Blogstorm: Dinner at the beach

One Friday afternoon, I drove straight to the beach after work. My family and some good friends had been there for an hour or two already, and I got to join them for a dinner my wife had prepared and carefully packed up. Our children love, love, love the beach. My wife has gone out of her way this summer to get them down to the water once a week. They've turned into avid body surfers, beach combers and castle builders.

Here's our middle child. The smile says it all. Well, almost. The blue lips tell the rest of the story...she won't leave the waves until she's shivering and we make her.

Sand castle time. Actually, our eldest (in darker blue) and two of her friends are making a sand castle. The one in the background is making a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for Lucille Ball (who never got one, she tells me). No, really, she is.

Our beaches really are spectacular. When you've lived here for as long as I have, you take for granted how special this place is, unless you stop and take notice once in a while.

Blue lips, a big smile, and a fine dusting of sand. It was a great evening.