Learning to be a Wife

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Life Lately: Week 31 (Part 1!)

This is what the first half of the week looked like (vacation edition).

After 20+ years of visiting Myrtle Beach, I've realized that no matter how many other beach destinations I try, none of the condos/hotels feel as close to the ocean as Myrtle Beach.

There was something so sweet about Benny and G starting each morning with a science discussion.

Just two girls ready to explore the aquarium.

Surf's up and smiles all around.

Catching waves and making memories.

Spending a morning at the aquarium is always time well spent.

Just keep swimming.

A selfie with my favorite aquarium resident.

A few of my favorite things.

Selfie in the goldfish room.

Insert Jaws theme song.

So many fun memories at the aquarium, especially getting to touch a starfish, jellyfish, and stingray!

We laughed so hard at G's selfie that Ella made it his contact photo in her phone.

Caught this sweet candid of Ella enjoying the sting rays.

No jelly, just joy.

Pretty sure this was Benny's favorite aquarium stop.

Turns out Benny is quite the little photographer, and I loved every photo he captured.

For Benny's birthday, I gave him the choice between an adventure in Myrtle Beach or a sleepover weekend - and he chose this giant penguin from the aquarium.

Meet Penguino (sometimes called Penguini)!

Delicious lunch at Grumpy Monk (and G's favorite meal of the trip).

We did some shopping at Broadway at the Beach, and of course I came home with a candle.

Meanwhile Manny was enjoying his little vacation with a new friend.

Pool, beach, rinse, repeat.

Ella's sand crab.

Beach hair, don't care.

Tide pool adventures.

There was something so special about teaching the kids how to find crabs at night just like we did when we were growing up.

Brad selfie.

Our night at Miyabi was made even better by the best chef - amazing food, nonstop laughs, and such a fun experience.

My mom told our server it was my birthday, and next thing I knew I heard a drum...

And I'm being told to stand up and dance, ha!

A truly memorable dinner and one of the highlights of the week for all of us.

Stay tuned for part two!

Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Life Lately: Week 30

This is what the past week looked like.

Old man Manny.

TJ sparkling water is legit.

This was a great recipe to make before going on vacation because I could easily swap out the sides and use up whatever we had in the fridge/freezer/pantry.

Summer nights.

A snacky lunch is my favorite kind of lunch.

Don't sleep on Aldi candles.

The sweetest boy.

Dramatic sunset.

Half the fun of vacation is researching the best restaurants.

I tried something different this trip and laid out all my outfits before packing them into my suitcase.

Total game changer - and definitely how I'll pack from now on.

Still impressed with how well I packed for 11 days away.

By day four, we turned our pulled pork leftovers into taco bowls, and it honestly felt like a brand-new meal.

Playful pup.

Good cloud sunset.

Hoover never fails to get me out of a book slump.

Sugar face.

Kicked off vacation with a steak and zucchini pie feast at my parents' house.

The 3:30 a.m. alarm was worth it - Myrtle Beach, here we come!

Sunrise in Ohio.

Lunch in Virginia.

Stopped in North Carolina for the night.

We stayed at the same hotel we stayed at in 2018, but this time we skipped the traffic and actually got to enjoy the town.

We had an epic dinner at Sage and Salt.

The Empire State building was modeled after the Reynolds Building and every Father's Day the Empire State Building staff sends the Reynolds Building a Father's Day card.

I love a hotel breakfast.

Starbucks stop.

Reunited with the family at Ole Smoky for a little lunch.

Let the vacation begin!

Our only cloudy beach day and it was still a good one.

The whole family was back in Myrtle Beach for the first time since 2011 (with half of us making a trip in 2016), so it was definitely overdue to return to one of our favorite places.

Beach treasure haul, complete with two shark teeth.

Why does getting my hair wet make me feel like a kid again?

I went under in the pool and the ocean every day - swimming, racing the kids, chasing waves, and doing handstands.

My inner child was so happy.

Coffee tastes better on vacation.

My beach routine was pretty much perfect: coffee and breakfast on the balcony, laps in the pool, beach time, lunch on the balcony, back to the beach to swim or sit in my chair with the waves rolling in (I spent so much time in the ocean this trip!), then a shower, dinner out, game night at my parents' condo, and crashing into bed.