Good-bye Summer

Brad and I have a secret favorite beach in the Holland area: Laketown Township beach. It starts with driving off of a main road, down a quiet residential street that is so heavily forested you can only tell that there are homes there because of the occasional driveways cutting off to the right and left with mailboxes marking their locations. The road dead ends at the base of a sand dune. Years ago the township built stairs up and over the dune to provide public access to Lake Michigan and the beach and to protect the dune from erosion from foot traffic. I read an article in the local paper this spring that this year the township didn't have enough money to pay employees to uncover the stairs from the sand that gets blown over them during the winter months, so a local man drummed up support and with 30 volunteers spent the spring months clearing the sand off the stairs. 

Brad and I loved coming here when we were dating, but we hadn't come here with the kids yet for a number of reasons: there's no bathroom or place to change or clean off after swimming and there are about 300 steps you've got to climb to get to the  beach...and back to your car! 

But on Labor Day we decided it was time to give it a try. We invited my parents to come and join us, too, and we're so glad they took us up on it!

As you can see, Cora and Peter were in a great mood and the daunting stairs didn't intimidate them one bit.

Taking a goofy break at a platform part way up the dune. 

Peter and Cora were real troopers and just kept going, up, up, up!

Finally on the way down! The view of Lake Michigan from the top of the dune is wonderful. What a blessing to live so close to the Lake! We've really loved having lots of time to go to the beach this year and have taken full advantage of the warm summer days.

Finally at the base of the stairs you still have to trek through the sand down to the water. Don't leave your shoes at the car: the sand is usually really hot!

Digging holes makes boys happy

Swimming makes this girl happy!

Addie's first feel of the fresh lake water and sand. It was a nice warm temperature that day!

 We were so glad we took this last chance to enjoy the lake before the school year started for Brad and me. It was a blessing of a day - the perfect last summer outing: clear blue skies and warm sunshine and a not-too-cold water temperature and gentle waves. We soaked it all in! It was one of those days I wished I could bottle up and remember all the smells, sounds, sights and feelings, along with the happiness and contentedness we all felt together. Thank you, God, for happy summer days!