Warren Dunes {Priceless}

I had an absolutely AMAZING time with the kiddos at Lake Michigan today! The kids excitement was contagious! Their faces as we came upon the giant dunes was incredible! Climbing them was a workout adventure and jumping off steep sand parts with them was priceless! The lake hasn't quite warmed up yet but that didn't stop many of them from dumping each other with buckets full of Pure Michigan ice water! Some of my boys brought skim boards and we all had a great time learning together Michigan's "surfing" :) For some, this was their very first time to the beach and it was pure joy to watch these urban kids soaking up the sun, sand, and waves!

The day was full of screaming, running, climbing, jumping, smiling, wading, sandcastle building, sun bathing, snacking, and bonding. It. Was. Magical. And the pictures I took with my phone are full of pure happiness. The jumping ones are the best - all of us lined up, hands held in a long line, jumping off the steepest part of the dune into the sand below! What wonderful memories .. .. . 

Wait. Where are these fabulous memory filled pictures on my blog page?

Insert {crying} 

The sad part of the day came 15 minutes toward the end of this picture perfect field trip. 

I was skim boarding with a couple of my boys for the "last time" before getting on the bus. We were having a great time - falling hard, laughing at each other, and finally adjusting to the brutal chill. As always, I had been taking pictures and videos  - when it was my turn, I set my phone in a little red bucket next to us. Here is where it gets blurry. Someone asked me the time .. I found it for them on the phone . .. skim boarded .... .  landed hard ..  . laughed. Realized the red bucket was empty. Now, I am not sure of the sequence of the phone's events, but I have three theories. 

Theory #1: Some beach comber snagged my phone out of the little red bucket. 

Problems with theory: 

    There were not a lot of people walking the beach 

    There was a family laying right behind where we were skimming so they would have seen them

    We were RIGHT NEXT to the bucket - they would have had to have been SUPA smooth

Theory #2: After checking the time, I subconsciously put the phone in my skirt pocket, proceeded to skim board, fell, phone slipped out. GOne. 

Probability of this theory: 

    I don't think someone stole it and it was no where to be found on the beach around us

    I had been keeping it in my skirt pocket all day so it could have been done on autopilot 

    It sounds like something I would do. darn. 

Theory #3 {brought to by attention by a kiddo}: The MIchigan "Moch ness" Monster stelthfully stole it from the beach and is keeping it in his lair below ... laughing at our skim board attempts :) 

I prefer to go with the later since it makes me smile. 

Internet pictures of Warren Dunes ... not nearly as cool as the ones we took! {sigh.}