Sizzlin' Days of Summer

Another hot day, another excursion in quest of water fun. This morning we rose and shone bright and early to grab a coveted spot second in line for the first ferry departure to a tiny slice of island. Within ten minutes of our arrival the line stretched to the parking lot and those toward the end of the line were looking at a minimum two-hour wait before boarding. This little island is popular to say the least. Maybe it's the sandy beaches or the seemingly endless stretch of squishy land and the patches of slimy seaweed that must be navigated to reach the water far out on the horizon when the tide is out. Or the view of

the snow-covered mountains on your way back to drier land. Or the fact that within just a handful of hours the tide will come rushing

back in and the warm, shallow water will be just steps from your umbrella and beach towels. Whatever the reason, young and old alike

flock to this destination and we are no exception. At least once a summer, it is well worth getting up early to catch the

tiny ferry, packing as much as you can possibly carry - lunch, towels, sand toys, beach umbrella, diapers, life jackets -

while still managing to keep both hands free for holding your sweet littles and the inevitable, numerous, long treks back and forth to the only bathroom on the island not to mention the sprint back to the ferry for the return trip lugging all of the above-mentioned items much more haphazardly when you realize that the ferry is leaving in five minutes and if you miss it you're guaranteed to be stuck on the island for at least another three hours. On this particular day, it was hot enough that the dry sand was scorching underfoot so Miss A's Mom carried her to the bathroom. When I commented that Miss A's Mom was a hero for doing so, the Girl quickly followed up with, "And my Mom is a loser." Sheesh, carry a child in your womb for 9 months, then refuse to carry her now 42+ pound body in 90 degree temps over a sandy, slightly hilly path for a quarter mile and all of a sudden you've been relegated to the loser classification. Oh but we (Miss A's Mom and myself) did get a good laugh out of that comment.

But it is worth all of it, every single inconvenience to know that the Girls are enjoying themselves and experiencing all that our local

surroundings have to offer. That they are subject to the beauty and diversity of His creation. Baby Sister was especially cute with

this kickboard nestled carefully under her arm. Eventhough it was completely awkward for her to carry and slipped out with every

other step, she diligently readjusted it. If we lived in California or Hawaii I swear she'd be a surfer girl. There was plenty of sand creation
mixed in with a bit of snacking. It seems that Baby Sister loves goldfish crackers...

even with a bit of sand on them. In fact, she might even

prefer them that way. As if there weren't enough sand on them to begin with, she began sprinkling them generously before...

popping them into her mouth.

Loving the sand-smeared cheek.

A good day's worth of play on land and in water makes for one tired Sister. She was snoozing before we even got out of the parking lot.