Weekend Getaway {St. Simons + Sea Island}

Every year for New Years Eve, for as long as I can remember, we have spent with Jen and Mr. Cute celebrating his birthday, but this year when our neighbors invited us and another family from our neighborhood to join them at their beach house we decided it would be a fun change.

We were out of town right after Christmas so turning around and driving again wasn't ideal, but the kids were SO good in the car so it made the trip down there easy as could be...except for it taking us 2 hours to get out of Atlanta.  The traffic was horrible and we weren't the only ones trying to get out of town for the weekend.

Our friends' home is on St. Simons, but is part of a Sea Island property and they are members at Sea Island, which was such a treat.  Their home was so nice and one of the best things they did was convert large walk-in closets to bedrooms.  My family of five was able to fit comfortably in one space.  My friend, being the sweet hostess that she is, had left a gift on our bed.

It was such a sweet thing to come in and see after hours in the car and instantly made us feel welcome.  The lotion smells amazing and I know I'll think of our trip every time I use it!

We had sitters at the house for the kids so the adults all went to a very nice dinner that evening at The Lodge. I would have taken pictures inside, but I didn't feel like it would have been appropriate.  Think huge wooden beams, amazing decor and a very elaborate, yet warm lodge type environment.  We had a delicious dinner with amazing service and then all hit the sack.

The next morning the kids played outside a while and then we all got ready to head back to The Lodge.  It was so dark the night before that I didn't get to really see how beautiful the grounds were that surrounded this area.  There were big oak trees, hanging moss, and gorgeous views.

While the gals of the group checked out the pro-shop, the guys took the boys to hit golf balls at the range over looking the ocean.  I know the boys couldn't appreciate the view, but they loved the experience.  In fact, when we met back up with them, Boo-Boo was looking so disappointed.  I asked him if he didn't have fun and he quickly corrected me.  He was upset that they had to "let some other people have a turn" and wanted to hit some more.  I need to get that boy into golf lessons ASAP!

The guys stayed back at the club to have lunch while the moms took all of the kids for a little more sight seeing.  We stopped for lunch at Chick-fil-a and then did a little shopping!  C knew all of the best places to take us and I was super pumped to find some awesome deals on a little Lilly!

Next we went over to Sea Island and oh my goodness, it was gorgeous!  More huge tree lined streets, lots of history and beautiful homes and hotel.

We took the kids to The Cloister to get fresh cookies and hot chocolate that is available every afternoon and then we walked around the courtyard a bit. It was a warm day and everything was so beautiful.

We took the kids to a few other shops and let them pick out souvenirs before heading back to their house for the evening.  The adults got to get all dressed up and head back to The Cloister that evening to ring in the New Year.

I got this dress on super clearance right after Christmas at Belk for $14!!! I wasn't going to buy anything new, but then when I realized what a good deal it was I couldn't resist.

It was fun to get all dolled up and the kids were all so sweet. I guess they don't see their parents dressed like that too often so they kept making all sorts of comments about how nice we looked.  Blondie wanted to take pictures of us so, "Everyone could see our beautifulness." :-)  I just loved that and she sure knew how to make my day!

Our dinner reservations weren't until later so we were able to spend some time with the kids, get them fed and settled for the night and before heading out to dinner.

We ate at Tavola at The Cloister and it was such a fun experience because we sat at the pizza bar and watched the chef make our pizzas right in front of us.  That coupled with great wine was the perfect way to spend our time leading up to midnight.  We finished up and then found a spot on the patio to countdown and watch the fireworks.  It was a great way to ring in the New Year!

The next day we stayed around the house and played games, did puzzles and just relaxed. Then around lunchtime we made our way back to Sea Island one last time so the kids could do a little fishing at the dock.  My kids LOVED this and it honestly brought back so many memories for me.

My grandparents lived on the Intercostal, so my entire childhood was spent fishing off their dock.  They got a few crabs out of the water that were interested in the bait and then Boo-Boo capped off his day with a fish!

After lunch it was time for us to pack up and head home.  We wanted to have a full day at home the next day to get caught up on things, but it sure was hard to leave sunny and mid-60's weather to come home to a cold and rainy Atlanta.  It was such a fun weekend away for us though and the perfect way to kick off 2017!

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