Happy Belated Vacation Pics!!!

(Quick note - if you haven't done so already, please read yesterday's post for a) some cute pics, and b) a chance to win some fun and delicious baking stuff!)

As I find customary for so many of us bloggers once we get back to the rigid constraints of real-life-after-vacation, vacation photos are not so forthcoming.  The first few days back the stories start to tumble out, enhanced by a few illustrative snapshots, but the bulk of the pictures that mark the memories of that amazing time sit and wait until there's time to edit them. 

Which could take forever in some cases. 

I finally lit the fire under my own behind and sat down to the task, so now you are duly graced with what we all call vacation photo overload.  I'll drop a few words in here and there to explain what you're looking at, if you honestly, really care...or if you at least want to pretend you do...  Come on, humor me.

I bought a new fat-covering bathing suit before we left, tired of the photos of rolls of ick floating around my middle at the beach.  It worked pretty well, I think, but the two words black and swimdress, especially when used together, would have to work, right?  Oh, and let me tell you, what's going on underneath the dress part is seriously sucking the life out of me.  It's like this spandex wet suit, designed to prevent quick trips to the bathroom without a crowbar to get it off.  TMI?  I don't think so...just a warning to those of you considering such a sleek contraption.

So, I've seen other people do these sand captions in their vacation photos before, and thought I'd give it a try.  And my hastily-drawn results were, uh, lame.  But I thought it was a cute photo of our little camp anyway, Samantha pointing at the camera and laughing at me for attempting such folly.

For the most part, we never went down to the beach during the height of the afternoon.  Morning was so much more peaceful and we could allow the sun to gently, gradually, darken our skin through our 50-sunblock as it rose higher into the sky.  On the day in the photo below, Samantha and I went down to the beach at 4pm after having been out and about all day.  It was blisteringly hot, and we wanted nothing more than to run straight into the bath-warm water, but a passing storm made the pounding surf and strong undertow too dangerous to attempt.  To deter Samantha, I told her that the ocean was angry and it wasn't safe to go into the water.  Fortunately, she accepted that, and things were calmer the next morning when we returned.

A very brief day trip to Savannah, marked by SuperCrankyGirl and a torrential rain storm, gave us a quick look at the waterfront and it's ancient, steep stone steps and neck-breaking cobblestone streets.  This pirate may have been the highlight, though, at least for one of us...  I can't remember what I did with the fortune card that popped out, though, but who cares, right?

Samantha also took the opportunity to make a new friend.  He's a little stiff, though, don't you think?  I think she can do better, although he does look like he's actually hugging her in the bottom photo.  She loves this kind of stuff, as most children do at this age.  Or maybe that was just me...

On the day Samantha lost her tooth, Steve, Samantha and I paid a visit to Jeckyll Island, which neighbors St. Simons, where we were staying.  I know there's a lot of history there to discover and photograph, but SuperCrankyGirl made her appearance and kept our visit short, so we settled for a walk out onto a pier and a drive all the way around the teeny tiny island.  Also, with the return of the children to school in Georgia and the official end of summer coming that week for that area (uh, it was only August 22nd!  How is that the end of summer?), there wasn't much going on, and we felt like we were just about the only people on the island.

Except for the pelicans.

Eventually a 3rd pelican arrived and displaced the seagulls in the photo below.  It was so amazing to see them so close up, flying in and having a nice rest in the sun, or actually sleeping, as in the photo above.  I didn't realize it was real until it moved very slightly.

My cousin was so gracious to offer us his vacation house on St. Simons.  It's been completely renovated and is rarely used, and was absolutely perfect.  Loads of room, all the comforts of home.  The neighbors were friendly and looked in on us from time to time, as well.  Oh, and this little guy greeted us when What a welcome wagon!