Beach bums

A couple of weeks ago, we headed to Jacksonville Beach for a wedding that Jason was in. We decided to make it our beach trip for the year, and we were fortunate enough to have my parents agree to come with us to help with the kids when we had wedding activities. It was one of those good trips. The kind that you don't want to end and that continue to make you smile even after you've left. The only thing I regret about the whole thing was not getting more pictures of the kids with their grandparents. Guess we'll have to go again to correct that problem...

It was Lilah's first trip to the beach, and she loved it.

We got a lot of smiles and not as much sand in the mouth as I was expecting.

My parents enjoying some pool time.

Lilah: "I've got ahold of you, Grandma".

My dad is cooler than your dad...

CANNONBALL...

Getting sand out of our drama king's eye.

My big girl just climbed into this chair and made herself comfy. Such a beach babe.

One of my favorite memories of this trip was when I was sitting in a beach chair with no one else around. Everyone was letting me finish my book--Jason took the kids down to the water and my parents went for a walk. As most of you moms know, you're never completely alone. Even if you're sitting there by yourself, you often are thinking of your family or watching them from afar. I did finish my book, but I also witnessed a sight that warmed my heart beyond belief and made me happy that I'm never alone. As I looked up from the page I was reading, I glanced down towards the water to see my family--my handsome husband sitting in the sand with our three children. The boys were digging and building, and Lilah was trying to do the same while staying as close as she could to her daddy. They were in this little universe all their own-untouchable, amazing, perfect. Playing so sweetly and spending time with their dad. I didn't have my camera down on the beach that day, and oh, I wish I would have. It was one of the best things I have ever seen. Yes, I teared up (because that's what I do), and I'm lucky that my mind took a snapshot of the scene. I go back to that picture often and each time, my heart fills up just as it did while I sat in that beach chair finishing my book.