Avalon, NJ

Monday was my brother Colin's birthday. He would have been 37. Last year for his birthday we decided to start a new tradition where we all get together somewhere (the Jersey shore has been our place of choice the last two years) for his birthday. One of the things I miss most about my brother is how fun and funny he was. So, this year and last year I've really tried to focus on having fun and laughing and celebrating Colin's life. He would not have been one to sit around or cry to mourn someone, so I am really trying to honor him and act as he would have.

Last year, the shore was INSANELY hot, but this year was a different story. We arrived midday on Friday (after stopping for a Wawa hoagie) and the day was a bit overcast and rainy. The highlight was getting crab cakes that rocked my world! We also stayed up and played games at night, which is always fun!

Saturday, my sister Kelly came down and we all just laid out by the pool as much as could, despite the lack of sun! At night we all went out to dinner at a local Italian place, which was a fun (gotta love Jersey Italian restaurants). Whenever we are at the beach we try to eat as much seafood as possible and every year, they do not disappoint!

Sunday, the tanning God's looked down upon us and we all went to the beach for the morning to soak up the rays. It felt great and the sound of the waves crashing was amazingly peaceful. It's moments like that, when everything is quiet and warm that I wish Colin was there with us, making a hilarious joke or quoting some obscure 80's song or movie.

Monday was ridiculously hot, so we just had lunch and headed out. Neil and I were able to catch an early flight, which was followed by sitting on the run way for about 2 hours. Gotta love travel!

Thanks to my mom and dad for putting this weekend together! As always, thank you to Megan for carting us around and allowing the trip to happen! Also, thank you to Kelly and Neil for making the weekend what it was!