We have traditionally (a.k.a. that is how it has worked out the last 5 or 6 years) gone to Dad's house for the second weekend in November to celebrate both his birthday and also Thanksgiving with him, since we have traveled to Mom's over the actual Holiday.
After a visit there in early October, Dad suggested we do a long weekend on HHI instead of our usual visit to his house. We loved the idea of a little getaway and got to work rearranging schedules and requesting our vacation days to make it happen. We didn't know until Wednesday if Sam would be allowed to take off Thursday, so it was down to the wire on when we would leave. Since it is a 7 hour+ drive for us from Virginia (and since Willa is usually such a little terrorist in the car), Sam and I decided it may be best to leave late Wednesday after work and drive for a few hours rather than wake up on Thursday and immediately strap our energetic little women into a car.
Sam did get off, and we did get out of town on Wednesday night. Late. So, I drove for three hours until we reached Rockingham, NC around midnight. There aren't many places to stay there, but I used the hotwire app about twenty minutes before we got there to book a hotel with an indoor pool. I figured if we still had another 4 hours in the car, it would be best to let them wear themselves out before we hit the road. Indoor or not, there was no way I--or Sam--was getting in a pool in 45 degree weather. Nooooo way. So I watched from the side in my boots. And boy did I have a lot to watch!
Harper has continued with swim this fall, and one day she worked on diving with Miss Dayna, so I asked her if she would try to do a dive. Just one time. It had taken some convincing to get her to even jump in, so I thought she may need bribed to try the dive, but my brave little girl just walks over to edge and does THIS:
She blows my mind, that little wild child. She's horrible at softball, but sweet girl can swim. Here are a few more of her Daddy-induced antics:
My master plan worked, and the girlies were great for the last four hours of the trip.
She blows my mind, that little wild child. She's horrible at softball, but sweet girl can swim. Here are a few more of her Daddy-induced antics:
My master plan worked, and the girlies were great for the last four hours of the trip.
We met Dad, Donna, and Nik at the rental office, and Harper about lost her mind seeing Papaw ("who loves her Didi," according to her). On the way from the rental office to the condo, she randomly asked if Papaw was our family. I told her yes, of course. And she said, "Good, so I'm allowed to kiss him." haha! She loves to shower her family with affection.
It was still around 70 degree when we got there, so we walked to the beach almost immediately. They had a great time jumping in the surf and sticking their fingers down in the sand. As usual, it took Wills a little time to like it.
Afterward, Harper and Nik even got in the (heated) outdoor pool while we were waiting on the Sweetens to arrive. They had fun jumping in and racing. Nik is so great with her-- patient and engaging. He was like having a built-in babysitter
The next day, we enjoyed just lounging around the house since it was pretty chilly out-- a high of 50. Boo! Usually temperatures at HHI in November are low 70s/high 60s, but we had a major cold front for the time we were there. That didn't stop us from going out that evening and doing a little shopping and a lot of eating. I love that the girls got to try more fresh seafood! (says the mom that doesn't even eat seafood. Cheers to my not-picky offspring.) Here are a few pics from our fun together...
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