Winterhoff Beach Week 2017

I'm late in posting these pictures from our annual Winterhoff Beach Week, but it sure has been fun looking back at such happy memories of our time at Rehoboth Beach, DE in August.  Each year seems more and more fun as the cousins get older.  They have such a good time together, and have established wonderful traditions that they remember and look forward to every summer.  Thanks to Bean and Poppy, the beach memories that their boys made vacationing with cousins have been carried on to the next generation, and this week together is a gift for all of us. 

One of the best parts of Winterhoff Beach Week is, of course, the beach!  Each morning, our crew of 14 would go to the beach and meet up with the aunts, uncles, and second cousins who were staying in the other two beach houses.  The kids all LOVED the waves and the sand, and spent hours playing at the beach.

 We saw dolphins several times, and one morning, they were very close to us: 

 Maya (who now is the tallest Winterhoff girl!) has a passion for volleyball and patiently gave some pointers to her younger cousins this summer: 

Donut Day with Poppy is another tried and true beach favorite.  These special mornings included a sweet treat on the boardwalk and the chance to climb into the lifeguard chairs on the beach: 

Donut Day became even more fun when the boys ran into Uncle Matt and Alexis on the boardwalk and caught a ride on their bike!

Here are a couple more pictures of these sweet cousins enjoying Boy Donut Day:

Girl Donut Day was also a much anticipated, exciting morning for these four cuties (who looked SO tall on the lifeguard stand this year!):

Crab Night at the beach has also evolved over the years.  There was a time when only one member of each family participated in Crab Night (Brian, Anika, and me), but gradually, these children turned into crab eaters, and Crab Night was a full-fledge party this year!

Speaking of parties, this year at the beach we celebrated Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bob's 70th birthdays.  This was a fun, evening family celebration with games and Minion-themed cake and party decorations, which the kids thought was awesome!

We had one rainy morning, which turned out to be one of our favorite days, as Alexis brought all the supplies to make slime.  She taught her cousins how to make two different types of slime, and this was a huge hit!

There were also lots of books, puzzles, and games to help pass the time.  Cousin Bingo with Bean and Poppy was a favorite, too! 

The highlight of the afternoons at Winterhoff Beach Week was Funland.  The kids loved the rides and arcade games, and won stuffed animals and prizes which they often gave to their younger cousins.  Watching these dear children share with their littler family members made us so proud of their generous hearts and giving spirits:

One evening at the beach consisted of our annual family baseball game.  It's always Kids vs. Grown Ups, and somehow, those lil' sluggers seem to win every year!

We also marveled at the sand castles on the beach during an evening trip to the boardwalk to get ice cream:

After a full, fun week at the beach, it was time for us to continue the next leg of our vacation and drive to upstate NY.  This is what happens when you try to leave Winterhoff Beach Week one day early:

So much love in this human chain!

It was another wonderful beach week, and such a special time with our family.  We are so thankful for these summer Rehoboth traditions and for happy memories together!  Thank you, Bean and Poppy!