Yesterday’s adventure at the beach…

Yesterday was one of those days where I had hardly finished breakfast yet I knew it was going to be one I’d remember for a long, long time. We’ve had some gorgeous weather lately here in Los Angeles, the kind that makes you forget how expensive rent is or how small your apartment is or the lack of private outside space (what is a lawn?) or that you share the family car, because my goodness, we’ve got BLUE SKIES and a BREEZE and a HAPPY BABY!

We packed a picnic lunch and after church drove a couple of miles down to the beach. Maxwell took a quick afternoon nap in the car and woke up super happy. We found a spot in the free parking lot near the Playa Del Rey beach and then muscled all our essentials down to the water’s edge: the stroller, a giant quilt, an umbrella, our picnic basket and lots of water.

Our entire time at the beach I wanted to pinch myself. It was such a happy day outside with my family, one that totally relaxed me and made me smile the entire time. I loved yesterday so much.

This was also our first trip with Maxwell as a toddler to the beach, and would you believe he (mostly) sat in the shade on the quilt and played with a water bottle and a clothes pin? He is such a laid-back kiddo!

Zack dug a little hole and then plopped Maxwell near it’s edge so his feet dangled down, and that’s when things got really messy ;) All of a sudden Max had sand up his nose and in every crease possible. Baby powder to the rescue! It dried up the damp sand so it brushed off super easily. And bonus: my baby smells adorable.

We dipped our toes in the cold ocean water, ate our lunch, found shells, and walked around a shipwrecked boat. I couldn’t find any details online about the boat, but it looked like it’s been there for a few weeks now — crazy!

Los Angeles isn’t the easiest of places to live (we’ve also lived in Lansing & Detroit, MI and Minneapolis, MN) but the sunshine and beaches — the Sunday afternoons when you can sneak away from the noisy city life and pretend you live in a quaint coastal town with a gravel path down to the beach — those are the afternoons we need to have more of. That’s my summer goal :)

And so yesterday’s adventure to the beach helped us all fall asleep so quickly. That’s what’s so great about fresh air and hot summer-like temperatures, right? You fall asleep so easily, without happy thoughts filling up your dreams. That, and Zack and I have sun kissed skin… in March ;)

Yesterday was a welcomed change of pace for all of us. It was the perfect amp-up for a busy week of late nights for Zack and for me, lots of Caroline-made orders shipping out.

So tell me, how was your weekend?