"Beep! Beep! Beep! It's 5:30" the alarm clock announced. "Time to get up."
I rolled over with a groan and whacked the clock. Surely it couldn't be time to rise already. But it was.
Yawning, I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower. The hot water helped to drive away the sleepiness, as did the noises of the rest of the family tumbling out of bed.
One hurried breakfast later and we were packed into the car, blankets laid over our knees to keep away the cold. Soon we were zooming down the highway, off to see Aunty Vicky and her family.
Two and a half hours passed. We amused ourselves as best we could. as we travelled north the weather grew warmer. Off went the blankets. Then the coats. Soon we were basking in the sunshine, enjoying the warmth. Where we live, it is very cold all winter.
Finally we reached Aunty Vicky's house. Everyone jumped out of the car, grabbing up anything needed for the day. Cameras. Check. Sunscreen. Check. Spare clothes. Check. With these in our hands we headed for the door.
"How about we go to the beach?" Aunty Vicky suggested. Our faces lit up. The beach! We hardly ever went there. Quickly we changed our clothes and headed back out to the car. Click. Seatbelts were fastened. We pulled out of the driveway and followed Aunty Vicky's car down the road.
The beach was beautiful when we arrived. Not many people had come out, and we had plenty of room to play. The mothers chose a spot to sit, while we all scattered round the sands.
We tried playing soccer, but the ball kept rolling towards the sea. Plus kicking the ball in bare feet hurt. So, instead we decided to throw the ball around. This proved to be most amusing, especially when someone failed to catch the ball and it went rolling into the water. Our clothes were soon soaked from wild dashes to save the ball before it was swept away.
The smaller girls made sandcastles, decorating them with hundreds of tiny shells.
Time flew, and before we knew it, it was time to head back for lunch. We brushed off the clingy sand and climbed back into the car. By the time we reached the house again, lunch was already prepared by some of the cousins.
The afternoon disappeared in a flash. Charlotte and I played board games with our cousin Carrie. Sophie, Gemma-Rose, and the two cousins, Melanie and Bethany, spent all afternoon playing in a caravan. We were having great fun. But the sky grew dark. Mum and Dad decided that we had better start for home.
We piled back into the car, tired and happy. As we sped homewards I thought about how much I had enjoyed my day. It is always a long time in between visits to our cousins. But I think this makes the visits all the more special when they do happen.
I rolled over with a groan and whacked the clock. Surely it couldn't be time to rise already. But it was.
Yawning, I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower. The hot water helped to drive away the sleepiness, as did the noises of the rest of the family tumbling out of bed.
 |
| My cousin Carrie |
One hurried breakfast later and we were packed into the car, blankets laid over our knees to keep away the cold. Soon we were zooming down the highway, off to see Aunty Vicky and her family.
Two and a half hours passed. We amused ourselves as best we could. as we travelled north the weather grew warmer. Off went the blankets. Then the coats. Soon we were basking in the sunshine, enjoying the warmth. Where we live, it is very cold all winter.
 |
| Gemma-Rose and Melanie building a sandcastle |
Finally we reached Aunty Vicky's house. Everyone jumped out of the car, grabbing up anything needed for the day. Cameras. Check. Sunscreen. Check. Spare clothes. Check. With these in our hands we headed for the door.
"How about we go to the beach?" Aunty Vicky suggested. Our faces lit up. The beach! We hardly ever went there. Quickly we changed our clothes and headed back out to the car. Click. Seatbelts were fastened. We pulled out of the driveway and followed Aunty Vicky's car down the road.
The beach was beautiful when we arrived. Not many people had come out, and we had plenty of room to play. The mothers chose a spot to sit, while we all scattered round the sands.
We tried playing soccer, but the ball kept rolling towards the sea. Plus kicking the ball in bare feet hurt. So, instead we decided to throw the ball around. This proved to be most amusing, especially when someone failed to catch the ball and it went rolling into the water. Our clothes were soon soaked from wild dashes to save the ball before it was swept away.
The smaller girls made sandcastles, decorating them with hundreds of tiny shells.
 |
| Dad |
Time flew, and before we knew it, it was time to head back for lunch. We brushed off the clingy sand and climbed back into the car. By the time we reached the house again, lunch was already prepared by some of the cousins.
The afternoon disappeared in a flash. Charlotte and I played board games with our cousin Carrie. Sophie, Gemma-Rose, and the two cousins, Melanie and Bethany, spent all afternoon playing in a caravan. We were having great fun. But the sky grew dark. Mum and Dad decided that we had better start for home.
 |
| My gorgeous youngest cousin Jordan |
We piled back into the car, tired and happy. As we sped homewards I thought about how much I had enjoyed my day. It is always a long time in between visits to our cousins. But I think this makes the visits all the more special when they do happen.
Hi Imogen.
ReplyDeleteI am all upset now that Gemma-Rose is gone. Me and Gemma-Rose bulit a bigger sand castle then Shophie and Bethany and we had more shells then them.
From Melanie
It was such a perfect day! We felt really sad and flat after you all left:C Thank you for coming and making the day so special:) xxx
ReplyDeleteMelanie, your sandcastle was really good. Gemma-Rose and you did a wonderful job of building it.
ReplyDeleteAunty Vicky, thank you for having us over. Our day was special too.
How fun!
ReplyDelete~
Autumn
Autumn, I think it's more fun going to the beach on a nice day in winter, than going to the beach in summer. It was just about perfect.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. The water was too warm for winter (we should know:P)
ReplyDeleteCarrie, the amount of times we had to rescue that ball showed us that.I still haven't managed to get all the sand out of my turned up seams.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like y'all had a delicious day. God bless you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Clare. It was a wonderful day, made all the better by the fact that we hadn't seen them in a year and a half. That's what comes of having an old van with no air conditioning in a country as hot as this!
ReplyDelete