Surf's up.

Not surprisingly, my favorite activity at Myrtle Beach was spending time at the beach. I think we played in the waves every day we were there. Sometimes, more than once a day.

The first day, we were out for hours without the benefit of these boogie boards. It may not be apparent from these pictures but the waves were sometimes pretty intense (for a girl from Kansas anyway). If you stood in the break, they would slam into you and could easily knock you down. This happened more than once. Inhaling salt water through my nose was one of my least favorite activities at Myrtle Beach.

But these boards were a life-saver. Not only was it remarkably fun to actually catch and ride a wave, they served as a shield, bearing the brunt of the crashing water. It was wonderful being able to spend so much time with my brother, John on this trip. He loved the beach as much as we did and was often out there with us, looking around for Sam from time to time to "make sure his head was still above water."

When we bought the boogie boards, we also bought three beach shovels. One of Sam's favorite activities on any beach is to dig. After dinner, we went back to the beach with John and Johanna. John and I helped Sam dig a large hole. It didn't rival the ones he has built on other days but it was still fun.

Some of us looked cooler on the beach than others. My cousin, Ariel and her friend Ash were hip and happening.

Sam is a strong swimmer and did quite well on his own. I watched him catch and ride the surf to the shore many times but didn't get a picture that captured him in action. Here he is talking with my Aunt Maria. I loved watching both of them thoroughly absorbed in the experience. Maria's youthful spirit shines brightly. Her exhilaration is contagious.