End of Summer
Sometimes my heart overflows with love and pride...yesterday was one of those days. The California kids have a tradition of closing out the summer, well summer vacation, with a beach party at Corona del Mar. Lucky for us that we're here this year because my emotional bank of family memories needed replenishing and I got a big deposit.
It's not that anything really spectacular happens. It's just watching the interactions, the teasing, the shared inside jokes and the love passed around that makes family times like this truly special.
We had a great fire ring spot thanks to Tom and Bryan who arrived at the beach at 6 AM or some ungodly hour. The kids had a sunshade, chairs, blankets, wood (actually half a tree) and plenty of great food and snacks. Jim outdid himself with a new pasta salad and Renee had a variety of munchies to keep us happy until the sun started to set and we broke out the hotdogs.
There is a "feel" to the beach that you don't get at a backyard party or in the park. I guess it's the sound of the ocean, the view of the water, the gulls squawking and the boats cruising by. It takes you worlds away. I noticed lots of other family groups with older folks (like us I guess) who were probably the proud grandparents of their group. At a time of so much sadness (hurricane Katrina and memories of 9/11) it is great to have the family together. We wished Brad could be with us and as always missed Laura and Steve. Here's some shots of the day...
Bryan and Zack relaxing. I think Zack was warming up from a cold swim.
Naomi is thinking, "when will this baby be born?!"...baby Evan is due in 3 weeks.
This is what happens when an extreme biker screws up...sprained foot.
The October birthday cousins share a hug before Jimbo goes off to college and Naomi becomes a Mom!
Hilly braved the cold water in her wet suit. I think she's looking forward to her first year in college!
Renee and Tom, along with son Jim, did a lot of work to make this a fun day.
The sunset set the stage for a roaring bonfire, roasting dogs and marshmallows and the end of a great day.
After Dark Beach Scenes:
* The old man standing by an abandoned fire warming his hands and staring into the flames for an hour or more. What was he thinking?
* The fire-dancing girl who swirled and twirled with her fire stick/ropes until the flames died and the beach crowd cheered.
* The lost 2 year old that Jim and Tom guarded until her ditzy family came along searching for her. This is in the dark of night with hundreds of people on the beach and bonfires roaring.
* The invitation of the preacher to join in the singing, prayer and testimonials...all are welcome.
* The biggest bonfire of all...OURS!
Comments
What wonderful memories we all create. Joan, your descriptive writing style never ceases to amaze me. I so appreciate each and every post that you put up. We were very glad that the "g's" could make it to the beach bash this year, and look forward to the addition of Evan next year.
Posted by: tom | September 12, 2005 12:57 PM