Belated Beach Trip: Part 2

This was Anders' first time swimming in the ocean. He was with us when we came down for Christmas last year (part 1. part 2.), but this was the first time he got to really experience the waves and the sand between his toes. He LOVED it. I mean LOVED it. It was the cutest thing seeing him play in the water. Talk about pure joy. Casen, of course, had a blast, as usual. He doesn't stop moving, ever. He dug holes with Mimi, flew the kite, swam for hours, and spent a lot of time in his float. We all had a great time. I was lucky to get to read a chapter of my book between keeping up with the two of them. 

Belated Beach Trip: Part 1

So I lied. Here we are a month later, and I'm finally posting pics from the beach. We are so fortunate to have gotten the chance to go down to Seagrove this summer. We weren't expecting to be able to, but we made it happen, although, Fico wasn't able to join. My grandparents live down on the panhandle of Florida, and we have had the privilege of calling their home our home away from home for the majority of my life. It is something I look forward to year round, being able to go and stay in that house. There is something about returning to a specific place time and time again that makes the experience that much more special each time you go. Something about using the same shower and the same beach access and the same golf cart and the same toys in the attic. Eating on the same dishes and sitting in the same chairs. It all just feels so comforting. There aren't many places I feel that way. Not even my own home. I guess what I'm trying to say is I am so grateful to be able to visit the beach at least a couple times a year and that I have been able to have that constant in my life. That forever safe-place. We have had so many memories down there and it is something that I hope we are able to continue for years to come as we and our children grow older.

Better late than never

I am finally getting around to editing pictures from our trip to the beach earlier this month. If I'm lucky I may get them posted tonight or tomorrow! Why do I feel like I can never catch up with anything?! Oh yeah, because I can't!!

Christmas en la playa -- Pt. 2

After we opened presents and ate breakfast Christmas morning, we all headed down to the beach to get our feet a little sandy. All the crazies got in the freezing ocean, not I. At least Casen had a good time. Even though he walked home shivering, lol.

Now I will leave you with this:

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Christmas en la playa -- Pt. 1

Only once in my whole life have I ever spent a Christmas at home. Christmas is one of the many excuses my family finds to venture down to my grandparents' house on the panhandle of Florida. There you will find my home away from home and a treasure trove of many of my favorite childhood memories. It is one of the few places I am genuinely content and comfortable, although I used to very much take it for granted as a teenager, but what else is new. Countless holidays have been spent down there including multiple 4ths of July, Thanksgivings, and Christmases. To be honest, while most people don't feel like it's Christmas without snow on the ground, I need to feel sand between my toes to really believe it's Christmas.

These last couple of years, though, have been pretty wacky, given that I have gotten married and added two little ones to the mix. Kids make holidays a bit more complicated than they were prior to their arrivals, we've learned. Casen's first Christmas was spent in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico on a cruise ship (ain't complainin') and last year we spent Christmas with Fico's family. We've decided to do the whole your-family-this-year-my-family-next arrangement between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So long story short, I am so glad we were able to go down to the beach and spend Christmas with so many of the people that I love the most. It was a great time spent relaxing and stuffing our faces with the most delectable meals you can imagine. (I am so fortunate to be from a family that has mad cooking skills -- now if only someone can rub off on me.)

I really didn't get many pictures of us opening presents since one of my hands was a little full with a hungry baby and the other was unwrapping for myself and Casen. These are a few from Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.

I am going to post a few more pictures tomorrow of us playing at the beach, but I'm not trying to win any awards for the most photos ever in a blog post so they will just have to wait!!!

Hope you all had a very merry Christmas!

Stay safe tonight and H A P P Y  N E W  Y E A R!!!

Silly tongues. 

Someone was not happy. 

Fico's awesome new watch from UO.

Helping Mimi pump up the tires on his new bike! 

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