beachy..

we finally ventured out to the indiana dunes on d's day off this week.. and going kind of made me want to kick myself that we didn't discover it long ago and spend a lot more of our summer there. it's so neat to be beside a body of water that's so huge it looks like an ocean, but actually isn't one. although i liked referring to it as "the ocean" while we were there because it annoyed d so much.. oh, marriage. :)

i recently started keeping one of our friend's daughters a few days a week since she has gone back to work part-time. charlotte's a sweet little one, and it's fun for ruby to have a playmate. i would be lying if i said that having another tiny person around doesn't sometimes add a level of stress to our days, but it's not overwhelming and a lot of it comes from having to teach and correct ruby when it comes to how she treats charlotte. i'm actually really thankful for the timing because i think she's learning a lot and getting a feel for having it not be "just her" around the house with me all the time. i know it's going to be completely different once sadie is here since she won't be a playmate for ruby like charlotte can be, but i'm still positive that it's benefiting her to have charlotte around. charlotte's mom and dad have both commented on already seeing a change in her personality since she's been spending time with us. i'm thankful that they appreciate ruby's spunk and that her outgoing ways are rubbing off on charlotte in a good way.

c cracked me up with her fearlessness in the water. i was thankful that it wasn't actually an ocean because she would have been pummeled by waves more times than i'd like to count just darting out there like she did.

this was the best beach trip we've ever had with ruby. she loved playing in the sand and kept herself entertained for three straight hours. she was super giddy even from the moment we got out of the car because we parked on a little patch of sand. "there's sand right here, mom!" then she trotted down to the shore raving about how good it was to be at the beach. i love that enthusiastic and thankful girl.

my main man. he stood watch like this the entire time we were there.

he actually did this.

there were a couple of older girls who played with ruby and charlotte too.. it was cute because they kept calling her "sweetie" and then telling her to do things. "sweetie, can you do me a favor and fill this water bottle up and bring it back here?" "sweetie, we're trying to take the sand out of the hole, not put it in." little mamas.

i promise ruby isn't torturing charlotte.. it was just impossible to get a picture with both of them looking/open-eyed.

i told stacey, charlotte's mom, that she was like a seagull at the beach. once i fed her some food she wouldn't go away and do anything else. cutie.

beauty beauty.

handsome, bearded man. i'm glad charlotte likes him too.

daintily eating the graham cracker she bummed off of a nearby family.. ok, they offered, but i think it had a lot to do with her pleading eyes.

sadie, you were there too. 

and, yes, i'm one of those bikini wearing pregnant women.. say what you will, but i've yet to find a "mama suit" that covers up the belly anyway.

daddy joining in on the hole filling.

beach baby.

we finally got in the water and the lifeguards announced that the beach was closing about ten minutes later. bumma. but we'll be back, dunes, don't you worry.