Summertime...

As far back as I can remember the beach has been my favorite place to be. This summer my mother decided to get a hotel room on Longboat Key in Sarasota for her birthday week. It fell on a weekend I was off and I did a trade time for Monday so I had a whole 3 days to spend with my family on the beach. It was such a great weekend. Jenna and Savannah came down from Riverview and my Dad came up when he got off work Saturday afternoon. We had such a great time.... with Savannah and Madalyn playing together especially. Savannah calls her "Ladaly" and is so affectionate with her baby cousin. She is going to make a great big sister come February!

It was appropriate that it was the first day of Fall while we were on the beach because the weekend itself felt like a summertime wrap up.

My mom, or Gigi as the babies call her, bought Miss Madalyn a raft for the beach and the pool. It is a little froggy raft with a palm tree that hangs over it for some shade. Madalyn absolutely loved her raft, especially when we took it in the ocean. There Maddie had her first surfing lesson, where I pushed her into the waves. She also loved dipping her fingers in the ocean and sucking on the salt.

Madalyn also discovered what a great nap she could have while rocking back in forth on the waves. While we were out in the Gulf she put her head down on her raft and fell asleep. It was the cutest thing. I have put my head down many times on my surfboard and taken a quick nap because there is nothing more relaxing then sleeping with the ocean waves there.

When we came home and I gave Miss Madalyn a bath she stuck her fingers in the water and tried to suck on them.... looking for the salt I assume. Obviously shes a beach a baby.... like Mommy like daughter....