Bittersweet Memories from LBI

A year ago this week we were enjoying a family vacation at the beach. Our family of three was joined by all of our siblings, their children, and our parents for a lovely week in Long Beach Island, New Jersey. It was an unforgettable week and given what the following six months held in store for our family, I couldn't be more thankful that we were able to share such a special time together. It's hard to believe that a whole year has passed since we were there.

On our first morning at the beach house, Domani woke up early - before 6am! Since it was just the three of us we decided it was the perfect opportunity to take a quiet walk to the beach and check everything out. I wrote in my journal from that day that Domani seemed mesmerized by the waves and a seagull that decided to land nearby. I don't specifically remember those moments, but I do remember that I was mesmerized by how special it was to watch Joe holding Domani on the beach with the sun rising over the ocean. Thankfully, I snapped a photo of that moment and of the many that would follow over the next 6 days.

July 16, 2011

A sampling of my memories from that week...

We held Domani's hands as he stepped in the ocean. Again. And again. And again.
We watched as Domani explored the sand and its shells, the water and its seaweed, and every nook and cranny of the house where we stayed.
The kids flew kites on the beach.
We played Uno in the living room.

Uno with Dad

Joe and his brother took hours driving all over looking for a charcoal grill and rye bread so we could make szalonna.
We became big fans of Tiki Taco.
Domani ate and ate and ate and ate.
He also walked and walked and walked and walked. (He had just gotten the knack of it before we left for vacation.)

New shoes for walking!

I slammed my finger in our car door. It was bleeding and gross, but of course Joe drove us back to the house full of his usual "Joe Cool".
We all made smores and watched movies.
We played lots of skee ball.
Domani was fascinated with the seagulls and the seashells.
We went to Fantasy Island where Domani went on his first ride ever with his Dad and a train ride with me.

Fantasy Island Amusement Park

We spent more money than we'd probably like to admit on games in the arcade, but in the end Joe won a Mets bear and an Elmo for Domani so it was worth it.

Finally the crane yields some prizes!

We took lots of family naps and they were wonderful.
Domani wore his Dad's hat.

Wearing Dad's hat on the Mets blanket

We cooked out on the grill and relaxed with drinks.
We bought Domani his first pair of water shoes.
We ate at The Chicken or The Egg and Domani's cousin fell asleep with her forehead on the table.

Domani's cousin takes a snooze.

We built sandcastles and dug giant holes.
Some of the kids thought it would be fun to bury themselves in those holes and some of the parents thought it was fun to help.
We splashed in the waves.

With Aunt Naomi waiting for the waves

Domani declared his independence by chomping down on the whole pancake instead of the little pieces his Dad broke apart for him.
We sang "I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas" at the kitchen table in the beach house.
Domani posed for a picture with his face in the middle of a giant clam.

Ever since D's photo at Cooperstown, we can't resist these...

Thinking about all of these memories this week is hard. The truth is it probably would be less painful to slam my finger in the door again. I've been thinking a lot about that week though and how different all of our lives were just last summer. I am reminded though, that the reason these memories are painful now is that they were so happy then. And I think the best thing to do with that is to remember and to keep creating amazing moments. None of us know how much time we have here so why not live in the happy of the now while we have the chance? I'm glad that's exactly what we all did this time last year.