Virginia Beach 2009

Our annual trip to the beach started right after our long weekend with the North Carolina Brandts and including cousin Samuel this year. He is almost 10 so him and Hayden got along great. He was also very helpful and set a good example for our kids! We loved having him with us. The trip from their house to the beach started off early in the morning and to a slow start. For the first hour about every 20 min. someone announced they had to stop to use the bathroom. After that it was a quick trip and we were able to get into our cabin once we arrived. After eating a quick lunch we got ready and headed for the beach. With smiles on our faces and beach chairs in hand, we attempted to set foot on our first beach sand in a year, when the lifeguards whistled to everyone to get off the beach. The beach was closing due to a thunderstorm that was coming. Granted, I'm grateful for safety (especially after getting struck by lightning at our house!), but we couldn't have gotten any closer and yet denied our satisfaction. We fulfilled our desires later that day as it cleared up and we ate dinner on the beach. Actually, we had never been on the beach at that time of day before and we really enjoyed it. The lighting is great for pictures, it's not crowded, it's cooler, and we could be messy while eating our pizza!

Thankfully Connor was more accepting of the sand this year and didn't mind walking in it. Him and Serena weren't too fond of the water, but they had fun playing in the sand all week. In fact, Serena loved the sand so much she was rolling in it and buring herself in it!

Hayden and Samuel immedietely took to the waves.

We spent some time at the pool too.

Serena and Connor had fun playing in the water from our faucet outside our cabin. They kept themselves busy while Mike and I worked.

One night the waether was bad and we stayed in and watched a movie on the portable DVD player. I think the movie was Ice Age.

Samuel and Serena laughed a lot and Serena would hold her hands up by her mouth and giggle.

One of our traditions is to go out early one morning and look for treasures and enjot the sunrise. This year it was Mike, Hayden and Samuel.

We always fill our wagon to take onto the beach. Connor was lazy and wanted to ride, so he had to hold the bag on his lap. Can you find him!

Enjoying some light reading while basking in the sun.

A few minutes later...

We went to a Chinese restaurant one night for dinner. We had fun trying new things. Samuel thought the squid was "interesting."

We worked off our dinner by riding the family bike. Well, some of us worked!

It's always great weather to fly a kite at the beach.

Cute kids!

That's Mike riding the wave. I think Mike and I used Hayden's board more than he did!

Samuel found this hermit crab. He also found a seahorse which was one of his favorite parts of the trip.

Pretty huh?!

Another tradition is to stop and get ice cram just before leaving the beach to lift our spirits.

We met Julie and Nanny and kids in Richmond to trade Samuel for Nanny. Then a long drive home.