready to go out our last day...

Our sweet friends, the Kelley's, are temporarily living in St Simons, and we got to see them a few times. Unfortunately, my eldest was having some three-yr-old attitude issues at inopportune times, and our destination playdates were not as idyllic as you might think. We did have some moments of sweet enjoyment of beach/pool together with their two girls and sweet Shelley in the midst of dealing with the drama that comes with kiddos. I was thankful for those snippets- we sure miss that family! Here is Anna Beth and Abby Jane.
Our last evening there, it dawned on me to offer Abby Jane the goggles I've had for her for months. They were a huge hit, and she couldn't ask us enough to watch her go under water! Brilliant mom here should have pulled those out in the beginning of the week. At least we still have the rest of the summer!
Jake had to fly back early in order for Friday's orientation at KSU. Friday at the beach was a pretty trying day with my ladies- the twins were exceptionally clingy and Abby Jane was as mentioned above. I asked that Jake would pray that I would get to go watch the sunrise on Saturday before our drive home- it would be so therapeutic to get that quiet time soaking in God's creation before a potentially crazy day of alone in the car with the girls. God was so good and gave me a more than glorious glimpse of what a mighty and beautiful God He is!
Then he let the girls behave beautifully on the ride home... even to the point of this lasting for over an hour!!!
I read this passage that last day, and it's one of my favorites... "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? ...To whom will you compare God?...He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them like a tent to live in... Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom." - from Isaiah 40

***By the time I posted this blog, my sister's entire family had gotten that crazy stomach bug, as well as both of the Kelley girls! It had a THREE day contagion period! Oh well- what would family vacation be if you didn't have a few crazy things happen along the way. The Gross family promised to be at least a week out from any viruses before future family trips! :)