Vacation Reading

Groovy Girl and her 9-yr-old cousin

We played on the beach early this morning.  One of the many great things about the Outer Banks beach is it is not crowded!  You don't have to fight for space to set your chair down or wade through rows of people to get to the water.  I sat in a beach chair while Groovy Girl and her cousin ran in and out of the ocean, hundreds of times, laughing each time.  After chasing the waves back and forth they took to collecting shells and showing me each and every one.  When they were younger we always had to be right there next to them but now that they are 8 and 9 I can sit in the chair and read and still keep and eye on them.  Pure mama joy.  I did romp with them in the waves for a bit but after that my main job was to exclaim every time they brought a new shell to my chair for inspection.  (oh, yes that one is very smooth, striped, pink, etc.)

My husband's side of the family are very intellectual and love to read.  I did a fair amount of reading on the trip to DC and have been able to keep reading while here.  We visited two bookstores; one in Adams Morgan area of DC and one at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA.  I picked up a used book at each of these lovely stores and I hear there is a great indie bookstore here, which we plan to seek out and find in the next few days.

I finished Cutting For Stone (I was almost done with this before we left Chicago) by Abraham Verghese,  Little Klein by Anna Ylvisaker-great little book, Newsgirl by Liza Ketchum  and am more than half way through Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, which was a used hardcover ($6!)  I found in Adams Morgan!  Yeah, love those kind of finds-it was on my summer reading list already.  I started Summer Affair by Elin Hildebrand but set it aside until I finish Before I Fall.  Every single person (except for the 8/9 year-olds) read this afternoon as a storm whipped up and kept us from playing by the beach.  When not reading we tend to play games together; Guesstures, Scattegories, Password, Mexican Train, etc.

I remember the first time I went on vacation with my soon-to-be-husband's family years ago...I remember how relaxed it made me; like I belonged. 

What does your family do when they spend time together?

Tomorrow is the longest day of the year and we plan to be up for most of it.  Starting the day with fresh doughnuts from Duck.  Yum!