Beach Week 2012

For 25+ summers, my side of the family has rented a beach house in Galveston to spend a week together.  Not everyone can come for the entire time, but since it is so close most can make it for at least part of the week.  This year we enjoyed the company of 22 family and friends, representing 4 generations.  “Beach Week” is a much anticipated and treasured time.

The place we rent from even used pictures from some of our past family vacations in their promotional material this year.

Traditions still continue at the beach.  The first day at the beach, after the cars were unloaded and everything was unpacked, the families would walk down to the beach and just look around.  The "Cousins" would wade in the water and "accidentally" fall in and get their clothes wet.  I noticed that Chad helped carry on that tradition with David.

It was a joy to view “Beach Week” through the eyes of children again.  David and Eli awoke each morning calling each other’s name and played non-stop.  I foresee years of enjoyable times and friendship ahead for these two.

Several summers, Brad and Chad's birthdays were celebrated at the beach.  Within a few weeks of this summer's beach time, several had birthdays.  We even celebrated David's a few weeks early which meant he and Eli had lots of new toys to play with for the week.

Brad and Melinda gave him this Big Action Set.  The adults really enjoyed it.  They even let David and Eli play with it sometimes.

There was lots of time for visiting and relaxing.  A plus for me this summer is that I was able to sit on the porch and visit.  Since the stem cell infusions, I have been able to tolerate the heat better.  I was wise enough not to go out in the hottest parts of the day.

At the beach you can read, watch TV, work on the computer, play games...whatever.  This year there was a new element to the games.  With the Olympics beginning the Friday we went home, it was decided that each game would have a gold, silver, and bronze medalist.  The "medals" were three of the scrubbies Grandmom made hung on a piece of net.  After each game, the winners stood by the windows and the National Anthem was hummed or sung.  USA did well!  Notice the "medals" hanging from the light fixture.  That was their home base until it was time for them to be awarded.



There was always a puzzle to be worked. 

Recently, I noticed that one of Mom's photo albums, with her oldest pictures, was not in good shape.  The pictures were falling out and the pages were torn.  I bought the supplies and a new album and planned to redo it and surprise her with it.  Then I thought that it would be a great project for us to both work on when the others made the morning trek to the beach.  I'm so glad we did it together because I heard lots of stories that went along with the pictures and people.  It was a treasured time.

Mom made over 100 scrubbies while we were at the beach, when she wasn't working puzzles, reading, or playing games.  One afternoon, she even taught the grandkids how to make them. 

Another tradition through the years has been to play miniature golf one evening.  The last few years we have gone to the Pirate Course.

I Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.