This is what I'm thankful for today--my favorite place on earth.
When you look at it you might see just a pretty beach in Manasquan, NJ.
I see.....
...my mom carrying me as a little baby trying to get me to fall asleep for my afternoon nap, listening to the perfect beach soundtrack- her humming, the waves crashing, and the seagulls squawking
...perfecting the art of packing dampened sand down into the sandcastle mold and turning it over to reveal a beautiful sandcastle then moving into the days of being "buried alive" just in time for one quick picture before suffocating
...wanting to surf like my older brothers, but barely old enough to swim so riding the boogie board right where the waves break at the shoreline
...my dad with me "far out in the water" as the tide comes in, standing beside me holding my board saying, "Turn around, get ready, I see a big one"
...my grandpop body surfing like he had been doing it all his life and grandmom in her purple chair reading a book
..flying a kite, playing catch, or playing "boom-ball" in the evenings after all the crowds had gone home
...fireworks on the beach every Thursday night
...walks up and down the shoreline and the excitement of finding sea glass, a sand dollar, or a star-fish
...trips to the boardwalk for pizza, games at the arcade and ice-cream swirls with rainbow sprinkles
...growing into the stages of writing "i love you" in the sand and seeing the beach transform before my eyes from a childhood haven to a perfect place for a love story
...taking the famous "jetty pictures" every year hoping the sunlight is just right and the film turns out
...watching my nieces and nephews explore all the wonders of "the beach"
...fishing trips out further than the eye on land can see
...sitting on the beach in the black of night with stars above, soaking it all in to last the next year and then saying our goodbyes the next morning with our family and friends waving goodbye as we drive down the street- my mom always in tears
... My family. All of us passing through different stages of life and enjoying every minute we have at the shore together. Beyond priceless memories I will carry with me until the very day I die.
And now we turn to Hurricane Sandy's horrible aftermath. I'm so sad to see the devastation and mess. It's quite unbelievable. This little beach town will rebuild. It has so many more memories waiting to be made for generations to come.
When you look at it you might see just a pretty beach in Manasquan, NJ.
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| PS- this picture is NOT edited, it's just really that beautiful! |
I see.....
...my mom carrying me as a little baby trying to get me to fall asleep for my afternoon nap, listening to the perfect beach soundtrack- her humming, the waves crashing, and the seagulls squawking
...perfecting the art of packing dampened sand down into the sandcastle mold and turning it over to reveal a beautiful sandcastle then moving into the days of being "buried alive" just in time for one quick picture before suffocating
...wanting to surf like my older brothers, but barely old enough to swim so riding the boogie board right where the waves break at the shoreline
...my dad with me "far out in the water" as the tide comes in, standing beside me holding my board saying, "Turn around, get ready, I see a big one"
...my grandpop body surfing like he had been doing it all his life and grandmom in her purple chair reading a book
..flying a kite, playing catch, or playing "boom-ball" in the evenings after all the crowds had gone home
...fireworks on the beach every Thursday night
...walks up and down the shoreline and the excitement of finding sea glass, a sand dollar, or a star-fish
...trips to the boardwalk for pizza, games at the arcade and ice-cream swirls with rainbow sprinkles
...growing into the stages of writing "i love you" in the sand and seeing the beach transform before my eyes from a childhood haven to a perfect place for a love story
...taking the famous "jetty pictures" every year hoping the sunlight is just right and the film turns out
...watching my nieces and nephews explore all the wonders of "the beach"
...fishing trips out further than the eye on land can see
...sitting on the beach in the black of night with stars above, soaking it all in to last the next year and then saying our goodbyes the next morning with our family and friends waving goodbye as we drive down the street- my mom always in tears
... My family. All of us passing through different stages of life and enjoying every minute we have at the shore together. Beyond priceless memories I will carry with me until the very day I die.
And now we turn to Hurricane Sandy's horrible aftermath. I'm so sad to see the devastation and mess. It's quite unbelievable. This little beach town will rebuild. It has so many more memories waiting to be made for generations to come.
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| The beach has moved over to First Ave. |
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| Our houses still standing! |
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| Gee-Gee's Pizza on the Boardwalk. A family favorite. |
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| houses along the boardwalk |
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| clearing sand from the roads |
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| even the houses inland faced horrible effects |
if interested, more pictures can be found in the albums on this facebook page:
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