Swimming in the Med

On Saturday we took our first family day trip. A family in our branch was going to their favorite beach and invited the branch and a few other families along. We drove for about an hour or so, passing the Snake Castle that the kids went earlier in the week. The beach tuned out to be quite private, no one else was near us at all.

The water was warm and the sand was smooth. Not as fine and lovely as Florida white sand but a nice beach all the same. The Bowens had a small propane grill and cooked hot dogs and brats and the rest of us had brought drinks and chips and such. I had made cookies to share - just the cheap Betty Crocker mixes that use an egg and a stick of butter. But because they were in a covered glass pan and it was so hot outside, by the time we ate them they were warm and gooey and tasted like they had just come out of the oven. Everyone loved them which I found funny. Wait until I get my KitchenAid - I'll show you what good cookies are!

We all swam and had a great time. Rory got in with Geoffrey for a while but he spent most of his time playing in the sand (yes, I know. That will remind my parents of me playing in the sand with my back turned to the Red Sea.) Geoffrey also spent a good part of his time resting on the sand. The rest of us spent nearly all our time in the water.

So here are the two moments I will remember most about this fun day.

1) At one point I was out in the water with my older three kids. Someone on the shore was flying a kite so Brannick started to sing "Let's go fly a kite" from Mary Poppins. (Who knew he knew the words to that?)  Pretty soon we were all belting out the song, followed by all the other Mary Poppins songs we could remember. Sometimes that Pratt blood just comes on out.

2) Out in the surf with Brannick and Delaney, a small flying fish landed on Delaney's shoulder. It was so small she thought it was a fly at first. Then she looked down and there it was flopping around on her shoulder.  She screamed and just about then it hopped back into the water and swam away.  Now we've both been attacked by flying fish.

Today we are all sunburned. No, I take that back. Yesterday we were all sunburned. Today, Carson, Brannick, Rory, and Geoffrey all have beautiful tans. Delaney and I look like lobsters and Evan has red ears and cheeks.

Next Sunday one of the families that was with us is going back to that same beach to baptize one of their kids. I think we will try to go along. Makes me wish we were going to be here when Rory turns 8!