Family Gatherings

Here's an excerpt:

Another great tradition is the sand castle contest. The adults get into this competition as much as the children do. We start early on Wednesday morning by claiming our area on the beach. We have to build the sculpture before it gets too hot; the sand is so white, it is blinding by midday. We bring our secret ingredients, like Jell-o or Kool-aid, to color the sand. We also raid the Dollar Store for cheap props to go along with our themes. Some of the sculptures have been very clever over the years: huge sea turtles, Sponge Bob’s Bikini Bottom, dolphins, mermaids, even giant sports balls. It has become such a big event that the entire resort has starting joining in, declaring Wednesday the Sand Sculpture Contest Day. The best part for the little guys is that there is judging and everyone wins some sort of prize. My aunt and cousins work with my mother to buy up all the prizes they can find throughout the year. They bring about forty gifts to the picnic shelter where the winners are announced and everyone gets to claim a prize.

Also that day, we usually have the annual potluck cookout. Sunsets at Fort Myers Beach are really amazing. We gather about an hour or two before sunset and have a huge family dinner. Everyone grills their own meat and each family brings other side dishes and desserts to share. We end up with a huge feast while we visit and watch the sunset.

I’ll never forget these times with my family. We aren’t perfect – that’s for sure – but we perfectly try to have time together. Our children will have tremendous memories of the times we spent at Disney or at the beach. They will be able to share many stories of these days and hopefully, they will continue the tradition with their children.