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Showing posts with label beach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beach. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Impromptu Trip to Virginia to See Ronald and Shayna
We took an impromptu trip to Virginia to see my older children, Ron and Shayna. Actually I had been planning on going down there soon. The boys came home after spending a week at their fathers. I looked at the calendar and realized that I would be dog-sitting for my father’s dog the following week until the end of July and my son would be going out to sea in August and would not return until April or May. My dad suggested we jump in the car and go. So we did.
We packed a swim suit, blanket, pillow, pants, shorts, t-shirt and hoodie. We wore short, s-shirt and flip flops. We also packed Capri Suns, bottles of water, chips, cheese and fruit. Then we filled up the tank and hit the road. My dog stayed behind with my dad.
We took our time getting there; stopping when we wanted for food, potty breaks and sight seeing. The boys went to sleep around 11 and I stopped to sleep at an oasis on the Ohio or Pennsylvania Toll road around 1am.
We woke up around 6am and got back on the road. Later in the evening we saw signs for caverns. As we drove we realized they were only 5 miles off the expressway so we stopped to find out the details. They said it was cold and sandy down there and they suggest pants and a light jacket. They also said it was uneven and sandy and our flip flops may be uncomfortable. Sadly we left because we thought our entertainment would be the beach…not an underground adventure.
As we were heading back to the expressway we discussed the possibility of finding a local store to purchase shoes. We found a Kmart, bought cute and inexpensive canvas tennis shoes and headed back to the caverns. Yayee!!!
It cost around $35 for the three of us to take the tour. We thought it was the neatest thing we had ever seen. The tour lasted over an hour and we went around 250 feet underground. It was amazing! The tour guide was awesome and let us spend as much time looking as we wanted. The children each purchased a rock for under $2 in the gift shop. Then we were back on the road.
One of the rest areas in Virginia had MANY flyers for things to do there. We picked up a lot of them to look through as the kids place. We arrived there around 11pm and visited for an hour or so and went to bed. Z and I slept on either side of a L-shaped sofa and B slept on a futon mattress on the floor.
While we were there we went to Virginia Beach twice. There was a hurricane somewhere that was creating bigger than usual waves so it was quite exciting. On our second trip to the beach the boys got caught up in the rip tide. They were not swept far out to sea but were out over my (and their) head and the tide was pulling them quickly down the beach, parallel to the beach.
I kept my eyes on them the entire time and at first I thought they were goofing around because I kept signaling them to come back up to shore and they just waved at me and kept playing. Actually, I think they were ignoring me at first. But soon I realized they were floating and after a minute that meant they were treading water. I was also having to cut through families playing on the beach to keep up with them on land and soon realized they were caught in the current.
This had happened to me once on a beach in Lake Michigan so I knew they were in a serious situation. It was quite scary because I am not a strong swimmer. I was swept off my feet and into water over my head and could not get back to shore. Thank God that I had heard of this and had been told to swim parallel to the shore. I was not able to swim parallel to the shore but instead focused on staying afloat, which is not an easy task in choppy water, and eventually the current took my back toward shore…much father down than my friends. Anyhow, I began signaling and hollering for them to swim down shore instead of toward the shore. I do not think they understood. They seemed to try to swim toward me.
I was half way between life guards and they were traveling so fast that I did not want to take my eyes off them to backtrack to the lifeguard I had passed before I realized they were in trouble. I headed out into the water to see if maybe they were not over my head, but they were. My youngest said, “help”. The sand was very uneven and had many drop offs and I kept falling in over my head. There was a couple closer to them than me. The boys were getting ready to float by this couple when I asked them if they would grab my children for me. They both swam less than 4 feet out and brought them to where they could touch again.
Thank GOD. I knew better than to get out where I could not touch because then all three of us would need to be rescued!
This experience scared my youngest. He does not even want to look at pictures from the entire trip because it reminds him of being caught in the water. He was so tired that he thought he was going to drown in a few minutes. They had been treading water for at least 3 minutes from the time I realized they were in trouble until the time the couple snatched them out of the water. I was, and still am very traumatized also. That experience has given me a fresh appreciation for our mortality…not that I needed it.
While we were there we were able to meet Ronald roommates. They seem to get along well as roommates. I was also able to get to know Shayna’s boyfriend a bit. He seems like a wonderful young man. They seem to really enjoy one another a lot.
The boys and Ronald and I went to Journey to the Center of The Earth in 3D. The digital RealD 3D is awesome! I love it!. I lost a contact and had to wear my glasses to the 3d effect was not as good as it would have been if I had my contacts.
Shayna misses the boys a lot. She was very sad to see us go. She is a mamas girl too so it was hard when we said good bye.
I miss my older children so much. I am very proud of the young people they have become. They are wonderful. It is amazing how great they in spite of all the challenges they have faced in their lives so far. It was wonderful to see them.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Park Closed For Season: Our First 2008 Roadtrip to the Beach
Last month Debbie and I took a drive to Caseville to spend the day lounging on the beach. I know what you’re thinking...going to the beach in Michigan in April?!? Well, you know we are just crazy that way. Plus, it was such a beautiful day and the boyz were with their father so I was a bit bored. Of course the beach does not open till Memorial Day, but that did not deter us. When we arrived we parked in a parking lot of a business in the neighborhood and walked to the beach. We rolled up our pants and spent the first half of the day going from sand bar to sand bar. Yes, the water was COLD on our feet but we only had to take a few steps before we reached the next sand bar, and the sun warmed the sand and our feet nicely.
When we got hungry we drove to the little gas station and bought sodas and cheese popcorn. The Crispy Cream donuts were tempting, but at 99 cents each and my pants still being a bit tight from my winter weight, I “just said no”. We considered going to Port Austin to take a walk on the pier, but decided against it since the fun stores are closed until the season opens and gas prices are so high now.
We goofed around for a bit before we decided to go back to the beach for the sunset. This time we wore our hoodies. It gets quite chilly on the water when the sun goes down. The beach and campground was closed so we could not park in the parking lot. We parked in the little area in front of the metal gate designed to keep people like us out till the season begins. I am pretty sure we are not supposed to park there, but the police just pretended they didn’t see us. There was another family parked there but they were leaving just as we arrived, except one young man. This beach has a campground with mobile homes and permanently parked travel trailers. There are also sites to bring your tent or travel trailer. This young man walked to his motor home and went inside. Obviously we are not the only rule breakers in that town. We watched the sun set until we could not stand the cold anymore. Debbie says that once she gets chilled to her bones it takes forever to get warm again.
On our way home we stopped at McDonalds and posed for some glamour-shots with the infamous Ronald McDonald. We could not get his autograph or anything because he is molded plastic. I will post photos of this when I finally break down and purchase a cord that connects my phone to my computer. Darn Verizon doesn’t use standard ports so I have to order it or go to the Verizon store, which I have been too lazy to do.
We arrived at Debbie’s around midnight. I gathered my things and headed home. Hanging out on the beach is one of my favorite pastimes. I look forward to more beach days this summer. I have a dream of spending an entire, carefree summer in my travel trailer (which I don’t have yet, it’s part of the dream) with my boys, parked on a beautiful beach.
…maybe someday…
Walt Disney said,
“All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.”
I believe this to be true. My biggest dreams have been to be a wife, mother and teacher. I was a wife for 15 years. (I hope to be a wife again someday). I have always been a stay at home mom and have homeschooled two of them into adulthood, the other two are still at home. So, I will continue to dream.
When we got hungry we drove to the little gas station and bought sodas and cheese popcorn. The Crispy Cream donuts were tempting, but at 99 cents each and my pants still being a bit tight from my winter weight, I “just said no”. We considered going to Port Austin to take a walk on the pier, but decided against it since the fun stores are closed until the season opens and gas prices are so high now.
We goofed around for a bit before we decided to go back to the beach for the sunset. This time we wore our hoodies. It gets quite chilly on the water when the sun goes down. The beach and campground was closed so we could not park in the parking lot. We parked in the little area in front of the metal gate designed to keep people like us out till the season begins. I am pretty sure we are not supposed to park there, but the police just pretended they didn’t see us. There was another family parked there but they were leaving just as we arrived, except one young man. This beach has a campground with mobile homes and permanently parked travel trailers. There are also sites to bring your tent or travel trailer. This young man walked to his motor home and went inside. Obviously we are not the only rule breakers in that town. We watched the sun set until we could not stand the cold anymore. Debbie says that once she gets chilled to her bones it takes forever to get warm again.
On our way home we stopped at McDonalds and posed for some glamour-shots with the infamous Ronald McDonald. We could not get his autograph or anything because he is molded plastic. I will post photos of this when I finally break down and purchase a cord that connects my phone to my computer. Darn Verizon doesn’t use standard ports so I have to order it or go to the Verizon store, which I have been too lazy to do.
We arrived at Debbie’s around midnight. I gathered my things and headed home. Hanging out on the beach is one of my favorite pastimes. I look forward to more beach days this summer. I have a dream of spending an entire, carefree summer in my travel trailer (which I don’t have yet, it’s part of the dream) with my boys, parked on a beautiful beach.
…maybe someday…
Walt Disney said,
“All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.”
I believe this to be true. My biggest dreams have been to be a wife, mother and teacher. I was a wife for 15 years. (I hope to be a wife again someday). I have always been a stay at home mom and have homeschooled two of them into adulthood, the other two are still at home. So, I will continue to dream.
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