Beach highlights

- "Jump on it! Jump on it!" every hour on the hour, or whenever Lauren G. had a hankerin'
- Finally using up last year's fireworks and not having to buy more
- Wearing beads and glow-stick bracelets on the beach for the fireworks show
- Having little kids come up and ask us if they could buy some
- Thinking for a second that Lauren was going was actually going to charge them
- Knowing that next year she probably will
- Georgio's pizza after the fireworks
- No roaches in our condo even though they were everywhere on the ground floor
- No drama whatsoever*
- The Brie squeak
- "Love ya mean it"
- No sunburn
- "If you had to eat an insect, what kind would it be?" etc.
- Lauren in a Tag Heuer watch and a Bass Pro Shop hat, reading [censored]
- Terry's honeybun cake
- Ocean water that was a perfect temperature
- Going out to the sandbar and trying to bodysurf
- One fully stocked cooler for every 4.5 people
- "Stephen, Stephen, he's a handsome man his name is Stephen ..."
- Highs-and-lows group bonding every evening (thank you Bill!)
- Couples bocce tournaments
- Air mattress mania
- Paul being tucked in and promptly faht-ing
- Evening runs through nice neighborhoods I never knew existed
- Wearing our beads and glow-stick bracelets out to dinner on July 5 as well
- A schedule of 10 a.m. wake-up, 2 p.m. lunch, 9 p.m. dinner and 3 a.m. bedtime
- Reading Carol Shields' "The Stone Diaries," by far the best book I've read in a while (you'll like it if you enjoyed "Fair and Tender Ladies," by Lee Smith)

What am I missing?

I'll post pictures soon. The one at the top is just to whet your appetite.

All in all, this may have been my favorite July 4 beach trip ever. Although I AM STILL SAD THAT CARRIE AND JACOB BAILED ON US!

I LOVE you people!

*Joke