Beach Trip 2014

I have grown to love the fact that my parents' house is near the beach. I still wish they lived closer, but having a "free" beach trip every summer is really really nice.

 And he's off...Seth's favorite activity is to catch things - fish, clams, crabs, whatever he can get in his little net. He's been doing this for years and he's gotten pretty good the last couple...just wait and see!

Carolyn goes into the ocean some, but mostly she likes to build things in the wet beach sand.

She made friends - as usual - and they made a really interesting looking puddle - the sand looks like rocks bordering it.

Alee is our little wild one - she's in and out and in and out...and all over the place. (Fortunately, she has a healthy respect for the ocean and if it feels too strong, she's out again.)

 Mom and me just follow everyone around taking pictures!

 Natalie has grown to love the little boogie board.

This year, my brother's family overlapped with us a day - I was glad we could visit with them. They live several hours away and we don't get to see them often.  

My nephew puts all of my toddlers' energy to shame. He's like lightening! He's a lot of fun; he has something to say about everything. 

And he's got something!

These were his biggest catches of the week.

Kaitlyn likes to try a little over everything.

Wipe out!

And she is always willing to pose for a picture!

And everyone has time in the ocean...

Time looking for shells...

Time relaxing on the beach...

And time in the sand...

Family Time.

 I think little T must be the most inventive pretend-play kid ever - His flashlight/backscratcher combo is actually a weedeater - sounds included!

One day we took a break from the water to play at the parks - two in the area are really nice.
The first had lots of new equipment to climb, spin, swing, and move.

 It was SO hot already...

Moving on to the other park before the morning gets too hot!

The second is a favorite because of the animals there waiting to be fed!

But alas, it was still SO HOT...and we had to be done for the day!

We shopped, sewed, jumped on bubble wrap, and helped put together a new computer desk my parents bought...and then it was time to go home.

 I don't have photos of shopping or swimming at the pool or putting together the computer desk. 
(My mom has some of those. My small point-and-shoot camera died and I'm holding out for "black friday" to see what deal I can get to replace it. In the meantime, I'm using only the fancy camera or borrowing Seth's...and I don't keep his in my purse the way I used to do my little camera.)

Happy Summer!

*I'm caught up blogging! Yea! (Don't expect me to make a habit of it.) :)