Gwynn's Island

Oh how I love this place.....we left D.C. and headed to my Aunt Dearing's house on the Chesapeake Bay. I feel like I began to relax as we crossed the bridge to the island. This is such a peaceful and beautiful spot.

We ate dinner with Dearing on our first night and then immediately headed out to the beach. Thinking we would just walk along the shore, none of us took the time to change to our bathing suits. I should have known better....within minutes my water loving children were in the bay splashing around and playing in the sand--wearing nothing but their birthday suits and it was completely okay. That's how laid back things are at Gwynn's Island!

My parents, Stephen and Cambridge, my cousins Samuel and Kate and Kate's daughter Allie Grace (and assorted family dogs) all joined us later in the weekend for "Island Week". Watching my children play with Allie Grace of course reminded me of playing with my cousins when we would visit them at the Bay growing up.

The uniform at Gwynn's Island during the summer time is pajamas or bathing suits...I have no idea why I bothered to pack clothes for my kids. Here is a general schedule or how our days went: Wake up (watch gorgeous sunrise depending on the time), Eat a leisurely breakfast, Go for a walk, run, or bike ride if feeling motivated, Change to bathing suits, Play with assorted water toys (sea kayaks, bike boat, water floats), Eat lunch and put kids down for nap (and possibly take a nap yourself), Go back to the beach when kiddos wake up and play some more, Take an outdoor shower and change to pajamas, Eat a yummy dinner, Go out to the pier and fish while watching the gorgeous sunset, Go to sleep, Repeat.

BeBe and Harding with Joey

The croaker fish were biting and we caught enough to have a big fish fry one night and then fish tacos another. 

Harding "helping" Papa reel one in while DD laughs

This is what our beach setup looked like....something for everyone. 

The girls splashing around. 

It's hard to see what toys they are playing with but Shelby has a vintage "quint" baby and Harding and Allie Grace are playing with the horses that go into this stable.....endless entertainment here!

Allie Grace chasing H with seaweed while Shelby bounces and splashes and laughs. (Check out AG's hair braid done by yours truly.)

I had the best time with Harding on the seacycle.....Harding was taking me to the place where he and Aunt Cambridge saw the dolphins, but they had moved on by the time we got there. 

Biking on the island....pine trees everywhere providing plenty of shade. Love this old time feeling place. 

Out to lunch at Southwind Pizza for Trip's 35th birthday.

Fixing AG's hair was so much fun!!!

I have been trying to capture this for over a year. It is something Shelby only does with me to make me laugh....she will suddenly jerk her head to the side with a big smile on her face when I'm rocking her or snuggling her before bed and then laugh hysterically....silly girl!

Glorious Gwynn's Island Sunset

We were at Gwynn's Island through Thursday and then I went back to work on Friday. This vacation was absolutely wonderful....it had everything we need to carry us through what is surely to be a hectic school year: Family, Saltwater, Relaxation, and Laughter. Gwynn's Island....see you next summer! Thanks so much for having us Dearing!