In Praise of Beach Vacations

We returned from our cheese vacation on Thursday night, unpacked, did laundry, replenished our dwindling food supply, repacked and left for Bodega Bay on Sunday morning. Jon's parents rented a house on the beach (not technically on the beach, but there were no other houses in front of ours) and invited a couple from church and our family to join them. Here is a picture of some of us. If you look closely, you can see our yellow house above Cheri's head.



Jon's parents and the Lindblooms graciously gave us the bedroom with this view.



Poor Jon had to work for two days while the rest of us enjoyed ourselves. Talia and Mommy went on a four mile hike with Grandma, Grandpa, Dave, and Cheri. Mommy was pretty tired by the end, and so was Talia. Grandpa even helped carry Talia part of the time. It was a beautiful hike and the weather was perfect.



Daddy did get in on some of the fun. Here are Daddy and Daughter.



Daddy showed Talia a new type of chair. Talia loved it!



Grandpa discovered an activity that helped Talia put a cork in it.





We enjoyed the beach. Jon and I played "rock of challenge." I tried to invent a new game called "straight line challenge." The goal is to choose a straight path along the shoreline and walk without veering, regardless of the ebb and flow. It sounded like a good idea, until I was soaked nearly to my hips. Jon was smart enough to not participate, chalking it up to another one of my hare-brained ideas. Here we are in some of my more sane moments.



This one is just for fun! Come on people, the photographer isn't even running!



They obviously would have lost "straight line challenge."

Here are our generous hosts.



We went to the restaurant were Hitchcock's "The Birds" was filmed. You literally sit over the water. We watched seals playing and diving birds fishing. Talia went for a walk with Grandpa and came back with a stuffed sea gull. That girl knows how to charm the men in her life.



We had a wonderful trip! Thanks again Grandma and Grandpa!