Samantha's first blog

pamelamyers | August 13, 2017

Our vacation continues! Hanging out on the beach is always the best part. Ahhhhh…relaxing. There is definitely something about the ocean that soothes the soul.

Mark kept the kids busy as much as he could, searching for treasure and playing games.

Once, when Sam and I were just looking off into the ocean, we saw someone who we definitely didn’t see before. Notice that guy in the upper right hand corner? The one wearing red and green, and a red hat with white furry trim? The one with the white beard you can’t quite see in this photo? IT’S SANTA!!! Sam just about freaked out. We were going to get closer, but we figured even Santa needs a break from all the clamoring children.

We made our usual stop to visit turtle…

…and the boat. What would a Sea Isle vacation be without those things?

This year, we tried something different, the Beachcomber tour. It is something they do in Sea Isle, two mornings a week. The tours, which are taught mostly by retired teachers, begin with a short presentation about the different shells and life that lives in the ocean. After that, you go searching the beach for treasures and then you can discuss what you found with your beachcomber guide. It is a cool way to teach the kids about all the shells they are collecting, and where they come from. At the end, everyone takes “The Beachcomber Pledge” to protect the beach and preserve the environment. Sam really seemed to like it.

Sam found a lot of cool things, and even a crab!

Beachcombing is fun, but just playing with my cutie is even better! Wave jumping has been her favorite Mommy-Sam activity for years. Pretty soon, she’s going to be too heavy for me to lift!

I made her a sandcastle, just for fun…

…and Mark and Sam jumped the waves too.

Sam got zonked by a few big ones and decided she’d had enough. I’m with you, Sam. Those waves can be brutal! But she did go in pretty far, for her, so I was proud of her.

We did a very cool thing this year, we ordered pizza from Uncle Oogie’s ON THE BEACH. Yup, they delivered to the beach. Gotta love it.

The time was flying by. We did everything we loved to do, including getting ice cream at Marita’s, but it all flew by so fast. Sam took this picture of us and I think she did a great job. She takes after her Daddy.

On our last days, we tried to cram in everything we could. We flew kites on the beach…

…played in the sand…

…and took as many family photos as the kids could stand.

As the week goes on, we all get kind of beat, but a stroll on the Promenade is always a welcome treat. Sam wanted to pose here with her Pop Pop.

It is a little piece of paradise, the beach. I wish I could hang on to that feeling of bliss when I get home.

We are lucky we have our wonderful family. I am so happy that Sam has these memories to look back on. Time spent together, time spent laughing, time spent having fun, time spent just being together. Although we have lost some very important members of that family, I try to remember that we need to cherish those we have and to try to get as much out of our time together as we can. I want that for Sam. Doesn’t everyone want that for their kids? Family. Really, is there anything more important? I don’t think so, and I think Sam agrees.

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pamelamyers | August 13, 2017

It’s that time again – shore time! We always look forward to our time in Sea Isle City. It’s funny, I never really went to the shore as a kid, but Mark always did, and it’s become such a huge part of our lives now, even if it is only a tiny portion of the year. A week, maybe two, but it means so much.

We got to packing (it is hard to believe how much packing there was to do, even though we just got home from another beach trip). Penny quickly added herself to our packing. She wasn’t too happy that signs of our leaving were present again. Sadly, this trip our babies have to be boarded. 🙁 Sam isn’t too happy about that. None of us are.

When we got to our beach house, it was so beautiful! We couldn’t wait to get the week started. It has been ages since we all stayed at the same house for the entire week. I was hoping it would be fun, and it actually was great. It was one of the best weeks I remember for a while. Sam and Ryder had fun hanging out in the top of one of the bunks. They were best buds the whole week. Sam is such a great babysitter for little kids! 🙂

We quickly found time to ride on the Promenade. Sam is the best little bike rider now. She is so enamored of her new bike.

We saw this bench and Sam wanted to take a picture. She is making cat ears on her head since she said this bench should be for Penny, since as well as meowing, Penny says, Murf! All. The. Time. I always joke that Penny’s name should be Murphy.

Maddox brought his bike and he, Mark and Krista had a fun morning ride. Mommy stayed home to drink coffee. 🙂

We had a great week hanging out on the beach. The weather was beautiful!

It’s been a few years, but we had to go back to Basilico’s. The meal was amazing, and Sam put on her onion bracelets, just like she did when she was little.

Oh yes, we did go to the arcade. Mark worked very hard to win something from the crane machine for Sam, like he always does. That smile makes the $8 trillion you have to spend worth it!

We had a great time doing all of our normal stuff. Strolling the Promenade, playing at the arcade, it was wonderful. Sam loves our vacations, and she loves having her Grandmom with her. I am so glad that they get to make these memories.

On one bike ride, look who we found!

It is so cute watching the kids riding together. They are getting so big. How did that happen!?

On the one sort of rainy day we had, we went to Stone Harbor in the morning. We always seem to go there, and this time, Sam begged me (as she has been since Myrtle Beach) to get a hair wrap. I knew I was going to let her, it was just a matter of when, and since Bad Kitty was not busy, it was the perfect time. Sam was shocked that I said yes. She was the happiest girl alive.

My pretty, grown-up girl. She was so excited to pick the colors and the bead and charm all by herself.

I think the hit of the week was the metal detector. The kids loved looking for things on the beach. They did manage to find a LOT of change. It’s funny how so much change winds up on the beach RIGHT where we were sitting. Hmmm…

It was a wonderful week, full of good memories, and good times. As exhausting as it can be trying to amuse an almost 8 year old, it is great too. I kept looking at Sam playing on the beach, with less toys every year, and thinking that one day, probably in the not too far off future, she won’t even want me to talk to her on the beach. She will want her own blanket, and her own chair, just far enough away that she can seem cool without her lame parents. And that will be a sad day. Even if I do finally get to read my book.

I love this picture. My little girl and the great big sea.

My mom, Sam and I all bought matching cover ups in a local store. One day my mom forgot to wear hers and Sam made sure to make her change after lunch!

Here we are-triplets!

We try to make time for family pictures every year. It amazes me how much bigger Sam is every year. How is she up to my chest already?

What a goofball!

Hey, look what we found in the ocean!

Of course, we had to hit the boardwalk in Ocean City. Sam was happy to find a pirate at the kite store. It’s funny, when she was a little kid, she really thought they were real pirates. Now, she commented to me after we left that he didn’t even need that much of a costume because he really looks like a pirate. Sigh. She’s growing up.

The arcade is a must stop for Sam. Thankfully, she is old enough to play games we want to play. We had a total blast playing Asteroids.

Ummm…can you see how badly she kicked my butt?!

The sky was so amazing that night. Man, the beach is just so amazing. How can all your cares not just slip away?

Even though we are not really fans, the Mummer-like (maybe they were real Mummers, I have no idea) that strolled down the boardwalk were exciting to Sam. One of the band members kindly stopped  when he saw Sam watching and we had to take their picture. Every single thing about the boardwalk just thrills Sam to death. I love that smile.

It was the first time that we couldn’t ride the Ferris Wheel (it was closed that night for some reason) and honestly, it was sort of devastating! We ride the giant wheel every single year. But, Sam had fun anyway. She found her friends!

No Ferris Wheel, but we did go through the spooky house and Sam made me ride the balloons. It cracks me up. She was all about spinning me around like a maniac until the ride really got going and then she was yelling, “I think they changed this thing! It’s crazier than I remember it was! No spinning! No spinning!” So, of course, I had to spin her. 😉

No one will ever say the shore is cheap, and it is exhausting, but I wouldn’t trade the memories for anything.

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