The Carrots Family Beach Recap (Mostly Pictures Because That's All You Want To See Anyway).

It's been a really long time since I've treated this space like a fluffy little diary. 
Lately I've been so focused on Boring Life and Grown Up Things and running 50 miles in the month of June that I've neglected sitting down here to share some of the hilarious, messy and fun day to day happenings of our bunch. And yes, I said 50 miles in June. Having woken up one morning last month and decided "I'm going to be a runner!" deserves a whole post in and of itself. What was once my Writing Time turned very quickly into my Running Time and while I exceeded my goal for the month, I'm still shocked as shit that I did it. I'll get to that post another day. 
If you follow along on Instagram or Facebook, you're well aware of the unexpected week-long beach vacation that we took. What was supposed to be only a few days away turned into my husband being able to stay for the entire week and eventually inviting our friends down to stay with us and join the fun. 
When a complete stranger wanders up to you and offers to take a family photo for you as she watches you precariously balance your camera on a lifeguard chair, you never, ever say no. You then proceed to thank her profusely for taking time from her family and relaxing seat on the beach to capture an elusive, much loved and much appreciated family photo.  

It's so rare that we get to enjoy that much uninterrupted time together as a family that I still can't quite find the words to explain how great that time away was for us all. There's just something about the beach that makes escaping there a tiny bit of magic. 

Did our kids drive us up the wall? Did they bicker and tease and fight with each other? Did we have to dedicate a spot in the house for time-outs? Yes, yes and yes. Just because we were on "vacation" didn't mean that our kids behaved like angels and it rained fairy dust and unicorn tears all week long. 
However, being able to head to the beach in the evenings with a cocktail in hand and let the boys run out their last bits of energy sure as hell beat letting them run around our living room like crazed maniacs any day.  

(I love this picture because the baby wanted nothing to do with being held and Maclane's face accurately portrays how he felt about posing for a picture. Real life gets me every time!)

We spent most of our days at the pool because, sand, and because having someone serve you handcrafted cocktails while you parent from a lounge chair is pretty much my idea of heaven on earth. I'm working on convincing my husband of the necessity of a splash pad in the next house. It has quickly moved up the priority list right between "Soaking Tub With Feet" and "Panic Room for Mom."
We said "yes!" more than we said "no," we ate ice cream before dinner, we stayed up late with little disregard to our usual routine and neither my husband nor myself did any work for more than five whole minutes the entire week long. I'm pretty sure I didn't even open up my computer except to check a local restaurant's carry-out menu as well as the events for one of the days spent at the pool club. 
It. was. amazing.

Not only did Maclane turn three earlier this month but it seems as if being at the beach made each one of the boys grow older. If nothing else, they definitely grew a little taller. All of a sudden Collins looks huge to me and I find myself sentimentally wondering where that last bit of tiny last little baby went.   
We're only home for a few days before we take off to spend the 4th of July up North so you can bet your dog Fido that I'm not unpacking a single bag from my truck before we leave (an added bonus of having washer/dryer access while on vacation). I will, however, at the very least, vacuum out all of the sand and crunched up Cheez-Its before we completely trash the truck again. Mama didn't raise no fool. Although I'm not quite sure what we'll be eating these next few days. There isn't a single vegetable to be found in the house and I've already had Ramen noodles for breakfast (and maybe lunch). I just can't bring myself to go grocery shopping! 

Coming back from the beach is the pits- thankfully it won't be too long before we head back there. If you want to see more pictures from our beach trip, notably the ones above as well as others I've taken on my phone that I'm too lazy to re-post here, head on over to Instagram! 
My dress came from JCrew Factory, the boys' shirts, from Hanna and  what my husband is wearing and as well as the boys' shorts  are from here. (Use code SUMMERFUN for 25% off ladies' and kids' styles  at Castaway Clothing through the end of today)