It had been a long hot summer and yet the days seemed to fly past. We spent most of our time at the nearby beaches.

All we needed to do was pack a picnic and put the buckets and spades into the back of the car, and off we would go. We planned out our days and enjoyed every moment of them.

We walked along the shore for miles, played games on the sand.

Hazel wanted to try out these new body boards. She paid the shopkeeper with some money she had left over from her birthday. She got one with with a picture of dolphins on it. After that I couldn't keep her out of the sea. Hazel jumped on her board and rode the waves back into the shore time and time again. She even let her two sisters have a go, pulling them along as they splashed their feet in the waves, shrieking with laughter all the while.

On one of our trips to the seaside the girls had planned to build the biggest sand castle ever. After many hours of hard work they had finished it. We all agreed it was the best sand castle in the whole world!

As the sun began to set on this lovely summer's day, the sea crept its way up the beach, cleaning away any evidence that anyone had ever been on the beach that day.

We stood to admire our sand castle one last time before the girls took great pleasure in jumping all over it.

We packed away the buckets and spades and trudged wearily back up the beach. Sitting on the sea wall, we brushed the last of the sand from our toes, just in time to watch the sun melt into the sea making a brilliant display of colours on the rippling waves.

I put three tired girls into the car, packed the buckets and spades into the boot and started the journey home.

What an end to another perfect summer's day!