Chapter 8

The 4th of July was coming up soon. Back in Tulsa, we'd have a BBQ with everybody. Everyone took turns having it. At night one of our neighbors would light off fireworks so we'd sit out and watch those. We always had a good time. But now we were in San Diego, we needed a new tradition. Me and Matty talked about it. We still hadn't taken Angel to the beach yet, so I figured the 4th would be the best time. "Are you sure? It's the 4th of July, it'll probably be packed." Matty said, and I knew she was right, but I really wanted to take Angel.

"We'll leave early in the morning and only stay for a little while. C'mon it''ll be fun." I told her. Matty could see how much I wanted to do this, and I knew she wanted to go the beach since we got here, so she agreed to it. I called Soda up to see if he wanted to come and take Emily and their kids, and he liked the idea. "We're having a BBQ later with Em's parents and one our neighbors, wanna come?" Soda offered. "Sounds like fun, ok." I answered.

So everything was all set. The night before was humid and sticky. Probably a sign that the next day would be hot. We had all the windows opened in our room and Angel's. She was finally sleeping in her own room and she only sleeps in our room if she was has a nightmare. We had a fan going in her room and two in ours, since our room is bigger. We tried sleeping with one thin blanket but it was just too hot, so we got rid of it halfway during the night. It wasn't so bad for me to sleep, as long as I didn't wake up. It was harder for Matty, with her being pregnant. That seemed to be her excuse for everything now. I kinda felt a little bad for her, but once the babies are born it'll all be worth it.

I got up earlier than everyone for the beach, probably cause I was the most excited. I packed a cooler with a lot of drinks and food for everybody. A few days before I bought some sandcastle making stuff for Angel, figuring it would be something she'd want to do. I brought a chair and umbrella for Matty, even though she probably wouldn't be sitting the whole time. Matty loves the beach. Whenever we do visit she's either in the waves or walking along the shore looking for sea shells. I highly doubt her being pregnant is gonna stop her from having her fun.

By the time I finished packing the car up for the day Matty was up and getting ready, so I went to wake up Angel. When I walked into her room she was all sprawled out on her bed, her single blanket twsited and barely on her anymore. Her hair that's a perfect replica of Matty's was surronding her head on her pillow. It's getting long, must make her hotter. She also had a little pout on her face. Regredless, she looks cute when she's sleeping.

I walked over to her and lightly shook her. "Wake up sweetheart, we're going to the beach today, remember?" She woke up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Are there gonna be fireworks later?" Was the first thing she said. She still misses Tulsa at times. "Of course, baby." I assure her. "And Uncle Soda and Dane are coming right?"

"Yeah, all six of them are coming. You can play in the waves, collect seashells, make a sandcastle, whatever you want. It'll be fun." I told her. She yawned before cilmbing out of bed. I helped her get dressed, I put her in a red two piece bathing suit and over that a blue sundress with red and white stars on it. It seemed apporaite. Then I sent her off the Matty to do her hair so I could load up the car. By the time I was done my two ladies were ready. Matty had put Angel's hair into adorable little braids. And for herself she had her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She had on big circle sunglasses. There one of the few things I don't like from the 70s, but Matty can wear them and pull them off (Even though it's 1980). She had a navy blue martienty sundress on. She looked very cute. I couldn't help but kiss her before getting into the car.

We stopped at Soda's house before going to the beach. Him and Em were ready with their kids. So they got into their car and we all drove to the beach. Luckily we got there early enough that it wasn't totally packed yet. We actually got a good spot. It was close to the water but not too close for when the tide came in. And it wasn't too bad of a walk from the parking lot either. Me and Soda carried everything and set it all up while Em and Matty put sunblock on the kids. "It's cold, and feels slimy, mommy." Angel complained. She's had sunblock put on her before, but she always whines about it. "Well you don't want a sunburn, Angel, they're no fun." Matty told her. Once me and Soda finished setting everything up Matty was putting sunblock on herself. "Hey Pony, get my back for me please?" She asked. As I rubbed I could tell it was almost like a back message for her. Being pregnant isn't nice to your back.

"So, what do you guys wanna do first?" Soda asked gthe kids once we were all set. "Make a sandcastle!" Rachel shouted first. The other kids agreed, except Wendy. She started stomping her feet. "No, no no! No beach, no beach!" She cried. Oh the terrible twos, how I don't miss them. Angel's weren't too bad, but they weren't easy. She had the usual temper tanturms and testing her limits. I'm already dreading having to go through that again with the twins.

"She's just cranky, probably hungry too." Em said. She went into the cooler and pulled out some animal crackers. As soon as she gave them to Wendy she began to quit down. "Don't get sand in those, Wendy." Soda told her. Two minutes after he said that she dropped an elephant in the sand.

The other kids got started on the sandcastle. Angel never made one before, but she sure was excitied to. Even though she's a little bit of a tomboy, she's still in castles and princesses and dragons. She watched what her cousins doing, filling their buckets up with sand them flipping them over, making a little piece of the castle. She copied them. They made a sqaure with the center open, so they could go in the middle of it. Me and Soda helped them out. Soda would go to the waves with a bucket to get water. It would help the sand stick together. I searched the sand for shells so the kids could decorate the castle later.

Once the outside of the castle was finished, the kids connected the empty spaces with sand. One they finished that Rachel and Xaiver got smaller buckets, filled them up with sand, then would dump them on top of the of the castle making, it taller and more elaborate. When they finished that Dane and Angel decorated the castle with that they made a moast around. They tried putting water in it but it just absorbed into the sand so they gave up. When it was all done we all stepped back and admired it.

It actually was a pretty good sandcastle. The kids worked hard and it showed. I deiceded to take a picture, but then realized I left it at home! I knew I left something, but figured it was something small like an extra shovel.

"Dammit!" I accidently said out loud. The kids looked at me shock. Wendy mimcked me, not smart on my half. "What Pones?" Soda asked. "I left our camera at home." I told him. "No don't worry, Pony. I brought it." Matty said and took it out of her bag. I literally went over and kissed her, how is she so perfect?

I took a picture of Angel sitting in the middle of the castle, her smiling big. Then Soda took one of his three kids with his camera, then we took some of all four of them. Then Matty and Emily took a few of all six of us with the castle.

"Let's go in the waves now." Xaiver said. So me and Soda took the four kids to the waves while Em and Matty stayed to keep and eye of Wendy and get some sun. As Angel walk towards the waves, she seemed a little unsure. I can see why it was strange to her. Water coming closer than leaving, having it crash down. I decide not to take her far out yet. She needed to get use to it first, so I just brought her up to her ankles.

"It's chilly!" She said to me holding onto my hand tigther. "I know, you'll get use to it." I told her. "Ok, when the water comes closer to you, jump over it, ok?" I instructed her. She nodded her head. A little wave started coming towards us, getting smaller as it got closer. Dane, Xaiver, Rachel, and Soda were a little farther out than us, jumped over it. "1...2...3...jump!" I said to Angel. And the two of us did. She smiled. "See? It's fun."

We jumped the waves for a little bit, slowly going farther out. The water soon reached Angel's waist. When it did I picked her up, I can't help but worry. We all played and spashled around in the waves for awhile, and Matty soon joined us. She looked so cute jumping around in the waves with her little (well not really) pregnant belly. At one point Angel got her first mouthfull of ocean water, she sure didn't like it.

After playing around in the waves for awhile we all went back to our spot to dry off. It was around lunchtime anyway. We all had sandwhiches with chips. "Hey Angel watch this." Dane said, he began sprinkilng sand on his sandwhich, making Angel laugh. "Dane, cut that out." Emily warned. "But mom, it's called a sandwhich." He reminded her. "Then you're gonna have to eat it with the sand on it, cause that's the only one you're getting." Said Soda. Dane took a bite. "It's crunchy." He said trying to hide that he didn't like it.

After lunch we all just relaxed. The kids talked while us grown ups did too. "How's your pregnancy going, Matty?" Emily asked. "Tougher than the last time, but other than that not too bad." She answered she said rubbing her belly.
Any names picked out yet?" Soda asked. "Not yet, we're still thinking." I told him.

After awhile we we deiceded to take the kids for a walk along the shore. They grabbed their buckets so they could pick up seashells along the way. As the nine of us walked I held Matty's hand. Remembering this was the same beack I proposed to her at. I looked over at her, thinking about how I've been in love with her for 15 years, the best 15 years of my life. We've grown up and been through so much, and we're still together. Not many high school sweethearts can say that nowadays.

I leaned over and kissed her cheek. She looked at me. "What was that for?" She asked. I shurgged. "Just cause." I answered. She kissed my cheek back.


Hope everyone liked this chapter, I've been wanting to make them go to the beach for awhile. Sorry for the gaps between chapters. My grades have been slipping so I had to focus more on school. Exams are coming up, gonna have to study for those, gee what fun :p. Anyway thanks for putting up with my delays, I'm gonna try and get better when summer comes. Stay Gold!