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By Kendra | May 30, 2009
The beach.
My parents always had a home at the beach when I was growing up, and so summers, weekends, and holidays were spent there. Some of my happiest memories.
While I was raised and continue to live in the midst of farmland, I really relate more to a beachy way of life. No shoes, a good book, a hot sun, a lot of water.
One of my strategies for making it through this very demanding season of my life is to get to the beach more often. Today my husband bid me and the oldest six an early farewell, and he graciously and lovingly stayed home with the two little guys so the rest of us could go home to the beach.
It’s a question oft posed in our house: why do we live here? Doubtless God has put us here for countless many reasons, and our home is a funny contrast of beach house in the middle of almonds orchards and cows. But we don’t picture ourselves here forever. The beach calls too loudly, and I just can’t ignore the Pacific Ocean.
Topics: Musings and Miscellany | 16 Comments »
May 30th, 2009 at 2:50 am
AAhhhh, the Pacific… Which portion might this be? Gorgeous pics!
May 30th, 2009 at 3:54 am
Kendra,you have put my thought and dreams in words today.I grew up and still live in the middle of corn and wheat fields but spent the happiest times of my childhood on the beach the smell the taste and the beach breeze how I miss them.Have a wonderful time.
May 30th, 2009 at 4:39 am
Dera Kendra,
I came here right after checking the forecast for Monday to see if we could make it a beach day. Too Funny!!
We live in SC, about an hour from Hunting Island Beach. Actually we are about an hour from 4 different beaches. But we always go there.
During the summer, we go at LEAST once a week…more if we can.
It’s funny…my husband detests the beach. But the kids and I could live there. Oh I could SOOOOO live at the beach. What a wonderful post.
Now I can’t wait til Monday!! Time to rinse off the boogie boards…Dawn in SC
May 30th, 2009 at 6:03 am
I wish my husband like the beach… I grew up in So. Cal. going all the time! Now in PA, we are far away from any beach, let alone California beaches.
Thanks for sharing your pictures!
May 30th, 2009 at 6:10 am
That final picture is adorable. So photogenic, that girl!
So… maybe we should wait to come and visit you until you move to your house-on-the-beach, then?
Glad you got to go play without your two littlest. [Great job, Andy!]
May 30th, 2009 at 8:51 am
I can so relate. I likewise spent summer at the beach (in NJ). Now I live landlocked. This past year has been particularly busy and I have often felt “the shore” (as we call it in NJ) calling me home. When we’ve gone, my soul is refreshed and my spirit renewed- God is so good to give us this blessing.
May 30th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Oh, so glad you got to go!!!
May 30th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
My goodness! That picture of Annes’….too sweet!
May 31st, 2009 at 6:30 am
I too love the beach, don’t think I could live there though. We live about 1 hour from the Oregon beach. Which is usually cold. But lovely! I love to visit, but love to come home where my hair isn’t frizzy!
May 31st, 2009 at 7:47 am
Karrie-
Cold beaches don’t count
The more southerly, the more I like them.
May 31st, 2009 at 3:02 pm
It is freezing here on the first day of winter. Feels like we have had a month of winter already. We have already used up heaps of fire wood. Snow down to sea level in parts of New Zealand today. http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=91166821735&h=5tplR&u=rZcU5&ref=nf. OH for the California beaches…..and to get away from winter illnessess. Grace had Croup last night…. winter is here…..
June 1st, 2009 at 8:29 pm
I, too, am a beach nut and consider my beloved Kauai my “homeland” even though I was born in southern California and lived in a house at the beach my first two years of life. I think it’s in my blood. I am now 3 hours from the nearest beach, and it’s generally not a warm one, so I dream of my days at the warm beach and have created a cozy little beach cottage in my own home.
June 1st, 2009 at 8:48 pm
You don’t really know me, I am just a blog fan. And we don’t have anything fancy to speak of. But, we are in just about the most beautiful place in So. Ca. (just inland from Santa Barbara), for however long God has us here. You have been a blessing to me and my whole family… so if you ever need a place to stay… You got it! =)
June 1st, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Lisa-
Thank you for your kind offer. Inland Santa Barbara? Oh, I bet it’s beautiful. Might have to mosey down the coast…
~Kendra
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:46 am
We went over to Capitola the same day that you went to the beach. We didn’t leave until around 3:30 and didn’t get there until 6:30 or so I think (stopped for dinner). It was still light outside. We wandered around with all the kiddos, drank hot chocolate, and I showed the family my favorite haunts from when I was in Bible college. Mr. Toots, Pizza My Heart, etc.
Rick was trying to get my mind off of how horrid my body was feeling and it kind of worked.
Glad you were able to enjoy it too!
June 4th, 2009 at 4:54 am
Oh, you’ve made me so homesick!! I’m a CA native, grew up on the central coast (SLO area), spent 15 years in Turlock, and a short time in southern cal. Now I’m in South Carolina and at least 4 hours from the beach. I miss my Pacific Ocean!!
Beautiful pictures of your family. Thank you for sharing this (and everything you share)!