The different beach trips...

On Sunday afternoons/evenings we like to take family walks on the base beach.  And last Sunday when Kara and family was here was no different.  So off we went...

I've often noticed on our Sunday walks how in the midst of the beautiful scenery there is liter, or left behind trash, or waste that has been washed up on shore.  So for Family Home Evening I had planned a great little lesson on the creation of the earth, our responsibility to keep it clean, and then an activity of cleaning up our beach (followed by dirt cups for dessert).  Very cute right?!  However, Monday evening proved to be a stormy one and so we had to go to with a back up plan for FHE.  But I had already bought the trash grabbers so we headed out Friday night to do clean-up duty...

And the kids loved it and did an amazing job and used awesome team work skills!  We filled up our entire trash bag.  Some were very dedicated to the trash clean up the whole time we were there.  And a few others preferred to find beautiful shells later on.  Either way, it was a very productive way to spend our evening.

And as we went to leave we turned around to find a randomly beautiful rainbow...

 Saturday, after our breakfast picnic and playing at the park, we hurried home to switch gears and head out to the beach for one last hoorah....

And after three long months Kate finally made progress!!!!  She actually willingly went into the water!!!!!  Huge step for her!!!!!

And I decided to take along our trucks so the boys could get serious about their sand digging/building this time...

And after 12 fun-filled days of visiting with our friends, this morning they drove off into the sunset...

...actually into the sunrise.  We were sad to see them go, but oh so glad they came.