Things to remember - Beach Trip

Tyler sleeping on his Toy Story couch for the week and sharing a room with B.  Seeing them share a room made me happy.  Very tempting to do it all the time!

When Ty woke up from his nap, he would turn the old fashioned metal door knob (like my Aunt Iris had at her house) with a squeaking noise, and peek his little face through a crack in the door.  You knew he was coming because you would hear the door knob turn and see his attempts at turning it before you saw his little face.

Same thing with the outside door.  It had a lever handle and when we were sitting out on the back deck, you would see the lever go up and down, up and down before he actually got it open.  Here comes Ty.

Ty slept on his little couch, but he took his naps in B's big queen sized bed.  He looked very small in the middle of that big ole bed.  The last day of vacation, he woke up a little prematurely from nap and I went in and laid beside him on the big bed.  We played with Frog for a minute and both of us fell asleep for another hour.  It was a sweet time for me to have the time and opportunity to fall asleep with the soft and squishy little arm wrapped up in mine.  At home, there is always something waiting for me during naptime; laundry, dishes, cleaning... that I don't take advantage of these moments.  Thank you, Jesus for providing this moment!  I wanted to get up and get my camera but I didn't dare disturb this precious time.  I absorbed it instead and found an amazing peace in it.  His little face reflecting the peace I search for daily.  What a blessing. 

Watching my B fall into big brother mode as my two boys braved the waves in water up to their waists.  When one would come and knock Ty back, B would stand behind him and catch him.  Protection at its finest in my book!  He watched out for his little brother in his loving and serious way.

Walking with my little family of four and finding a huge piece of driftwood.  Watching my little Ty follow right behind his big brother in climbing and exploring it.

The boys playing well together the whole week.  And they did amazing in the car for the 6 hour trip down there and the 4 1/2 hour trip back.  :)  On the way down, everytime we stopped I would get the boys to pick out something cool they saw at the stop and draw it for me when we got back in the truck.  Then I would hand out prizes if I liked the drawings (which I always did!).  The boys loved this game, even though I'm not sure where Ty saw all of the snowmen since thats what he drew at every stop.

Finding a small place that hand scooped Italian Ice and walking over to a big gazeebo where the boys found two other boys their age to run crazy with and play an impromtu game of chase that proved to be a good recipe for a good night's sleep.

Enjoying B's humor, and his preference to hang with the adults while Ty and Hannah played.

Watching B overcome his timidity in the ocean and noting the difference in Ty jumping right in 3 years younger than B.

Quiet afternoons during the hottest part of the day as Ty napped and B played in our bed quietly.

Being on the beach by 8am and enjoying the empty sand, the calm water and the cooler breeze.

Listening as B calmed, comforted and encouraged his little brother forced to take a shower since no bath was built in our beach house.

Watching Ty take up for himself when pushed too far by the older kids.

Seeing Ty run in the sand with his too long swim trunks and little short legs.  He is FAST!

Watching J and B throw the football and create their own target game.

Being proud of B and his willingness to help carry stuff down to beach and back up to the house.

Watching the kids finally figure out how to play together near the end of the week.  The less we adults interfere, the better they do!

Chuckling at B's modesty and how he kept telling us not to look at him as he ran from the shower to his room in his towel.

Noticing how B got tanner and tanner and Ty just stayed the same with his little farmer's tan even when both went shirtless most of the week.

Seeing Ty cheer his brother on at the Go-Carts place even though he was too little to ride and disapointed.

Things to remember on this trip.  Things that can't necessarily be captured in photographs.  But things I want to treasure in my heart for later.