Amanda Dove Wells

Ok, all of your comments on the last post are really making me miss the beach something awful. And I haven’t been home a whole week yet. I really should just stay down there. Really.

I’ve been playing catch up all week after seven days of virtual nothingness at the beach last week. Yesterday I vigorously scratched entry after entry off of my to-do list so here I am – able to breathe easily now – to share a little about our annual beach trip (finally!).

We seem to make our way down 30A every year, staying from Seaside to SeaGrove, and are now toying with the idea of staying in Rosemary Beach next year. It’s great because I have yet to find a single spot on the Emerald Coast’s 30A that I’m not completely in love with. If you’ve never spent any time among 30A with its idyllic little communities and beachgoers on cruisers, you should give it a shot. Every little community – from Grayton, to Seaside, to Alys, to Rosemary – is different, but special in its own right.

My idea of a great time at the beach is spending all day in the sand watching my kids romp and run and eating good food at night – and I’m content. I mean, who wouldn’t be? So I’ll let the photo-ops speak for themselves…

Packed to the brim and a few hours into the drive. My girls were troopers, I must say. They are growing up so fast – evident each year when the car trip gets easier and easier.

I know this picture is crazy blurry, but it’s the only one I have of P in her adorable sunhat. She of course wore it for about 2.5 seconds, but I could just eat her up in it.

Movie time after a long day at the beach!

Can’t beat dinner out of an airstream.

This is how Nathan worked while we were on vacation. I don’t think I’ve mentioned it here before, but he works in political campaigns and it’s election year in Mississippi, so no rest for the weary. He talked to client after client on the beach underneath his t-shirt to avoid the wind. That’s my kind of office space!

And this is me and Ry, not doing a stitch of work the whole time. I like to savor vacation (even though I’ve paid for it this week). P.S., that front tooth has popped through the gum since we got home.  Tear! One sad mommy!

These two were cracking me up. They somehow managed to match their outfits every day.

Yum-O. If you’re ever in or near Alys Beach, eat at George’s. Delicious.

No dieting on vacation. Oh, no sir.

The Coleys – our yearly vacation companions.

A little bike ride in Rosemary. I kept telling her that her handlebars were broken (as evidenced by this picture). “No, they are supposed to be like this, mom!” And then they fell off. But luckily, there’s an abundance of bike shops on 30A that were happy to give us a freebie repair for a sweet little girl.

P was missing our yorkie Charlie while we were gone (we call her the Dog Whisperer), so her purchase was this new little surrogate stuffed yorkie – Lily (the name of virtually every stuffed animal in our house!).

Our fun little beach friend. Poor thing.

What I wouldn’t do for my kid’s eyelashes.

Be still my heart. The two most gorgeous little sugar lumps.

Just FYI – Love this new dress direct from Target. Comfy and inexpensive! Necklace was a birthday gift from my sweet friend Elizabeth.

I was sad to leave, but am glad to be home (I say through gritted teeth). But alas, I’ll be heading back to 30A in a few weeks with some girlfriends for a long weekend and can hardly wait.

A couple of notes if you’re headed that way any time soon -

Eat at Flip Flops Cafe in Seagrove and get the gorgonzola burger (recently voted the best burger on 30A). Delish!

Anna and I were able to sneak away for a massage and facial at the Beach Ready Spa in Seaside. Ask for April. I’ve gotten a massage from her the last two years. Best.Massage.Ever. I mean it. Really. Take my word for it.

Duckies is the cutest new little kids store in Seaside. Check it out for toys, baby clothes, and some really great beach bags.

Happy beaching!

P.S. Don’t miss my beachy giveaway here!