San Clemente, California. I'm pretty dang sure that I will have a house there someday. With the blue rolling waves, the cool, salty breeze, and the gorgeous Cali hills that overlook the Pacific, I'd basically die to live there. JK. But the icecream and pizza are also obnoxiously delicious.
We met up at the beach with Aunt Sheryl and my four cousins Kendall, Paige, Ryan, and Megan. Despite growing up together, this was the first time I've been to the beach with them aside from maybe getting together back in the long-forgotten childhood years when we lived in Boston. Also for the first time, starting Wednesday, Kendall, me, Rachel, and Paige will all attend the same school. {Except I don't even want to think of the word "school," so let's not dwell on that.}
We also got to spend time with Grandpa Paul {a genious who is fascinating to talk to about politics, history, and when he is showing you a scrapbook filled with pictures from the 1800's to the 1970's of various family members. I had no idea that there are several statues in Madagascar of my great-great-uncle Paul Girouard I, who was a bishop of some church back several decades ago}and Nana Hanny {her name pronounced "Honey," my mom's beautiful Dutch stepmother may as well be of our same blood}.
From seagulls to starfish, sandcrabs to jellyfish, there were plenty of ocean creatures to beautify the little West Coast city. Apparently vinegar is good for jellyfish stings, because that's what the lifeguard recommended when, after brushing something slimy, the back of my knee
Right before we left, Sophie had this spontaneous idea to get her hair chopped off. "Do I look like Rapunzel?" she asked when she returned from the salon with her new bob. Which is funny, cause looking like her favorite princess was the whole reason she had fought tooth and nail to even get it trimmed up to that point. But apparently she realized that even Rapunzel didn't keep her golden flowing golden locks forever, and she then asked, "Is my hair brown now?"
Eric was delighted to discover that he has a "six-pack" when he lies down. With a whopping 42.5 pounds to him, my eight-year-old bro weighs less than my friend's one-year-old brother.
Some of our best family memories have sprouted from boogie-boarding. Every time we visit the beach, it is so much fun to try to catch a wave, plunging into the chilled water and either riding or tumbling at who-knows-how-many-miles-per-hour.
One of the nights Adam and I spent at Grandpa Paul and Nana Hanny's. We were watching Olympic gymnastics when all of a sudden Nana whispered, "I think I just heard someone go upstairs." I hadn't heard anything, but Grandpa decided to check it out. Sure enough, we heard voices. After a few minutes, the door shut and Grandpa came back, looking pretty angry. Apparently the neighbor had just moved in two weeks earlier, and a friend of this neighbor had decided to drop by. Without realizing he had come to the wrong house, he just opened the door, let himself in, and went straight upstairs. He didn't stay long after seeing the look on my grandpa's face and the tensity of the fingers soon to reach for his throat.
Megan, my cousin who takes off after her sister Paige with a love of fashion and boys, decided it was her time to become a mermaid.
Kendall, Livie and I tried to built a city with water beneath a bridge and lots of buildings. It was harder than we expected.
Anyway, it was a fabulous experience and I was not excited when we had to return back to the desert. I hope we can continue to return to the beach every year! {Especially when you get back and people that you don't even don't know that well come up to you and admit how jealous they are of your tan. Hee-hee.}
