Two Brothers at the Beach

We got to our beach house last night and went immediately to see the ocean. Of course it was about 10:00 at night though, and we couldn't see much of anything. So before bed, Miguel said to me, "I'm sorry Miss Tice, but I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight." I asked why and he said, "Because I'm just too excited to see the beach tomorrow. You just don't know how excited I am!" He was bouncing up and down until about 2 AM. Today when he saw the beach, and waves hit him for the first time, the look on his face was priceless. He loved every minute of it, letting the waves crash into him and then spitting the water out and saying, "EW SALT!" Ivan played right in the waves just like Miguel, doing the exact same thing! He would run into the water, fall down, get splashed by a wave, run out of the water and then stop and say, "LET'S DO IT AGAIN!"

This is why I just love hanging out with these two kids and why I consider them to be like my own brothers. They are so respectful, so fun, so grateful for everything, so hard-working, so smart, so calm and responsible, and so loved and valued by everyone who knows them. Earlier today, Ivan was talking to a friend who asked him who he was at the beach with. It meant a lot to me when he answered, "My family." We had such a great day today, playing in the water, going to the aquarium, eating ice cream at Cold Stone, and then watching Eagle Eye at the movie theater (GREAT movie by the way, if you're interested). Here are some great pictures of the two boys getting splashed by waves for the first time: