Behinds at the Beach

     There has not been a lot to report from the beach.  We do the same thing everyday: eat, swim, play in the sand, repeat... about 3 times a day.  Everyone is having a great time, especially the kids.  They don't see each other a lot so this much time with each other is a real treat.  Great memories!  Emme loves the sand and the water too.  But, I think if I gave Emme a string, she'd be content for a couple of hours.  I am not kidding!  She is so easy.  Well, except in the middle of the night.  I think she gets up 3 times to eat.  Her poor teeny tiny stomach needs to be stretched out.

     Yesterday was a cloudy day, so we didn't do the beach until the evening.  We decided to go shopping.  JUST our family!!  The 6 of us.  When there are 16 people in one house for a week, breaks from one another are needed.  I don't want to end up on the news.

      We are in a new place.  There were several options.  We could have driven a short little jaunt to North Myrtle Beach to go to the outlets.  That sounds fun, huh?  We could have driven about 15 minutes to another little town.  That would have been too easy.  See, I have this thing for Target.  I don't know what it is, but the place makes me happy.  So, that's where I wanted to go.

     The only Target in Myrtle Beach would have taken at least an hour and a half to get to.  I know because for 2 summers in a row in 2002 and 2003, I spent 10 weeks each summer- for a total of 20 weeks in Myrtle Beach.  Guess what?  I can't stand Myrtle Beach now.  We have great memories from those summers.  We do collegiate ministry and we did summer training programs those two summers.  I am hoping 100+ kids were impacted for eternity those during those 20 weeks.  I know many of those students are loving Jesus and serving him now.  However, if I never see Myrtle Beach again, I won't be a bit sad.

    Instead of the Myrtle Beach trip, we thought we'd just go about 45 minutes to Wilmington.  It was not a 45 minute trip!!  We should have turned around after only 10 minutes down the road.  When you are driving down a road and you come to a fork, and both sides of the fork say DEAD END, that's a bad sign.  We should have gone home.

     Finally,  when we found a place, we asked for directions.  These good ol' boys in a white pickup truck told us to follow them.  Yeah right!!  If we could keep up with them.  They were driving 75 miles an hour down these country roads.  We would just catch glimpses of white flying around corners. 

     So, we get to the main drag.  Now it should be easy.  1 1/2 hours later, we get to Target.  We had to stop another time.  Then, Paul stopped at some business.  A lady gave him directions.  A few minutes later, when he thinks we are still lost, he whips out this business card and calls her.  Are you kidding me??

    I am too embarrassed to tell you that the van we were driving in had a GPS system.  I am usually so good at figuring things like that out, but it wasn't my day.  I am also too embarrassed to tell you that I had an iphone in my possession.  That iphone can access maps and give directions.

     My mom often says that college educated people are some of the dumbest people.  I am not sure how to take that!

     4 hours later... we arrive back at the house with a bathing suit for Gracie (that was 1/2 price), flipflops for Gracie (the dog that Paul's sister brought TO THE BEACH- ON VACATION chewed up the only pair on sandals I brought for her), Motrin (Shelby had a stiff neck) and some sun tan lotion (self-explanatory... unless you are college educated.)

     We also stopped at a beach store close to our house.  We thought it was safe... we could make it back from there.  We couldn't resist this shirt.  We bought it for Paul's dad.  He's not opinionated or anything!

    In case you can't read it, it says, "I am afraid of 3 people 1. Osama 2. Obama and 3. Chelsea's mama.  I guess I am kinda afraid of those 3 people too.  I am just not going to wear it around on a t-shirt.

     I have to tell you this funny story about Paul's dad.

     We have a girl living at our house this year.  She is our friend from the ministry we do at UD.  She graduated last year and is doing an internship in our home town.  Her name is Darja.  It is pronounced Dar e uh.  She is from Slovenia originally- hence the name.  Anyway, when we were in China and everyone else was dealing with the tree that fell on our house.  Paul's dad was over and he called her Narnia.  NARNIA!!  When she told me that, I thought I was going to die!  Bwah ha ha!!!!

     Look at all the sand on her.  She is like the sand monster every time we bring her out!


     Little Sarah Grace.  I love this suit because it is always going up her little butt.
      Paul's parents and Daniel.
    Emme decided she wasn't constipated anymore... on the beach.  There's lots of other poop in the ocean, right??  And, that butt is so teeny, it's almost non-existent.  She's not going to win any contest for the best butt.  Then again, I hope she never enters a contest like that!
     Emme has a private hot tub.  
     She's too little for the real bathtub!  Don't you think her little cheeks are getting chubby?

     Emme all cleaned up.  She's thinking about being an artist.  Her feet look unusually long in this picture.  In real life, they are so tiny I wonder if she will ever be able to wear shoes.
    She cleans up pretty well, huh?  The hair is growing.  It's thinking about laying down these days.  The jeans look like they fit.  But, I carried her into a store tonight, lifted her up for someone to see, and they fell right to the floor.  They are size 3 months.
     Hello!  She practices answering her phone all the time.  She's gearing up for a cell.