Beachy Day

Monday was the only day we'd all be together, so Tyson wanted to see the sunrise.  We all thought it was a great idea ... the night before.  Eileen, Ty and my mom actually made it there :)  So, these lovely photos are courtesy of her.

The rest of us rolled out of bed a bit later and gabbed and grubbed on the porch.  Because we're already separated by most of the country, and now Gaby's headed off soon, it's nice to get these moments.  (Here observed through the colorfully decorated window above the kitchen sink.)

Ned searched for reading material to take to the beach, coming up with either Faulkner's Light in August or a novel about murder in the world of competitive cupcakes.  He decided to stick with old NYT magazines and New Yorkers.  He also came up with the genius idea of renting beach umbrellas and chairs.  About a half a dozen times we've come to Tybee and never rented beach gear.  Duh!

Check this out, fully prepared to hunker down for a gorgeous day at the beach, safely shaded and super comfy!

Hard to believe these two got sunburned. 

The day was beach-perfect, bright blue skies, clear sun, lots of breeze.

We brought fried chicken, Hawaiian rolls, lotsa water and caffeinated bevs.  Made the afternoon greasy and peppy.

I have about six years of pictures of sun-warmed, passed out kids.  This one was "not tired at all."

This one gave in immediately and tucked himself in for a nap.  One afternoon in the sun, and his summer freckles were in full effect.

Reese just retreated from everyone to play on his phone.  Throughout the vacation, all the kids were competing on Amazing Thief, pulled down this rabbit hole by Harper--who maintained high score.

After an early dinner, half of the crew headed back to Gainesville.  We took some quiet time on the back porch, imagining buying the house next door and reading.

But, seriously, look at this day.  Too gorgeous not to head back to the beach in the warm late day to play in the surf ...

And search for metal.  The boys did find a single penny, but quit shortly after realizing they had forgotten a shovel.  Digging with their hands lost its appeal in short order when all they found was fistfuls of broken shells.

I did better with shells.  We have whole vases of Tybee shells in our house, reminding us of sunny beach days and warm beach nights filled with lots of yummy food and family-first down time.  I love wandering down the almost empty beach, picking up memories and watching my children make them while they throw themselves into the ocean with carefree abandon. 

With the day crowds gone, Harper and Penn had the surf to themselves.  Look at their little heads bobbing in the mighty Atlantic.  They always seem so far away, even though they could easily go out another 15 feet and still stand up.  In the evenings, the waves are especially rough and rowdy, rolling and foamy, energized by interplay of the heat of the day's sun and the the cold of the ocean's depths. But, because they're so wonderfully warm, they're almost irresistible, even for Ned.

The vastness of the blue sky above the ocean never ceases to amaze, especially as the sun sets.  It's absence lets loose so many depths of colors and thick storm clouds that break well out to sea, cut by vibrant, electric blues and seem lit from within.

Gotta have a foot picture, or a picture of a foot picture.

The sun dropped lower in the sky, making our every gesture seem noble and lit by the Hollywood golden hour, and in more practical terms, suggesting it was time to head home.

The six remaining Kress-Davis-Amos family members cast a long, long shadow on Tybee beach :)

The walk from the cottage to the beach is just a few blocks, but it's about 20 degrees cooler at night than at noon, making it more of a stroll than a determined march. 

Like most TV watchers on Sunday night, our attention was divided:  Tonys or NBA Finals.  Unlike most families, most of us wanted to watch both.  And, we did.

Well before the Warriors fell to the Cavs, we fell into our beds kissed by the sun and sand after a very beachy day.