Friendly Invasion Part II

Due to our late start on Friday, we ended up enjoying a picnic dinner on the beach rather than the lunch I had originally planned. Although, I don't think anyone minded. The sun was shining, and the food was tasty. What more can you really ask for? Maybe a beautiful sunset? Mother Nature came through for us on that one too. Our day started out kind of rough, but the ending made up for it.

While most of the kids enjoyed testing their boogie board skills in the surf, Baylor seemed content to hang with Amy and me on the beach. He was happy as long as he had his shovel. Don't even think about trying to take his shovel!Emily impressed us all with her fishing skills. Her catch of the day...starfish. What a fantastic find! Luckily, Emily uses the catch & release technique. The starfish lived to see another day.Determined to show the parents that their talents aren't limited to water sports, the kids teamed up to build an impressive sand castle. Sadly, I didn't have a chance to photograph the completed project. It was dismantled almost immediately. As excited as the girls were to erect the masterpiece, the boys were equally eager to assume the role of wrecking ball. Boys!Ultimately, I think we all appreciated the fact that we were able to enjoy a lovely day at the beach in late October. Yes, we live in Florida and are fortunate enough to enjoy an extended beach season, but the temperatures have been unseasonably warm. It's not uncommon to have a random cold snap during this time of the year. I knew we would be able to enjoy the sand, but being able to enjoy the water made the day perfect.Although he missed most of the day's fun, Anh did manage to join us for our final hour on the beach. At least he didn't miss out completely! He arrived in time to catch a few waves with the boys, and he even got to see the starfish before it was returned to the sea. That's important, right?With the sun setting, the kids enjoyed a final dip in the water and caught a few final waves. Meanwhile, the adults dove into the picnic basket. Apparently all the activity did wonders for the kids' appetites. Once they realized there was food to enjoy, they completely devoured their sandwiches. Our little nibblers had transformed into bottomless pits.
As we loaded the car after dinner, it occurred to me that this was probably our last true day at the beach for 2009. I'm glad we were able to share the day with the D's. Let's hope they make it back for a repeat in 2010. They definitely add to the fun in the sun.