McCullers (Family of Four): Beach Bums

As usual, our summer isn't complete without a trip (or two) to the beach. We crashed Daytona, the world's most famous beach, this year with Tommy and Kim and some friends and then hit our usual Amelia Island with the Phillips family. We didn't plan it quite right as we had a week lull in between. It would have been perfect to have been away for two straight weeks, but we choese to drive 8 hours there and back, then 6 hours down to AI and back! Grateful for kids who don't get carsick and for two that can wear headphones while watching movies in the car. We kept the suitcases all packed and ready for the week in between. One summer, maybe we can get our weeks just right. Summer baseball is usually what dictates our weeks. However, it also helps to fund our fun so we have to work around it.

We declared this to be the best summer yet since becoming parents. This declaration comes largely because now that both Cam and Maeve love the water! As a toddler, we had to lure Cam out to the beach and pump him with snacks. We could only hope to get a couple of beach hours in with him. While he still doesn't love getting sandy and is a little apprehensive of the murky ocean waters, he does have fun digging, playing baseball, and searching for shells and sand fleas. Maeve had a cranky first year on the beach mostley because she was just a few months old, but last year and this she has had a blast on the beach. She doesn't mind getting sandy (or eating sand) and loves to busy herself in the sand by building castles and retrieving water. She will jump a wave with the big boys and has no fear of what lurks underneath. Some of her best naps have been passed out under the umbrella.

Phew! Finally a little time to relax in my new beach chair! There is nothing more perfect than sand underfoot, breeze whipping the sides of my oversized hat, and the sounds of waves crashing nearby.

Spoiled. For sure. Yet another reason why I LOVE summertime!