The Beach

I inherited a great love of the beach from my mother.  I know that's where it came from.  She was 18 years old before she ever saw the beach, although she lived no more than 4 hours from the beach all of her life.  Her childhood was a great deal different than the one she gave me and I don't know that her family ever took a "family vacation".  Her summers were spent either in West Virginia with her grandmother or just being at her house.  But I believe she dreamed about the magic of the beach...the ocen...sea shells...for a good bit of her life.  As an 18 year old, she experienced the beach for the first time in her life and I think it was there that she decided she would make this an experience she would repeat.

I know that my mom had me at the beach as a baby.  I have pics of my chubby self in a teeny, diaper filled bikini...laughing in the surf.  I know that we visited the beach once with my grandparents and great-aunt.  We have pictures of me splashing in the pool...my grandparents watching from the side...fully dressed as I remember them always.  And then later on, we had an annual tradition of vacationing with my aunt & uncle...and cousins in a house that overlooked a channel at Ocean Isle.  We usually planned a beach trip every year.  I'm sure they couldn't always truly afford it, but Mom & Dad made it work.  At one point we camped at the beach annually...actually more than that as my godparents had a camper they stored at Emerald Isle...so we often spent Easter and Labor Days with them at the beach.  And when my godparents decided to buy a place near Emerald Isle...well, we've spent more time at the beach. 

Last year, my cousin got married at Carolina Beach.  I was torn about going...I really wanted to go to see a wedding on the beach...and then I really couldn't afford to go.  Mom & Dad really felt like they needed to go...but to book just a weekend at the host hotel for the wedding was astronomical.  They found a house that they could rent for an entire week for not much more than the hotel.  So, they decided to take a vacation...spend the week at the beach and invited me & Dylan, my sister, Zach & Alyson to come for the wedding weekend.  We had so much fun...laughed a lot...and it was that trip that inspired the week at Kure Beach that is almost here!!!

Yes - on June 19th (my birthday!) we are leaving to go to Kure Beach.  Mom, Dad, Missy, Zach, Alyson, Ayden (who was with us on our last trip...just in his Mommy's tummy!), Dylan & myself are going for a WHOLE week.  And I can't wait.  I can't wait for long sunny days on the beach, being Aly's partner (which means roommate) and lots of fun and laughter.  Spoiling my niece...chasing a crawling Ayden...who WILL be crawling by the time we head to the beach...playing silly games at night...playing Wii with the family...listening to Zach's unique take on the world...just all the things that make for a great family vacation. 

I just hope the trip lives up to the hype...and I hope it doesn't rain!

Dreaming of sunshine and waves...