"At least my poop'll smell like da beach!"

I wasn't sure where to post this blog since it was Isaiah's first beach trip, but an entire family event with lots of fun for the adults too.

Our friends the Trotts (I babysat Weston and Cohen all semester 'til Kim was out for the summer) were using a family beach house on Anna Maria Island so we went to spend the afternoon and eat dinner - specifically the Mahi-Mahi that Kim, Julia, and I caught on Thursday during our excursion into the Atlantic.

Anna Maria Island is my absolute FAVORITE place to go to the beach. I have tons of memories there as a kid and it was way fun bringing my boys and adding to the memories. I like to imagine that DeSoto and the Spanish Conquistadors had just as much fun "discovering" Anna Maria centuries ago...fewer shops with kitchie magnets, but fun nonetheless.

So how did my baby handle the Gulf of Mexico?

Sunscreen... which, I know its the white-girl in me, but I still slather SPF50 on my half-Jamaican baby who's skin soaks up the sun faster than Cortez's ships went up in flames. At the end of our hour or so in the sun he had a kickin' farmer's tan. Oh how I wish he would have gotten that ability from me! HA!

He thought the waves, sand, and general beachness were great. He was definitely processing it seriously (note the eyebrow furrow) but really liked it.

I am going to be really sad if BP ruins this gorgeous place. Isaiah was anxious for me to walk deeper so he could splash in the water. Which he did.

He was NOT thrilled with sand-castle time. Of course him refusing to wear a hat didn't help. Shortly after this picture, we took him back in the water and he was fine again. So yay! My baby likes the beach!!

My first born. An experienced beach go-er. First beach in 2008- South China Sea, Second beach 2009- Bali Sea (no post reference because of crazy travel, hospital quarantine, and moving back to America)

He was pumped up on the way there...giving cheerio thumbs-up.

He was ready to get into the water as soon as he saw it.

He was down with sand castle building too with Daddy, Weston, and Weston's Daddy.

Yay for waves!

Cohen wasn't so thrilled with the whole "sand on my hands" thing. But he liked the water too!

Weston and Ian building their pyramid in the sand with it's lake...

If I were a shark, I wouldn't have been able to resist this one here! What a cutie!

And now for the adult portion of the blog post. Warning: Delicious seafood pictures ahead.

Shrimp kebabs

The Roberts Family joined us at dinner time and brought the dolphin from our fishing trip. Here's Paul using my new handy-dandy Pampered Chef Grill Basket for the oh-so delish mahi-mahi.

Summer, kids in bathing suits, the smell of a grill, a deck with an outdoor shower (which we used to de-sand the kiddos) , an umbrella, a gulf-west-facing-sunset dinner with great friends, good food... does summer get any better?!

Yum.

Nolan the strawberry head, reaching for another!

The spread (the key lime pie was in the fridge)

While the parents finished dinner and chatted, the kids picked flowers and handed them out generously.

Is there any better sleep in the world than when you're beach-tired?

Thanks Kim and Ian for having us out! Yay for the beach!