Family Beach Picture -- Take 6

It's early August now ... that point in the summer where you're winding down from vacation and weeks with more relaxed schedules and starting to gear up for school and five soccer practices a week between two boys. Groans and moans are erupting from the 7th and 4th graders. Eager questioning and excitement about picking out Transformers and Hello Kitty backpacks from the soon-to-be kindergartners.

We just got back from a week at an Oceanside condo with a great patio view of the ocean. Blake played in the Surf Cup soccer tournament in Del Mar, we went to San Diego Zoo and Sea World, and we spent several days playing at the beach. The kids had their share of tantrums and whining sessions but about mid-way through they seemed to be in the vacation groove. It was a much-needed getaway from our brutal 110+ heat.

I think we were all happiest when we were at the beach ... although Brett and I are both still reeling from sore shoulders/back from boogie boarding. His is much worse than mine. One of the things I wanted to do was take an updated family beach photo. Back in 2007 I brought my tripod, snapped a couple shots and we captured this moment, which has been my favorite family image ever since:

On this particular beach day I repeatedly requested that nobody go running into the water until we take our picture; I knew how hard it would be to gather everyone once boogie boarding had commenced. So ... here I am setting up the tripod. A little crooked.

And then there was this one where it looks like I'm about to kill somebody, not to mention awkwardly holding the board, and Allie and Nick are looking at some sort of sand critter.

Then this one where Blake has a dorky look on his face, Zach looks to be in pain, and we just look all spread out.

And then all of a sudden everyone disappears, flops, flexes, or decides to be airplanes on the beach:


After everyone spends a couple hours catching waves and creating sand tunnels, I force politely request their presence for one more attempt ...

Michele, Brett
Zach, Blake, Allie, Nick
Oceanside, July 2009