recovering from the beach...

The sunset itself wasn't as spectacular as can be, but the sky was still beautiful....Lake Ontario, the eastern shore......

The older kids had some fun together....

Kathryn with Charlotte Claire...

Evelyn with Camille


Jonathan in his own little lake

Now, going to the beach is nice and relaxing, so why would one have to "recover", you might ask...well,.....let's see. Kim, my sister-in-law, brought 7 of hers, 2 of our friends' kids, the girl visiting from Norway, then I brought 10 of mine and two of my sister's. Now, they aren't all exactly children, there were 3 sixteen year olds and and two seventeen year olds, then all younger than that.....and of course the little ones need constant parental supervision. I had Charlotte Claire and Jonathan playing in the sand and playing in the water, and then the crazy Camille, who at 20 months old, has no fear of water, and thought laying back and having a wave go over her face was great fun. I think I got some grey hair. The other kids were swimming but had partners, and we were watching them too. The waves weren't too big, (they can get huge there sometimes), and there was a lifeguard on the beach as well as in a chair in the water. The older kids played alot of volleyball and frisbee. It was great fun, just gorgeous, perfect temperature (in the eighties, sunny, breezy but not windy).....but just not exactly relaxing. We had sandwiches for lunch, and cooked dinner on the grill. Aaron prepared the charcoal, and helped me grill burgers, hot dogs and hot sausage....I cut up some cucumbers and Kim cut up some cantaloupes....we had tons of chips and snacks. After dinner, we headed back to the water's edge.....the lifeguards had left, so the bigger kids were taking full advantage and playing volleyball in the water and on the beach....we let some of the kids go back in swimming, but only in the shallow water.....I snuggled with Camille for a bit, and we watched the sunset.....so that meant it was getting dark as we cleaned up (we had taken 5 picnic tables, and they were all covered with water bottles and towels and cups and stuff...).....and I wish I could say the ride home was peaceful and relaxing, but nah. Camille, for some reason, was so exhausted she didn't sleep, she cried.

And the cute little matching green bathing suits that my two youngest wore? Both in the garbage....yeah, I am a wimp....first Camille did an awful poop, then Charlotte Claire....right in the bathing suit....bathing suits are cheap enough right now, I just threw them away. Isn't that awful? My mother never would have done that, but then, we never would have pooped in our suits. My mother simply wouldn't allow that.

Speaking of my mother, she died three years ago yesterday. I still miss her, and being at this beach reminded me of her and my dad so much, since we practically grew up there. We camped there every summer, all summer, then they bought a camp when I was 9, right down the beach from there....so when I am there, I feel like I belong there.....

Well, that was my yesterday....today I stayed home for part of the day...the kids were tired, and glad for a rainy day...although it was very humid. I did some laundry, and cleaned up and swept and sweated. Then my mother-in-law called and said she had some zuchini and sausage for us...she came for a little visit. Then I went shopping a bit with just my sister, just her and I. I was going to go with my sis-in-law, but then I was going to stay home, then my sister said she needed to go east, which is a good shopping direction, so off we went. And I replaced the bathing suits....and got the girls some cheap clothes from Target. Tops for $1.75....and then a few things from the grocery store...and home. Paul had just finished with dinner with the kids, and he left for cleaning the meeting hall with the older kids....so I just sat with the younger ones and talked and gave them some Reeses' Peanut Butter Cups. They are so excited about the upcoming summer conference, they love staying in the camper....they pack so much stuff...as if we have room for it all....

Well, I am tired....Camille slept fitfully last night......she woke up plenty of times....