beach fever

I cannot wait to get to a beach this summer.
I am so seriously craving it. Honestly, an aching craving. The smell of the water, the air, the sand, the sunscreen, the breeze, sandy toes, shovels and buckets, sunglasses, snacking and sipping and listening to the water lapping on the shore, kids squealing in the waves, seagulls crying overhead.

Last summer was a summer Without Beach.
That's hard coming from a West Coast girl, who skipped several days of school a year to get to the water, spent spring breaks camping on the coast, weekends at a beach house, and at the very least, a drive to just get a fix of the waves and the scenery up and down the coast.

It's been two summers since I've been to a real beach. The summer before last at least we made it to a Great Lake beach. Last year? Nada.
I can't take another one of those.

Moving in the summertime is quite frustrating because it gobbles up not only your money but your free time. Moving in the summertime but not really having any freaking idea when is even more frustrating because you can't plan anything that might even possibly involve any extra free time or money you may be able to hide away.
Until we know what and when we're doing any of this moving stuff, we are stuck not planning a beach trip, not planning a camping trip, not planning any kind of trip or really any thing at all.
Just one more reason I hate being in limbo.

I need a beach fix big time.

So I ended up going thru beach pictures this evening, trying to soak up some beachiness.
Like it or not, I'm posting some favorites. Lucky for you we've only had a digital camera for the past seven years and I won't touch the hundreds in photo albums... :)

Prepare for beach overload!

Here's exactly what I'm missing tonight...

the scenery...

















crabbing off the docks (or renting a boat once in awhile)...


































getaways for the gang...















fun in the water...

















fun in the sand...
(bocce ball!!)

















sunsets...

















bonfires with friends...



































and other favorite memories...






Savannah's first trip to the beach, 6wks old, may 2003














...and a few snippets from the next few years:







































































































First trip to the beach as a family of four... february 2006

















































at the "faux beach"-
South Haven on the shore of Lake Michigan, june 2006:













































sept. 2006
















































back at the Oregon coast 9/2007























































and in 2008