HHI 2015, Part 5

Monday
All good things must come to an end.  And as I've mentioned, these boys are definitely ready to return to the routine and the familiar after a super fun week making the most of being at the beach.  Monday was check-out day, but not before getting the big boys to the beach one last time with Daddy.  Then Uncle Zac went down to meet them and he hung out with Koen there, while Doug brought Penn and Tav to the pool to meet Aunt Abbie and I stayed at the house during Jansen's nap to finish packing and prepping to leave.  The boys returned to the house at 11 after Doug had everything cleaned and packed and then they all cleaned up and headed out onto the road at about 11:30am.  Phew!!  Talk about a whirlwind!  Abbie, Zac, Jansen and I got to slow down at that point and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet.  Our flight didn't leave until 8pm, so we used the rest of the day to get some things done and more slowly finish closing up the house before our departure.  We even squeezed in two trips over to the pool with Jansen.  Here he is on the morning trip before going in.  Truly a "Cabana Cutie" as his outfit states.

He enjoyed hanging out in the shady part of the pool with Abbie and I for awhile and then he loved getting all dry in the fuzzy towel.  More pictures of course.  His blue eyes just pop on this background!

He was exhausted after the fun at the pool and he took a great nap in the afternoon.  Around 3:30pm he woke up and I fed him and then I handed him off to Ab so I could get a few things done before we headed back to the pool for a final dip.  Jansen was in a total milk coma and was so sweet and snuggly.  Zac snapped some pics.

After our quick visit to the pool, we got back to the house at 5pm to eat a quick dinner of leftovers and do the crazy, rushy final push to finish packing and closing up the house.  No matter how much time or how well planned, the final moments are always intense!!  We made a good team though and Jansen hung on with not too much fussing as I mostly laid him here and there while we finished our tasks.  Such a trooper!  Then it was off to the airport at 6pm.  The Hilton Head airport is HILARIOUS.  It feels like you are on a movie set or stuck in some space/time continuum.  It's quiet and calm.  There's only one gate and only one flight that goes out ever few hours.  There are only a few people that work there and they do several different jobs, so they keep popping up as you move through the process.  TSA doesn't even open to check you through security until a half hour before the flight! It was all so funny and different!  Such a pleasant change from the usual stress of an airport.  It was so fun that Abbie and Zac and I happened to be on the same flight.  We didn't plan it this way, but it was great.  The flight wasn't full and so the nice, multiple-hat-wearing airline staff let us have the 5 seat back row all to ourselves.  So nice to spread out and be with each other a little longer.  Abbie held Jansen for about half the flight.  I think she's going to miss this one!

Our flight from Hilton Head to Charlotte was a tad late taking off and we all had tight connections, so it was a little nerve-wracking, but nothing in comparison to the last time I flew home from Texas.  I was actually thinking a night at a hotel with Janse if needed would be fine.  Thankfully though, despite my connecting flight's gate being in a completely different terminal, the airport being packed with summer travelers and having a stroller and a baby to push through the crowds, I made it to the gate just moments before they closed the door and we boarded our flight to the Burgh.  Ahhhh!!  Janse was a champ as usual and he slept most of the way.  Dear, sweet Kylie picked us up at the late hour of 11:40pm and got us home safely.  We crashed hard after the journey home.  

Doug and the boys had a good travel day in the car and made it all the way to West Virginia before bedtime.  Here's the picture I got of the crew as they neared their hotel last night.  Tav looks great, Koen looks annoyed and Penn just looks like he's on another planet.  

They only stopped once on an almost 8 hour drive.  And that was for a 22 minute dinner stop at Chick-fil-A.  Pretty impressive for all of them, but especially for Penn who has had zero accidents in the car and he's only been potty trained for a month and a half.  Way to go, boys!!!  

Well, that's it for our Hilton Head Island Vacation 2015.  Thanks so much to the Callihan family for lending us their beautiful and comfortable home there again this year.  It made this special family time possible for us.  Your generosity and hospitality is such a testimony and blessing to us!  Abbie and Zac, thanks for joining us.  We love spending time with you and seeing the boys continue to get to know you more.  

Feeling very blessed by this whole experience.  The beautiful beach and outdoor time, the fun it is to have adventures with the boys and see how they travel so well, the quality time with family, it all humbles me and makes me so grateful.