helpful hints for your next vacation.

 *warning: this post has too many pictures and most were taken with my point and shoot camera*

Just in case you didn't know a few things about how to have a family trip to Pawley's Island I thought I'd give you a couple of hints and tips. (if you missed my first vacation post...click here.)

#1-Get ice cream every day.  Bruster's will give you heaping ice cream cones that will make your eyes pop out of your head when they hand them to you.  You'll wonder who they think is planning to eat this one ice cream cone?  You and everyone that lives in Texas?  Of course, my kids loved that they got to down that much ice cream. 

#2-If you go to Bruster's...you must try the peanut butter explosion ice cream.  It's making my mouth water just thinking about it.

#3-If you don't get peanut butter explosion...you have to have cotton candy explosion.  It has pop rocks.  Gracie and Emma got it every time.

#4-Make sure to measure yourself 10 times while you're there to make sure you are too BIG to get the baby ice cream cone.

#5-When you go crabbing...make sure to go at low tide.  You will actually see crabs.

#6-When you put the chicken leg bait in your net...tie it on...or the crab will take off with it and laugh at you when you lift up your net.

#7-Let your kids put the nasty chicken leg in the net.

#8-Big brothers are an excellent way to get out of walking...anywhere.

#9-A new hat makes for a great souvenir, especially if you look like an awesome cowgirl in it.

#10-Digging is mandatory on the beach.  It's possible that you could dig all the way to water...or buried treasure...never give up.  Just keep digging.  Get the big shovels.  Not those whimpy beach shovels.  Put your heart into it.  Be serious.

#11-It is impossible to collect enough seashells.  Each and every one is so completely beautiful.  It doesn't matter if they are broken or not.  They are all, every one, wonderfully wonderful.

#12-You can be the youngest child in the family and be the very first, brave soul to try boogie boarding.  And then love it so much that your entire swimsuit fills up with sand.

#13-Your swimsuit will fill up with sand...especially if you're a girl.  Good luck getting it out.

#14-Pizza Grill-a has excellent pizza and corndogs...and stuffed Gorilla's that will stare at you while you eat.

#15-Riding bikes around the island is super fun...even if you almost have a heart attack...or three...or four... when your child rides their bike out in front of oncoming traffic (yes, that means multiple cars...multiple times).

#16-Jumping on beds is good stress relief.

#17-Eating cold breakfast cereal at a beachside condo tastes better than it does at your own house.

#18-A joke book from the 1950s can keep kids entertained for hours.

#19-You can go out on a deep sea fishing boat.  We saw the ads.  We're going next time.

#20-It will never be a long enough trip.  Kids will be sad when it's time to leave.

good. LIFE.

I'm a mess.

I didn't know I'd cry this much.

I didn't even try to wear mascara today.

I knew this day was coming...it's why I took this last year off from my business.  A kind of self-imposed sabatical.  I didn't want to miss a minute.  And even now with the house quiet and no kids here...it still wasn't enough time.  I'm figuring it never will be.   There's no Gracie in the next room singing to herself some made up song about "I love flowers and Strawberry Shortcake dancing...dancing...dancing and the day is so sunny and I'm so happy.  I love my mama, yes, I do."  Some crazy song about nothing and everything that made me smile.  It's just silent.  She's not running in to me from the other room to give me a random really tight neck popping hug just because she was suddenly filled with love out of the blue and had to share it with someone.

I'm certainly not saying everyday is butterflies and roses...we have plenty of days when they're not and for sure by the end of the summer my kids were at each other's throats a lot more than they were when the summer began.  The thing is once those days are past and I'm looking back...it's the butterflies and roses days that I hold on to.

For some reason you think when the kids finally get to school you'll be so grateful for the peace and quiet that you've earned after 12 years of having at least one child at home with you during the day

After a summer of noise. noise. noise. it's very quiet. quiet. quiet.  And even though I know there's a lot of silver linings to this new development, phase, stage of my life...today I'm sad and a bit melancholy and I've cried many tears that keep coming without warning.  .  Yesterday, I stood in the shower trying to get the tears to stop because I had kids chanting for me out in the car because they were so excited to get to Target to pick out a school outfit out and go to back to school night...enthusiasm and excitement were at their peak and I didn't want my tears to put a damper on the day.  So as I drove to Target I had tears silently slip down my cheeks unbidden by me.

And now as I write this they well up again as I try to keep them at bay. 

Last night as I lay with Emma just as she was trying desperately to fall asleep, we were talking about the first day of school.  She said to me, "I hope you don't cry, Mom."  And I said, "I'll try not to."  She said, "I don't want you to cry, it makes me sad."  I tried to reassure her, "I'm only sort of sad.  I'm so happy about the beautiful, sweet, compassionate, and wonderful people you are all growing up to be."  And she hugged me really tight and unknowingly squeezed more salty water from my eyes and she whispered, "I want you to be happy, Mom.  I love you soooo much."  And she showered me with love and kisses.

I'm all about having independent children.  It's what I've raised them to be...they've made me proud.  And yet...when it comes down to it I want them to stay little.  I want them to need me.  To look over their shoulder and give me a little smile.  To run back to the car, throw their arms around me as tight as they can and kiss me like crazy and say, "I'll stay with you Mama and I'll never grow up." 

It's so bittersweet to have them walk on their own.  Be grown up. 

And for some Mom-only-knows-reason I want it to happen...I'll just have salty water running down my cheeks while they put on their favorite first day of school dress, throw on their backpack, and walk into their class or their school (since walking Emmett to class is now out of the question) without looking back.

To my sweet children...I love you.  Please know that as you go out into the world that I'm here.  Right here.  I believe in you more than you know.  I love you more deeply than you can comprehend.  You are the only you on this planet and, even though I love you for reasons innumerable, I'd love you for that one reason alone...

And even though it seems like I'm sad...I'm throwing out confetti on this day just for you...

new. LIFE. 

by the seat of our pants.

I'm really not good at looking too far into the future.  I live pretty day to day most of the time.  At the beginning of the summer Mike and I said we were going on vacation with the kids...we even put it on the calendar.  I remember saying we should go to Atlanta. 

Well, about two weeks ago I realized that trip to Atlanta was coming up.  I thought to myself, "we'll just find a hotel when we get down there...we'll just wing it.  It will be fun."  I had some ideas about what we could do and I was especially wanting the kids to experience the In to the Dark exhibit that is there. It's a fascinating journey into a blind person's world.  I got to go to it when I was at Love Affair and loved the chance to have my mind opened to a completely different way of seeing.  I knew it would be great for my kids.

As the trip got closer, I decided we had all been to Atlanta enough.  We've been there 4 times since we moved here (not that you could ever run out of things to do there) and I wanted to go somewhere new.  So...4 days before we were supposed to leave and during peak season for EVERYTHING since school starts...TOMORROW.  I decided to try to book something in Charleston or at one of the many state parks in North or South Carolina.  I spent an entire day on the internet and phone hearing all about how everything was booked and if you want to book anything you have to rent for at least a week.  Needless to say I got pretty frustrated about 1/2 way into the day.

I finally talked to a woman near the end of that long long long day at the computer and she recommended Pawley's Island.  I had been looking at resorts and big frouffy places that I really didn't want to go but didn't know where else to look.  I wanted something that felt smaller, more cozy, and less tourist-y.  From what she told me, it sounded like Pawley's Island was perfect...a little island between Myrtle Beach and Charleston. 

We arrived and loved the feel of the island and have decided we'll have to go back next year.  We had so much fun.  I'm posting some pictures of our trip and I'll be posting even more...I may have to do a couple of segments or something.

These images are about the first 12 hours we were there.  We went to the beach before anyone even had a chance to change into swimsuits...no one wanted to wait. 

Even though Mike and I had arranged to eat out for breakfast each morning (becuase we thought the kids would think that was awesome!) we quickly found out that our kids had decided that eating at the little round table in our little villa (2 bedroom condo) was the coolest place in town to eat breakfast.  So we went out and got cereal and milk (exactly what we have every single morning at home) and had the best tasting breakfast we've had in a long time.

We also went biking and crabbing and made sandcastles and went boogie boarding...more of those pictures to come soon...

A real vacation is a must!  I left my computer at home and so did Mike.  Most of the time I forgot my cell phone in the villa while we were out playing around and it was beautifully freeing and fun and so wonderful to be so present.  I hope you're getting a chance to do the same.  Really living makes a really big difference in your life.

vacation. LIFE.

miriam loves horses.

Last year for Christmas Miriam asked for horse lessons.

It’s really the only thing she wanted.

Just before we left Utah, she finally got horse lessons.

Miriam had six horse lessons with Soldier the horse. I got to go to her last one and I have to say that I was really impressed with how well Miriam handled and rode this huge horse. She knew all kinds of cool stuff about horse anatomy and all of the equipment that goes with taking care of a horse. She had also learned to groom him and was so sweet with him. You could tell she was totally in love.

At one of her lessons she was thrown off Soldier. She got back on. (…I think I just heard a bunch of moms gasp at that sentence.) When Miriam came home and told me that she had been thrown from Soldier I was shocked and extremely happy that she was standing in front of me.

Amber, her horse riding teacher, said that Miriam getting thrown from a horse and getting back on makes her a true cowgirl. Miriam loves that!

My little cowgirl.

happy. LIFE.

wishes.

Birthdays around here start at breakfast.  You wake up and you get a present at each meal. 

The girls had been busting with excitement for a couple of days.   (Everyone has been earning their own money, saving some, putting some into tithing, and some into spending.  They all decided to put their spending toward a gift for Emmett.)

They could not WAIT for Emmett to open the things that they bought.  I love that my kids are so excited and enthusiastic about birthdays...it doesn't matter whose it is...they are totally thrilled about it.  So with every present there were all kinds of oohhs!  and aahhs!

There were homemade gifts, too.  Miriam made Emmett a little box out of paper and then wrote him sweet notes about his birthday and put them inside it.

The biggest oohhs!  and ahhs! came when Emmett unwrapped his BB gun.  Yes, folks, you read that right.  Emmett now owns a BB gun...followed by a fretful mom laying down the safety rules...a few times.  I can't believe it....

I am so happy that Emmett is in our family.  There is no one like him in the world. 

He is...

a kind older brother...even if he does know exactly how to push his sisters' buttons.

a voracious learner.

thoughtful of others feelings.

aware of what people need.

a loyal and true friend.

a thinker.

a planner.

an inventor.

someone who doesn't let obstacles get in his way.

independent.

sensitive to spiritual things.

a good listener.

someone with a great smile and a happy laugh.

great at excelling.

competitive.

a hard worker.

a blessing to his mom.

and a gift to his family.

He wished for a BB gun...and got it.

I wished for him to slow down the growing up...to wait for me while I get ready for him to grow up...to wait while I try to get used to him not being the baby that I held 12 years ago... and hoped that this day wouldn't come before I was ready...I didn't get my wish...

I did wish that he would grow up to be a sensitive, kind, and thoughtful person...that's a wish I'm getting.

older. LIFE.

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