July 4th at the Beach

One of the houses we rented this summer came with a pool membership. It was right off the beach, which was kind of fun. The kids LOVED it! Dad Blood commented that maybe we should just find a place with a pool next time instead of a beach since that's all that most of the kids wanted to do. It would be a lot cheaper!

Look! I did make it into the water!

When it's crazy hot outside, you go get ice cream. 

Fat babies aren't old enough for ice cream, sadly. 

All the ice-cream eating cousins in their patriotic clothes (Mary's kids didn't come).

What would we do at the beach without Aunt Ashley? She is simply the best. She knows all the best tricks to catching clams and beach crabs. Catherine was her dedicated pupil. She spent hours scavenging the shore for little creatures and met with great success! I'm eternally grateful to Ashley for making sure Catherine got down to the beach when I was stuck inside nursing Elijah. 

Rebekah and Catherine both loved following Aunt Ashley around and learning her ways.

They spent a lot of time together, which made me so happy.

They're very similar independent, creative souls.

Can Uncle Stephen survive the pile of nieces and nephews?!

Big fireworks are not allowed on the island, but we enjoyed watching the neighbors lighting off their fireworks in the street. Hopefully they didn't mind the extra audience they attracted!

By the time dinner was over and we were ready to do fireworks, it was dumping rain. I don't mind rain at the beach, but the lightning kept us home. We lit the sparklers under the houses and called it good:

Grandma provided glowsticks for those not interested in sparklers:

Or for those who are adorable and get sparklers AND glowsticks:

It was kind of disappointing to miss out on a big fireworks show, but with the rain and the anti-fireworks laws, we didn't expect anything. But once the kids were in bed, some of the neighbors pulled out the definitely-not-legal fireworks! I enjoyed the show from the deck of the house. Thankfully the kids slept through it--it was LOUD!

Happy Fourth!