Kiawah Limericks 2016

They weathered a storm named Hermine;

Don't worry! The kids are all fine.

The wind blew and it rained;

Only Faith's drive in was strained,

Not a tree fell, not even a pine.

Three walks the family did take,

Sand sculptures they later did make.

When his wheels were a spinning,

Young Wilson was grinning;

A nap in the closet he'd take.

They feasted on great BBQ,

Each other in Nerf Wars they slew.

The bullets did fly,

To make you cry,

"I surrender! Boohoo! Boohoo!"

Last Day

The most important ingredient for a fantastic vacation is including the people you love the most. I have spent the last four days with some of those people, and we have laughed hard and made some memories.

Last night at Gilligan's, after writing a vacation limerick or two with the help of Julie via text message, we shared favorite all time memories from Kiawah. We reminisced about our honeymoon, Thomas and Julie's engagement, the antics of the Ethan's, cereal wars, and long discussions about the pronunciation of the word "foot" while floating in the ocean holding boogie boards.

It has been only a few days, not a full week, but we all feel richly blessed. We witnessed an extravagant sunrise and tried to capture the beauty on our cameras. Ethan went to the beach after dark and laid down on a towel so that he could take in the breath-taking beauty of the stars and count the shooting stars. I took bike rides in the cool mornings with my true love. Clear skies and 80-degree temperatures have been perfect for sunbathing, splashing in the waves, playing games, and building sand structures. We have seen baby alligators, deer (aka "kangaroos"), and so many exotic looking butterflies.

We way goodbye reluctantly, but with the hope of returning next year.

A Perfect Day at the Beach

Today's weather was glorious! The morning was spent building sandcastles and playing in the surf. Wilson rode his bike to the beach, and the girls rode in the bike trailer pulled by their dad. We all returned to the villa for lunch (leftover BBQ or PBJ's). Then Thomas and Julie packed up for the trip home, but not before another epic nerf gun battle at Wilson's request.

This afternoon Seth, Walter, and I took a bike ride to one of the marsh towers while Ethan and Faith headed back to the beach. We joined them there later in the afternoon. It was so pleasant that we had a hard time pulling ourselves away, but hunger won out. We enjoyed a dinner of lasagna, garlic bread, and salad. Now the gang is getting ready to watch the Clemson game while enjoying our traditional beach dessert - Drum Sticks!

We are looking forward to more adventures tomorrow as well as dinner at Gilligan's.

I have some pictures that I would like to share, but the internet service is so slow that I cannot upload pictures. I will try again tomorrow.

Batten Down the Hatches!

We are riding out this tropical storm and marveling at all the branches falling and blowing around. It is raining this afternoon, but we actually walked to the beach this morning so we could see the big waves. Later we had to take another walk so that we could see the baby alligators that Papa and Wilson had reported finding on one of their excursions. Perhaps we will post a picture later. This very nice villa does not have very fast internet service.

Right now the kiddos are sleeping and the adults are reading/sketching/posting. And we are waiting for Faith to arrive.

Here are a few of the highlights from this day so far.

• Coloring time
• Yummy party mix
• Epic nerf gun battle
• BREEZY walk on the beach!
• Baby alligator sightiW and M

Speaking of things that are epic. Thomas and Julie's recital last night certainly was. Here you see Seth and the girls enjoying the post-recital reception.

TODAY!

Thanks, W, for the awesome sign.

BTW, there is no way we will let Hermine keep us from having a great time!

Beautiful Kick-off

Last year we began our tradition of kicking off our vacation with some beautiful music. We are looking forward to continuing the tradition this year with a recital by Thomas and Julie at FPC, Columbia, That will be our first stop on our way to Kiawah Island. I can't wait!

So Close...

There is no such thing as "too much sunscreen" when the Russell's head to the beach.

Counting Down

The Countdown continues. We are hoping that the little munchkins on Gardendale are getting just as excited as we are. After all, half the fun is the anticipation.

Vacation 2016 - A Few Days at the Beach

Is there anything more stressful than planning/preparing for a beach trip? I should be an expert by now. Having to deal with 40 or so students a week while doing this planning doesn't make it any easier. I am relying on old lists from successful vacations of years past. I am also reminding myself that there is a grocery store not far from the villa, and we will certainly not starve. As long as I have a bike WITH A BASKET, I think I will be able to enjoy the paradise of Kiawah. A bike with a basket AND my true love of 34 years. We only get a few days this year, not a full week, but that is okay. We will make the most of having time together as a family. Children and grandchildren, what are you looking forward to the most?