Virginia Beach

We took River on her first vacation last week away from home. It felt like our first vacation as well since it had been eleven years since we have taken one. Simply put; the wait was worth it. We all had a wonderful time.
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Naturally we were concerned how River would take the long ride in her car seat but she traveled the distance like a pro. On the way home we stopped only once in nine hours for River to enjoy a Happy Meal. Perhaps the next time I will ask her to drive.

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Don't let the Surfer Girl image fool you; River didn't really care for the ocean itself but she LOVED the beach. It was all about the sand as far as she was concerned. The boogie board saw more action in the hotel room with me dragging her back and forth on the carpet while she giggled uncontrollably.

. You don't always know at the time when you are making a cherished memory.. but sometimes you do. This is one of those times when we knew for certain.

. River was lucky enough to have her picture taken with a good lookin' lifeguard. Oh, wait a minute.. that's me.

. One of the many seagulls who either wanted you to give them food or just get the h#ll off of their beach.
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We kept hearing an odd thumping sound in the trunk for the first 200 miles but it eventually faded away. We had originally thought that the luggage was uneven but, much to our surprise, Memaw Marti popped out of the trunk at a rest stop in West Virginia. As it turned out, she was a godsend and a blast to vacation with. (She rode in the backseat on the way back home.)

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Jo: The Planner, The Budget Maker, The Navigator. The.. Everything. Thank you Sweetheart.

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She worked really hard to get those toes in the sand.
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River took her sand construction work very seriously.

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Naval vessels were always just offshore and military jets always overhead. Virginia Beach must be one of the safest stretches of American coastline. God Bless America.

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There is nothing more comfortable.

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Hurricane River destroys a beachfront town! News at Eleven!

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Sunrise on Virginia Beach, 09/09/10, 06:44am.

It is easy to forget how blessed we are to live in such a beautiful country. Remind yourself once in a while and just get in the car and drive. Our land is a treasure that I hope River never takes for granted.

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"Boat in da Water! Boat in da Water!"

Living in a neighborhood with 3 lakes and the Kentucky River provides plenty of opportunities to see boats. River loves 'em! Rowboats, inflatable rafts, fishing boats, pontoons, tug boats, barges. . it doesn't matter to her. All cause an immediate exclamation of "Boat in da water! Boat in da water!! Mommy! Daddy! Look! Boat in da water!"

We don't have a boat. Not yet, anyway. Maybe someday. Thankfully, we have great neighbors like the Loziers who took River on her first boat ride last Thursday.

Here are a few photos:

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River on board for the first time. We didn't have a life jacket, so we took special care to hold on tight and stay close to the shore of Perry Park's Big Bass Lake.
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Eric Lozier sharing his captains chair with River.

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Karen, Kyle and Evan Lozier waiting on shore. (Sorry, these pics were taken with my phone. It doesn't have a zoom.)
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River pointing to "where the fishies live".
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Evan keeping the family bass tracker steady.
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River ready to take the wheel.

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