Fripp Island!

 Now, you can't say we don't make good use of all the space in our minivan... We have Justin at the wheel, Lea in the passenger seat, William and Silas in the middle, and I'm in the back between Vera and Patrick.  OH! and the BIG dog is lying on the floor between us all.  The car ride earned a picture.

 We were so happy to be able to spend a week down at the beach together.  It was fun to show Lea the low country.  From Beaufort to Gay's Shrimp Company (where Tom Hanks sailed his Bubba Shrimp Company boats), from Hunting Island Lighthouse to Gullah Grub Restaurant.

 Hunting Island, SC is one of my favorite places because the beach is left to nature's devices.  Here is the "tree graveyard" where the ocean has crept further and further onto the island to pull trees down into its sandy waters.  The result is a beautiful playground! Note the "cabin" in the picture above which is no longer accessible.  The road is literally in chunks in the sand and goes down into the water.  It's easy to see how nature has changed the shape of Hunting Island.  

 William, Vera, and Silas loved climbing the roots of this tree.

 We were visited each day by this beautiful Painted Bunting.  It's hard to get a picture that captures the brilliance of this bird's colors, but to see one each day was indeed quite special.

 This pup is getting old, but he enjoyed lounging in the waters and being near us.

 What would we do without Lea to keep an eye out for Silas!?  Silas is a crazy nut in the water (and out of the water too). 

 Justin rented a paddle board for one evening so we could give it a try.  I managed to stand up for 52 seconds on my 3rd try. Justin got pretty good by the end of our time out there... the waters were quite choppy, so I think paddle boarding would work much better on a lake or river or calmer day at sea. 

Oh, and Patrick! He LOVED the water.  Mostly he slept in a baby carrier, but when he was awake I let him sit with me on the shore.  He couldn't have been happier about those warm waves lapping up around his belly.