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Things are finally getting back to normal in the Stafford household. My family is safe back in Arkansas, even if it was a bit later than planned (canceled flights, multiple trips to the airport, craziness in general). I’ve grocery shopped, done the laundry, wrote thank-you notes, unpacked (only to pack again for this weekend’s trip back to the beach). I am now tackling the task of documenting the birthday festivities and posting over 350 photos. Whew!

Lots of firsts for Miss Claire over the past couple of weeks. She got her first “real” taste of the beach (and I do mean that literally as she was very interested in eating the sand). Decked out in so much pink it would make Barbie jealous, our little wiggle worm made her grand entrance to the shore in style! At first she loved it, playing in the sand and high-stepping towards the ocean with a super-big grin on her face. The next couple of times we headed to the shore, she was less impressed, preferring instead to bury her head in mommy or daddy’s shoulder. I’m pretty sure she was just tired and/or dealing with some teething pain on those particular occasions.

None the less, she loved “helping” Poppy build a sandcastle, having her legs buried in the sand, playing with her aunts and uncles, and going for a boogie board ride with Cousin Cash. I quickly learned that my assumptions were right and there really is no relaxing on the beach when you have a one-year-old. Between digging sand out of Claire’s mouth, prying her fingers from the “mommy grip” (ouch!), and the long clean-up process, I found little time to sit and relax. But truth be told, I truly didn’t mind that much.

My family enjoyed soaking up the sun, playing Bocce Ball, and doing a bit of boogie boarding. The weather was beautiful - just one small spot shower that we weathered through huddled underneath the canopy. It was great to have everyone together - looking forward to doing it again next year!

Look for a gallery with more beach photos….coming soon!