A Beach Break

We are on our annual trip to the Florida beach with Cookie & Lovie.

It has been a much needed vacation.  Since Ellie's diagnosis in utero over a year ago, I have hardly slept.

And besides the stress and anxiety of carrying her, we temporarily moved to Dallas while I was pregnant for her birth and delivery and stayed there three months while she received treatment and R commuted on weekends.  She has had several surgeries and spent three months in a spica cast.  We made numerous trips back and forth to Dallas and ultimately packed up our home and moved across the state - with a baby in a spica cast.  For the last two weeks we've been unpacking while also continuing to get medical treatments for Ellie & start new prosthetics for Will.

Needless to say, there hasn't been a lot of rest.

Which is why this week has been great.  Every day, when my kids have gone down for naps, I have too - taking 2-3 hour daily naps has been glorious.

And time to just play - no boxes to unpack or decisions to make or medical files to read - just lovely and perfect.  

(Look who has learned to sit this week - we're up to 15 seconds!!!)

Crab Hunting

(rolling in the sand at night after his bath)

For the first time in the four years he has been coming here, Will caught a crab all by himself!

It was very exciting!

My little crab hunter

Ellie was not feeling the excitement

This happens to her a lot when she gets close to the waves

The sun is rather bright in our room early in the morning.  Though I'm not a morning person, I must confess that I have loved the time to cuddle my two little loves.  I pull them each into my bed and we cuddle and sing.  This is pure heaven to me - both of my babies on me.  Just perfect

Elie & her Cookie

jumping off the tide wall

running on the beach 

few things make me happier

I love these footprints.

How they have impacted my soul

My ocean loving boy & his Cookie

the water was too cold for me today!

Ellie rocking with her Lovie just before a morning nap on the beach

Ellie has discovered sand and loves it.  Seriously, if we give her a cup or bucket of sand, she happily plays!  She seems to love the feel of it & especially loves pulling it out of the bucket & sprinkling it on herself.

Will too loves playing in the sand & especially likes to play "sea animals."  He stays busy for hours playing animals.

I'm so thankful for kids who love the water and the sand and the sun.

Coming soon:

Ellie's first swim, ocean swimming pics, and more

off to bed - with the sweet sounds of Ellie's happy coos and sleepy sighs & Will's breathing to lull me to sleep