Vacation to Tybee Island

Dear Tybee Island,

What can I say? You were the best vacation we have ever had! Your beaches were amazing and the sand felt so good on our toes. Your warm water was perfect for swimming and body surfing and your beautiful blue sky was just right for long afternoons outside. We especially enjoyed the marine life that frequented the shores and the beautiful dolphins that were almost close enough to touch. Your sunsets and sunrises were breathtaking and the gelato delicious. May we come and visit you again soon?

Sincerely,

The Anson Family and Friends



Days 1-3:

St. Louis to Marietta, GA, home of our wonderful friends, the Gublers. They were generous enough to let us stay in their gorgeous house and raid their pantry for the weekend. Shannon made her son, Trevor, the best birthday cake I have ever tasted and we were able to share it with the sister missionaries hot on the route. We adults also got a few babysitters for all the kiddos and took off to eat at the best seafood restaurant I have ever eaten at. It was called Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen and I can honestly say, after sampling every one's food, that there was not a bad dish on the menu! Saturday afternoon we hit the pool and Sunday we tagged along to their ward. Here's to great friends and great food!



Day 4:

Monday morning we drove from Marietta to Tybee Island, which is about ten minutes off the coast of Savannah, Georgia. The trip took about 4.5 hours and seemed every bit as long, since we were traveling with so many little children, but it was so nice to have a kind friend to share the drive with. We chatted, ate trail mix and entertained the kids. The "big boys" all rode in the other car. We checked into the rental house as quickly as possible and then ran to the beach, which was right around the corner!

 

We stayed in the "Southern Charm" and it lived up to its name. Complete with 3 master bedrooms, a hot tub, large kitchen, outdoor shower, covered patios and decks, rooftop views and room enough for our family, David's parents and sister, and the Gublers!



We loved, loved, loved the beach by our house. It was on the north side of the island, close to the river so the waves were calm and the beach wasn't crowded. It was perfect for just relaxing while the kids built forts and moats in the sand. Dolphins liked to swim just off the shoreline too so we decided not to pay for the guided boat tour since we could see them just fine from where we were.









We spent a few afternoons at other beaches that were on the ocean side of the island but I was too busy on the boogie board to take pictures! Caleb was a regular surfing dude and spent the entire time coasting the waves. The little boys fought the waves with their fists and squirt guns and had fun just floating around. Emmy spent most of her time digging in the sand and filling up her bucket.






On one of the afternoons we stopped at the Flying Fish for a crab boil. Once again, I was too busy eating to take a picture but let me tell you, it was glorious to behold. I especially liked their fried shrimp  and the kids loved eating picnic style and making a mess.



I thought it was funny that the whole week we were there, it turned out to be "Shark Week" on the Discovery channel. Awesome.



I could not believe how gorgeous everything was. The sunsets and sunrises were so vibrant and we were so blessed with perfect weather. I really enjoyed looking for seashells and taking pictures of just about everything. Obviously. David was kind enough to indulge me and gave me time to snap away.



On our last morning, I woke up early and walked the beach for the sunrise. It was amazing! The clouds were glorious and the rainbow was the icing on the cake. I loved all the birds and the sound of the waves was so calming. I honestly think if I could do that every day, I might even become a morning person!






We visited Savannah one day to check off one of the items on my bucket list, y'all! We ate at Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady and Sons, for lunch. She was such a great hostess, as you can see, and her fried chicken was delectable! I was not impressed with the collard greens, however, I guess I am not southern enough. I did enjoy the banana pudding though, and ate all of Jacob's leftovers.

We also ate at the 4th rated best ice cream shop in the United States called Leopold's. The guy who owns it, is or was, the VP for Paramount Pictures. Whenever they shoot a movie near by, all of the movie stars stop by for ice cream and their photos and autographs are hanging on the wall. It was delicious! Emmy really liked all the ice cream on this trip. A lot.



We left the beach house on Friday morning and parted ways with our friends to meet up with some more family in Atlanta. We met up at the Atlanta Braves game and enjoyed cheering for our 2nd favorite team. (Cards are still #1)



The rest of the weekend was spent in Newnan, GA at David's uncle Paul Ohie's house. It was so wonderful to sit around and visit with such loving and generous relatives. I was so excited to see them all again. We sat around visiting while the kids spent the entire day in the pool. I was so proud of my kids for swimming so well and so happy that they had a good time in the water. We ate, then ate some more and the whole time Caleb and Zac worked on their newest business venture, Anson Comics. Ally and Jacob talked each other's ears off and Emmy fell asleep on my lap while I rocked on the porch swing. Heaven.

It was so nice to spend so much time with my Honey and my family. I am missing the beach already!