Virginia Beach

What thrills you? I mean to your very core? What brings joy and happiness and purpose to your life and reminds you that life is good and that you are so happy to be a part of it?

• Laughing! Laughing so hard that I can't catch my breath, or I cry, or I have to run to the bathroom, or better yet listening to Isaac peel with laughter (usually at Max and Ruby). He makes my heart happy.
• Come Thou Fount from the BYU singers Thanksgiving CD, with full orchestra. I always say "Ditto." in a silent prayer as I listen.
• Reading something marvelous: sometimes in the scriptures, sometimes on a blog, sometimes on an email from Eric, sometimes in the newspaper (that happens less as we don't subscribe). I love to read anything that makes me think, laugh, or learn.
• Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, I love you and I miss you. At times I am homesick for you and I waunder back to you in my memories. Can't wait until our next meeting.
• Ocean! Mmmmm...Ocean. Ocean. Ocean. The waves the sand, the seagulls, I love everything about it. Mundane daily tasks seem so trivial as I listen to the sweeping waves and I am reminded that there is greater purpose to life. I think I am my best me when I am at the beach. My best or happiest conversations with Heavenly Father happen at the beach. It is so painfully obvious that He is when I am standing at the brink of sand and water. Mmmm...ocean.

Cape Henry Inn at Fort Story gets high marks from this lowly traveler; close enough to the beach to hear the waves when we opened our patio door, and far enough away from "Virginia Beach" to not feel boardwalk-ish.

Isaac loved the play ground, and talked his ole lady into joining him.

My mom celebrated her 68th birthday with us on the beach. We started off having a fancy pantsy breakfast (from McDonald's) on an Atlantic Beach. Couldn't beat the scenery. Christy said that was her favorite part.

When we asked Isaac what his favorite part was he said "Chasing the birds." It's a wonder that the seagulls didn't drop anything on our heads. I still giggle as I think of Isaac throwing a bit of egg Mcmuffin into the wind at a seagull. The muffin came right back at him and the seagull went after it. Isaac yelped like a girl and I laughed until it hurt. I guess the real wonder is that we didn't have to go change Isaac's pants.

There was a beach wedding-so romantical. It was not a "reserved" beach, so there were plenty of strangers who were gawking. What's the proper etiquette? We moved as far away as possible (to the other side of a No Trespassing fence, to help them feel like it was private, but stayed on the beach. Christy was acting as the paparazzi.

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My mom had her 68th birthday while we were there. She isn't really a dwarf, we barried her legs in the sand.

Me and my boy...what a heart throb. I love Seth more than the beach.