The Beach!

The boys and I went to our favorite beach spot today near The Oceanic at Wrightsville Beach. I started thinking about going midweek, and with nothing else lined up and really nice weather, we made a go of it.

It takes us about 2 hours to get there. It's an easy ride down I40 at 70mph (or more;-) The boys watched the movie Air Buddies on the way down and Space Buddies on the way back, so they were quite content.

I lucked out parking in the Public Access lot that has the bathroom and outside hoses/shower nozzle. The guy that pulled out of the parking spot that I got handed me 3 hours worth of parking, and at $1.50 an hour, that was much appreciated. Did I mention he was from NY? Yep! NICE GUY!!!

So, we were on the beach from 11-3:30ish. We walked back to the car one time for a bathroom break and to put more time on our parking stub.

Let me tell ya, both boys are crazy about the beach and getting in the water at this point. No hesitation. They don't even feel the water temp before they get in. Joey goes out a bit farther than Johnny, and it does look like Joey is pretty far out in a few of the pics, but really he was never in over his thighs.

I drew hearts in the sand and then Joey got in on the act with hearts and even a Mario type drawing. That was fun.

The kids were good with the other kids they ran into on the beach. Lots of kids having a good time, and lots of parents enjoying that!

Both boys got their faces wet a few times, pouted, and ran to dry off with the towel, but that didn't keep them from going back for more.

Me? Well, I took 250 pics, made sure they stayed safe, and reapplied sunscreen 4 times. Seriously, though, what could be more fun for me than watching them have fun.

We ate at Smithfield's on the way home at the nearly halfway spot in Warsaw and had a Wendy's Frosty for dessert. Nothing like good food to top off a good day on the beach.

The rest of the pics are here.

Fun with Glass, Water, and Wrapping Paper

If you think these are neat, a few more are here and here. I'm working to take enough for another artsy type photo show sometime later in the year.

Latest Artwork Display at Coffee & Crepes

I hung a new set of photos at Coffee and Crepes tonight. I really appreciate this extra opportunity to show-off some of my favorite new pictures from this spring. The pictures featured this time were all taken near my home and mostly on back country roads. Hopefully you'll feel like you're out for a casual afternoon walk when you look at them. The boys and I sure did enjoy taking rides looking at nature and capturing interesting subjects with the camera.

If you are looking for something to do Friday night, I'll be at Coffee and Crepes from 6-8pm, so stop on by. Weather permitting, there will be music from Rhythmicity on the patio. Last time, the boys really enjoyed getting in on the act, and it was a great time.

Below are some pictures of the prints on the wall at Coffee & Crepes for this show. You can also get a good look at just the prints here.


Also featured this month is the artwork of Diana Coidan. Her oil and watercolor pastels are magnificent.

Waterslide Day 2

The kids were back in action on the waterslide at Madi's house today. It takes some effort to set it up and then to dry it off and store it properly, so once it goes up, it's usually up for a couple of days' worth of fun.

Madi and Johnny get the nonstop for 5 hours straight award. Seriously, they only stopped long enough to eat a hot dog and then for popsicles and cupcakes later on. Joey and Bobby weren't far behind them just taking a few more short breaks. Marrah, Tyler, Daniel, Terry, and Sienna all took their turns too. I love going down the big slides at Pump It Up!, but the coldness of the well water is keeping me on the sidelines (not to mention taking pictures of the action).

Daniel and Tyler were taking running leaps from the back to propel themselves quickly down the slide often shooting right out the other end. Daniel took turns throwing the kids in from the side. Tyler was real cute with all the little kids going down with them, lifting them into the air, and holding their hands to the steps. Terry went down several times arms out in front like a profressional diver, and then one time, he took Sienna down with him. Bobby, Madi, Joey, and Johnny were doing cannonballs from the top so they'd bounce their way down the slide and end in a big splash. Plenty of excitement and activity for those of us sitting on the sidelines!

All of today's pics are here.

Bubbles!

The boys and I had fun with bubbles on the back deck this morning. I'm hoping to shoot some artistic type photos this summer so that I have enough material to do another show at Coffee and Crepes sometime in the future.

The rest of today's pics are here.

Waterslide Fun!

I hope those that fought and died for our country are smiling down on us this weekend as they see the joy in the eyes of those whose freedom they fought for.

These pictures are from today. Danny put up Madi's waterslide, and Joey and Johnny joined her along with Sienna, Marrah, Daniel, and Tyler for an afternoon of fun. Nevermind the fact that the well water coming out of those jets was cold!

Thankfully there were no serious boo boos today. The kids splashed around for over 5 hours. Go hotdogs! More fun tomorrow!!!

The rest of the pics from today are here.