Spring Break at the Beach: Year Two

It was our second year spending Spring Break in Seaside with Beka's family (the Thomas side). We had a great time and came back with all kinds of photos. Dean was old enough to enjoy the beach, interaction with his cousins, and plenty of attention from grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

Enjoy the photos!

The second day we were there, we went down to the beach after dinner and the weather was wonderful. There was no wind and it was almost warm enough to not wear a coat. Dean and Beka looked especially "cool" in their sunglasses.

I think this will replace our current family photo on the blog. What a great shot of Dean smiling!

The next few photos were some great, "artistic" shots I took while the sun was setting.

I especially like this one!

Here's Beka and her sisters Jennifer and Christina

Dean and his uncle Greg found a sand dollar further down the beach. At one point, Dean decided he'd see if it was edible. Fortunately, it didn't break.

Dean enjoyed his first experience with wet sand. It was fun to watch him try to figure it out... not so fun to clean up the mess afterward.


As I mentioned above, Dean enjoyed playing with his cousins. Dean and Joel played with blocks on several occasions, though it took Dean some time to figure out that it wasn't fun for other kids when he knocked down their "towers" (even though it's great fun at home).

The "family shot" circa 2009

Ah yes... what fun to have kids gang up on me to try to tickle me (not really). Aliya and Emma did their best to overpower me, and even Dean got in on the action. I'm glad they enjoyed themselves... and no one got hurt.

Dean spent a lot of time being excited that one of his "papas" were around.


Cheers!

First post

For those of you who are eagerly anticipating the first post on our brand new blog, here's the rundown on the "big stuff" going on in the Hardy household.

1. As of yesterday, Beka is now 16 weeks along. I took her shopping last night so she could have some clothes that fit. Thanks to Old Navy, now she does.

2. One week from today, I will take the first of four tests for my black belt in Tae Soo Do. Between now and then, I'll be practicing almost every day, attempting to streamline and perfect what I've learned in over two years of TSD.

3. As many of you know, Spring Break is hardly a break for us. For the past three years, we've taken on indoor painting jobs in our home. This year, we stripped all of the wallpaper and painted in the family room, dining room, and kitchen. We'll try to get some pictures up soon, but it looks much, much better than before.

Stay tuned for more exciting news that's "Hardy worth your time."