15 years

Wednesday was our FIFTEENTH wedding anniversary. The kids made breakfast. Lily arranged the cinnamon rolls and Wren cut up the fruit salad. We had a typical summer day: played, did some chores, the big girls are at a morning volleyball camp, then we hit the pool to cool off. The kids helped make dinner as well. They set a "fancy" table and even made Jake & I menus. We celebrated our families birthday!

Thursday late afternoon Jake & I snuck away for a less than 24 hour getaway. We stayed at the beach house. We enjoyed a dinner date to Low Tide followed by a walk on the beach. It was rather windy (see above photo). After our walk, we went back to our house and sat on the front deck for a while. It was a beautiful evening in Surf City.

Jake & I have been working, for months, on a coffee table book that would tell the story of the beach house. I sorted through thousands of photos, mapped out a plan for the book and then started putting them in to a Blurb book. We worked together to do some writing for it and then Jake did the final design edit. Then we sent it off to my editing sister and she did the final proof & edit - thank you Lindsay. We ordered the book and it arrived on Thursday. 

It's so beautiful and really fun way to tell the story to our guests.

Sunset at Surf City

Sunrise walk on the beach

a WHOLE WEEK in S U R F C I T Y

Months ago, we blocked off the beach house for the entire week of 4th of July and we loved every minute of a whole week in Surf City.  The street, our house is on, is magical especially in the summer months. Many families come down for the summer and the kids have so much fun playing together.  They surf & boogie board most of the day, then they hit the pool. After dinner, all the kids are back out again to play "killer" (hide & seek tag), ride bikes, or play basketball.  They don't come home until dark. If its rainy weather or we're taking a break from the beach, games are pulled out and played. It was so much fun ALL week. Here is the "neighborhood gang."

Monday night, two of neighbors hosted a lot of us up on their deck, that overlooks the inter-coastal, for dinner & the Surf City fireworks. They were breathtaking - the fireworks & the views.

Tuesday, July 4th Benny made star shaped scones for breakfast.

A L L week. A L L the surfing!

Thursday we invited some school friends out. Saturday we invited our community group out for a beach day. We did this last summer too and it was a huge hit! I think we had 31 come out to access 6, mainly kids! Sunday we had to get the beach house all clean and ready for guests to check in that afternoon. On the way home we celebrated a fun week & a clean beach house. We stopped at Nautical Bowls. This is new to Surf City, but our niece, Morgen, works at one location in Minnesota.

Hoping a family 4th of July week in Surf City becomes a new tradition!