A Mini VayCay

What's a summer without a trip to the beach?

And so it was...

I don't know about you, but this summer has sped by so fast I could barely hold on!!

It's not over yet of course, but we are winding down.

I'm trying to mentally prepare for snow and ice and colder temperatures while savoring the here and now.

To be honest, I welcome cooler temps.  Our day on the beach was indeed cooler and pretty much perfect until the rain chased us away.

We had a lot of stuff to pack into a couple of days, but it was all good.

Except for the boat ride.  That was not good.  "Take me back," I said.  And so they did.
(Too Hot and too choppy.  Me no like).

But aside from the boat (which the others loved, by the way) our vacation was good.

Not long enough, but good.

But I was glad to get home to my dog.  Now that she's older, I miss her more than ever.

And I think she misses us more than ever.

Wedding On The Beach

A wedding on the beach. 

Congratulations to Rob and Theresa!

We Have Grown Apart

For some reason I am not able to pull any photos off of my IPad to post on my blog.  Just another one of those life glitches I suppose.  Life has plenty...  This one being a minor glitch but I did want to share the beautiful sunrise with you from this mornings beachfront condo.  Sorry it won't let me.

It was hot today and I did almost nothing at all for the entire day.  We did venture out for an early dinner.  I had cream of crab soup ...  What am I thinking on a hot summers day!!  But it was good.  The best.  Awesome.

I sat out on the balcony for a while and reflected a bit ...  Thinking back to the very first time I laid eyes on the big, mysterious sea and my thoughts back then...  I was eighteen at the time.  My thoughts were, Wow!  I would never be any closer to God than I was then... Alone in the black night feeling the strength of those waves stinging my legs as I bravely walked on and on... following the oceans edge until the familiarity of my hotel was out of sight...  Just me and God.  The better part of my life was in my future then as I asked God for answers to some of life's more difficult questions and that He embrace me and remove the lonely from me.

That was over forty years ago.

The sea and I have many memories to share in those forty-some years.   We would come together time and time again and my love for its mystery and beauty would never grow old.

We have grown apart a little though... The sea and I.   I am not the same impressionable girl I was back then.   Too much of the world has left me jaded and not nearly as much in awe as I was back then... During those years of innocence.  Growing older, I complain about the hot sun and the mess that the sand makes as it clumps between my toes.  The ocean waves still roar ... Likely the same as they did those many years ago.  Still beautiful.  Still mysterious.   The sea did not change.  But I am sure that I have.

I watch the seagulls soar above in the clear blue sky without a care and I think of my mom... Many years gone.   She loved it here.

The memory of years gone by sting, just as those ocean waves stung against my skinny sunburned legs that warm June night of my youth .... A lifetime ago.

LIFE'S A BEACH - PART ONE

Everyone needs a vacation.  And so, we headed east to Ocean City, Maryland.

Rewind:  In January when snow is pelting against the window and the temperatures are well below freezing, I start Googling and dreaming of a sunny beach with beautiful, warm sunrises that kiss roaring ocean waves just beyond a private luxurious balcony.  The grayer the winter grows, the more motivated I become and before you know it I am acting on my dream and planning summer vacation.  This year I rented four condo's for six couples (counting us) and three kiddies (all children and grandchildren).  

Gary and I find that we really like having our own private place so I found the perfect one for us, light and airy with a huge balcony.   We arrived on Saturday, two days before the rest.  Shopping, eating, and more shopping was in order.  

Then on Monday the family started to trickle in.  By evening all had arrived safe and sound.  And then...  we handed out the weeks agenda. 

Laughter, planning, and confident comments such as "We can do this!" followed as we handed out the planned agenda for the week.

A Scavenger hunt would begin.  Some couples would be drawn closer as they worked together to win the grand prize at the end of the week, introverts would be brought out of their comfort zones, and children... yes, children would be exploited **GASP!!**

I introduce to you the Scavenger Hunt List for 2015:

Note:  Thank you to my friend Sharon for the idea for the title of this series of blog posts...  I like it!

Stay Tuned for More...

*Insert NATIONAL LAMPOONS VACATION theme song Here*

For me, there are 2 types of vacation.  

Family Vacations and R&R Vacations.  

There is no R&R during a family vacation.  It's all work. 

 But worth every minute!

Who wouldn't want to run into this every time they turned around?

And how can you measure the sweetness in a five year olds smile while they savor the ocean breeze and await the days new list of fun things to do...

There are plenty of laughs...

And an overdose of sweetness...

Special Moments...

Good food!

Good times!

Bonding...

Enjoying warm summer nights....

Making new friends...

Planning each day...  each hour...  each minute.

Making Memories.

I cherish my times with family.  

And thank God for His mysterious, beautiful way of bringing everything together for good.

Mini Vacation

Mini Vacations are a lot of work. You spend most of your time packing and unpacking. Is it worth it?

Jake and Marissa thought so...

 Ok, so it wasn't Earl yet... but Danielle I think...  tossing some pretty radical waves  Sunday.

But Jake wasn't about to let big ol' Danielle throw a wrench in his fun...

So we played on the beach...

Spent a night at the boardwalk...

Baked a cake...

Fixed Lasagna...

Did some grooming...

Ate out at really neat places with fun things to do...

Did I say.... licked the cake frosting bowl???

Met a beautiful Rescue dog named Boomer...

Stayed up late watching Scooby Doo...

Ate cookies till we couldn't eat no more...

Played some more on the beach...

Shared stories...

Enjoyed popcorn while watching Winnie The Pooh...

.... and did really silly stuff. 

Our mini vacation might have been a lot of work, but it was worth it.