Take Me Back...Ponce Inlet

It's the 4th of July and it's day two of persistent rain and dreary clouds.  What better way to spend my time than take a walk down the beach, via memory lane. Come with me, if you like.

Memories, our gifts bequeathed to us from the most magical of moments or even the simplest of life experiences.

The first time I visited Ponce Inlet beach, our two youngest boys were 8 weeks old, and time, living up to its' reputation, continues to quickly slip through my fingers like those grains of sand that shimmer along the shore line.

My bike rides this year were spent taking in the beautiful scenery while recalling each special year. Familiar beach homes are my landscape and my thoughts trail to fantasies of meeting the owners and being invited to tea. Yeah. I'm weird, but you never know! These folks and I become such good friends and one day they leave their incredible home on the beach to me.  It's then that an annoying whisper cuts through my happy daze, "you can't even afford the taxes on that home". And so my thoughts return to actual events and real blessings, which are more than I deserve!

The bike ride continues and a glimpse of the ocean peeks in between said homes. I "see" my carefree boys laughing as they splash each other and throw sand, though they been instructed not to.  Meanwhile, Glen and I are gripping onto the toddlers who think they can actually swim.  This season of life is a whole lot less sunning and reading on the beach and a whole lot more gritting of teeth and praying you don't lose a little person to tide or even a shark. And a beach day would be sadly lacking if at least one swimmie diaper was not blown out by the end of day. Those are seriously the worst. More pedaling means more time to ponder...

***2009***

Our world is fuller with 2 new additions to our family. Two precious, unplanned for gifts! They sleep, oblivious to the world around them on a beach towel while their brothers experience the thrill of crashing waves.

***2010***

Apparently we deviated from our usual spot and hit Orlando in the fall.

2011

Not sure what happened that year! Only 1 pic.

***2012***

Beach trips are getting easier. Some genius invented Puddle Jumpers, making pool life and even the beach more enjoyable for all.

Not our first time to Aunt Catfish, but it's our first pictures...

***2013***

Oh yeah! I'm almost reading on the beach!

The best I can do in getting the cousins together for a beach picture...

The Picnic before the storm. Right before the storm. In fact, security is driving along the beach telling us it's time to evacuate.

***2014***

The boys are now 12, 10, and 5. Layout the beach blanket and let the reading begin!

That's a frightening image

We have some surprise guests that delightfully fill our time with ice cream runs, games on the beach and of course board games.

Extra hands, meant a date for Glen and I, which we took full advantage of.  Here we are eating at the North Turn, with the ocean view as our landscape.

Sadly, our visitors had to make their way back home, but we stayed a few more days to grab a few more moments in sun and on sand.

This year I firstborn decided to take out one of the bikes...He no longer joined us on the walks down to the beach, but always had to ride.


We visited the local lighthouse museum and hike all 203 steps to the top.

Definitely worth the effort!

The fishing net is added to our beach routine. Casting that fishing net over and over into the water, in hopes to gain a catch and provide extra entertainment for our boys has become Glen's favorite ocean pastime.

Boys are entertained, as well as a few other beach goers! 

Hunting for crabs lives on...

An occasionally, we may find something else...

On the last day, Glen attempted to try out a paddle board, but sudden weather made the poor man walk it back.

***And Finally...2015***

I go big on the reading this year!  The full, unabridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas is my one of beachside companions. Once again all of my senses are intensely aware of life and nature as I take in my surroundings. Between page turning, I steal glances of my husband casting his net and my boys swimming or running around the surface of the sand. I hear each crash of the waves, the birds flying directly above and outbursts of laughter from children. My toes dig in and around the warm sand.  I feel blessed beyond measure and smile contentedly to myself. This is a much needed rest for all of us. Take me back...

So in closing I have one more random thought in regards to time, memories and money. I think they all have something in common. Without intentional planning and documentation you can lose them, forget them or spend them poorly and then you have no idea where they've gone.

God bless my friends and God bless America! :)

Chrissy