We just spent a wonderful weekend in Ocean City, MD! It was packed full of volleyball games and celebrations! Hadassah played her first year with Blast Volleyball. She really liked it and got to play many more volleyball games this year! Volleyball is her sport and she plays it well! Blast has two practises a week and some tournaments on weekends. This was their last tournament/games for this year. We decided to make a fun family weekend out of it and made our reservations with the team at Princess Bayside Hotel. Hadassah and Jess got approved to have Friday off of internships and so Verna and I decided to leave early and spend the day Friday on the beach with the girls! The weather was so perfect!!! It got warm and beautiful!!! Regan also wanted to go to the beach and offered to drive the girls down to Ocean City on Friday morning and then after I had the school children dropped off and our things all packed, I picked up Verna and we headed for the beach!
Austin, Darien and Alaina drove with us and even though they were so ready to get there, it was a nice drive! We were sitting on the beach just after lunch time enjoying the sunshine and ocean breeze! We arrived just after the girls got there and our motel rooms were ready for us! We unloaded our things and went straight out to the beach! Austin ended up taking a three hour nap out there and I soaked up as much of the warm sun rays as possible!!! It was just so lovely! I kept thinking that just a month ago we were still having snow flurries!!! I am ready for this next season!!!
The moment my feet touched the sand, I was wishing I would have just taken the other children out of school for the day and brought them along! Ashlyn loves the beach and is our seashell collector! I made arrangements for them to come down with Mike and Gerald after school but I missed them because they would have enjoyed this warm day on the beach too!!! But, that night, the men met us late at the motel. Ashlyn was sleeping and was carried straight to her bed. Verna and I (and the girls and little ones) did grab some supper at Dead Freddies and then went to our rooms to get a nights sleep.
Saturday morning came and it looked like another nice day!!! The kids wanted to swim in the pool right after breakfast! The outside pool wasn't open yet for the season so the indoor pool was our entertainment for awhile! The boys loved, loved it!!!
Matthew and I are breakfast lovers! What a fun birthday treat with just the two of us!
Now, that's some French toast!
And yes, I treated myself to Dumser's coconut chocolate chip icecream!!!
Ashlyn couldn't wait to wear her goggles and get in the water! Mike sat with me on the side and watched them swim.
I was blessed to wake up and hear Mike whisper in my ear, "Happy birthday!" I got to celebrate my birthday on the beach! Matthew and I went right beside our motel to get a yummy breakfast! Hadassah was still trying to get some sleep before her many volleyball games later that afternoon.
Austin is a water duck. He got that puddle jumper on and he jumped right in the pool! He smiled and giggled the entire time!!!
It was fun having Gerald and Verna's family join us all weekend! The boys threw lots of football in the pool and Frisbee on the beach.
Such a cute group of kids!!!
I packed Austin's little car and took it along. This is so much better for him than any stroller. As a baby he hated his car seat and even at times his stroller. This car solved all those issues!
We rode to the beach in style and he got pushed all around the gyms while Hadassah played volleyball! And if needed, it works for two little people too! :)
We got to spend a few hours on the beach on Saturday before needing to head to volleyball! It was sunny and not many people on the beach! Everything was so beautiful! The kids were loving the pool and complained when I said that we need to move to the beach. I knew that the moment we would let them touch the sand and see the ocean, they would be off loving it!!! And that's exactly what happened! Ashlyn loves the ocean and I made a comment that if we would live beside the coast, she would spend most of her life outside along the waters edge!
Ashlyn and Darien climbed on the rocks looking for seashells!
And she found some keepers!
My birthday was special with my hubby sitting beside me on the beach and the children running on the beach!!!
And then we went to volleyball and watched this girl play!
Then we grabbed a quick lunch at Chickfila and headed for the volleyball tournament at 2 PM. The team played well winning some but losing some. When we go to these volleyball games, its fun to watch but the little ones get so sick of it!!! It's really not the best sport for a family event because they play a set of games and then wait for an hour or so and play again. Meanwhile, Mike and I are trying to entertain the little ones! It requires lots of patience and even though we did really have a great time as a family, Mike and I said that maybe next year, we would go as a couple and let the little ones at home with friends. It's so much time between games and all they could think about was "Candy Kitchen" and the "pool"!!! It was late before we got back to the motel but the little ones wanted the pool. I was hungry and tired. Going out to eat with tired little ones wasn't a real good option, so while Mike and Hadassah went out for some pizza and sushi and salad, I got the kids into their motel beds. Then at 11 PM, I sat in our bed and ate mushroom and black olive pizza that Mike brought back for me! :))) My birthday meal will have to wait for another time!
Sunday morning I woke up again with Mike this time whispering, "Happy Mother's Day!" It was a much cooler, cold day! It was only in the 60's all day. Hadassah had to get up early and leave for her 8:00 morning game. Mike took her while I waited for the others to wake up and eat some breakfast. It gave me time to pack up our luggage and check out. The children blessed me with a card and hugs and kisses!
My mom is so special to me and I love her so very much!!! I couldn't be with her today but I could send her a text!!! Thank you Mom for being an inspiration and a mothering example to me!!!
Family memories ... I had to think back when we were kids and went to the beach and filled up the motel room!!! What fun memories!!!
Her breakfast with her favorite food ... watermelon!!!
This time we all went next door for breakfast and then went to cheer for Hadassah!!!
Again, it was a few wins and loses. They had a few hour break between games and because it was cold outside, we tried our best to not get testy with the kids. This is when the volleyball games are not the best family outings but Ashlyn ended up pushing Austin around in his car and we just waited it out! Hadassah's team lost in the next game and they were then finished. We packed up and made one quick stop at Candy Kitchen because Mike promised Ashlyn we would do this! :) Everyone was tired and ready to eat and sleep but Mike drove us straight home and it was cereal and hot showers before bedtime!
My birthday/mother's day weekend at the beach was nice!!! I love to watch Hadassah play volleyball and see the children run on the beach! I love to have Mike beside most of the time and we cheer and drink coffee together!
Way to go Blast and great job at giving this volleyball season your best shot Hadassah! When it started with a sprained ankle, you had to get determined to not let that set you back! You set your fears aside and after it was healed up, you jumped and spiked the ball hard!!! I'm so proud of you girl!!!
And when we got back home, Mike gave this to me!!! He got his own wood and asked R J Stoltz Co. to make me a food board!!! I love these and have officially started a new collection!!! Thank you BABE!!!
