deep thoughts brought to you by the FvT

we have been to the beach many, many times since we’ve been married and before kids, and always to the generally same place. seagrove beach … with a few forays to other florida beaches. a frequent activity was seeing the sunsets. here is how it would usually go: we would leisurely walk out to the beach. we would be showered, clean and looking cute in our simple-enough-that-no-one-thinks-you-tried-but-stylish-enough-that-you-think-you-look-like-you-stepped-out-of-a-catalog beach wear. ha. we would set up chairs in plenty of time, have some drinks and snacks and soak in the quiet and the beauty as we were expecting to be served a beautiful sunset. after it, we would be amazed and glad, but sometimes critique the amount of haze, the not-as-vibrant color, etc. what a stark contrast to what we’ve more recently experienced.

on our trip, we had a real gift that involved the sunsets. as stated in the previous post, we had some cold weather and some rain so we had low expectations of beautiful weather and we had our two kids so we had low expectations of leisurely, relaxing time although i think we did a good job of having high expectations of memories. the 3rd-to-last night, we went out to the beach expecting more whining and not wanting to get on the sand by maddox and some fussiness by cora as it was “that time” of the evening. well, something clicked and everything changed. maddox met a new friend who was running around and he just started running and loving it. FINALLY. cora was also so happy watching.

as we were running around with maddox and thinking “THIS is what we were hoping for,” time passed quickly and all of a sudden, the sun was setting. we never dreamed we’d still be on the beach by sunset, but we just all of a sudden stopped and noticed it. maddox thought it was great. “BYE SUN! SEE YOU TOMORROW!” and in my opinion, it was literally the most gorgeous sunset we’ve ever seen there. not only were the sky and water crystal clear and full of vibrant colors, but it was unexpected. we were served this miracle of a day and of a moment without sitting there and waiting for it. maybe being there with our new kids made it top all the previous sunsets or maybe it was how unexpected it was. either way, what a gift. Lord, you make each day perfect and give it to us as a gift. may i look up and out from the details i get so consumed with and be aware of more. you are big and yet you’re here with me.

AND the capper is that we had almost identical evenings with the sunsets the next two nights. more gifts! here is a cute reminder of our last night’s sunset.

unforgettable moments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHEN … you never don any bathing suit whatsoever … the locals are wearing uggs and toboggans … you visit the community pool and the only thing getting in is the resident frog … you are trying to find a sunny spot and no shade … you are wearing 2 pairs of pants,  4 shirts and hoods … you’re drinking coffee outside … the only thing seen on the beach is your eyes … THEN YOU KNOW you are on vacation at the beach and it is FREEZING!

WHEN … you are on vacation at the beach and it is freezing but you don’t care … THEN YOU KNOW your kids are happy and that is so what matters to you.

aunt B, uncle D and thomas

we just got back from our first just-us vacation – no parents or extra helpers. brooke, david and thomas joined us for part of the time but since they have a 2 year old of their own, can you believe they were not dedicated to our beck and call?! we loved having extended time with them and especially for the cousins to have more time to play together than they ever have. it was truly special. THANK YOU, aunt b and uncle d, for lending us your condo and making this vacation possible! we wish you could have stayed longer!

so i exaggerated a little. it was only really cold for about 4 days of our week there. those days were spent with lots of toys inside as well as finding any and all playgrounds in the area. the boys loved that! the first and last days, we did put on shorts and had some great times at the beach. we will not forget:

> experiencing the most beautiful sunsets with our children the last 3 nights on the beach  > maddox praising the Lord at the top of the hill at alys beach playground (see video)  > thomas and maddox playing with each other and not just around each other  > cora having such happy times with her aunt b  > maddox getting his clock cleaned by a slide that he whapped his head on at the rosemary beach playground. he was flat on his back and did not move for what seemed like an eternity, but was FINE about 1 minute later. whew.  > maddox running, wrestling don and throwing sand on the beach after something clicked for him and he started loving it after … um … NOT loving it back in may. THIS is what i envisioned.  > cora following in her brother’s footsteps and getting her first taste of the beach (see video)  > uncle d reading green eggs and ham  > maddox sporting cora’s pants (think tight knickers) at a playground after wetting through his. what a perk of having a skinny 2 year old who doesn’t care what he’s wearing or that it’s 50 degrees outside.

praise the lord

cora gets her first taste of the beach. [see maddox's first taste here.]