i never get tired of the beach...

i am still having a really really hard time choosing my favorite pictures from our recent beach vacation! with beautiful scenery and six little beach bums running around, i have ended up with so many that i can't help but share! so who's ready to go to the beach!?

"MEEEEEEEE!"
this is the storybook path across the street from the house to the beach...

the beach was absolutely beautiful. there was so much "beach" between the dunes and the waves that the kids were able to run free and play as they pleased. anytime they headed toward the ocean, we had ample time to catch up with them! the little 2 inch pool of water in the middle of the sand was also a big hit. caroline's favorite activity was to pour water (or sand-mud) in and out of cups and buckets, while ethan was highly concerned with bulldozing half of the isle of palm's sand one little mound at a time. and if that wasn't enough to keep the boy occupied, he also devoted much time to running to the waves only to quickly retreat when the water started chasing him. and everytime, he acted as surprised as if it were the first time it had happened. :)

here's crazy haired caroline! thank you, aunt kristie, for putting
caroline's hair up in pigtails and a ponytail the next two days!!
when i took this picture, i thought back to this picture of ethan...
ethan is hard at work...running from the waves & bulldozing away!




the three little girls with older lydia off in the distance...
what a symbolic picture of growing up!


the girls were gettin' down! it was so funny to watch them dance...
my little surfer girl loved her pigtails!
the kids learned how to make their own little pools of water in the sand.
ethan had fun splashing in his!
this was a surprise shot for their mom...
i was so excited to capture their reflections!
i just happened to turn around and see the kiddos in this perfect line!
well, except karina who was lagging a little behind! :)
and ha! look at caroline's stride! easy there, cowgirl!

the last day at the beach, the older kids discovered little coquina clams that bury themselves in the sand. this was pretty amazing to them, and they spent at least an hour collecting them and observing them dig back into the sand.



we praise the Lord for our time at the beach with the owners of these little shoes! we made countless memories and enjoyed His beautiful creation!


there's more fun to come!