Day 1 of our Beach Vacation

With only three bathroom/food/gas fillup stops, we made it to our cozy beach house in seven and a half hours.  It was mostly uneventful if you don't include the 15 minutes of bumper to bumper traffic on old faithful (I-20) due to a minor fender bender, oh and the constant job of breaking up a fight about who touched who first between a five and two year old.

As the ocean appeared on the horizon, us girls became giddy in love while Seth breathed a sigh of relief.  "WE MADE IT!"  There is nothing like seeing the smiles on young girls faces and watching firey red hair blow in the wind as the roar of the ocean breeze rolls in with every wave.

It took about an hour to unpack and get into our bathing suits before our feet were able to soak themselves in salt water.  Perfect.  The first touch always is, washing away the cares of this world like some powerful potion.  Daddy took the oldest red out a little deep for mommy's comfort, but that's what Dad's do...promote courage in the midst of danger.  Little Red and I stayed ashore and covered ourselves in sand.  Already, close occupants are asking where they got their ginger tops from, confused as they take in the sights of my or my husband's blonde hair. 

Hours pass and tummy's grumble.  Dinner needs to be had and no grocery's have been bought so back into the car we go after cleaning the grinds of sand from our bottoms.  Shopping at Wal-Mart, at the beach, is like shopping on Black Friday.  People pushing and shoving, trying to get the last jar of pickles and bottle of wine.  "Why don't they stock sufficiently", I wonder as I mozy through the aisles with my train of a cart.  You know the one.  It has a huge bench seat that attaches to the buggy that my girls INSIST we get but never ride in after five minutes into the shopping trip.  Oh well.  Stress, interestingly enough, does not find me in this chaos...toes in the ocean already took care of that a while ago.

So back at our home away from home I now sit.  Cupboards full, belly full, feet up, relaxing and writing, gazing at the ocean from my back porch seat, missing Mack, who is on a wonderful cruise with his beautiful Mom.  Time to hunt for some sea shells.  Joci hasn't forgotten that I told her we would tonight and she keeps reminding me every five minutes.  Back onto the plush white sand I go!