beautiful day for the beach in OC
November 16th, 2009
This is the only bite of doughnut Annalie ate. Then she put the doughnut down, jumped off the lower ledge of the lifeguard tower, and ran off to play in the sand.
It had been a long while since we’d had the chance for breakfast on the beach with Brenda and Bug. I’m so glad we got the chance to do it last weekend. I was having one of those nonspecific cruddy days and driving to the beach to visit with friends was just what I needed. Even though I forgot my laptop power cord there when I came back home.
It was such a beautiful morning for the beach. The sky was bluer than blue, the water was sparkling, and the sun was shining, making the sprinkles on our doughnuts seem to glow in Technicolor. (Don’t you want a doughnut now?)
I had fun playing with my new telephoto lens. It’s pretty freaking cool.
We stayed for quite a while, letting the kids dig and hunt for shells and build sandcastles. I managed to convince Annalie that she needed to stay out of the water, that in November the water was just too cold for playing in.
Well, uh. I convinced her for a while. Eventually the waves’ siren song was too much for her to resist. She ran out to meet the waves as they splashed up around her ankles, then ran laughing back up the sand.
Eventually there was a big wave that soaked her leggings and the bottom part of her dress. She was good about staying where the water was shallow, but it’s the ocean. If you’re gonna stand in the splash zone, chances are you’re gonna get pretty wet. Annalie was not bothered by this at all, of course.
Bug wasn’t interested in the water. She was content to build sandcastles and make faces and do balancing tricks and jumps for the camera and play spinning games with her mom.
Brenda snapped this shot of me that I quite like, despite the fact that it’s of my booty. I wandered down close to the water as I chatted with my mom on my cell phone. I called her to ask her if it was cold in Nebraska, then mentioned that it was sunny and warm and a beautiful day at the beach, couldn’t she hear the surf? Yeah, I can be a brat sometimes. But my mom loves me anyway.
When it was time to walk the handful of blocks back to Brenda’s house, Annalie and Bug both wanted to ride in the stroller. Our solution was to have Annalie climb in first, and have Bug sit in her lap. I thought Annalie would last only a couple of minutes before she was uncomfortable enough to walk.
Annalie did say, “Ow,” a few times. Each time I asked if she wanted to get out of the stroller, and she shook her head no every time, then closed her eyes again. I guess all that castle-building and wave-rushing wore her out.
(In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I have my laptop power cord back now, thanks to Brenda bringing it down here to me.)
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Love, Love, LOVE the beach pictures. I love the beach and wish we lived closer. Our closest beach is @ 3 hours away and it is in NJ. Um. Yeah. Not the same as other beaches ;)
I LOVE the 15th picture- Annalie offcenter in the water and the picture Brenda took of you. Beautiful both.
That last picture of the girls is cracking me up. It looks just like my two when we do the double-up-in-a-single-stroller thing on walks, kicking and elbowing each other. “MOM!” I know they aren’t sisters, but the probably spend enough time together to at least feel like cousins!
I love looking at your photos. They just somehow make me happy. :)
Yay for Brenda!
Yay for Bug!
Yay for Annalie!
Yay for Bethany!
This looks HEAVENLY. Since I live in Connecticut, I can’t even FATHOM going to the beach in November. I am so, utterly jealous.
And yes, now I want a donut!
That shot of your coffee reminds me of the week I spent in Waikiki Beach. We were a block from the beach and, being on Cali time, I woke up rearin’ to go each day at 6am. I’d go grab a coffee and and wander down to the shore each morning where I was virtually alone. It was one of the most peaceful and lovely times of my life.
I am so jealous! That would be heaven right now for us to go to the beach while I enjoy a donut and chi tea latte while the boys run and play!!
two things:
1 – those pictures of Annalie in the water are amazing
2 – you have a great booty ;)
absolutely amazing pictures.
I do want a donut now and I’ve given them up. :( Those and potato chips. I have a lot of nonspecific crummy days because of this. :) just kidding.
Wow. Your photos are AMAZING. Friends are so great.
For years I spent every Wednesday afternoon at that beach. You’re making me homesick, Bethany.
At least I’ll get to see it next week again. Yay for holidays!
You’ve got a lovely photo story here. And I am completely jealous of your telephoto lens.
BRRRRR! Cold but looks fun.
Oh oh oh!
I have to go have my photo taken on one of those lifeguard towers when I am there.
We don’t really have those.
Plus….you’re making me hungry for a donut. Lucky I am nowhere near a KK today or I would be eating a dozen of them.
Great use of your new lens. Love the colours and the waves and wish I lived just up that street on the way back to Brenda’s, so you guys could stop halfway for a coffee on the way home.