Beach and Family

One of the things I love the most about our little piece of Gulf shores is that hardly anyone is there...there are people dotted here and there, but sometimes you can look all down the beach and see no one.

So you really get to be with your family...not so distracted with other people and no crowds to fight for your little piece of the beach...it's all yours..find a spot and enjoy!

See the beauty all around you...the beauty in the beach...and the beauties at the beach...

You can play tick tac toe...over and over all down the beach without getting in anyones way...

Sometimes you win...sometimes you loose but I promise you it is a win-win either way!

Your are just there...surrounded by the ocean, the sand and the loves of your life....sometimes it's like watching an old movie with no sound...because the wind and the waves are loud and you have to talk a little louder so we seem to talk less...but you don't have to speak to communicate.....

There is so much room...the space seems endless and yet most of the time we couldn't get any closer....

We collected shells to make stepping stones for my flower garden while we were there.Sarah Kate found this one...and seeing the hole in it she said..it's lovely but it's not perfect...

When she handed it to me and I could hold it in my hand and see right through it to the other side...the other side where my littles played in the sand...I thought to myself that it may be the most perfect,  most beautiful shell ever...

Together...my shadow and your shadow dancing....

Together making sandcastles for beautiful mermaid princesses....

Together...hearing the sweet song of the ice cream truck and holding hands racing to catch it before it's too late...

You taste mine.....

I'll taste yours....

and we will enjoy the sweetness together...

A rainy day at the beach can be fun too

When you wake up to rain at the beach....it makes you sigh...and you hope it's not the first of many days of rain...because you came all this way...and if it rains the rest of the week....and well it's just not good. But one rainy day is good...and that's just what we had. One rainy day to let up regroup. I did laundry and got organized this morning while the littles played hide and seek in a whole new space. They had so much fun. I know these moments of the four of them playing together are fleeting so I take it all in.....how Lila hides in the same spot every time....how the boys make sure the counter does not peek...how Sarah Kate likes to hide with someone else.

 Our rainy morning gave way to a dance party in the kitchen with the counter as Lila's stage!

 and a great day of back to school shopping at the outlet mall!

 Sarah Kate had the best time shopping for her back to school wardrobe! The best find was a little t shirt for her...green with an owl on it...and on it it says worldly and wise....so perfect for her!

 The minute we got there I saw this purse and I loved it...but I wanted to shop for the kids..and unfortunately there was only so much shopping money...so I walked away and thought I would revisit it at the end of the day...and just maybe get it. As we got ready to leave I walked over the the purses and the one I loved was gone...not meant to be. The man working asked what I was looking for and I told him about the purse I had wanted but that it was one. He took one from under the counter and asked if this was it...and it was. He handed it to me and said my two little boys and husband had bought it for me hours ago. I about died...that was so sweet. The boys had taken Jeremy right over there after we split up...an I lucky or what!?

 Although the rain cleared up..we still kept that rainy day feeling...and came come to cuddle up...all 6 of us for a movie...it was the perfect rainy day at the beach!

Vacation nights

Vacation nights are the best...for so many reasons. The house is not your house so you don't feel connected to it...bound to it like you do your own...if there is a pile here...a pile there...who cares. I know I have piles at my house but they still bother me...but not on vacation. The nights are just an extension of the fun...and your time together...and I never want them to end. This vacation I had me a moma's girl in Lila Ray...

I loved holding her at the beach...taking in her warm, vanilla scent....and knowing she didn't want to be with anyone else but me...

taking in time with everyone...moments here...moment there....

and never knowing what moments will seep into your your memories as your favorites....sometimes the best ones are the ones your didn't expect...like walking down to the beach at night to find a garden of pinwheels!

or a sweet moment with my Autistic nephew Landon and his whole world....my sister.

It's just nice...to feel someone you love, warm and close when the vast, dark ocean is before you....especially when you have spaghetti sauce on your dress followed by it getting drenched by a wave.....and you want to be big and act like you don't care, but really do you...cause really you are still little.

This night the boys were chasing Landon...and everyone was laughing...because they couldn't catch him and believe me they tried!

This night we did a little night swimming too...which is so beautiful and so fun! It's like a whole new world swimming at night as the lights shine and glimmer beneath the pools surface.

I can honestly say that every night we went to bed knowing we had a full...fun...amazing day with no regrets...full of moments that seemed more nostalgic as we remembered our day at night.

The Track

The minute we hit the Alabama line the boys start asking when we are going to the Go-Cart Track!

We can usually only hold them off a few days! This year a lot of smack was talked by Jeremy about how he and Riggs were going to smoke us on the track......I told Rollins to let them talk and let us drive!

 I am proud to announce that Rollins and I smoked them over and over all day long!

 Riggs wanted to be the smoker and not be the one getting smoked so he jumped ship and rode with me while Rolls went with Jeremy!  A guy spun out in front of me...Jeremy waited and that was so nice...but a big mistake...we passed them and never looked back! Sorry boys! ;) Moma was on a roll!

 I loved rounding that turn and seeing Lila Ray waving her heart out and shouting "Moma!"

 This year Riggs was old enough to ride some of the go carts by himself...a true right of passage!

 Lila and Sk enjoyed their rides too!