beach people (beach family photographer)

I have been going to the lake with my family for as long as I can remember. Growing up, we spent weekends and summer vacations on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  My parents always had a boat, so we filled our days with water skiing, tubing and soaking up the sun.
Some of my life's sweetest memories have been at that lake.

I can remember the first time I got up on skis. 

I remember the first time I took Peter to Hot Springs when we were dating.

We were all at the lake when I told my parents we were pregnant for the first time.

We are lake people.

Not beach people. 

My family took an occasional trip to the beach when I was a child, as many Southern families do, but for the most part, we got our water fix closer to home.

So it is kind of surprising that last year for our family vacation we found ourselves at the beach for the week.

I was taking pictures for a few families and we found a reasonable condo with a pool to stay in.  I figured that with a pool we could tough out a week at the beach.  I was really unsure about children being covered in sand and swimming with jellyfish and sharks. 

Well, we were about three hours into our 7-day stay when I decided that I just might be surprised by our time in Alabama. 

The sand that I thought would annoy me turned out to be a both an endless world of play for Peter and the boys and a front row seat to the fun for me.

The jellyfish-filled water that scared me was beautiful and fun for our whole family, and it made the most wonderful noise on the beach to fall asleep to.  (And we got away sting-free!)

We were hooked.

We have discovered that we are beach people.

Which is why we went back to the beach this summer!

To take more photos of other beach people like these.
And to spend another week loving the sand with my family.