The Jersey Shore

We went to the shore twice in August with our friends from the ward. We LOVED it. The water was a little chilly at first, but not too bad. Dallin really enjoyed playing with friends, building sandcastles, being burried in the sand and running from the tides. I got wiped out a few times by the waves and ended up with sand in my mouth, hair, etc. The weather couldn't have been better and really cooperated the two different Saturdays we went. Ethan and Gavin enjoyed being outside and were content to just hang out and get lots of attention. We have been so lucky to have such a great ward with great friends. By the way, the beaches of New Jersey are absolutely beautiful! Who knew?

This is my favorite picture.

Dallin and his friend Wyatt would run from the waves and then let the water wash over them. They had such a great time playing in the water and sand all day. We did eventually get the life jacket off of him when he realized that he didn't need it, as he wasn't going any deeper than a foot or so.

The shore at Point Pleasant, NJ. This is our group of friends at the shore. The key is creating plenty of shade. Notice all our umbrellas and the beach tent. We had about 15 people at the beach with us on this day, and almost 30 people two weeks later to the shore at Long Branch, NJ to enjoy great friends and fun.

After we got settled and Ethan & Gavin were fed, Tad decided to go out swimming. Usually he stays out for a while and all of the sudden was coming back in after only about 30 seconds. When I asked him why, he told me that there were jellyfish all over in the water. Of course I didn't believe him until I saw for myself. There were literally dozens floating all over the place. They were actually dead and past the point of being able to sting, but it was still a little weird to have them bump up against you while swimming. The following week there were still some dead ones and actually a few live ones. Cesar and Juan actually caught a couple in a bucket. They were a dark pink in color and pretty cool to see. The ones Dallin and Wyatt are holding are dead. They felt like firm rubber. My friend Heather wondered about using them to enhance her curves (if you know what I mean).

The pier at the shore of Point Pleasant, NJ. It was really fun. There are games, restaurants, stores. After being at the beach all day, we ate at a pizza place on the pier and Dallin and Tad played a few games.

Ethan being cool.

Tad and our friend Blake tried out surfing. They had a little luck, but the waves weren't as big as they'd have liked. They look official though, eh?