Our weekend at the beach

Hi everybody, 

Hope all are well!  We're doing great.  We've been so busy that it's been about a month since I posted...  I'm going to try to do it more often though.  Here are a bunch of pics from our weekend at the beach March 7-9.  We had so much fun!!  Ellie LOVES the ocean, she calls it "whale water" ...  (as an aside, she's qualifying many kinds of water lately, there's "kitty water" which is also "icky water", "milk water" which is milk, "please water" which is water for her to drink, etc.) --  she does love whales and we've told her they live in the ocean, so rather than "ocean" or "beach", the words that have stuck for the ocean is "whale

 water" ...  What can I say, it melts my heart.  Anyways, we went on lots of walks up and down the beach.  Jeremy would run towards the water with Ellie and then as soon as a big wave was going to come, he would pretend it was going to get them and he'd turn and run really fast back towards me and she would laugh the entire time. And really, is there a better sound than your child laughing hysterically?  I think not. 

 The beaches were so beautiful, I don't think these pictures even do them justice.  It was a clamming weekend and some nice people that dug out all these clams at 5am in the morning let us take a picture and ask some questions.  I was particularly bothered by the fact that DRIVING is allowed on the beach, such that every once in a while I'd find myself saying "honey, watch out, a car is coming" and then think - "WHAT did I just say?" - anyways, after talking to the clammers, I realized this is part of the industry, they need the trucks to drive out all the gear to the spots to get the clams.  I have to say though that for anyone else that just drives big trucks on the beach just for the heck of it....  well....   WHY?    

Anyways, we did find a little town that is currently being built where cars will not be allowed to drive on the beach.  We'll definitely go back there to stay.  The whole weekend was just great -- it's weekends like that that punctuate the year. It's so important for us to do things like that, everything else just seems to run together.  Oh and by the way, the picture of Ellie in her swim suit is NOT to get in the ocean, it's far too cold, but to get in the pool at the place we were staying.  It cracks me up how tall and skinny this girl

 is.  We've even been advised at her last dr. appointment to drench her veges in butter, mix her cereal with cream, etc. to try to fatten her up.  Funny thing is, she doesn't seem to like the extras...  She's a purist like her daddy.  Lucky girl.  I wish I didn't like butter or cream!!  Anyways, we've got to get to bed, but we'll update more this week and then after we get back from Mexico (going next week for a wedding, just Jeremy and I, while Ellie stays with my mom).  Hope all are doing well, we miss you!!  xoxoxo, Cristi