Memorial Day weekend at Fripp Island with the Popjes'!

 We have just returned from our first official family vacation.  All of the other trips we have taken have involved running around to see family or mice and other characters, they have all been fun, but definitely not considered relaxing or a vacation.   This weekend was the antithesis of that.  We got to park our car on Friday and not move it until Monday.  Our biggest decision of the day was what time we were going to go to the beach.   We are so thankful for great friends like Melanie and Jamie.  We are  sad that our friendly neighbors moved back to South Carolina, but are super happy that they have this beautiful beachfront condo that they invited us to. :)  We had a great time playing in the sand and at the beach and most of all being able to spend such great quality time with great friends.

For those of you who don't know, Fripp Island is a little gem of an island tucked away in the southeastern corner of South Carolina.  It is a small private community where golf carts are used as the main form of transportation.  Deer roam free around the island.  Melanie and I got up close and personal with a baby doe last night as she ventured from the beach to the entrance of the courtyard where Mel and I were enjoying an evening cocktail on the boardwalk.
 Here are a few of the highlights from the trip.  At low tide, there were great tide pools that were very entertaining for Grayson.  He got to sit, splash, walk around freely, and experiment with the dry and wet sand.

 Thought this was such a good photo op with Mel and Grayson lounging in the same position soaking up the rays.

 This was quite the popular stance for most of us for the weekend.

 The condo was oceanfront, but of course this little prince was carried to and fro.

 Last night of the trip, trying to get a picture of Mel and Jamie with Grayson.  This was one of our favorites.

 And then a nice one. :)

 The last day he didnt think he needed to take a nap, so by 6:00 he was pretty cooked.  He laid on the couch, relaxed, and watched some of his favorite TV shows.

 This morning we realized that we had no pictures of the four of us.  It was another beautiful morning so we took advantage of the picturesque view on the beach.   Don't worry, Grayson was just playing in a tide pool somewhere.

Overall, it was a delightful weekend and we can't wait to do it again!

Poppi turns 90!

I can hardly believe that my Poppi turned 90 years old this past weekend.  It is a big birthday and I knew it would be hard for him to not have my mother there. I thought it was a great idea to make the trip down to see him and spend some quality time with him and the family.
                                      

We got to see a ton of people in this trip and Grayson was a real trooper for all of the photos that I insisted on taking.   We met Tracey and Lucks for dinner one night.  Lucks and Adam had a quick escape to go get dinner themselves and we didn't remember to take a photo :( Pretty bummed about  that.   But nevertheless great shots with Tracey and Gramps watching the sun set.
                                           

The next morning we had a very busy day!  We started meeting part of The Anker clan at this great place called the Funderdome.   I dont know who liked it better, the big boys or the little boy, but nevertheless, we all had fun.

After a nice lunch, we headed up to part two of our day: Poppi, Esther and Aunts/Uncles.
 Lots of tickles from Uncle Keith.

Snuggles with Esther.

Aunt Terry was smitten with this little guy.

Oh, look!  Uncle Jeff is actually being photographed and not just behind the camera!

 Grayson thought it was super funny when UJ would rub his head like a Magic Eight ball and then tickle his belly.

As always, Grayson adored time with Uncle Andy and Chelsea.

The scrunch face, which is back with a vengeance.    Couldn't resist posting this one on the balcony with the blue/green ocean and beautiful sky backdrop.

We have been making a lot of trips to the beach but the pool in our neighborhood is still quite cold.  Luckily, this one was warm!  Grayson warmed up to the idea of being in this ring very quickly and we LOVE it.  It is so nice to not have a little koala bear attached to your neck the whole time you are in the water.  He was doing a great job of kicking and using his hands to steer.