Elyse @ the Beach~ Papa & Gigi are here!

On Wednesday morning during Elyse's morning nap, help arrived!  ha!  This was another case of...we certainly COULD have done it on our own, but we were so thankful we didn't HAVE to!  With naptimes and feeding schedules and early to bed, it's always nice to have as many hands as possible to take care of a baby.

When they arrived on Wednesday, we started off with lunch @ the Back Porch.  This is one of our favorite beach side restaurants...the atmosphere is perfect & the food is your standard Destin fare with fish sandwiches, fried seafood etc.  It's always a must visit on our vacations.

Think the chair is a little big for her?

For the most part, days with Papa & Gigi looked pretty much the same as they did when it was just the three of us...except we had double the amount of hands to care for & spoil Elyse!  

One of her many mouthfuls of sand!

Playing with daddy along the water's edge!

Papa with our beach diva...hat, sunglasses, & pacifier!

For dinner that night we went to another one of our favorite Destin restaurants...McGuire's Irish Pub. Normally on a beach vacation we prefer to only eat at restaurants on or very near the water...McGuire's is an exception because it's oh so good!

Family photo on the balcony

Elyse honestly could not have been a better baby on our first long family vacation. She loved the sand & the water and besides her nighttime sleeping, the rest of her schedule stayed completely on track.

Another hole to play in!

Mommy & daddy might have splurged on her first pair of Toms...pink glitter of course!

And Papa & Gigi found this flamingo she just loved...she would giggle every time she saw it!

 I read some blogs where it seemed like the packed the entire kitchen sink to take down to the beach...we had plenty of stuff but picked up most of what we needed once we got to Florida. Our condo came with 2 beach chairs & an umbrella so we set up Elyse underneath the umbrella when she was at the beach.  We purchased a cheap twin sheet from Walmart along with a beach straw mat to create some stability.  This was the perfect place for Elyse to play with her sand toys & not be absolutely covered in sand the whole time. It also kept her out of the sun and kept her from getting sunburned.

Yet another face full of sand...for some reason she didn't seem to mind it being in her mouth!  yuck!

One afternoon they borrowed a ladies tube for her to play in...so of course that night we had to go buy our own.  It was the perfect place for her to play & keep her confined.  

Having quite the conversation with Papa

Me & my beach babe!

Walking with Momma & Papa

Family photo on the beach

The entire group...what a fabulous trip!

We even had a little time to play in the waves!

Thursday night we ordered pizza in for dinner so we had some time to hit up the outlets for some Fall clothes for Elyse.  We found some adorable stuff and I'm definitely glad we made the trip.  

Friday night we went to another Destin-favorite...The Crab Trap.  I honestly was a little nervous about it because some of the reviews had been less than stellar, but we had a wonderful meal overlooking the water & then got to experience an absolutely gorgeous sunset!

The view from our table

Love this picture of Hubby & I...we don't have pictures of just the two of us very often anymore!

Christmas card picture...I think so!

Of course Papa & Gigi needed a photo with their sweet pea!

And a family photo...Missed you Nick & Millie!

Oh how our world is complete with this little girl!

Beautiful sunset...stunning!

Love all the sea grass and different colors in the sky!

We spent lots of time at the beach on our last day...Saturday.  Elyse never seemed to get tired of the beach, my beach baby for sure!

Papa, Momma, & Elyse

Momma, Elyse & Gigi...yes, my mom & I are smiling like dorks for no reason, but I absolutely love this photo!

Chilling with daddy in the shade before naptime

And one last dip in the water before it was all over...

So blessed to be able to spend relaxing time with family at a place I love!

I definitely think she likes the water!

Wheeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our last night in Destin we headed back to the beachfront and had dinner at Pompano Joe's.  Another great typical Destin restaurant with yummy seafood and a beautiful sunset.

Pure joy with Gigi

I love this photo...

& this one too!

Elyse was pretty much done with family photos at this point so we just had to deal with it!

The best we could go...she's holding Papa's car keys!

Overall this was an incredible family vacation.  When we arrived on Sunday afternoon and we stood on our balcony I might have teared up just a little bit as my dreams became a reality.  I've imagined the time when I would first be able to bring my baby to the beach for so long.  I'm such a beach lover and I hope that Elyse is too!  I can only hope that many more beach vacations are in our future...next year we won't be able to keep up with her!

We were long gone when this was taken...but my mom snapped this the morning we left...the serene, untouched ocean is one of the most beautiful sights in the world!