Happy August!

Having grown up in Texas I was deprived of going to the beach. I think it's because my mom didn't make the time, or even the effort in taking us. We were only an hour away from it, but if you wanted to go to the major beaches we had to drive for about four hours to Galveston! Yeah...I think I can understand why back in the day my mama wouldn't take us. Still...it would have been nice, but I'm sure our circumstances back then were a little screwy, and the beach just wasn't a priority to her. However, I do remember my grandparents taking us to Cole Park in Corpus Christi, but it turned out to be more of a holiday thing. They would only take us over Easter weekend. I still felt that wasn't enough because I never got to experience the whole beach thing until I was in my teens! You know...putting on sunscreen, wearing a nice swimsuit, splashing in the waves, chasing seagulls, picking up seashells, and just sitting down for hours soaking up the sun. Memories of Cole Park with my grandparents began to fade until I began taking Sierra, and Lexie to visit my mom when they were little. Luckily taking them reminded me of that moment because truly, that was one memory where I longed to be...at Cole Park overlooking the ocean in a parked car eating hard boiled eggs with salt. No really...it was a simple gesture that my grandparents did for us, and whether it was done out of obligation or love, I made the best out of those trips, and they were pretty gratifying to me.  

I was indeed sheltered in a life where I experienced a whole lot of nothing. Sure there was some joy in my life leading up until the age of eight such as rollerskating at the church across the street from the house I grew up in, taking walks in the old neighborhood, and also going to Dick Kleberg park playing until 10pm, but it seems as if I wanted more. More time spent with my mother, and even my grandparents. Now that I'm older I've realized that because of those simple memories that even the smallest gestures truly are the joys of life.

I'm so grateful that I changed that for my kids, and believe that's why no matter where we've lived we have always made an effort to go to the beach, and I always make an effort to drive long distances to unknown territories. Whether we drove 15 hours from Salt Lake City, Utah to Cannon Beach in Oregon, and then all the way up to Vancouver B.C. to experience being out of the country.  Three hours from Fayetteville to Wilmington Beach, and five hours to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. We once even drove five hours from NC to Jekyll Island in Georgia just because the beach there was so nice (we also returned home on the same day!) We'd also eat at Whataburger too which was a bonus and the only one in our neck of the woods! 

There are too many times to count as to how many times we've gone to the beach so far since moving to New Jersey. Whether it's fall, winter, spring, or summer driving only ONE hour to the beach is awesome! And we are surrounded by so many! This summer I believe we have broken the record of going more than any other summer. 

So here we are again at the shore for the umpteenth time, and this time we brought along some friends. The last time we went to the beach with them was two summers ago! Wow! It doesn't even seem that long! So if you like my musings, and my pictures here are a few photos from our day at the beach on our first weekend in August! 

^^^ Kids having fun in the water. ^^^

^^^ Always a happy boy when it comes to the beach...just like his mama! ^^^

^^^ This is what giddy looks like. ^^^

^^^ Waiting for the tide. ^^^

^^^ Giggling kids...& Lauren's leg! ^^^

^^^ Lauren & Chelsea BFF ^^^

^^^ Smooches selfie ^^^

I neglected to add that it did rain while we were there. These weather forecasts can be so unpredictable so how did I now it was going to pour for a bit. That cloud was slow to move, but even though we got rained on we all made the best of this trip....

and these girls didn't seem to mind one bit! 

Happy Monday!