Everyone that knows me also knows that I have a crazy love for the ocean. I guess it's my parents' fault really, as they first introduced my big brother Sean and me to it as kids.

Dad at the beach



Mom at the beach



Sean and I at the beach


We'd travel to the ocean every Labor Day and then usually one other time in summer for family vacations. My Dad would help my brother and me build sand castles:



We'd get up as close as we could to the surf and then try to run away before it got us wet:


Sometimes, we were not quite fast enough!!


But that's okay....Mom or Dad were always there to wipe away the tears (and sand) and Mom was always prepared with extra dry or warm clothes for us.


We also liked to climb on the driftwood at the coast and make driftwood forts.
We spent so many good times there.



When we got older, we were trained by Dad on the finer points of finding agates- something I still enjoy doing also.

Now that I am older and have a family of my own, I'm proud to say that we have kept the tradition of going to the ocean every year. Mom and I try to go at least once, if not twice during the summer and we take my two kids with us- they both have adopted a love for the ocean as well.


I also try to get my husband, Leon, to go over to the coast with me and the kids at least once a year which he has been pretty good about doing.


I'd love for my kids to grow up and remember times spent on the beach with family with such fondness as I do. Maybe even one day they will pass on a love for the ocean to their kids.