Beach Bliss

The conversation went something like this: "Dallin, I really want Spring Break to feel renewing and like a break for you.  What are you imagining?" 
 "Well, I imagine being able to do things I don't usually do or things I don't have enough time for." 
(By this time the beach topic had come up a couple of times, but neither of us had thought seriously of it.)
"What kinds of things?", I asked
"I don't have as much time as I like to exercise or study the scriptures or work in the yard..."
He listed several other things and then said, "and I never go to the beach..."

A few minutes later he was looking at his ipad at vacation rentals while I finished folding laundry.  Really?  Really? 
We spent awhile looking, talking, planning.  When I woke up in the morning, I was pretty excited.  "How serious are you about this beach thing?   I'm okay if you just want to stay home, but I need to know if it is time to take the next step and actually book something." 
"I'm serious", he said. 

I started looking seriously and sending inquiries about a few different properties.  I forced myself to stop and enjoy General Conference, picking up the search again after the session was over.  By the time the 2nd session was over, we felt like it was okay to make it official and tell the kids.  I grabbed the baby and the big girls and we headed to the store to hopefully find swimsuits and supplies.  A few hours later we got home and started packing.  It felt like a mad rush getting everything together.  I didn't want to take away from our enjoyment of conference on Sunday so we were trying to do as much as we could Saturday night. 

We finally got a confirmation on our booking Sunday morning and knew it was for sure.  We contacted Dallin's brother in Vegas to see if we could work out a way to see him and his family.  We knew we would be getting there late and they have a small house.  We let him know we had other places we could stay if he thought it would be too much to host our crowd.  On the contrary, he seemed excited and offered to make us a nice breakfast. 

The trip to Vegas was long, but everyone did pretty well.  We tried to be really quiet when we got there after 10pm, thinking their 2 kids would be asleep.  What a delightful surprise when 5 year old Max came out, "I heard you have 8 children!"  He was so cute!  It has been so long since we've seen them that I've never heard him talk.  He talked to us for quite awhile.  Dallin and I stayed up visiting with Kurtis and Amy until 2:45am, 3:45 our time!  But it was worth it!  It was so wonderful to catch up and know how things are going for them.  And breakfast was amazing!  Baked blueberry French toast and crockpot breakfast casserole! 

That morning I got a call from the rental manager.  She told me there was a problem with our rental so she would have to upgrade us to a nicer condo with 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and a Jacuzzi!  We were a little disappointed that it didn't have beach right in front of it like our other one did, but it was actually closer to the water and really nice.  And we really, really enjoyed the Jacuzzi! 

It took us FOR EVER (8 hours instead of 5) to get to Oceanside, but the trip was nice.  We had the big boys just behind us helping with the baby and we had some nice conversations.  When we got there, the sun was just setting.  The kids all stood on the rocks and saw the ocean.  It was amazing!  I had forgotten how much the ocean speaks to my soul.  We quickly unpacked and ate and I kept the windows open as long as possible to hear the waves crashing against the rocks. 

The next morning Dallin and I walked to the pier and scouted out a good place to play on the beach.  We walked down there and had a really fun time.  We went later to the store and bought some body boards so we could try riding the surf.  The rest of the time was a lovely mixture of playing in the sand, riding the waves, sitting in the hot tub, and watching fun shows. (Mostly White Collar and Good Mythical Morning).  I planned a really simple menu with lots of snacks, so eating was not a big deal.  Kurtis convinced us that we needed to eat fish at least once, so Dallin bought some stuff and grilled fish-kebobs, and it was amazingly delicious.  I even liked the shrimp! 

Thursday was my birthday, and it was raining.  We didn't go to the beach at all that day.  We went to the temple in San Diego.  I was really glad I went, even if I just sat in the waiting room while Dallin went in with the kids.  But Sullivan was kind of a nightmare.  I had to take him out like 5 times, and finally just went out to the car.  I was a little irritated as we got some pictures and loaded back up, but quickly simmered down.  Navigating through the freeway system was pretty tricky there, and we took more than one wrong turn.  We got some In N out burgers on the way home, which was a nice surprise for my birthday.  The next day we were determined to spend as much time in the water as possible!  We waited for low tide when the beach near us would be more fun and rode wave after wave.  The kids went out with Dallin first while I played in the sand with the littlest boys.  The big boys took them back to the condo while Dallin, Ruby, and I stayed until I was completely beat up and their toes were numb.  It was completely delightful!  I felt somewhat drunk with exhaustion and exhilaration. 

Besides being so much fun, the ocean helped me feel such a connection to God's power and majesty, His beauty and constancy, and the idea that though constant, He is not predictable.  It was a precious, precious tender mercy for us to be there after an extremely trying year. 

I thought a lot about the simplicity of staying in a furnished Condo.  We brought very few possessions, and it was nice to have the freedom to enjoy my family more.  It made me want to come home and see if I can't simplify my home a little more and make it feel like there is more room for relationships. 

We were all sad to leave the ocean.  We found the right way to spend our tax return money, though I know it was actually an investment.