New Year's eve morning at the beach house was our last day before we would have to head back home, and I woke up early to have some quiet time to myself listening to the waves come in as I finished reading the Book of Mormon.
The women of the church were challenged by our loving prophet Russell M. Nelson to read the Book of Mormon all the way through by the end of the year, and it was very interesting to see just what we were capable of when we put our minds to it! Where there's a will, there's a way! No matter what the intent of the challenge from our prophet, I learned for myself that putting everything I have and all of my spare time into the Lord Jesus Christ would bring me closer to Him, and would help me more in my life than any earthly tool possible. With Him I can literally do ALL things.
It was such a good feeling to finish the book!
Kierra and Riley were the next ones to join me out on the deck and together we soaked up the stillness and peace. It was heaven.
The morning and the sun (for a few minutes anyway) found us all on the beach playing in the sand...
...and chasing the waves...
splashing our toes in the water...
...and looking for treasures galore!
Riley found his greatest treasure in a cute white floral bathing suit...;) ;)
I think Kesslyn found hers in all the sand castles that she made...:)
...and the boys had a ball boogie boarding and riding the waves!
They would go out time after time trying to ride the waves in...
Sometimes they would get crushed by the waves and then others they would ride it all the way in...but no matter the wave, they had fun doing it together!
After we all got cleaned up, we walked down the beach to the where Ruby's Diner was way out on the end of the pier! We were all hungry for some lunch, but so was this pelican!!! :)
After waiting outside for more than an hour it was finally our turn to go in and have lunch together. It was fun, and the food was good, but the atmosphere for me was worth the wait!
Eating lunch together in a restaurant that is out over the ocean is definitely not something you get to experience everyday!!!
The fries and the milkshakes were certainly the favorites, along with all of the crazy creations this balloon artist could make! He made Kesslyn butterfly wings and antennas too...
He made Kambriella a rose (the prettiest one I have ever seen!), and the 3 stooges he made Pikachu's too!
And since it was game day for the Utes here in California, Colby got a goal post in "Utah" red!
On our walk back down the pier when our lunch was through I marveled at 2 things...the Seagull that was missing one foot, and my little Kesslyn (who always begs to be carried EVERYWHERE we go) "flying" like a butterfly ALL the way back to the beach house!!!
I am not kidding! Those butterfly wings that were made out of balloons were somehow magical because they made that little girl FLY!!! She ran and ran and did not stop until we got to this gate that let us back into the beach house! It was so fun to see, and yes, I did capture it on video too! ;)
What a FUN week our Christmas vacation was. It was a meaningful gift, an opportunity to be with the people we love, and a rest for our busy bodies and soothing to our souls.
I am so grateful for all of the fun and the memories, and I look forward to the next time we will celebrate this way as a family again!
There is so much good in my life, and so so much to be thankful for!
As we rang in the New Year that night we had food and played games, but also had to start packing up for our early exit the next morning. The next day we said our goodbyes and drove home. We stopped in Mesquite and had lunch with my mom, then rolled into the driveway about 8:30 at night.
About 12 hours on the road, we crawled into our beds with happy hearts, some of the best memories, and our buckets filled for the New Year.
2019 is going to be another good one! We have big trips planned this year, more expansion to our business, and a missionary son that is COMING HOME!!! :)
Bring on 2019! :)
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