Change of Plans - Virginia Beach

We had been planning for sometime to go visit my parents in Canada on their mission.  So, the night before we were to leave, we were all packed up and ready to go, everything packed in the car, when we got a call from Chad's Dad saying that His mom, Grandma Mahaffey was not doing good and not supposed to live much longer.  We were very saddened by the news.  Papa said that they might be leaving the mission for Utah (where grandma Mahaffey was) the next day if they got word they needed to leave, which they did.  The made it in time for Papa and Nana to attend the funeral.  

Well, we thought about it and since we were already packed for a vacation, we thought we would still have one.  We looked at some options, and settled on Virginia Beach, which we had always wanted to go to and had yet to do so.  So, we used some points, and booked a hotel on the beach.  We woke the kids up and told them we weren't going to Canada anymore and told them why.  That, as we knew, resulted in the expected response, some crying, some being mad.  But we then told them where we were going and they then got very excited.  With only minimal changes to the packing job, we set out.  We were in store for some very excited change of plans....

Lese is so happy, she must think she is getting mom and dads bed all to herself...NOPE!!  She definitely is getting the porta crib!

We got to the hotel, and had 1 room booked.  Just a normal room for the first day.  The second day we were going to have to move to a different hotel as the first was booked full the second night.  It was a little further from the beach, but we were ok with that.  Well, we got there and checked in.  For some reason, one which we are not going to argue or be mad about, we got upgraded to a beach side Suite.  It was AWESOME!!  It had a large living room with an L Shaped couch where one side pulled out into a hide-a-bed.  That was PERFECT because we could put the girls on the bed and Landon on the part of the couch that was not the bed, but still acted like a bed for him (in the other room, he was going to have to sleep on the ground.)

Landon and Lese on Mom and Dads bed

Everyone chillin on the bed in the "kids room."

Lunch of Champs...ok, not really, just Mc'y-D's.  But we are in mom and dads room.  It also had a nice place to relax...2 chairs an nice little ottoman that pulled out from under the chair Michelle is seated in that you could put your feet up on or use as a table.  it also had a balcony that overlooked the ocean (although you can't see it because of the glare...that's how close we were.) 

First time at the ocean and beach, and already LOVIN IT!!

Dude, our kids can make one WICKED sand castle...WHO KNEW!!!?!!!  

(ok, not really, it's a cement structure made to look like a sand castle...but don't tell anyone!)

Michelle and Syd enjoying the surf!

So excited to be at the beach!

The hotel also had 3 pools, one outside by the ocean, one inside and a small one in front.  Dad and the kids went in to the pool after a fun morning at the beach and in the ocean....

While mom and analese enjoyed sitting in the shade on the beach chairs watching them swim in the pool.  They did get in the pool too, but sat in the shade for a while because it was in the Mid 90's and HOT!

Well, the last surprise is that, after the first day, we were supposed to move to the other hotel.  So, we decided to ask if we could just stay in the room we were in, even though it was an upgrade.  Well, the hotel was apparently unaware that we were in the room, but since they had not booked that room for another night yet, gave it to us at the same amount of points as if we were in the first basic room, again for another night.  So Michelle and I got to enjoy this totally romantic sunrise from our balcony that next morning.  It was pretty awesome!