SVCC Tour: Day Two, Part Two

The first post in this series is here.  The second is here.  The third is here.

If I'm ever going to finish this series, I'd better get myself in gear and move a little faster with this!  So, the speedy version...  :)

On Saturday, June 14, the SVCC went to the beach.  See?  :)

I actually didn't take very many pictures there, mostly because I was having too much fun playing in the waves.  I do love the ocean.  Sometimes I felt a little irresponsible, because there were the chaperons, standing on the shore, keeping track of the choristers' bobbing heads in the water, calling and gesturing to them when they got out too far, and generally making sure that everyone was safe and accounted for.

And then there was me, out in the ocean, having a blast.  :)

In my defense, I DID keep an eye on those around me, and I DID know where my two girls were, and I DID keep an eye out for Josiah's bright swim shirt (note to self: never, ever buy a dull or dark swim shirt again; a bright one is 100 times better!).

But I also had a ball playing in the waves...and yes, I felt like a big kid out there.  ;-)

Anyway, that's why I didn't take many pictures.

  Just a few here and there, randomly.  Like Josiah and Matthew playing in the sand...and Lauren and Lauryn doing the same.

 I need to say something about these two lovebirds...  :)  Many years ago, when I was in junior high, Eric and Sandy taught my Sunday school class; but as happens, time went by, and we were no longer in contact with each other.  And then, the SVCC brought us back together, and I am grateful.  You just never know what will happen when your children join the SVCC!  :)

Well, that's it for the beach.

Time for these hungry folks to get some food!

To take care of that need, we headed to Beach Bully BBQ restaurant for a delicious, hearty meal; and while we were there, I suddenly realized that I had been there before--about 8 years ago, when I was attending a conference in Virginia Beach.  I haven't spent much time in Virginia Beach and certainly haven't eaten in most of the restaurants in town, so the fact that we happened to eat in a restaurant I had been to before actually surprised me.  :)

Again, I didn't take many pictures; but what I remember most from this evening was sitting at a table with some of the adults that I had not spent much time with before this night, talking about churches, family connections, and more.  After playing like a kid that afternoon at the beach, I was glad to talk like an adult that evening at dinner.  :)

Our after-dinner treat was a visit to Doumar's, a restaurant founded by Abe Doumar, the man who invented the ice cream cone (in 1904 at the St. Louis World's Fair).  After listening to one of the Doumar family members give us a brief history of their establishment (I found it fascinating), we all got to enjoy a taste; and I've gotta tell you: I'm usually not a big fan of ice cream cones because they sort of taste like cardboard to me, and all I really want to eat is the ice cream anyway.  But that waffle cone at Doumar's?  That was GOOD.  :)

As the bus carried our tired but happy selves to the hotel, the sunset painted the sky with color.

Ice cream and sunset = a sweet and beautiful way to end the day.  :)