Weekend Getaway

The last weekend before school started we decided to make a quick trip to Esperance.  The weather forecast predicted 90% chance of rain for everyday of the weekend, but I didn't care.  This was our last chance and so we decided to risk it.  And I couldn't have been happier that we did.  We couldn't have ordered a better beach weather weekend!!  Plus it was so nice to get out of town before we settled into a school routine.

We also talked our very best friends the Himes into going with us.  We had so much fun hanging out at the beach, playing games and talking with them in Esperance.  Even if their kids are 19, 17, and 13, it still worked out perfectly.

We drove down on Friday.  We got kind of a late start so we didn't make it there until 4 or 5 in the afternoon, plus Friday was the one day that the forecast was actually right and it was overcast and eventually rained.  So we just played at a park across from our accommodation and got pizza and called it a night.

This was a giant whale shaped jungle gym.  The kids loved it!

 The Esperance clock tower.

 Will loved this playground.  He was all about army crawling under all the play structures that he could fit under.  He even got his shorts snagged on a chain bridge and was hanging there trying to figure out how to get himself out of the situation.  It was pretty funny.  He is such a boy.

 Speaking of boy things, Will loved this little train track.  It was so fun to walk along.

That night, it poured!  There was a steady down pour going on and I was super worried that our weekend trip was going to be ruined and Cory was going to curse me for dragging him to Esperance on a rainy weekend.

The kids woke up so early the next morning and the sun was shining and it was actually really warm!  Even at 6:30 in the morning!  It was a miracle!!  ;) So since the kids were up so early, we decided we might as well hit the beach and get as much beach time in as humanly possible in one day.  We were at the beach by 7 am and you can imagine that we were the only ones there.  It was a gorgeous sunrise at the beach!

 Will got busy straightaway building castles.

 Ava was loving the water.  Can't keep her away.

 Exploring in the rocks, one of Will's favorite past times at the beach.  On this outing to the beach, he wasn't too keen on getting in the water, but by the afternoon visit he had figured it out and couldn't be kept out of the water.

 After a bunch of swimming, digging and rock climbing it was time for a snack break.

 Then we got a call from our friends, the Himes, that they had arrived so we went to meet them at the hotel and pack a lunch for the second beach visit of the day.

The second beach we went to was one that you could drive 4 wheelers and motor cycles on and we just happened to have some with us.  Ava figured out that she could wear her floaty and the waves would give her a ride and she did that non stop.  Lily was a huge fan of the 4 wheeler and even drove it herself.  Will was wary of the 4 wheeler at first, but once he gave it a try he couldn't be kept away.  He would cry when it wasn't his turn.

 The girls are so excited to see Gracie.

 Grace and Lily giving the 4 wheeler a go.

 And they're off.  Pretty soon, Lily was driving all by herself.  Then she had to drive Will around which she didn't love as much, but Will did. :)  Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the cuteness, because it was pretty cute.

The kids loved building sand castles with Uncle Troy and Arlo.

 Cory offered to help build the castle when Troy and Arlo went back to surfing, but the girls said, nah, Uncle Troy would be back soon! :)

 I mean, look at this amazing beach??  It really doesn't get much better than this!

We swam and surfed and boogie boarded and 4 wheeled all afternoon.  It couldn't have been a more brilliant day to be at the beach.  Not a cloud in sight!  It was just what I had hoped for in a getaway right before school started.  :)

We went back to our lodging and grilled up some steak and had a great night chatting and playing games.

The next day we wanted to squeeze in a little more beach time before we had to head back to the dessert.  So we headed to our favorite location, Twilight Cove and got some more wave riding, rock climbing and sand castle building in before we drove the 4 hours back home.

Oh, it was a gorgeous weekend.  I wish I could go back right now!