Memorable Mother's Day

The weather has been so awful this year that I was afraid to hope for a nice Mother's Day weekend, but we got one!  Sunday was truly one of those top-10 days of the year--sunny, warm but not hot, gentle breeze.  Made to order....

But first, Saturday....

Saturday threatened rain, but we never got it.  Christine joined Jodie and me for a day trip to the beach (I had to be in the area anyway for a brief writing assignment).

On the way down, we stopped at Dunkin Donuts for breakfast sandwiches, and Christine treated me as an early Mother's Day present.

She hadn't been to the cottage since we had painted the outside and put up the awnings, so she was excited to see the finished product.

The first thing we did when we got to the house was take Jodie out to the beach.

We were shocked at the mess.  The huge storm we had last week (very heavy rain and wind) had dumped all kinds of debris on the beach and, even worse, washed away most of the sand that had been added in a beach replenishment project just a few weeks ago. This patriotic-looking beer can stood out from all of the white plastic and other trash littering our pretty little beach:

Then we got our favorite Wawa food for lunch and ate it on the screened porch.  Jodie tried to look cute hoping that she might convince Christine to share her sandwich.

I don't think I could ask for a more adorable daughter or dog:

We hung out on the porch for a few hours and then went for a late-afternoon run together.  After much-needed showers, we headed home at about 5:30.

On Sunday morning, Christine showed up with a tray of marigolds for the vintage bathtub in our back yard. Within a couple of weeks, they'll spread and fill the tub with vibrant color that we can see from the deck:

Christine also brought fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil for pizzas on the grill for dinner:

We spent the whole day lounging on the deck with Doug talking, reading, and enjoying the weather.

I am blessed to have such a thoughtful, beautiful daughter:

And Alex, who was in North Carolina at a wedding, sent flowers and a card:

We missed him and Ashleigh on Mother's Day but we'll see them in just a few weeks when Christine graduates from UD with a master's degree in health promotion!

P.S. And a big thanks to my sweet husband, Doug, for his company and his cooking!