Best Beach Day of the Summer

There comes a point in every Summer when the beaches here in North Florida reach a kind of apex. A point of perfection if you will. Going earlier in the year could subject you to cold water and freaky animals like horseshoe crabs mating at every turn. Going late in the year could subject you to algae and seaweed choking the too warm waters and sands.


Today, I think I found this year's apex at St. George Island. My mom and I decided to slip out there for the day with the girls and, I have to say, it was the best beach fun I've had in years.

The weather was perfect: hot sun, with puffy clouds lazily floating past, and just enough wind to keep you from noticing the heat. We found a stretch of sand that brought us far enough away from other beachgoers for most of the day. In front of our area was a calm pool of water protected by a sandbar where the kids played without being beat to death by waves.


We collected shells. The specific mission? Find little shells that have holes in them for making necklaces (tomorrow's craft project). This directive kept the kiddos busy for nearly an hour.


We ate lunch. And snack. And more snack. And a post-snack snack. And Hopers said "I'm huuungry" approximately 563 times.

Mom, Tobianna, Tabitha, and Hopers enjoying their nectarines.

We played. The girls floated away and came back, floated away and came back. They enjoyed using their "buggy boards" as Hopers calls them.

Part of what made the day so great was how well the girls played together. I loved seeing them conspiring together, imagining together, and leading each other around by the hand.

Pure adorableness.


And much more peaceful for me.