South Haven is for dreamers. (When Regarding Ruffles.)

We spent the day in South Haven, MI, last Friday and I just can't help but share the pictures of our day. The weather was perfect, maybe in the high seventies with just a slight breeze, the water wasn't too cold, and the sand wasn't too hot on our feet. Well, except for my mom's feet...she has baby feet ;). Asa had the time of his life digging in the sand, ride around in his inner tube, splashing, smashing sand castles, and being with some of the people he loves most.
We started our day at South Beach and ate a picnic lunch right next to the water. Sure, it was a little sandy, but what's a little added crunch? Ha. My brother, Kyle, his wife, Andrea, and my niece, Lydia, were also there to enjoy the day in addition to my parents. The kids got very sandy, the parents got a little sun-burned but overall, it was one of those days that you dream about. How did we get so lucky that beaches like this are just an hour away from our house?
After a few hours at the beach, we took a walk down the pier where we checked out the lighthouse and even got to witness a real pirate ship! Asa was very impressed with it. The rest of the family sans us was in the area for a wedding so luckily we had hotel rooms to head back to in order to freshen up. Once we were all tidied up, we grabbed some dinner at a flat-bread restaurant. It was delicious to say the least! On our way out we also snagged some Hudsonville Ice Cream. Did you know there is an actual flavor of ice cream that has chocolate buckeyes IN IT? It's worth every bite.
I couldn't help but think as we drove home that this was a day well spent. This was one of those days where we really relaxed as a family. A day where all of the external stresses melted away and we could soak up the simple joys of sun and family. I'm so thankful for that time together!
Here's a sneak peek into our day (and by sneak peek, I mean a TON of pictures):