Family Vacation - Storybook Land

Just after Christmas, my Dad, sisters, and I decided to plan a family beach vacation to spend time together on the shore. My mom loved the beach in Jersey and it was both a nice way to honor her and redeem our Christmas gathering which didn't work out quiet as we planned. We had a really nice time forming new and happy memories. I know mom was with us the entire time and glad to see us all together. And now that it's been nearly two weeks, I will be sharing recaps of our trip over the next few days.

Auntie Jess arrived a few days early to hang with the kids and help us with our weekend yard sale/lemonade stand (more on that later). After Poppa and Uncle Greg arrived we spent one night at the house and then split cars to drive to the shore. The kid car made a pit-stop along the way to Storybook Land!

Ivy is finally old enough and tall enough to really enjoy the park and Kip, of course, loves it here. 

Traditional family photo at the Humpty Dumpty Wall (minus humpty who has been missing the last couple of visits). 

It was great to have Auntie Jess with us too as she enjoys amusement park rides a lot. This was the second visit for her. She came with us back in 2021 with lil baby Ivy. Kip, Jess, and I tried the roller coaster out and WOW! For a kiddie ride it was FAST. I haven't been on a roller coaster in a long time. I loved it but Kip had his fill after one turn. 

Mandy and Jess rode the boat ride with both Kip and Ivy. This was Ivy's first time and surprisingly, she LOVED it!

We rode nearly every ride at least once, stopped at our favorite train layout, had lunch, and ice cream, and then hit-up the gift shop before heading out. It was a perfect way to break the drive and we all had a blast. 

Then we met-up with Poppa and Uncle Greg. We stayed at an AirBnb in Villas which is a town next to Cape May, New Jersey (where Dan and I had our honeymoon). The house was spacious and cute and we all relaxed together along with Uncle Greg's sweet dog Lucy.

Kip is mostly over his dog aversion. Ivy is not. She was petrified of the dog and stayed glued to an adult at all times. On the plus side, Ivy warmed-up quickly to Auntie Jess and they were best buds the whole trip.

The next day we headed to the beach! Come back tomorrow for a recap of the fun!