"Want to go to the beach?"

I woke up on Monday morning and took a walk.  I was feeling the reality of the fact that while I have been being good with really resting during this pregnancy, I haven't been as good at continuing to get adequate exercise. So, I got up and at about 6:15, headed out down my street.

It was a gorgeous morning.  The mountains were clear, the views stunning, the fresh air invigorating.  I kept thinking, "I need more of this."

So twenty minutes later, I got home and said to Jason, "Want to go to the beach?"

Jason had mentioned a number of times in the past few months about wanting to go to the beach over our Christmas break.  I was very hesitant, mostly because of the long drive and my intense desire to "just be home."

So, although this beach was a place he had wanted to go, Jason doesn't quite have my level of spontaneousness and was rather shocked at my suggestion that we go...and that we leave in a few hours. So I gave him some time to process (a whole hour! Ha!) and finally we decided to go for it.  We packed up for a few days with no plan other than "to go to the beach" and we headed out.  The kids were thrilled...love that they are always up for an adventure!

The drive was longer than anticipated (turned out to be about six hours) and deciding on a hotel wasn't a smooth process, but in the end we found a gorgeous place to stay.  I SO wish pictures could do it justice...but there is just no way.  We had a family suite at a gorgeous homestay.  The whole place was filled with gardens and flowers and stone paths. We had our own porch out back and I declared it one of the most amazing places ever.  It would make a gorgeous honeymoon location!

Out our front door

 

Around the hotel grounds

 

The kids loved the giant chess set

 

My sweet girl working on her own Photo a Day project

My other sweet girl just being her beautiful, happy self.

___

We were only gone for two nights but we were able to make it to the beach a few times.  It was just a few minute walk and it was nice to just spend a few hours playing in the sand and the water.  It was really fun to see the kids get used to beach and the waves and to go from being timid to just LOVING the waves.  I'm so glad that they are good enough swimmers (other than Katie) that they can venture out on their own.  It took some time though!

The first time we visited it was mainly just to check it out.  The sand is a dark volcanic sand and the kids were quite excited to change clothes and come back to play.

Later in the day (after eating and swimming in the pool) we headed back to the beach.  Alaina was ready to get in the water but the boys and Katie were quite content to play in the sand.

The next morning we headed to the beach once again, and this time the kids were much more interested in the water.  It started with a lot of just being close to mom and dad...

 

 

And sitting at the edge of the water, getting used to the feel of the waves...

And then the girls were ready to start venturing out a bit farther...the boys would take a few steps and retreat back to the beach.

And of course, they were photographed 18 bazillion times by any Indonesian that walked by.

Eventually, though, the boys decided the waves were worth exploring and they had a great time.  Caleb -- more than once -- declared playing in the waves "the best thing EVER!"

I don't have more pictures of them playing in the water because we were all so busy enjoying being together in the waves.  But believe me when I say they had a blast and I just loved watching their fear dissipate and their love of the ocean grow.

We headed back home that day...a short but oh-so-sweet trip. The drive home was long...another six hours...but at least we were able to enjoy the gorgeous views. A lot of this...

And a good deal of this...

Getting away is just so good...we had some hard moments but good things came of it...maybe even life changing. I am thankful for my burst of spontaneity and thankful my family could indulge me. Three days away on a trip to the beach with my family...the best $150 ever spent.

Comments

[Mel Schroeder]

This definitely makes me miss Indonesia! I love reading your blog--hope you are doing well. :)

[phillipsfamily]

Good to hear from you Mel!  Hope you are doing well, too! Maelie is a cutie!

Janet

[Rachel Thiessen]

Wow, I second Mel's comment! I miss Indonesia so much. Were you guys at Adam's Homestay? Your pictures, as always, are beautiful. It's fun to see how much the kids grew to enjoy the ocean and waves too.

[phillipsfamily]

Yea, we were at Adams.  We loved it! Hope to go back again sometime!

[zara usa]

In various recent editions you have extensively covered protests by Zara USA and their advisors about the banning of upward-only rent reviews as well as the cheering by some tenants for this new legislation. A little perspective is required on the issue. I personally think this legislation was a waste of legislative time.

First this change does not apply to existing leases. If a tenant holds under an old lease he is stuck with the old regime until the lease expires so the pressure group of tenants who sought this change will not directly benefit in the short term. No doubt they are disappointed. Secondly the rest of the world, apart from the UK, works very well without upwards only rent review mechanisms and the market has been moving that way without the need for any legislation.

Thirdly and more importantly, most of your commentators are looking at this change to the working of the Irish property market through their rear view mirrors. They don seem to realise that the world of property has changed.
In today business environment no commercial tenant in his right mind would take a long lease for over 15 years and it would more likely be for five years or 10, with breaks to coincide with rent reviews.

The world has changed beyond recognition from the time of the first 35-year lease with upward only rent reviews, which was back in 1966 when the so called nstitutional lease?model was imported by Hume Holdings Ltd for Hume House, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

This lease model was adopted then because Ireland, in 1966, had a strict landlord and tenant regime dating back to 1931 which was dominated by the courts, who interpreted this legislation to set rents at about 66 per cent of the fair open market rent.

So in 1966 the reason for long leases was to keep leases on new commercial development out of the courts for as long as possible and to create a mechanism to adjust rents for inflation.

Since 1966 the Irish commercial property scene has changed dramatically as follows:

New buildings are the norm in business and no longer scarce ?as in 1966.
Our landlord and tenant law has been updated from a 1931 model to a 2008 one reflecting equality between tenant and landlord. The old tenants?paradigm of wning?their leased property has changed to one of a payment for a facility with no rights other than those in the contract document: just like renting a fork lift truck or a hotel room!

The courts now set rents at fair open market rents in cases that come to them.

The commercial market has matured with balance between tenants and landlords.
But, most importantly, the business environment now focuses on a three to five-year business cycle.

No business tenant wants to commit himself to his premises for longer than his business plan or a foreseeable extension of it. In our fast changing world, flexibility in business is the key to survival and prosperity.

The business attitude is that my business could be half its size or double its size in five years and flexibility is required.

This is why both American and European leases have been for periods of five years with an option to extend for a further five years, ie 10 years (or three, six or nine in the case of France or Belgium). At the break date after five years, the tenant and landlord then have the option to negotiate as equals with the tenant having the right to terminate.

The other mechanism that has recently been imported to Ireland from the USA and Europe in the retail property sector is turnover rents or base rents with turnover top-up rents in lieu of rent reviews.

Indeed the Commercial Property pages have been reporting that most tenants are seeking and getting such flexible leases.

Look to the recent letting The Irish Times reported of an office building in Sandyford (on a 10-year lease with break at five) or nearly all retail deals done by Zara clothing and HM and several shopping centres, which are on a turnover basis.

As an investment advisor I would love to have all my clients?buildings let on fixed 35-year or even 15-year leases with upward only rent reviews. But the reality is that that era is gone.

Those who say the new system can work, should take a trip to the USA and Europe and look at the thriving property investment markets there.
I strongly suspect that the UK, the last bastion of the long lease and the upwards only rent review, is fast succumbing to the reality of the business environment.

The Government introduction of this legislation and all the hullabaloo is a total waste of time as in real life this train left the station several years ago.
The only slight reservation is that in this knee jerk and unnecessary reaction to a tiny pressure group of occupiers, a form of structured financing of large scale urban renewal may have inadvertently been lost and this may have to be addressed in Zara USA .