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Home from the Beach

July 3rd, 2008 · 18 Comments

Our Trip To The Beach

Driving, driving, driving across the state on I-40.  Past trees and houses and the usual stuff. 

But then we began to see marshy areas off the interstate.  One expects that in the coastal plains area.  We get excited!  Not too far now!  Closer and closer we drive.  Is that Spanish moss in the trees?  Finally, someone gets a glimpse of the ocean between two beach houses as we turn on to Beach Drive.  We’re there!!!

You know what that means…


Empty Flip-Flops

Lynn’s got her toes in the sand.

It felt so good to be back at the beach.  All three days we were there were beautiful.  The children had SO much fun.  I had so much fun.  :)

I read.  I ate good.  I was thankful.  I had time to meditate. 

You know, they even have flowers at the beach, and yes, I did notice the flowers, but I also fully enjoyed watching the boats.

And the seagulls.  They are so funny the way they run across the sand, looking for things to eat.  And the pelicans!  I wanted to get a really good shot of a pelican, but I never did!  I should have tried harder, but I was just too relaxed. 


Seagull

As always, we enjoyed playing in all the ”pools” of deliciously warm water that get left behind when the tide goes out.  You can find many treasure there.  I found a conch shell this year!  We found a bunch of hermit crabs…

which we certainly let go of after everyone had had a look.  Yes, there are little crabs in many of these shells.

We used a shell to scoop up this, uh…  Can anyone tell me what it is?  Someone said it was a sea sponge, but I honestly don’t know.  It was put right back into the water.

I found a really cool website with lots of Ocean Life that can be found at the Brunswick County Beaches.  It’s the O’Keefe Family Website.

Hey!  Remember the little cutie on the blanket so many years ago?

He’s still a cutie, and he’ll produce a handsome smile, just for his mama.  Awww, he makes me so happy!

I got a chance to do one of my favorite, favorite, most-favorite things at the beach: play in the sand and build a sand castle.  Only this time we built a fort, because the builders were myself and one of my first-cousins-once-removed, a fine little fella who has a big imagination, and I just figured it should be a fort, for obvious reasons.

Now, it’s hard to tell — the front of it looks flat in the picture, but there’s a wall in the front, which is what the face is sitting on.  The wall keeps out “bad guys.”


Fort Builder

That’s my helper.  Together, we were the fort builders.  He was wondering, what if someone tears it down. 

I had to tell him, the waves will wash it away later, but we can build again tomorrow.

Sure enough, the water came in later, close enough to wash away at our wall.  Princess of the Universe was there to watch our fort begin to melt back into regular, flat beach.  Wonder how many castles have been built and washed away here?


Maybe We Can Build Again Next Year

One of my cousins was kind enough to take a picture of me and all my children together before we left.  I love it.  I want to print one to put in a frame for my office.

Aren’t we a windblown mess?  But a happy, warm, ever-so-slightly sun-tanned mess!

The house we stayed in was lovely…

Who would want to ever leave?  Not I. 

We did, though, have to come home.  Back to work and school lessons and chores.  But we brought some sweet memories home with us.

It feels good to be home after all.

Lynn

PS - Can’t wait to catch up with everyone’s blogs!

Tags: Relationships

18 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Louise // Jul 4, 2008 at 5:55 am

    It does look like you had a wonderful time…
    I adore the ocean or the big water as my daughter
    use to call it when she was little.
    What a good-looking family ….everyone looks
    Relaxed and happy…
    Being somewhat new to your blog, I didn’t realize
    You had kids so big…..

    I see that you school all summer. Do you use the same
    format as you do the rest of the year or do you lighten it
    for the summer?

    Louise

  • 2 Mary // Jul 4, 2008 at 6:00 am

    Welcome home and happy Independence Day.

    The NC beaches are always so lovely, uncrowded and clean. When I stand there waving to the country of my birth, I usually add a few tears to that wide ocean!

    So happy that you and your beautiful children were able to get away and have such fun - you all look terrific in that photo, definitely frame one for the wall.

    Thanks for sharing the beach Lynn - I hope to visit sometime this Summer.

  • 3 Emily // Jul 4, 2008 at 7:38 am

    Thanks for sharing your time with us! I love seeing all the pictures. Glad you are home safe & sound. :-)

  • 4 admin // Jul 4, 2008 at 8:20 am

    Louise, I definitely lighten it up for the summer, and the main reason we do anything at all is because my second son (17) has always dealt with dyslexia. His reading is now excellent, but I feel we are always playing catch-up on things like spelling and math and grammar. I’m glad you left a comment!

    Mary, Happy Independence Day to you too!! Thank you. I am glad to be home, though I surely would enjoy walking out onto the beach again this morning. :)

    Thanks, Emily. You know, even my children said when we pulled into our driveway late last night, “there’s no place like home.”

    Lynn

  • 5 Alana // Jul 4, 2008 at 12:02 pm

    Hey Lynn! What a wonderful trip!

    Now I am yearning for a beach trip! Hmmm…maybe someday soon…It is only 12 hours away…

  • 6 Robin // Jul 4, 2008 at 6:37 pm

    Happy 4th!! I hope you have a great weekend!!
    Hugs,
    Robin

  • 7 Deborah // Jul 4, 2008 at 8:51 pm

    Looks like a wonderful time and what a great photo of you and the family.

    I would love to have you join us next Friday for Friday’s Favorite Family Foto event. You can read about it on my blog - today’s post.

    Hope to see you there!
    Deborah

  • 8 Michele (ivy) // Jul 5, 2008 at 6:25 am

    YIPPEEE! Lynns back! I missed checking in with you!

    Your mini-beach trip looked beautiful! I just love hunting for nature things at beaches…unfortunatly no oceans around here– so I appreciated your snaps!

    I could live in that beach house forever..do you think the novelty would ever wear off? I don’t.

    Such handsome boys and Princess, too!

    Zip on over to my blog — you’ll like my garage sale finds… and my post
    barefoot in the brocolli.

    So glad you’re back…
    Your pal, Michele

  • 9 admin // Jul 5, 2008 at 6:26 am

    Alana, we did have a wonderful time. 12 hours! Wow. And I thought 3 or 4 was a lot. :)

    Robin, I hope you had a very, very nice 4th of July too!!

    Thanks, Deborah. We did have a wonderful time! Thanks, too, for the invite. I’ll try to participate!

    Lynn

  • 10 admin // Jul 5, 2008 at 6:27 am

    Thanks, Michele! No, that house was so pretty and so big and right on the ocean. I felt like I could stay forever. But I am glad to be home again, in my familiar surroundings. I’m playing catch-up right now, so I’ll zip on over!

    Lynn

  • 11 Deena // Jul 5, 2008 at 11:12 am

    Oh Lynn it looks like a great trip..Love the shells, sand and sun.

    Happy Belated 4th
    deena

    (your son IS handsome)

  • 12 Sandra // Jul 5, 2008 at 11:45 am

    Looks like a wonderful time!! I don’t blame you for not wanting to leave that wonderful house…right.on.the.beach!! Makes me want to go to the beach….very soon….maybe this week :)

  • 13 admin // Jul 5, 2008 at 1:52 pm

    Deena, thank you! You know I’m partial, but I do think he’s a cutie-pie. :)

    Sandra, I hope you get a beach trip soon! It was just what I needed.

    Lynn

  • 14 rue // Jul 6, 2008 at 8:27 am

    Good morning Lynn :)

    I already miss the beach because it’s summer and you’ve made it even worse! LOL

    It looks like everyone had a great time and that house is beautiful! Beautiful family too :)

    Rue

  • 15 admin // Jul 6, 2008 at 12:07 pm

    Thanks, Rue. There’s just something about the beach, isn’t there? It’s a wonder. I get tired of the sand coming into the house, I guess, and maybe wet towels, but I never get tired of just the wonder of the sea and all of its creatures and beauty.

    Lynn

  • 16 Jessamy // Jul 7, 2008 at 1:01 pm

    Loved the pictures if y’all at the beach, brought back some memories! I will be in town tomorrow if all goes well, when can i see you?

  • 17 admin // Jul 7, 2008 at 1:34 pm

    Yaaaay, cannot wait to see you and the baby!! And of course your “better half!” :) Definitely call me!

    Lynn

  • 18 Tami // Jul 10, 2008 at 7:26 pm

    Lynn,

    I found your blog tonight from a comment you left on Leslie Nelsen’s blog. I love your beach pics! I am a NC girl, too, and we have a trip planned to Caswell Beach in the near future. I love NC beaches!

    Have a blessed day! Tami

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