That Did NOT Just Happen (Hilton Head - Part 3)

On New Year's Day, we bundled up and took the kids to the beach.  We also took them down to the lighthouse to take some pictures.  My sister-in-law Stacie really wanted a good picture of the four cousins together.  So Kevin brought his fancy camera.  This is an important detail for the rest of the story.

They were happily playing, digging, fishing, etc. on the beach.   I was sitting near Luke watching him play.  A group of people came by with a couple of those little yippy dogs and a cocker spaniel.  None of the dogs were on leashes.  I guess there's not a leash law on the island.  Or maybe there is and these people were not obeying it.  On the sand near Luke was our duffle bag.  Our duffle bag with towels, a few sand toys, some snacks, diapers, wipes, and Kevin's camera. 

The cocker spaniel the stupid dog who was not on a leash came over and sniffed the bag. 

Then the dog...

hiked his leg up....

and began to pee on our bag...

Suddenly I felt like I was Bruce Willis in a Die Hard movie because everything started moving in slow motion. I am screaming, "Nooooooooooooooo.  Stooooooooooooop"  as I am lunging across the sand to get to the bag and get the dog away from it.

Kevin's back was turned and he of course turned around to see what his wife was yelling at.

"The dog just peed on our bag. The bag with your camera in it."

At first, I don't think Kevin thought I was serious.  I mean it does sound ridiculous.  What pet owner allows their pet to pee on someone else's belongings?  Trees?  Ok.  Fire hydrants?  Sure.  Bushes?  Why not.  But a duffle bag?  Are you kidding me!!!!

I was so very angry.  During the commotion, the dog went up to Luke and scared him.  So he's crying.  I'm trying to comfort him and see if the camera got wet. 

The people are apologizing, but they still don't PUT THEIR DOG ON A LEASH!  Kevin assures them that everything was fine.  Thankfully, the dog missed the camera and it mostly got on the outside of the bag.  I am glad I married him because I honestly wanted to say some seriously not nice things to those people.  Not exactly the best way to start a new year. 

Now I can laugh about it, but at the time it was not funny. 

Here are a few beach pics. 

And these are the pictures of the cousins.  It was really cold at the lighthouse.  I didn't realize it, but Fletcher had bubble gum in his mouth too.  Someday these four will look at these pictures and remember that their parents must have been nuts to make them take pictures in short sleeve shirts on January 1 in freezing temps.  Ahh, the wonderful memories!

The Polar Bear Plunge (Hilton Head - Part 2)

It was quite chilly the week we were there.

One of the activities the resort was offering was their 9th Annual Polar Bear Plunge where all willing candidates jumped into the (unheated) pool on the morning of New Year's Eve.

Anna decided she wanted to do it. Fletcher decided to join her. Kevin wanted to be supportive of his son so he agreed to do it too. Please know my husband absolutely HATES cold water. Couple cold water with cold weather and he goes nowhere near it. But he LOVES his son.

You'll have to watch the video (at the end of the post) a couple of times. First, note how many people are actually doing this. Proves that we are not the only nutty family in the world. Second, note Fletcher's hesitation. He is the last one in the pool. Third, go back and focus on Kevin. I have never seen anyone enter and exit a pool that quickly. He yanked Fletcher out so fast I thought he might go flying over the fence.

We were the first ones there. We were hoping we weren't going to be the only ones there!
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More people showed up. Kevin is mentally preparing himself. Fletcher is wondering what he agreed to.

After the plunge. They each got a certificate. The Plunge in the ocean was the next day, but Kevin said, "No way."

Luke was in a powdered doughnut coma. Note the white ring around his mouth. He is trying to negotiate another one from Papa Charlie.

The video proof.

The kids spent New Year's Eve attempting to do a little fishing and crabbing with Uncle Gavin. Unfortunately, the fish and crabs were having parties of their own because they weren't biting. My pictures didn't turn out too well since it was dark.

Hilton Head Island - Part 1

The Sunday after Christmas, we loaded up Kevin's truck and headed to Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island for a little vacation with Kevin's family.

I'll devote the next few posts to some photos and highlights of our trip.  Warning: This one has lots of photos.

Here are some highlights from our week:
Golfing
Fishing
Bike riding
Swimming in the heated pool
The Polar Bear Plunge at the unheated pool
Playing at the beach
Wii Family Feud
Wii Cabela's Big Game Hunter
Wii Mario Kart
Cartoons
Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR completed jigsaw puzzles of 500 + pieces (my sister-in-law and I were a little obsessed)
Scrabble, Quelf, LCR, Rummikub, & Phase 10 board games and card games
Gumbo with potato salad
Taco night
Pizza lunch
Children's Museum
Climbing to the top of the lighthouse
Seeing where Kevin and Stacie lived (they lived on HHI for about three years in the mid 80's)
Exploring Harbor Town
Playing at the playground
Flying a kite
Hot chocolate
Making memories with cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents

While Papa Charlie, Uncle Gavin, Kevin and Graham were golfing, we took the kids to a Children's Museum called The Sandbox. We arrived when it opened and by the time we left, there was a waiting list to get in!!!

Preparing for take off.

Indoor rock climbing wall. Where is the safety equipment?

Mermaid at the front of the pirate ship.

Hey, wait a second... that's no mermaid.

Little pilot.

This was Luke's favorite - the sand table. I wish I could install one of these on my back porch. The sand was "magic sand". Hard to explain, but it had a consistency to it that allowed it to be molded and stay together. Almost like a combo of Play-Doh and sand.

Wait a minute, Mr. Postman.

Skeleton man.

Pirate girl.

Hilton Head is known for its lighthouse at Harbor Town. The kids really wanted to go up to the top of it. So we did. It was 114 steps. Luke climbed every single one up and down by himself.

Here are Anna and Fletcher with Grandma.

This was probably the one and only time I didn't have a death grip on Luke while we were up there. That's the 18th hole of the Harbor Town golf course behind them.

Me and the boys. What's with all the funky head tilting in this picture???

The guys on the Harbor Town course.  This is the course that the PGA Tour uses for the Heritage tournament.  But I think the name is different now. 

Tomorrow: The Polar Bear Plunge