Yeah, beach!

When we were down at the beach in July, we had such an amazing day, it just wasn't enough time. I told Adam that next year, we should go down for a long weekend and spend 3 full days out on the beach instead of just one. He totally shocked me by suggesting that we should plan to come down in September when the boys had their first break from school, which I hadn't even considered. This is a big deal coming from someone who dislikes the beach as much as Adam. :)

Yeah, BEACH!



I don't really have anything new or earth shattering to say about our trip that I haven't already said (here and here). Honestly, we have been so incredibly lucky with amazing beach trips--well-behaved kids, great weather, tidal pools that are perfect for the kids, lots of fun, and even some relaxing. Not to mention, photos out the wazoo.








When planning a trip at the end of September, I was really worried that we might have chilly weather which would make spending quality time on the beach difficult. I actually didn't even tell the kids we were going until the week of, because I was totally prepared to back out if it was going to be cold or rainy.

But as I mentioned, our first day out there (Friday) was simply gorgeous. Low 80's, mostly sunny, and the water was not cold at all.







Lorelai loved jumping around and looking for shells. I came home with a whole bag to use next summer in my apothecary jars on my mantle. She was not very picky about them being broken or ugly, so I had to downsize some of her collection :)




The tide going out left what looked like trees in the sand; Lorelai's tiny footprints; Adam wrote A+B=3 in my heart; one of the shells I brought home.


Lorelai wasn't the only one jumping around, either. It certainly looks like Adam's having fun, no matter how much he professes to hate it. :)



And look, I was there, too!



I had to beg my kids to sit still for a picture. I told them that one day they'll be glad I made them do it so they'll have pictures to remember me, and know that I was actually a part of all of these fabulous memories they're making. And then I just saw this article today. Too perfect.




We spent several hours in the water, then headed in for lunch and put Lorelai down for a nap, because the little stinker refused to lay down on the beach under the tent my mom brought. I wish she understood how crazy it is to pass up a chance to nap on the beach!

Like last time, Adam stayed in with her so my mom and I could bring the boys back out, so we had a full day of beach awesomeness, which made me SO glad we decided to come a day early.





I really went photo crazy, trying to practice in manual mode. Adam just walked by and asked what in the world these pictures are for. I was being "artistic"!


I was hoping for more of the same on Saturday, but unfortunately the weather was a little less cooperative. It could have been worse though, since my obsessive weather report checking told me that there was a 30% chance of rain throughout the morning. It was not quite as warm and much cloudier, but it didn't even matter--I still found myself marveling about how perfect this trip was. Until the winds picked up and the rain clouds moved in, making our lips nice a purple, that is. But it was time to eat, anyway.

We packed up and headed in, hoping things would clear up, but no such luck. It started to rain during our junk food run and we were stuck inside the rest of the day, which sucked mostly because it meant that we couldn't go out to watch for sea turtles to hatch. There was a nest on the dunes that was apparently ready to hatch any day now, so the local turtle rescue group was out there on watch. How cool would that have been for the boys (and me!) to see something like that?! That's something they probably would have remembered forever.

Because we had to know if they hatched, we headed back out for a walk on Sunday before we left, while Adam stayed behind to pack. Thankfully, I don't think we missed anything, so I don't feel too bad.



Short vacations can be tough because before you really have time to settle and soak in all the fun, it's time to leave again. But the fact that it was low 60's and cloudy on our last day made the goodbye a little easier.



We had such an amazing time.