I have not been to Ocean City Beach in a long, long time. Years. We were invited to go with such great friends! We knew it would only be a quick trip and so we thought about it and decided that we could not do everything. Then on Tuesday night, we looked at the forecast and decided that we would try to do everything after all. :) How ridiculous but OH, so much fun!!!
I had to promise to keep the packing lite (since Mike hates to travel with bags and bags but how can you go lite with a family? I just always seem to take way too much!). I tried to put most things in our large suitcase but still ended up packing two bags ... one with foods and one for the beach. Then a small cooler was needed for our lunch meat and yogurt that we are completely addicted to right now! I grabbed some blankets, pillows, the sand toys, the beach chairs, bottled water and before you know it ... the back of the van was full!!! Yikes!
I was up early packing the van so that Mike wouldn't have to load up all that stuff. I wasn't in the mood for feeling guilty! :) Then he got up and we loaded the sleepy eyed children in the van and we were off!!! I wish I could say that the way there was simple and a breeze. I wish we wouldn't have needed to stop three times for our toddler Miss to pee. I wished our little Miss wouldn't have had belly ache and really wish she wouldn't have thrown up!!! I was prepared though because she kept saying she didn't feel good. I grabbed a plastic bag and caught most of the chuck up in it. However, this did cause us to stop again and clean up the mess. We did finally end up at IHop to eat a good breakfast and enjoy the rest of the short trip to the beach house.
The weather was perfect! Sunny and warm! We unloaded the things from the van and packed a quick lunch and headed for the sand! The waves were wild. The sunscreen was applied and we spent the whole afternoon on the beach! The boys and Ashlyn ended going back to the house while the rest of us enjoyed the beach for as long as possible!
Matthew couldn't wait to be buried in the sand!!!
Then it was Ashlyn's turn!
Priceless ...
Hadassah helped make some castles.
Ashlyn enjoying her lunch on the beach!!! Way too cute!!!
We ate supper at an all you can eat seafood restaurant! The kids loved the crab legs but what a mess!!! Matthew's shirt looked like a napkin and was all messy!
Matthew kept adding all these "fun things to do" as the night went on. He wanted to mini golf. Go to the arcade. See the boardwalk. Buy something. Anything!!! Well, we did end up walking the boardwalk for an hour. Some things don't ever change. It's been years since I was on this boardwalk but it still looked the same and was packed out. The boys played in the arcade awhile. We bought some Fisher's Caramel Popcorn! By then, the girls were tired and ready for bed. Sleep did feel good after starting this day so early!
Sunday was another bright, sunny day. I went out for a short run and then back to make some breakfast. More packed lunches and more sunscreen applied!!! This routine I could get very content with!!! :) This time we took a Frisbee along out and the boys loved that! Hadassah really likes the ocean waves and kept begging for someone to go along in and jump the waves. Mike did and how hilarious!!! I laughed and laughed! He would jump a wave and ride it into shore. Then go running out to catch another huge wave. He kept running in and out, in and out. I finally told him that he should just jump the waves and stop riding them in the whole way. He got so tired! Later, we all ended in the ocean together!!! What a riot!!! The water was cold at first, so you just had to run in. I went running in and right out to a big wave. Mike, Hadassah and Matthew were right with me. Ashlyn watched from the shore. It was fun but I got caught in a big wave and it washed me in shore with a scraped knee and salt water but my nose. I wasn't sure how I would look coming out of the water, but what a blast!!! :)
Here she goes for another wet dive!
Matthew caught pretty many sand diggers. Interesting!
Hadassah helped too.
Ashlyn loved the water but not in her face! We tried to keep her wishes! :/
Total blast!!!
I love this one! Hand in hand and laughing!!! I love it!
As you can see here, Hadassah enjoys the sunshine and tanning skin. She's beautiful! Mike has an office job and so his outdoor tanning time is limited. Nothing more said about this here.
OK, well just a bit more to say. He tanned very nice in two days and his skin color looks great!
Like I said before ...it's been years since I was on this boardwalk again and some things never change. I was so glad to see that there are still sand sculptures of Jesus! This brings back great memories of us youth girls sitting in the sand, singing with Kathy playing her guitar! Oh what a sweet memory. I am glad I could show our children this work of art!!!
Matthew and Mike throwing Frisbee here! What a catch!!!
Later in the afternoon, the lifeguard riding a four wheeler suddenly started blowing his whistle. Then we saw lots of people coming out of the ocean. What was it? A shark? We saw a fin. No, it was a dead dolphin that washed up to shore and then back out. It got washed on down the ocean. The stir up was entertaining.
The boys dug a big hole in the sand and Mike made a turtle out of sand. Hadassah and I were so content just soaking in the sun!!! Ashlyn did great too! She napped on the beach and filled her little pink bucket up with sand! The ocean water she liked too as long as her head didn't get wet. If it did ... well, it was drama! :)
The weekend was so much fun and we got to enjoy a gorgeous sunset most of the way home!!! The sky just seemed to get prettier!!! Then prettier! We just love admiring sunsets and it topped off such a great weekend!!!
Our short stay was really too short but very enjoyable!!!
