Back from Spring Break

We are back from our fourth trip to Anastasia State Park, Florida.  This year, for the first time, we had cousins and friends to join us!  What a great time - so much easier than other years. 

With a little food prepped before going, even cooking was better.

I wish I could do justice to the awesomeness of this park.  It used to be folks could drive onto the beach and park along the four miles or so.  Now carloads pay a fee and beachgoers walk out.  At the time of year that we go the campground is generally full, but the beach never is.  The beach is very wide, the sand bar goes out really far and there is no crazy drop off.  There are miles of beach for biking, shell-hunting, running or walking.  It is really amazing.  The photo below shows what some of the camp sites are like - live oaks with spanish moss - light filtering through palmettos.  Most sites seem very private because of all the flora. 


As an aside there is so much to do in St. Augustine!  There are several forts, museums, the Alligator Farm, St. Augustine Lighthouse, great seafood, and a polish deli (Black Knight Deli - you ellude me no longer!) that is to die for!  So, if the weather isn't good for heading to the beach - or you are sunburned.... you can easily find other things to do.

The kids had more physical activity by 9 am than they do most days around here.  Swimming, surfing, skateboarding, and running....

I'm hoping this break - without technology of any kind can help reset me.  Seems I spend a lot of time reading blogs.  I should have given them up for Lent... but I couldn't!  So, one week without any of was really great.  I spent a lot of time looking at my kids, at their friends and cousins, thinking about children and our relationships with them.  Wondering how I can encourage them to be the best they can be - how can I help them learn when they fail? 

I also read The Lovely Bones and The Book Thief.  The Lovely Bones... jury's still out.  The Book Theif??  RUN to your library and get it - it's officially a teen book, but don't let that stop you.  An incredible story that I found so moving and lovely in it's language.  More reviews here.

After eight days of camping I am usually quite ready to go home.  This year I wasn't feeling that way although I wanted a buffer between unpacking and school starting again.  We always do our own sunrise service for Easter - watching the sun come up and reading about the most wonderful gift right on the beach.  It's lovely - and I hope a special memory for our kids.