Flo-Rida

We spent an extended weekend in Clearwater, Florida last weekend.

We took our girl to the beach for the first time.  She ate sand.  It's hard to get sand out of a baby's mouth.  She was not afraid of the texture, which didn't suprise me.  I hear about a lot of kids who won't touch grass or sand, kids who are afraid of loud music or the wind.  That kid, is not my kid.  

She loved it!  The beach, the sand, the cold water on her feet (and then buns).

She dug her little toes in, and watched as the water came closer and closer.

 And my mom joined her.  Wet buns and all.

It was a family affair after all.

 

I learned that I can't say no to my mom's persistence.  We got all the way in the cold water, in our clothes.  What a stupid idea.  When I was soaked up to my waist, I ran my only bra back to Nate for dry-keeping.  That's why I'm covering the mole hills below.

When we got out of the water we found my dad burying Andrey in the sand.  She didn't mind one bit!

Later that night we had a family shindig.  Here are two of my cousins' kids.  One cousin has four kids, the other has three and one on the way.  Andrey watched the wrestling and screaming intently.  Maybe it's because she's used to seeing me and Nate wrestle...and we're bigger than those kids.

Little A met my grandparents Bud and LaVaughn.  They're old and completely wonderful!

On Sunday we went to g-ma and g-pa's house for lunch and Andrey learned how to play the Auto Harp.  What's that you ask?  I have no clue.  But the old folks love it!

Nate gave the A-Harp a try.  He was a natural.

It was so nice to see my family.  It had been eight years since I was last out there.  That's far too long.  I hope to get out there again.  This time, maybe I'll only wait four years.  And when we go back we will have a wild little girl, running into the sand.  She'll have no memory of her first trip to the beach, or meeting her extended family.  But we will.  And we will cherish it forever.