On Seasons

I am so thankful to live in an area where we can enjoy all four seasons.  Each season has its perks (as well as its annoyances, of course), and for the moment we are really enjoying the joys of summer!  I love the more relaxed routine that comes with summer.  No rushed bedtime routines, no lunch packing, no alarms to set in the morning (we have four young kids, so no alarms doesn’t really mean much in terms of the hour we wake up, but it is nice to not hear that loud beeping sound in the morning!). One huge benefit of it being summer and us living by the beach is that we are really enjoying early morning and late afternoon beach trips as a family.  We have found that we really prefer to hit the beach between 8 and 10 am or after 6 pm.  And with the sun setting after 8:30, we have some great twilight hours to enjoy in the sand and surf – without the headache of sunscreen applications, needing a heavy cooler for drinks and endless snacking, crowds or parking troubles.  We like to hit the beach after dinner (or bring a simple picnic), park for free with no wait, hit the beach with just a towel and boogie board and play until the sun sinks behind the row of houses lining the beach.  There is nothing better to get kids to nap or sleep soundly than a few hours on the beach.  It works EVERY time!

Last night we were having dinner, and I realized it was Saturday and we really didn’t have any plans.  I looked at the clock – 6:22.  I asked Brett and the kids, “Do you guys want to go to the beach?”  Everyone agreed it was a good idea, so we told the kids to throw their suits on and grab a towel.  Our toes were in the sand by 7:00. The weather and the surf were PERFERCT after a very hot day.  Brett and the bid kids boogie boarded, and Grant and Ryan enjoyed getting wet and splashing around in the shallow water.  I decided not to wear my swim suit since we were going so late, and I figured Ryan would be tired and need to go for a walk in the backpack to fall asleep.  Well, when we got there Ryan did not want to walk or sleep, he wanted to PLAY in the water!  So I let him jump in the water and he soaked both of us in a matter of minutes.  The water was such a perfect temperature and the sand bar seemed so close that I decided to roll my shorts up and walk out to the sand bar with Ryan and Grant to join Brett and the big kids.  Well, the path to the sand bar was about 10 inches deeper than I had estimated, so I got totally soaked up to my stomach.  Oh well!  It was too perfect of a night to stay on shore.  Should have worn the suit! Eventually, Ryan did go for a walk in the backpack and did fall peacefully asleep.  We are lucky to live here, and so glad to be able to take advantage of the happy results of a hot and muggy day: a perfectly warm evening in the ocean!

These photos were taken at 8:10 pm, which is hard to believe since it was still so light!

Soaked! Oh well!

That's our crew enjoying the last of the light. 

Nighty-night!

 

I hope you are all enjoying the perks of summer that your neck of the woods awards you.  Enjoy it before it is gone! Soon we will all be sick of the heat and the sunscreen and will look forward with enthusiasm to that first brisk day that inspires us to dig out our favorite pair of jeans and throw open the windows.  Until then, happy summering, friends!