Tuesday
Since we got in on Monday night, we didn't have to do any traveling on Curtis's birthday. He woke up at the shore.
The birthday boy!
The sky was a little overcast, so we didn't go swimming at the beach, but we did look for shells.
And we found a lot of them.
Bella also found some sea glass. Later on, she looked through Mimi's collection.
Baseball season just ended out here and they were still in the mood to play a little ball.
Later in the day, we played a little mini golf.
I cracked up watching Curtis chase his ball around with the club. Since he was the birthday boy and since he turned six, we didn't give him a score higher than six for each round.
Mimi and Andy ended up tying for first place.
Our big six-year-old back at the house.
He's ready for just about anything!
I know I have mentioned how much Curtis is into "kitties" these days. Mimi took him to the store to pick out a cake. . . and this was what he chose.
He liked being sung to.
Time to make a wish!
Then we watched his birthday slideshow.
He couldn't have asked for a better birthday!
Wednesday
We went to a waterpark on the island called "Thundering Surf".
This was definitely one of the kids' highlights of the trip.
I didn't get as many photos of that since phones and waterparks don't go too well together.
After a few hours at the waterpark, we ate a late lunch at "Holiday Snack Shop". This was one of the oldest eating spots on the island. Andy loved it and continued to talk about the place for days.
Later that same afternoon, we made it to the beach.
There was a lot of hole digging on this trip.
Every evening, we showered up and got into our pajamas.
And watched the beautiful sunsets over the bay.
Many people walk to the end of the street to catch the sunset. We got to enjoy it from the front porch.
Perfect blanket placement by Curtis. Completely unintentional.
Thursday
This was our most perfect beach day. The temps were in the high 70s/low 80s. The sun was hot and the breeze was refreshing. We came out in the morning at low tide.
More shell collecting.
More hole digging.
More swimming.
Bella really got out there and went swimming in the waves.
Each summer, the kids get stronger and stronger in the water, which makes the whole experience so much more relaxing for us as we can watch them from our chairs.
Later that evening, Jane kept the kids and sent Andy and I out for dinner. I don't tend to eat a lot of seafood, but when at the shore and you can get it fresh, you give it a try. I had an arugula salad topped with artichokes, onions, and quinoa. And I really liked it!
Andy tried swordfish. He liked it too! Of course, he'll eat about anything.
The view from our table.
Another lovely sunset. The camera never really captures how pretty sunsets are; but we still try.
Friday
The sky was a little overcast again on this day, which actually worked out as it gave us kind of a rest day. Mimi and Andy took the kids to the Haymarket - a toy store on the island. The kids were given gift certificates to spend there. Bella bought a kite, Graydon got a ball, pokemon figures, and a water-squirting camera, Curtis bought a lego set. Everyone was very happy with their purchases. Thanks Conyers family!
Later in the day, the boys rested and watched a movie in Mimi and Bud's room.
Meanwhile, my friend Jen drove out and we spent the day together. We still keep in touch with phone dates, but it was so nice to see her in person.
Saturday
Another beautiful day. Andy and Bella went to the beach in the morning to fly her kite.
All of us came out after lunch to enjoy our last beach day.
We ordered in seafood that night. Both Graydon and Bella tried clams.
I'm getting more brave with food, but I wasn't interested in trying those. And neither was Curtis.
We went back to the beach one last time that evening.
The sky was so gorgeous.
Curtis found a hole.
Sunday came and it was time to pack up. The kids were already getting sad as our trip got closer to the end. Graydon kept saying that each day was going too fast and that he wanted us to leave him at the shore with Mimi.
Bella commented to me into the week that she hadn't worn many of the outfits she had packed. I realized the same was true for me. We were either in swimsuits or pajamas! I think that is the sign of a very good beach vacation! We feel so blessed for our time together with Mimi and for all of the memories that we made together on this trip.
We left the shore just after lunch and made our way to Cinnaminson for the day. We had plans to meet up with some friends there.
Brooke, the pretty blonde on the right, just graduated from high school. She had just finished third grade when we moved to New Jersey. Time. . . slow down please! The kids were so excited to see these two sisters again.
And the whole family. We enjoyed a nice visit. I felt so torn between wanting to stay longer but having to get going because we had lined up a few visits for one day.
Andy met up with a pastor friend and the kids and I went to visit some more friends. The kids played and picked right up where we left off. We ate dinner together. It was starting to get late and our plan was to drive a couple of hours that night and finish up the rest the next day. Just before packing up our things, the girls came very sweetly asking for a sleepover. This wasn't our plan, but after deliberating and talking with our friends, we decided to stay. The kids, especially the girls, were very happy. And we got to enjoy some bonus time with good friends.
And another beautiful sunset - this time over the Delaware River instead of the bay. There were also some fireworks going off from multiple locations across the river.
Monday: 4th of July
Although there were a ton of fun 4th festivities in town that day, we needed to get going. But first, some fun pics with friends.
We made it home a little after 8pm that evening and were able to catch some fireworks that our neighbors across the street set off. A great ending to a great week.
