Stop #4

Our fourth stop was supposed to be a quick, overnight stop at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, GA. We lived in GA for almost 4 years and I never got to see Savannah. So the plan was to stop the night there, since it would be an 11 hour drive from where we were in FL to where we were stopping in SC. Too long once you add in stops with all the kids. BUT, we had made reservations online, and had totally forgotten about it after that. So we called on our way, and found out that the online reservations doesn't work (SO WHY IS IT ON THE WEBSITE???). Of course they were out of rooms, so we decided for just a little more money and an extra half hour we could just go to Hilton Head Island. We LOVE HHI, It is so relaxed and very family-oriented (compared to Myrtle Beach or the like). But how could we stay just one night? So we called the next couple of stops and altered our plans a bit so that we could stop for two nights and have whole day to ourselves. Well, we should have planned that all along. It was so nice to do nothing and just hang out at the beach and hotel! It was a bit of a taste of a real vacation. And now we understand why people go on vacation! Although we love visiting family, we have never had a nice, relaxing, do nothing kind of vacation. We have always gone to visit people. Part of being a military family, I guess. And it is always nice to see everyone, but we always come home feeling like we need a few days to decompress from our "vacation"- which is why we don't call them vacations anymore, but TRIPS. (And the biggest problem is probably that we pack in so many stops and miles into a short amount of time.)

So, anyway, I didn't think I had any pictures from HHI, but I did have a few on my phone...

The beach in the rain at 7 pm? Hey! I don't have to wear my hat!

But this is not comfy to crawl on! The sand is all pokey!
(The rain had made little pockets in the sand where it had hit and it was pretty rough. Selah tried to bear crawl some, but eventually gave up and just sat there. And the sand wasn't NEARLY as nice as it had been in FL!)

Noah, the artist.

I can't remember what he drew, though I know he told me.

I'd guess a CT scan, but this was before that, so who knows!

Playing shark in the water with Dad.

The only thing better than playing on the beach with our dad is playing on the beach with our dad past bedtime!

Okay, let's go! I am ready to move on!

~I was just making sure I still fit in the suitcase. JUST in case Dad has to go out of town. I can't let him leave me with Mom, she just doesn't understand what it's like to be a little girl. I need my dad around to protect me...aka feed me ice cream and make sure the boys give me what I want!

(She climbed herself in there- she wanted to play with the bag of diapers. Why is it that the only thing that a kid wants to play with is something that is potentially life-threatening? which actually brings us to a little side story, minus pictures.)

I admit to being a little bit paranoid. But sometimes it pays off- and all it takes is that one time of it paying off to make all of the other times more than worthwhile.

I cannot go to sleep until I have checked on all of my kids.

They have to all still be breathing, and I cover them up and make sure their windows are locked...yada, yada.

Well, the last night at the hotel, I was up late doing laundry (there was only 1 washer and dryer for the entire 5 story hotel. A hotel that is ON the beach. Is that not ridiculous??) and so I'm folding the laundry, and I go put some in a suitcase. Said suitcase happens to be near where
Noah is sleeping on the floor. And I see that Noah's not in his sleeping bag, but over next to the A/C unit, with his hand holding onto the plug for the A/C. By holding onto, I mean he has his fingers wrapped down around between this ENORMOUS plug and the outlet-which is a box on the floor. EEK! So I go and take his hand off, for fear of electrocution, and try to move him back into his sleeping bag. Except that I can't seem to get his bag to lay out, it is all twisted and stuff. Mind you it is pretty dark in the room, just the bathroom light is on since the kids are all asleep. Why is his bad twisted? Because the cords you tie it up with are tightly wrapped around his neck! Still knotted, from where they were just slipped off the bag. And this isn't a little kid's bag. I'm pretty sure all of our kid's bags either have velcro or no straps at all and just go into a bad. Now I know why. These strings are nylony, twine-like strings, and they wrap and tie tightly. I was so scared that he was already dead. (Don't panic. This was weeks ago, obviously he is fine.) I finally managed to make out that he was indeed alive, but I couldn't get the strings off! They were wrapped so tightly around his neck I couldn't even get them to move at first. Talk about panic! I would have just cut them, but we were in a hotel- scissors are not something they provide as a courtesy to all guests! Eventually, (probably only 30 seconds, but it felt WAY longer) I did manage to get the strings untied and off of his neck, and besides the marks, he was fine. Come morning, you couldn't even tell. Of course, I spent the whole night alternating between praying (because I was so relieved and grateful he was fine) and having nightmares about him not being fine (after which I would pray some more until I fell asleep again.) I truly think he would have strangled in his sleep had I not found him, and I am SO relieved and grateful to still have my little troublemaker!! ( I still feel sick thinking about it!)