Sandy pants

I've acquired a new appreciation for the ocean thanks to the outstanding documentary series by the BBC, Wild Pacific. Once you get beyond their evolutionary bias (which actually wasn't nearly as pervasive as I had anticipated), you are left with overwhelming awe in the vast beauty of the world's largest body of water and the immeasurable creativity of its Creator. (See the video clip below because I'm just not smart enough to get it to embed here.)

But that still doesn't mean I like the sand. I think I've mentioned before that I prefer to take in the sights and sounds from comfort of a restaurant, ship, or otherwise enclosed, protected structure. I love to look more than touch the wonder that is the ocean. But even my kids prefer to touch, so on Thursday, off to the beach we went.

Grandma packed the lunch that makes it all worth it, a breeze kept us cool, and building sand castles (which looked more like sand pits to me) sufficiently wore everyone out to ensure great naps at home that afternoon. Actually, the littlest miss didn't even make it that long. Here she is, just moments from passing out in her beach chair, oblivious to the very not-quiet siblings running and splashing nearby.