We Hit the Beach! Part 1

A few weeks ago the kids & I flew to one of our very favorite places on the planet - the BEACH!

We joined my parents for a week of sunshine, water, & seafood.

It was perfect.

My mom has been going to this spot of the beach since she was in high school... 

my dad since he married her, & me - since birth.  

I took my first steps on this very beach and now when I watch my children run and walk across it, I can't help but get emotional.

I took this photo of Ellie shortly after we arrived -

Ellie WALKED on the beach all by herself.  

I just stood & cried.  God has been so faithful to us and I am so very, very thankful to see my girl walk on a beach!

I was concerned that the instability of the sand would be too difficult but she managed with her splints to walk!

Cookie & Lovie with their grandkids

I love this picture!

And some more of my fav pics:

Will is now reading & writing & spelling all the time!  I love it!!

Especially when he writes messages like this:

I've got to get that framed.

 (I have no idea why these are all appearing so blurry here.  Argh

(That's pirate speak for "I'm frustrated but too sleepy to care enough to figure it out.")

My parents.

34 1/2 years of marriage -

still kissing on the beach

 his footprints on the sand get me everytime

Shortly after arriving at the beach, Will was in the water - I have some water babies!

Beach cuddles - the best!

She's Cookie's girl - loving some long walks on the beach at sunset

My ocean babies

So Will has been working on his balance a lot.  On a recent school entrance test, "balancing on one foot for four seconds" was raised as an issue... R & I laughed.  Because, seriously?!?!  He balances WITHOUT feet!  Let's take off every other kid's feet & see how well they stay upright & RUN & JUMP & RUN WHILE CARRYING TOYS!  Seriously!

(This was not an issue in getting into the school - just a notation that he didn't do it on the entrance exam.)  Good grief.

Anyway - he has been working for a long time on balancing - & now not only can he balance on one foot for 4 seconds... he can also balance his whole body up in the air on one hand (& you know, that's a partial palm!)  So, yeah.  He's got this.

He looks like he is striking a yoga pose at sunset here:

Both of my kids have been swimming underwater since they were babies.  They are very comfortable in the water (they scare me a bit - almost too fearless) & just love the water.  It helps that their mama does too & it's basically my summer mandate that we swim at least once a day in the summer - often twice.

Anyway, while in FL, Ellie's swimming skills took off!  She is kicking great & going for decent distances & even putting her head up for air before sticking it back in the water!  This week - she began diving to the bottom of the pool & grabbing toys!

(And let me just brag on my girl (since it's my blog) that she is doing this with arms and legs which have a limited range of motion!)

 Also, I kid you not, sweet E smiles the entire time she is under water!  She comes up smiling each time too & it just makes me giggle with happiness.

Don't worry - I have more pictures! :)

(Assuming I remember to blog more than once per week.)