Sand and Shells

We finally made it back from our annual family beach vacation on Amelia Island. This year was the most relaxing week at the beach our family has had in several years. Mostly because the girls are older and we do not have to worry about them wandering down the beach or having to take diapers or nursing. Kelly and I were able to sit and relax in our chair and watch the girls dig in the sand and splash in the surf. This year we spent a huge amount of time at the beach whereas in years past we stayed mainly at the pool. The girls, Olivia and Owen made sand castles with the buckets that Kay Kay (Aunt Kay) got for them. Kay Kay bought each great-grandchild a bucket and cut out their names in vinyl and stuck them to the bucket. This was such a nice treat for the kids and very useful for all the hours we spent on the beach. On our first outing to the beach, we saw a sea turtle climbing the sand dune to nest and lay eggs. Sea turtles lay eggs and they hatch from May to October, so this is always something we have been aware of but this is the first year we have seen a sea turtle. The girls loved it!

Another day while we were playing at the beach, Kelly buried the girls waist deep in the sand and sculpted the bottom part to look like a mermaid tail complete with scales. We also added seashells to dress it up! The girls loved this! There was always lots of our family at the beach and we all had our umbrellas and chairs together where we could watch the kids play, listen to music, and swim in the ocean. It was so nice!