The Cochrans: Beach Trip

This is going to be a long post, because I am going to try to put our whole beach trip in one. Just about every summer since we got married, Drew and I have gone to the beach. We usually go to Gulf Shores, which we love, but the place where we have stayed the past few years doesn't have a pool. That is just fine for Drew and me, but we figured the boys needed a pool...and we were right :) So, this year we went to Sea Grove and we got to go for an entire week! (we have never gotten to go that long). It was so wonderful and we did not want to leave! Here is Chase and Hank at our house before we got in the car that morning...

Hank and Chase in their seats ready to go!...(please notice how packed the car is behind Chase....we also had a luggage rack on top!)

The past few years, Wes has gotten to come with us for a few days. We love having him there and we were so glad that he got to come some this year! (Drew especially loves having a boogy boarding buddy!) Here are Hank and Wes in the condo...Hank is so happy!

Our little family on the balcony of our condo...

Drew and Wes with the boys...

This is what Hank did everyday on the beach...he was the perfect beach baby! This was the first day....everyday, Hank would fall asleep on the way out to the beach and then sleep for a couple of hours. He was so so sweet!

And Chase loved the beach too! He loved playing in the sand the most...and he enjoyed the ocean after Drew would have to lure him in. I think the pool was his favorite though!

Drew with Hank and Chase in the ocean...

Drew and Hank on the beach...

Chase with Wes on the beach....

Hank sleeping again...

Chase liked for Mama to go fill the bucket with ocean water...then he could pour it out so she could go fill it up again! :)

Drew with Chase and Hank in the pool....this was Chase's favorite part of the day!

Hank's favorite thing to do on the beach was sleep while Chase enjoyed eating his gummies (or as he says, "gumbies")...

Chase and Daddy in the pool....

Chase and Daddy playing in the sand and walking on the beach...

This is the famous "blue boat". Drew thought it would be fun to rent a sea kayak and take Chase out in it...that is one of the things I love most about Drew- he is not afraid to try things and he encourages Chase to do the same. Drew got the kayak and put Chase in it and pulled him out to get past the waves crashing. Let me point out that everyone on the shore is watching this guy take his 2-year old out in a sea kayak...then, Drew gets them to the sandbar and as he is getting in, Drew and Chase both flipped out. It was hilarious!....Drew and I thought so- but Chase did not. So, we finally got them out there (a lady next to us held Hank so I could pull them out)....the whole time, Chase was shaking his head saying, "My not like blue boat, bye bye blue boat". They went out pretty far and as I was watching (along with many others), we saw fins coming out of the water right next to Drew and Chase. There were dolphins swimming right by them! Drew decided that was his cue to come in because he didn't want them to flip the boat. He said the whole time they were out there, they sang "Row row row your boat" and looked for Nemo. Chase has talked about the blue boat just about everyday since our beach trip (it is now August and our trip was the first week in June). He says "My ride blue boat with Daddy...my fall down and Daddy fall down....my not like blue boat....we see dolphins jump high." I know he loved it though, and I am so glad that Drew did that with him!

More pictures from the pool...

In the middle of the week we thought a little break would be nice, so we went to Gulf World in Panama City. My cousin and her husband took their little boy and we actually saw it on their blog and thought it looked like fun (thanks Elizabeth and David!) It was great! Chase loved it and we all had so much fun! It was like a mini Sea World (well....I have never been to Sea World, but I would imagine that it was). Chase LOVED seeing the sharks and the big turtles swimming around! He saw the biggest shark and he said "that big shark the mama shark!" Of course the big one would be the mama! :)

Hank had fun too!! He is always such a little trooper!

Chase and Daddy looking at the sting rays....

Drew and Chase watching the sea otter show. Chase clapped for the sea otter every time he did anything...even if he was the only one in the audience clapping (which happened several times). He would stand up and yell "Yea!!!" while he clapped. The sea otter really was neat though.

Drew and Chase (and Hank's feet) waiting on the dolphin show to start...it was really neat and Chase LOVED it too! He still talks about how high the dolphins jumped!

Drew and Chase walking on the beach...

Chase lounging in the chair with his juice...

Hank sleeping again..

Chase and Daddy taking a night swim....it didn't last long because it started lightening, but Chase had fun while they did it!

Chase riding Daddy in the pool...he loved that!

Daddy, Chase, and Hank swimming together in the pool...

Sweet little Hank sucking on that thumb...

Hank and Mommy on the beach...

Chase and Hank on the beach...

Daddy, Chase, and Hank...

Chase LOVED pushing the button on the elevator...one time there was a pizza delivery guy on the elevator with us and he pushed the button- that did not go over well with Chase! Here he is on the elevator...he also loves his sunglasses!

Chase and Daddy hanging out on the beach...

We went to The Red Bar to eat one night and took pictures on the beach there...

Waiting to eat....

The wait was about an hour longer than they said it was going to be...so, Chase was a bit delirious by the time we got to eat. But, both boys were great the whole time!

Daddy and Hank in the condo....he LOVES his daddy! Even though Chase is not in this picture, I have to tell one more Chase story. If you will notice, the wall of the condo was lined with mirrors...this was also the case in Chase's room. The first morning when we woke up we heard and saw Chase (on the monitor) jumping up and down on the bed and talking to "other Chase". He talked about "other Chase" all week and still does. The last morning when I woke Chase up to get ready to go home, he looked at me and said "Other Chase is coming home too." And he did....other Chase is here with us everyday! He also saw other Chase in the reflection of a couple of cars on the way home....so, Chase's imaginary friend is Chase! :)