Vacation 2014, Day 7 – Perfect Day
pamelamyers | July 14, 2014
Our last day at the beach couldn’t have been better. The storms blew out and beautiful weather blew in. It was the kind of day that you want for every day at the beach. We started the day by digging Sam a giant hole (again). When Maddox came down he wanted to help her dig her hole but she was feeling a bit possessive so I helped him dig his own giant hole. Later, Maddox thought we should join the holes, so Mark and I, with a little help from the kids, dug a trench joining the holes. They spent so much time running back and forth, it was worth it.
I made Sam a small sand castle while I was relaxing in my chair and she immediately had to decorate it.
Grandmom took Sam for a spin (one of her favorite things). I don’t know how she doesn’t get dizzy! Or if she does, she enjoys it!
Sam had so much fun this day, and so did we all.
Time for a dip in the water and some wave jumping! It’s funny, when she was little, she used to want to jump the waves so she wouldn’t get wet, now she just does it for fun.
What a teenage expression – alright, alright, enough with the pictures!
More spinning!
The kids had so much fun splashing around. I kept thinking that it isn’t fair that it was our last day – it was too perfect.
Sam wanted a “Sammy-Daddy project” so they decided to fly her owl kite. She is really good at holding on tight and keeping it in the air. She would move her arm back and forth so it looked like the owl was dancing.
Up, up and away!
Sam loves flying kites and doing this special thing with her dad is just what she wanted. If you look really closely near the tops of the photos, you can see her kite.
Sam let me in on their fun, but just for a minute.
Whew. Flying kites is hard work. It’s much easier this way!
Sam did let Maddox have a turn, but a short one!
Our beach time was coming to a close and my mom snapped this picture of Sam looking at her shadow. Shadows always seem to fascinate Sam. She likes to ask why they are sometimes big, sometimes small, and to make them move.
Krista, Adam, Maddox, and Ryder were headed home that night, so we had a great take-out dinner from Basilico’s then we headed out for our last night at the Ocean City boardwalk. Sam was so tired from the beach that she fell sound asleep in the car. We plopped her in the stroller and started walking. We couldn’t wake her up for anything – well, almost anything. When Mark poked and prodded her a bit so she could see who was outside the Christmas store, she woke right up!
Ok, now she was awake and ready to go! It was later than we normally are at the boardwalk, and it was busy as could be. Sam had a blast seeing all the sights.
This gorilla was one of her favorite sights! She went right up to him to talk. Sam gave him a high five, then showed him her new Minny Mouse doll she just got at the Christmas shop. The gorilla hugged her Minny, which she thought was so cute. When we walked away, Sam asked me if next time we come we could bring him a banana. She thought if she brought him a banana, “I bet he’d give me a hug.”
Sam remembered French Fry guy from our vacation last year. She was very excited to see him again!
This salt water taffy man (who Sam kept calling Marshmallow Man) was a big hit. He got to see Minny Mouse too. There were so many silly characters on the boardwalk and she had to stop at them all. The funny singing skeleton at the golf course (who had her hysterical laughing and dancing to Who Let the Dogs Out), the talking crocodile and bird at the other golf course. You name it, she stopped to chat.
The sun was finally setting and the sky was nice for photos, so of course we stopped! The moon looked HUGE that night and I recall thinking maybe it just seemed that way because we were at the beach. Later, I saw on the news it was actually a “supermoon” which is when the moon is at its closest point to Earth in its orbit. So it was bigger!
After doing some shopping we made our last stop at the rides. Sam couldn’t wait to get on the train, which is the one thing we didn’t let her do last time we were at the boardwalk. All aboard!
She asked me if the train goes outside and I told her it did. She said she was thought so, but she was confused because she couldn’t see how the train got out of the inside, she couldn’t see the door. When the train went out, she was thrilled. The sky was dark, the whole amusement park was lit up and everything looked beautiful to her.
Seeing the Ferris wheel lit was a special treat.
At the entrance/exit for the train, these guys (for $1.00) move, sing, and play music. Sam remembered them from last year. She danced and danced her heart out to their music.
Sam really wanted to do the balloon ride again so I told Mark to go with her so he could see how much fun she had. They had a blast!
After the rides, it was time to go. We had a big day ahead of us the next day coming home, and it was after 10:00. Poor Sam fell asleep in the car.
Another great year at the beach. Another great vacation. It was full of family, fun, and relaxation. All that said, it was bittersweet for everyone because Sandi wasn’t there. I know we all missed her. She came up in conversation a lot, but always in a good way. Remembering how she loved the sunsets, the seafood, the ice cream on the beach. And mostly, how she loved the time with her family. We will hopefully always continue the tradition of heading to the beach together. It is good for Sam to be with her family, and good for all of us. I do cherish the time away, free of the cares and responsibilities of home, free to be the “fun mom” who is indulgent and lighthearted. I want to carry those feelings of contentment home with me, but it is hard to do. “Real life” gets in the way so fast when you walk in the front door.
Sam, you told me you weren’t ready to go, you were having too much fun. I was too, baby, I was too.
