Life's Better at the Beach

We always look forward to June for two reasons: 1) the school year finally ends, and 2) we get to spend a week at the beach with Jason's family. It's something we look forward to all year, and we are never disappointed.

After the last van load of cousins has arrived, we take a break from unpacking and run (literally) over to the beach to check things out. We always tell the kids not to get completely soaked since they're not in swimsuits yet.

Not sure why we bother since they all end up drenched either way. (And yes, this is my child.)

The next day we hit the beach en masse, and the fun really begins. The Mattingley boogie board collection continues to grow as more and more of the kids take to the waves. Here are Diego, Alyssa, and Corinne riding in together.

Jason with Courtney...waiting for the next wave

Tyler and Jordan with a plan...

...and later enjoying their sand couch with Alyssa and Corinne.

We also spend hours in the backyard pool. Here's a shot from one of the many pool baseball games. The kids use their hands to hit splash balls thrown by one of the dads. After they get a hit, they jump in and swim to designated bases around the pool. And it's always the entire group of kids against one or two dads. Some might call that unfair. The kids say it's all part of the fun.

Here's Alyssa performing in one of the many water contests of the week.

Anthony, Julia, and Courtney enjoying a ride on the giant alligator (which earned high honors as the best pool toy of the trip)

Baby Autumn looking glamorous pool side

Alyssa and Jordan enjoying the pool

Corinne, Diego, and Alyssa playing Toss Up outside on one of the decks

(This was their favorite place to eat dinner, too.)

Jordan and Tyler launching water balloons from the top deck down onto the people swimming in the pool

And here they are finally using their powers for good - trying to make ice cream. Everyone had fun tossing around the bags, but in the end, it was just too hot outside for the ice cream to freeze.

Question: What draws a crowd at the beach?

Answer: A stingray!

(It was dead but still pretty cool. And definitely the only way I'd ever touch one.)

Had to throw this one in. Here's me and what my sister-in-law calls my "trusty steed." This was about the extent of my pool fun this year. I had to keep my hand bagged (so it would stay dry) and elevated/iced (to keep the swelling down). Party on.

One of the best things about the beach is definitely cousin time. Here are Courtney and Julia hysterical about who knows what. It doesn't take much with those two.

The 16 little Mattingley beach bums