Birthday at the Beach

Last Saturday, following the departure of our beloved family back to Kentucky, 4/5's of my kiddos, Titus and I loaded up and headed for the Outer Banks!  James stayed back with Tony, who was preaching at the Summit Church in Durham both Saturday and Sunday services... 
 Feel the excitement...

 No sooner had we unloaded did the kids begin exploring all the board games... the favorite of the week: Checkers
 My parents arrived shortly after us and were able to stay for a couple nights.  We immediately took a walk to the beach...

 Love these snapshots...
 Precious...

 While my children scurried around collecting sea shells, chasing crabs and digging up sand fleas/fiddlers, I reminisced the days of my childhood as did my father...

 Dad was born and raised in Suffolk, Virginia.  He grew up coming to the Outer Banks all the time.  In fact, he jokes about all the people of his parents' generation buying up land in Nags Head when nothing else was here. His dad (my grandfather) was ready to join in on purchasing an undeveloped lot.  However, my grandmother (his mom) was not quite the visionary my grandfather was.  "I'm not paying $500 for a bucket of sand!"  Oh, what could have been... Ha ha... Nevertheless, his mom would come regularly with her sisters for a week until the effects of old age hindered that ability.  Mom and Dad would bring us every summer we lived on the East Coast.  This is my second favorite beach in the world.  My first has to be from my four years growing up on the island of Oahu: Waimea Bay in Haleiwa, North Shore...


 Interestingly, 44 years ago on Moon Day (when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon), was the day my parents met just up the road at a Frosty Freeze Dad's Aunt Millie owned and operated.  My Great Aunt Millie had told dad when he'd returned from the Vietnam war that a "cute girl" from Indiana was working for her.  The rest is history...



 Hang Loose!


 Mom and me...
















 Read a great book a friend wrote that spotlights the issue of human trafficking.  I highly recommend it!



 Pickin' crabs = LOVE

 Happy Birthday to me :-) 
Spoiled...
 Went out for appetizers a mile down the road to a favorite spot - Awful Arthur's Oyster and Seafood Bar...



 Mom and Dad hit the road back to Virginia on Tuesday morning.  What a blessing...



 Afterwards, we packed lunches and hit the beach...








 Victoria was my dinner helper...chicken caesar wraps = yum!
 More beach...

Picnic on the beach...

















One evening, after spending a few dollars of allowance money at Kmart, we went out to fly kites...
 Decided to take Titus down to the water with us...
 Let's just say, he's not much of a beach dog... ha
 He preferred my lap to the sand, haha...



 Birthday kisses...


 Tony had the kids go around the table and share reasons why they thought I was a wonderful mother... So precious.  One child shared, "She's a wonderful mother because she does not give up on us or quit."  All I could do to fight back tears (even now)...  Then my jokester, Joshua, said, "Mom, why don't you share one?"  LOL.  Inferring I should have the opportunity to share why I think I'm a wonderful mom.  Tony and I laughed out loud for a few minutes on that one... ha ha.  All I can say is that I have much room for improvement!  Grateful our God is a God of much grace and steadfast love whose mercies are new every morning!
 Friday - a last day of sun, sand and surf... first time I can recall actually being at the beach with a red flag "no swimming" flying due to rip tides... We enjoyed the surf on the sand side of the crashing waves, ha...




I am most grateful for a wonderful time (and birthday) with my precious family at a favorite place to spend time together, the beach.... God is so gracious to us...  We are most spoiled...


 Then, I went on a "tattoo date" with this guy... :-)
 I will confess, I've never had the desire to get a tattoo, until recently...  So, I accompanied Tony for the tattoo he's been talking about for awhile now.  Greek word for "It is finished."  Now his three tattoos tell the story: It is finished.  I have been redeemed.  To live is Christ and to die is gain...


 So, all the guys in the shop looked at me smiling saying, "First tattoo?  You picked a great place.  Most painful place on the body."  Ha ha.  They said I was tougher than my husband.  Ha ha.  Tony enjoyed watching my "no pain, no gain" experience. :-)



 I had the summary of Micah 6:8 put across my foot which reads, "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly
Grant me grace, O Lord, to draw near to you and to walk in your ways for the glory of your great name...
 A last look at the beach house we've come to love to rent...

 Our God is great and greatly to be praised...
"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.  Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge..." Psalm 19  All creation cries out to the God of all glory!
 All I can hear in my head is Matt Papa's song: 

Once and for all
Once and for all
You offered up Your life
For one and all
For one and all
The perfect sacrifice
Atoning blood was shed
Love conquered when You said...

It is finished
It is done
To the world salvation comes
Hallelujah, we're alive!
Hell was silenced when You cried:
It is finished
It is finished

Who is this king
Who is this king
So mighty and so strong
He is the one
He is the one
The earth has waited for
God's remedy for sin
With mercy for all men

It is finished
It is done
To the world salvation comes
Hallelujah, we're alive!
Hell was silenced when You cried:
It is finished
It is finished

Well the earth shook and trembled
The sun bowed it's head
The veil of the temple was open for men
As Jesus went down in the cold of the grave
Defeated the darkness when He overcame
The keys of the Kingdom were placed into hands
Of children and priests and of fishers of men
Through all generations His voice will be heard
Creation resounds the victorious words!

It is finished
It is done
To the world salvation comes
Hallelujah, we're alive!
Hell was silenced when you cried:
It is finished
It is done
Now completed, the work of Love
Hallelujah, He's alive
Join the song of the ransomed Bride
It is finished
It is finished
It is finished!


Comments

  1. TaraJuly 28, 2013 at 6:17 PM

    Kimberly, sounds like the most wonderful birthday! I still can't believe how uncrowded that beach looks! Amazing! So peaceful, relaxing, and rejuvenating!!!!

    ReplyDelete

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