The Karaffa's: myrtle beach

Every year, we go to Myrtle Beach for our Van Wingerden Family Vacation. Mommy has been going every year since she was a child, so we have kept that tradition going. It's one of our favorite vacations...the sand, the ocean, dinners out, family time...it's such a fun trip. Each day, we would get to the beach anytime around 10-11. Sometimes, we'd pack a lunch and eat on the beach...and other times, we head up to the pool around 1:30 for swimming and lunch inside. Brady & I would go back down to the beach until around 4:30 while Brecken & Emmersyn napped in the room. Then, we would get cleaned up and head out to dinner each night. One night, we got to go "night swimming" after dinner, and we loved that. We had fun with our cousins each day. This year, we went for a week, the weather was gorgeous, and we had a wonderful time together. Enjoy the pics!

Averie Grace ~ 8 years old

Brady Joseph ~ 6 years old

Brecken Thomas ~ 3 years old

Emmersyn Faith ~ 2 months old

Daddy & Emmersyn

(She took lots of naps on the beach...must be her age...or the sound of the waves! :))

Ready for some fun in the sun!

Brothers & Buds

Best Friends (& cousins, too!)

Stephanie & me

We played in the sand a lot...building castles, looking for seashells, and burying each other. Here, we are burying Jackson in the sand.

Daddy with his boys

Brecken

Daddy & me...ready to head out in the water!

Then, it was Brecken's turn.

We wanted to go in the water all the time...boogie boarding and jumping waves!

Oma & Emmersyn

W brought our wonderful friend/babysitter, Miss Brittany, along with us for the first few days. We had a lot of fun with her. Brecken just adores her!

Jackson & me

Happy Boy

Matching shirts (accidentally) between cousins...they loved it!

Katilyn & Brady burying Jackson

And, she's awake! :)

Smiling & content

Daddy & his boys

Oma would buy everyone a lemonade slushie every day on the beach. They boys looked forward to that each lady the lemonade lady would walk by!

Yummy!

Oma & Emmersyn

Brecken was happy every day to be in the sand with his construction vehicles. He loved it!

Brayden came to join the digging fun!

Mommy & Brecken

Uncle Art reminded us so much of Opa on this trip...he would let the little kids feed him snacks (even if he didn't like them)...and he would enjoy the beach from under the umbrella!

Oma took us to the pier a few times while we there. We got to play a few arcade games and get ice cream. What a treat!! (We think Brady liked his ice cream a lot!)

Time to bury Stephanie!

Oma taking me out in the ocean

Just relaxing by the edge of the water

More sand fun

Aunt Lindsey & Emmersyn

Brecken & Madison playing in the water

Such cuties!

There is always some beach game going on...bocce ball, cornhole, etc. Jackson, Brayden, Zach, & Brady were playing bocce ball!

Me...enjoying the beach!

Emmersyn sleeping...

...& Emmersyn awake (barely!)

One night, we got to eat at Pirates Voyage. It's a dinner show...pirates, swords, animals, and mermaids! We all loved it!

Brecken with his construction vehicles again!

Sisters!

The Karaffa Kids

(Don't let this picture fool you...the sunglasses on the boys were to mask their tears! Haha!)

Daddy with his babies

Mommy & her babies

(And, if you look at the boys now, you will see why we had them wear the sunglasses!!)

Putting Emmersyn in the ocean for the first time...

...& it didn't even phase her! She just didn't like the bright sun!

Mommy & her girls

Daddy & Mommy

Uncle Art digging in the sand with Brecken

Happy Little Construction Worker

Smiling Emmersn

My turn to be buried...

...& then Daddy did his annual getting buried in the sand! We loved it!

Go Daddy!

Then, Brecken wanted a turn!

Time to rinse off...

...& try out some boogie boarding for the first time (for Brecken)

It was a success...

...he loved it!!

Go Brecken!

The older cousins...yes, in matching swimsuits!!

(Brayton (Aunt Cindi's nephew), Andrew, Grant, & Noah)

Happy Surfer Dude

He had so much fun!

Then, the older cousins took out the middle aged cousins for some ocean fun. We had a blast!

Daddy & the boys

Brady liked the boogie boarding, too!

Cousin Paul helping Brecken build a sand castle

Time for our annual shaving cream fight. This year, we used whipped cream...and, it was funny to see so many of us eating it rather than spraying each other with it!!

Not near the messy fun, but definitely yummier than shaving cream!

Whipped Cream Fight 2014

Another annual tradition is family pics on the beach before dinner. This year, Oma wanted one of all her grandkids. So, she had each family pick a color and wear that...Emmersyn is all ready for her family pics.

The Van Wingerden Grandchildren 2014

The Karaffa Kids

We found a shadier spot, and it went much better. Here we all are...the oldest is 21, and the youngest is 2 months old

Uncle Art/Aunt Kelly's kids...Eric, Grant, Paul, & Sam ~ White

Uncle Abe/Aunt Cindi's kids...Noah, Andrew, & Zach ~ Pink

Uncle Todd/Aunt Helen's kids ~ Orange

Uncle Michael/Aunt Courtney's kids ~ Green

Us ~ Navy Blue

We took another pic inside, and it went much better :)

More beach fun!

And, more boogie boarding. Thankfully, I can do it by myself, so Daddy just helped Brecken.

Stephanie & me

We all agreed that we missed the messiness of the shaving cream fight, so Aunt Cindi went out and got shaving cream so we could still have our annual shaving cream fight. We had a messy blast...except for Brady, who doesn't like the shaving cream! Here is Oma helping Brecken get some in his hands...

...so he could go get Uncle Michael.

Messy Brecken

Daddy, me, & Brecken

The Shaving Cream Gang 2014

(I am on the far right in front of the shaving cream "ghost." Brecken is in the middle front with blue bathing suit. Daddy is in the middle back. Brady is hiding under the umbrella. Mommy is taking the pictures (& is a little messy). Emmersyn is napping under the umbrella.)