the perfect beach

With lots of family in town, the kids and I stayed at my Mom's house for a few days to play with everyone. Lucy always loves Meredith. When we get to Gram's house she often asks, "where's Mere Pere?"
Nice bump on Owen's head from falling at Eaton Canyon:
Diggedy Dane is such a character. He can entertain himself for hours. And spends most of the day wearing various costumes:
We also got to play with our cousins from next door. Oh, little Lilah, could you be any cuter?? Darling face:
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With summer temps here, the beach was calling our name. And Monday morning, Camille took us to her favorite (and perfect) spot in Laguna Beach.
Welcome to Crescent Bay:
A hidden gem. I'm not even sure I could find it again on my own.
The beach is small, the water is absolutely gorgeous, the bathrooms are close-by and really nice, and we scored the BEST parking spot right near the top of the trail. 11am is the perfect time to go. And everyone seemed happy 98 percent of the time. Hooray!
Camille and Rachael:
Me and Owen:
Lucy brought a Little Mermaid toy which she repeatedly squished in the sand and then dunked in the waves. A good 1/2 hour of fun:
Dane getting sandy:
Brinton and Liesl. LOVE the look on her face:

Carter:
Jeremy:

Savanna:

Lauren:

Mere:

and Owen:

The older kids had fun swimming out in the water:
until Mere and Brinton saw a small baby shark. Then they were on a mission to catch it in a sand bucket.
Mere looks like the perfect life guard in this shot; while everyone listens intently:
.....and Dane plays in the sand.
Funny when kids get a wedgie:
And funnier watching them pick it out.
We saw dolphins off in the distance:
And some paddlers on their surfboards. Looks like a great workout:
Lucy totally "got" the beach this time.
She had so much fun jumping, dancing, and running in the waves (all on her own):
It was exciting to watch her really experience the waves for the first time.

While Meredith, Liesl, and Brinton wandered to the Tidepools nearby...
...the rest of us hung out near the beach umbrella. Savanna and Owen were cute buddies:
The boys were good helpers getting water...
.....so that Lucy could wash her hands. She's definitely my daughter. Can't relax till the sand is off.
The saltwater does beautiful things to hair. Rachael and I were admiring Savanna's whimsical curls:
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After the beach, we relaxed at Gram's house where the kids got to feed Chip, their tortoise:
And we chilled in the garage watching movies.
What a perfect beach day. Thanks Camille for the fabulous find!