Exploring Long Island

Yes, we are still alive...

Since I haven't posted anything here for at least the last, oh, three months or so, I figured it was high time I let everyone know that yes, we are still around! And what better way to do that than posting an insane number of photos of all my boys? We took a three-day weekend a couple weeks ago to explore eastern Long Island. We had a very relaxing time away from the big city, and the boys really REALLY enjoyed the beaches!

A swan and her little cygnet on the river next to our hotel enjoyed eating crumbs from the boys' breakfasts.


Don't ever let your five-year-old drive...you might just end up in the water!! No, seriously, we're on a ferry going from the northern fork of L.I. to a quaint little place called Shelter Island.


Joey standing up through the sunroof...


Docking on the other side...little boys had to scramble back to their carseats/boosters at this point!


Much to the chagrin of several little boys, we didn't actually go swimming at a beach until the 2nd day (we had walked on a couple the first day, but that apparently just isn't the same!) This is at Cooper Beach in South Hampton. It is a very nice beach...very clean compared to what we were used to in Texas. However, the water is C.O.L.D.!!! They had a white board at the entrance listing various pertinent information...including the fact that the water temp. was 57 degrees. Brrrrrr!!!!

That didn't stop the J-boys from jumping right in!


Josiah testing the sand...


and finding it to his liking!


He was a very busy boy exploring the beach while Daddy and his brothers jumped around in the waves!


Joey playing tag with the waves...


And he's off! He wanted to get close to the water, but wanted no part of it actually touching him.


A wet, very happy Jordan!





Taking a break for a few minutes...


The bigger boys finally got out of the water long enough to play with Josiah in the sand...





Joey sitting in a hole dug by Joshua...


They really, really wanted to stop playing so that Mommy could gather them together for a photo session. Can't you tell by the expressions on their precious little faces how excited they were? Even Josiah looks like he's mad at me!!


Joshua in his hole...


Joshua decided his hole would be a "baby-trap"...looks like it worked!


Joshua and Jonathan working hard to make the hole even deeper. While it appears that Josiah is diligently helping, he is actually pushing the sand back in.


What's a trip to the beach without being buried in the sand by Daddy?








Josiah loves playing in the sandboxes at the playgrounds at home. I think he thought he was in sandbox heaven here!


Silly Jordan trying to go into the hole head first!


Josiah in the "baby trap" again...right after I took this picture, he put his face down between his hands and proceeded to take a big "bite" of the sand. He promptly regretted that move.


Josiah and Mommy...


Exploring one of his brothers' sand-caked aqua socks...


After leaving the beach, we drove around South Hampton looking at all the ginormous houses. This one is still under construction. We're going to buy it as soon as we have a few million saved up for a down payment. I think we will all fit in it quite nicely. And don't worry about me being able to keep it clean...behind/off to the side of the house (and not visible in the photo) is a separate "tiny" house (like only 2500 sq. ft. or so) for the maids' quarters.


Our last morning in the hotel...


Josiah loves bananas...and can polish one off in less than 2 minutes.


Kix and cartoons...it doesn't get much better than this...if you're a little boy, anyway.


The last day we drove all the way out to the tip of Long Island and visited the Montauk Point lighthouse. The boys loved this!


Our boys are drawn to any sort of rock big enough to climb on...


Even Josiah!





Joshua, Jonathan, Jordan, Joey, and Daddy all climbed up to the top of the tower. Josiah wasn't tall enough, so I stayed behind with him.








Joey at the top!





On the rocky beach outside the lighthouse...


The boys had fun finding rocks to climb on that would be surrounded with water as the waves came in...





Daddy and Josiah...


Jordan and Joseph...


The lighthouse in the background...


Joshua...


Josiah was very excited about the waves!





We enjoyed our "mini vacation" and look forward to going again sometime! And maybe, just maybe, I'll come here again and post about it! :)