From the time I've met my husband he's always told me stories about his vacations to the beach. Every summer his family would go and stay a week at his Nana's Caswell beach cottage in Oak Island, NC. He'd tell me about the sleeping and shower arrangements(boys and girls), how they would spend countless hours in the sun, run quickly on the boardwalk to avoid burnt soles, and take the best naps on the porch hammock. His imagery never failed to mention the way it smelled, the sounds the waves sang, and the over all feeling of many childhood memories made there.
This past week our family had the opportunity to experience such bliss. The beach cottage is no longer owned by Nana, but our family was able to rent the exact one, and vacation where those said childhood memories stem from. Over 20 of our family members came together this past week, some of us from across the country. This trip was so memorable, as it has been a long awaited vacation, and unfortunately the "busyness of life" may prevent it from occurring again.
I sit here on the plane reminiscing over all of the memories we made this past week. Jonah experienced many firsts on this trip-his first airplane ride, he heard the sounds of the beach, splashed in the warm ocean water, and felt the grittiness of the sand. He enjoyed meeting relatives--which included countless hours of fun with his cousins. He saw turtle hatchlings, swung sweetly on the porch swing, and experienced the hot humid air and heat of the NC sun. Patrick acknowledged the similarity of his past experiences to the ones made this past week and happily embraced it.
And me? I took it all in. Every ounce of it. The heat and breeze of the morning ocean air on my skin, the excitement I saw in the eyes of my baby boy every time he ran down the boardwalk, and the overwhelming closeness I felt holding Patrick's hand while walking along the ocean shore. I saw contentment in my mother in laws eyes as she stated several times she was in heaven seeing all her grandchildren together. I indulged in the vast amount of southern cooking and story telling, and took the definition of relaxation literally. It was all I had imagined and more. I smile knowing our own memories have been made-the experiences Patrick enjoyed while young have now become our own.
A couple days before we headed to the beach we stopped at a local park in Burlington, NC. They had a carousel and some fun rides for the kids to ride on. Jonah loved the 'horsey' and helicopter.
We took some family photos on the beach as well--such a great memory.
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| Caswell Beach 2012 |
