Looking Back

Sometimes the best way to look forward to something is to look back.  Kiawah Islands holds a lot of memories for the Russell family.  Walter and Marcia honeymooned there in 1982 - 30 years ago!  It was only for four days (I had to get back to start the fall semester of my senior year at Clemson.), but it was a magical time.  We rode a bicycle built for two and also took a jeep tour of the undeveloped parts of the island.  If you had told me then that I would return 30 years later with 5 children, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson, I am sure I would never have believed it.  I have a special memory of rising early to get a beautiful sunrise picture.  My sweetie took that picture with a camera I think he borrowed from my dad.  We still have a framed print of it in our home.

Fast forward 25 years.  This time we took everyone but Matthew with us to Kiawah.  We also invited Julie Wilson, and Seth's friends, Sam and Meredith. The villa was crowded, but we had so much fun.  That year was very special because this time Thomas and Julie got up early for the beautiful sunrise.  Actually, Seth got up even earlier so that he could be ready with his camera.  Thomas proposed to Julie, and when they returned to the villa we all celebrated and gave thanks for God's goodness to us.

And there were so many memories in between those two milestone events.  For awhile my parents owned a share of house on Kiawah and they would invite us to join them at various times of the year.  Do you remember the year Matthew's boomerang got stuck up in a tree on the golf course?  How about being attacked my hoards of humongous mosquitoes in front of the dilapidated Vanderhorst Plantation? Do you remember the year we wrote a letter and put it in a bottle and threw it out to sea?  We still have video evidence of a great pirate video directed by and starring Matthew.  What are your favorite Kiawah Island memories?

Overwhelmed

I know we have to eat while at the beach, but I am overwhelmed by the task of buying and transporting all that food.  I thought I would start stocking up this week.  When the cashier at Aldi announced the total, I flinched.  I didn't do any better at Wal-mart.  I am not sure it is even possible to keep Ethan and Seth feeling well fed and full for more than two hours. Now throw Matthew into the equation.  But I am not going to give up.

We certainly cannot not buy all of our food for the week in Greenville and transport it the beach even with Matthew's car to help tote things.  I will probably have to make several trips to Fresh Fields Village throughout our Beach week. My better half enjoys these excursions.



Perhaps someone should do a Google search for the nearest Aldi to Kiawah Island.  I don't think we will go hungry, though.

Don't Forget the Sun Screen

My wonderful husband has a small collection of old Boy Scout handbooks.  In one of these books is some advice encouraging boys to get outside and exercise so that they would not be "pasty white stay-at-homes."  We Russells "resembled" that remark.  It is so true with the exception of Ethan and Faith who have worked hard at becoming "Golden." (Ethan's term, not mine)

The rest of us are going to need some sun screen, lots and lots of sun screen.  Here is a picture I took a couple of years ago when we went to Sarasota, FL.  I guess you get the idea.  By the way, I only provide sun screen for those who reside under our roof for at least three months of the year.

Seth was hoping to get a head start on his tan before leaving for the beach, but I am not so sure that organ tuning or hanging out at the AGO convention is conducive to that. Now perhaps if he could hang out by the kiddie pool with Wilson while Thomas and Julie go to the convention...

What if It Rains?

If it rains, we will just have to have a Downton Abbey Fest, ladies!  It is my favorite.  I have seen all of seasons 1 & 2, but I can re-watch any of the episodes. We will sigh and cry over the beautiful scenes and shake our fists at the evil villains.  By the end we will most likely be speaking with a slight British accent.


But what will the guys be doing?  That is easy.  They can retreat to Matthew's man-cave and watch the Olympic trials. (Hee-Hee)

A very poignant, beautiful, romantic scene from Downton Abbey:

I Like Turtles

One of my favorite vacations was when my mom went with us to Kiawah Island.  It was so much fun to spend time with her on an extended basis.  She fit right in.  She was also a big help in the kitchen.  I think we worked pretty well together, and I loved having the company.  A favorite memory for me was our early morning walks on the beach.  One morning we got to witness baby sea turtles making their way to the ocean.  I will never forget it.  So, is anyone up for an early morning walk on the beach with me this year?

And while we are on the topic of turtles, here is another favorite meme video.  It always gets a laugh.

Mandatory Craft Time

Another traditional feature of Russell Family Beach Trips is "Mandatory Craft Time."  It is fun to sit around the table together and create.  It can be as simple as coloring in a coloring book.  Remember the art gallery displayed on the fridge last year?  One of the crafts this year is to make place mats for  Wilson.  I will pack markers, crayons, place mats, contact paper, scissors, glue, tape, and, of course, the Ed Emberley drawing books.  Let's create some memories!

Jellyfish

I hope that a perfectly good morning of boogie boarding and getting golden does not get ruined by one of these creatures, but you never know.  It is best to be prepared for every contingency.  Please read the following information carefully.  Just in case.

If you are stung by a jellyfish, remove any tentacles that are adhered to the skin (generally, the tentacles do not stay on the skin, but merely brush across an arm or a leg). Use anything available to get the tentacles off to avoid being stung again.

Contrary to popular belief, alcohol, urine, and picric acid should not be used on a jellyfish sting as they actually cause more nematocysts to release venom into the skin. Simple products almost everybody has at home are great for reducing the effects of the sting like mean tenderizer, baking soda, vinegar, and sugar (any one of these substances will do).

Scraping a jellyfish sting with something like a credit card may also help remove the nematocysts and alleviate the stinging sensation.

After treatment of the sting, the area will generally produce raised red bumps and could be sore or itch. In severe cases, medical treatment may be needed, but generally this isn’t the case.

Things to Remember:

• Jellyfish are most prevalent in warm water. Swimmers in August and September generally suffer the most jellyfish stings, but the warmer the water the more likely jellyfish will occur. The summer of 2010 had an early jellyfish due to the extreme temperatures that summer which raised the water temperature
• Dead jellyfish can still sting you, so it is best to avoid them when they wash up on the beach
• Carry baking soda or vinegar with you when planning on staying at the beach all day. This will aid in the case of a jellyfish sting without disrupting the day

I'll pack the vinegar!


Oh, and while we are on the topic of jellyfish, here is the classic Julian Smith video:

Necessary Apparel

Grammy couldn't resist and purchased this snazzy yellow beach hat for Wilson.  With an SPF of 50+, it should offer excellent protection for the little guy. His mama may have already found one for him.  That's all right.  He can have a spare in case he loses one or one of the uncles borrows one and forgets to return it.  The yellow hat is definitely cuter with the brim unsnapped.

Dorfman Pacific Kindercaps Twill Boonie Hat -

The Dorfman Pacific Kindercaps Twill Boonie Hat for Kids is a great way to keep your young one protected from the sun.

Garment washed twill is soft and cool.

A contrasting underbrim cuts glare in your child's eyes.

Side snaps let you hold the sides of the brim up for more air flow or Aussie style.

A cinching chin strap keeps the hat on their head when the wind picks up.

Eyelets in the crown increase ventilation.

Keep your child's head protected from the sun's harmful rays with this great hat from Kindercaps.

Beach Bike

This is pretty much my dream beach bike.  Wide tires, no gears, and plenty of carrying space for water, bug spray, a towel, my flip camera, and band-aids. I especially like the headlight. I have had some nightmare episodes of bike riding behind my intrepid husband in the DARK.  "We'll be back before dark," were his famous last words. I believed him and ended up riding blind down curving paths lined with ferocious alligators. (shudder)  I bet the tiger on this bike would scare even the gators away.  The only improvement I would make would be a child seat for Wilson.  Tell me about your dream beach bike.

Home Away from Home

Let's take a look at where we will be staying while vacationing at Kiawah. True, you may have already viewed these videos, but it is harder than you think to come up with a new topic to blog about every day.




Below is Matthew's villa.  The Ethans will stay in this one.  I like his kitchen better.  Just sayin'...

Family Devotions

A highlight of our vacation for this blogger will be family time around the table.  Let's be sure to have family devotions.  I challenge each of you to bring along a favorite Scripture passage as well as your thoughts or somebody else's thoughts on it to share with us.  It might be something you heard in a sermon or in Sunday School.  It might be something you read in a book or on the web.  It should be kind of short as I have heard that Wilson does not always like family worship. This is an optional assignment, more like a suggestion.
And, Thomas, Julie, and Seth, could we sing?  Pretty please?  One time?  Instruments are definitely optional, but you may want to bring some song sheets.

Beach Treat

Last year instant peach tea became a beach classic.  We went through several pitchers of this wonderful drink.  There is not a thing healthy or wholesome about it, but teenage boys and older boys for that matter seem to find it refreshing.  I better start stocking up now.



I have ordered a rare, nearly impossible to find breakfast treat.  It is a surprise.  All I will tell you is that it rhymes with "awful lisp."  If you know what it is, don't tell!!

Good News

It turns out that Ethan Bray's baseball tournament was cancelled, so he will get to spend the entire week at the beach with us after all.  Some of you may need to prepare yourselves for the intensity of Ethan^2.  Having him along was a whole lot of fun last year, and I am sure it will be this year.  He is Ethan's other half.  Besides, the Ethans will be staying in Matthew's condo.

Mr. Bean

The name of our beach blog comes from a memorable line from the very funny film Mr. Bean's Holiday. Mr. Bean does not have many lines in movie, but when asked where he is going, he responds, "To the beach!"  It is the way he says it that makes us laugh.  Our family has quoted Mr. Bean many, many times.  I tried to find a clip of the famous line, but could not.  Here is a trailer for that movie.  We might have to watch the whole movie at the beach.

Father's Day

If you know Walter Russell, then you know that he loves going to the beach more than anyone else does.  The thought of a beach vacation gets him through long, grueling work weeks.  To honor him on Father's Day, we thought we would give him some beach items.


The first is this awesome gazebo.  Now we can all have a little shade since we won't all fit in the cabana with Wilson.  The only problem is that this Gazebo takes four people to open it and set it up.  Oh, and did I mention that it weighs over 30 pounds? Can you carry this on your bike, Matthew?  Perhaps I should have bought the collapsible wagon from Aldi, too.

 
We also gave him this.  Ethan and Walter immediately tried it out.  It is definitely an outdoor toy. Great for water balloons, too.

Are you making your lists of essential items for beach time fun?

Beach Pail List

On July 7, 2012, the family of Marcia and Walter Russell will head for the beach on Kiawah Island.  Everyone should be looking forward to a week of relaxation, recreation, memory making, and hilarity.  This requires no small amount of preparation.  Since anticipation is at least half the fun, we need to start preparing and anticipating. To that end, we will begin making our Beach Pail List - you know, that list of things we want to be sure to do before heading for home again.  So, what should be on our list?

1. Long bike ride
2. Build a significant sand structure
3. Play a board game
4. Fly a kite
5. Mandatory craft time
6. Eat Drumsticks (the ice cream kind)
7.   
8.   
9.   
10.   

Leave your ideas in the comment section, and I will update the list.