A tale of sand and walnuts

I love going to the beach, but I hate the aftermath. To put it simply, I hate sand. I've felt this way for a while. When we lived in the married student housing at the University of Utah the playground in the courtyard was one giant sandbox, with the result that the girls got a bath every night. It's a wonder the pipes didn't back up with all that sand in all those bathtubs.

But you can't go to southern California in beautiful weather and not go to the beach. I think there's a law somewhere. So of course we had to make a trip to Newport Beach. As an added bonus, Chris's grandparents happened to be staying right near the beach, so we got to spend the day with them, as well.

And as for the causes of all my sand-related stress, well, take a look at these pictures:

That sand doesn't just stay in the same place while the tide rushes in around her.

And riding those waves doesn't, contrary to Vicki's belief, remove all the sand from one's body and/or swimsuit.

And then there's Ellie. Oh, Ellie. The girl who was thrilled to be in the water (I think she was supposed to be a fish, but I'm grateful for the mixup) was also happy rolling around, quite literally, in the sand.

See how her skin sparkles ever so slightly in the sunlight? No, she's not a vampire. Just really, really sandy.

In case that picture's not enough proof for my hate of the stuff, check this out:

'Nuff said.

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We were also fortunate enough to be able to visit Walnut Village, which is what Chris has been working on for the past 4 years.

I wish I had more pictures of how awesome this place is.  I got to see it last July, when it was nothing but concrete and framing, so the difference was astounding.  When I get old I want to live here, and not just because my hubby was the architect (well, one of the architects.)  Not only are the aparments reeeeally nice, but there are all kinds of great amenities on site, like a bistro, an art studio (old people throwing pots!  How awesome is that!), a salon (called The Strand, heh), a full-service dining room so you can feel like you're eating in a fancy restaurant every night of the week, a little pub, a library, a gym, and a pool.  Woohoo!

Here's a picture of the man himself, standing behind the main desk:

I really like the glass sculptures on the wall behind him.  That's why we took the picture there, of course.  In fact, the artwork throughout all three floors is superb.  I would have loved to just wander and explore, but of course you can't do that with three girls who get bored easily.  Although they liked the toys in the memory care wing.  They had baby dolls and dress up clothes for the little old grandmas to play with, which the girls thought was both hilarious and completely appropriate at the same time.

It was great to see what Chris has been giving his life to these past years.  And it's almost finished!  People are moving in!  I'll have my husband back!  Hooray for Walnut Village!