another beach day!

Akiya's 5th birthday party (Ft. DeSoto Beach):

(we share the same birthday (: they just decided to have her's earlier)

this is akiya's grandpa standing next to my shrinking grandma.
the tallest and the shortest (not counting the kiddos) members of our family.

and I have never been more entertained watching little girls open presents before today:

she loves hannah montana. 

one more thing.. on the way home my grandma told me all about how when i was little every time my grandpa saw me he would grab me and pick me up and sing to me the song "Michelle."

He passed away when I was only 3.. but I do remember him doing that. Sigh. Love that song.. and my grandpa was quite the man.  Apparently he could carry a tune like nobody's business, and wanted to be a conductor when he grew up.. but instead was a cop. In brooklyn. My grandma talked my ear off about him the whole way home... she really misses him ):

..All in all, good day. Not burned, ate good food, and the grams wore me out. I want to go to New York. 

Love,

Michelle