Now that's Love!

In a selfless act of undying motherly love.....

I took the kids to the beach!! lol

If you've been hanging around here for any length of time, you know that I detest the beach. Funny, I know, since so many others would do just about anything to have a beach readily available to them, but alas, not me. I've grown up here, and actually liked the beach as a kid, until I was a teenager, when I realized it wasn't fun going to the beach to "lay out" when I get fried after 20 minutes. Nor was it fun to sweat then be covered in sand, because, of course, "no one swims at the beach." (Not as a teen anyway...not cool, I guess.) Then, as a mom, it's really not fun to haul all my stuff....oh forget it. I think I just complained about this a couple weeks ago. I'll forego it this time. lol

Anyway, I drove the kids down to our favorite beach in the Keys, about 1/3 the way down, which is a great beach, as far as beaches go. It's about an hour from my house, has a bathroom, shower, boardwalk, covered picnic tables, and best of all, the parking lot is literally 10 feet from the beach. It's the best! So, we drove down there, Juan and all, and had lunch and hung out for a couple hours. Then, we hit the shell shop (a regular stop for us when we're down there) and headed home. This beach is worth the drive. So, here's the pictures. It's been so rainy here the last week that we weren't sure we'd actually get to go til the morning. I'm glad we got out; the kids really needed it....so did I!! lol

Ashton walked the boys partway out on the sandbar. It was high tide, so they didn't get to go as far out as they would have liked. It's fun at low tide, because then they can walk really far out and the water is only inches deep. They think they're hot stuff cuz they're so far away from shore. lolI actually got a decent shot of Savannah. She looks thrilled, doesn't she?? lol

The boys were searching for creatures....shells, crabs, little fish, etc. In case you don't know, this is seaweed that washes up onshore. It's kinda yucky and gets little bugs in it, but you kinda have to just walk over it to get to the water. Not all beaches here have this, but a lot do.

This bird was so funny. He was literally hovering on the wind, over us about 10 feet, waiting for us to drop food so he could get it. Levi thought that was hysterical. He kept cracking up when the bird would swoop down and pick up a wayward potato chip or something. It was really kind of neat watching him just hover there, so close.

Ashton kept the boys busy in the water. She had wanted to take a friend, but no one was available. Thus the heartache of summer: everyone's on vacations. So, while she entertained the boys, they entertained her. Thus the joys of having siblings. lol

I don't know when I'll have to go to the beach again. Hopefully not for another month or so, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. Maybe I'll be nice and take them again in early August, just before school starts up, like one last summer hurrah. We'll see. I'm sure you'll know because I'm sure I'll be complaining about it. lol

Hope you all get a chance to go to the beach this summer too. It really is a wonderful display of God's great creation. Happy summer!