We got up early, loaded the car, drove 2 hours and did things we could do in our own neck of the woods

It was planned months ago, but sometimes you can't plan for the weather.

Saturday, Addi and I picked up our friends and beach-day-trip counterparts, Suzanne and Ally, for a day of fun in the sun...or overcast skies and rain, as the case was.

Yes, we checked the weather. And, yes, there was a little blurb about a slight chance for rain late in the afternoon. But, we would be long gone by late afternoon.

We spent about 30 minutes on the cloudy, but rain-free beach. The girls jumped over waves, started sand castles, and ate a snack. That's when the thunder and lightning started. No one seemed to notice except Suzanne and me. The lifeguards didn't blow their whistles, people didn't get out of the water, and no one packed up to head for shelter. We waited a few more minutes and decided we would rather be safe than sorry.

It was one of those times I was so thankful we bought a car with a dvd player. We sat in the car and ate lunch while the girls watched a movie and the storm boomed all around us. Finally the rain ceased and the lightning moved far enough away. The four of us walked back out to the beach only to discover the cool breezes coming off the water.

For about 10 minutes, the rain held off. It started as a sprinkle. By the time we had loaded up our gear and were walking through the really soft sand, the really hard to walk through sand, the sky opened up.

We made it to a little shop advertising homemade ice cream in its window. Unfortunately, they were out of cups to hold the ice cream. We waited and waited and then decided to stop at McDonald's for ice cream.

Addi has already asked to go back to the beach so we can eat in the car and get ice cream at McDonald's. It would blow her mind to know we could do all that without having to leave the 2 miles surrounding our house.