While growing up we spent nearly every weekend at the beach. As soon as our swim meets were done on Saturdays we'd load up the car and head down. I grew up in a sit-on-the-beach all day family. You'd tan, read, nap, play horseshoes, collect shells, and play in the water until you had sand and salt in every crevice of your body. (This drives Jas crazy because he cannot just sit on the beach. He constantly has to be doing something.) Many days we'd stay until right around sunset, head home to take a shower outdoors(one of my favorite things in the entire world), compare tan lines, bbq, go to the boardwalk, and then on cool nights have a fire at my grandparents house. The next day you get up and do it all over again. As I got older the memories changed a little, and I would want to hang out with my friends on the boardwalk instead of my family. The simplicity of our days at the beach however, remained constant.
After college I moved out of state, and my trips to the beach were few and far between. We'd travel up for family functions, and the occasional few days off of work, but regrettably lost touch a little with not only the wonderful memories, but also my family. When my grandmother developed Alzheimer's years ago I tried to make more of an effort to travel up; while she could still share with me memories she had from all of her years at the beach, even though day-to-day activities grew cumbersome. Ultimately we ended up needing to move both of my dad's parents to a facility capable of their care, and the house I grew up going to changed.
In the nearly nine months since their passing, I feel like I've been to the house more times than in the past decade. It makes me sad. This wasn't my intent for the direction of this post, and I promise to share with you lots more cheery things. Just bear with me. We briefly visited this weekend. The bones of the house are still the same, so many of their belongings are still there, but its just not the same. The beautiful gardens filled with geraniums, hundreds of tomatoes on vines growing on the trellis, and the birdbath I stood at with a watering can every year are now gone or in disrepair. I miss the old floral vinyl lounge chair that I would sit on in just a towel after getting out of the shower. I miss playing Skipbo and board games. I miss hanging my beach towel on the clothesline. I miss running around with olives on my fingers, and making pu pus with my grandma. I wouldn't be who I am today without these memories.
We've starting planning out what needs to be done to rejuvenate the house, some paint, plants, and new shutters. A good airing out. More importantly filling it once again with laughter, the smell of suntan lotion, and of course Chase and all of the family.
I want Chase to have peanut butter and jelly on saltines with lots of sand mixed in. I want him to search for that perfect shell. I want him to pretend to be asleep when he's left his tag at the house and the beach badge checkers come walking by. I want Chase to play in the greenest, softest grass on the entire block while feeding the seagulls. I want him to have as many wonderful memories of the warm sun at the beach, and the cool breeze on the boardwalk as I did. As much as I miss Maryland, I wouldn't trade this time for anything. Jas and I both grew up close with our grandparents, and I want Chase to have as many opportunities to spend with his MomMoms and PopPops as possible. He still has three great-grandparents to keep on their toes too!!
 |
| Too busy looking at the train |
 |
| Carousel time |
 |
| First ride all by himself! |
 |
| I'll walk by myself MomMom and PopPop |
 |
| Seriously trying to high five his shadow. He proceeded to chase it down the boardwalk. Just out of reach! |
 |
| Looking at me to see if he can have a garden pinwheel |
 |
| Mainstay with a new name |
 |
| One of my favorite shots of the day. Chase will be big enough to go on before we know it! |
