last day here…

Today was our last full day on Anna Maria Island. It was spent on the beach soaking up the sun late into the evening hours. My favorite time at the beach is between five and nine in the evening. There is something magical about sitting, swimming, and playing as the earth slowly revolves just enough to hide the sun from our view. I am sad to leave this beautiful island. Our time here has been restorative… reminding both Davy and I of the simple things in life. A sand castle built by a small child. A precious shell. A nice cold beer to enjoy in the sun. An outdoor shower. A walk along the shore.  A school of fish swimming near your toes. A disappearing sun. A new friend. A precious secret shared.  A small house. Finding a new pet. A scraped foot. An ice cream cone that drips too quickly. A precious boy. A precious girl. A growing love. A time that will never be forgotten.

How many times did we cross this bridge?

The place we laid our heads.

We’ll miss it… but we’ll be back.

along water’s edge

I move in rhythm

to the waves made each night,

approaching so gently and lovingly.

You are subtly different each and every moment,

creating at times, a veil through which you are elusive,

and in other moments a crystalline lens through which to see your splendor. 

You meet me there.

Moving near, then disappearing. 

I have never known you like this.

You have become a companion in my moments of solitude.

Along water’s edge I love to be.

 

Does anyone else love this?

We have grown to love a little show that airs on the travel channel. 

Davy and I love the show “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.” It is so geeky cool. Do you love food? Do you love to travel? Do you like an authentic travel experience? Do you love abrasive, interesting, sarcastic people? We do.

Does anyone else watch this?

Ok, maybe it’s just us. Peace out.

Loving these mugwumps…

Let’s see… the last week has consisted of: 

Waking up

Putting on sunscreen 

Going to the beach

Napping (at least one child…)

Putting on sunscreen 

Going to the beach

Sleeping

Repeat

A couple of the cool things we have been doing… is entertaining friends we met down here. It’s pretty cool that they live next door, have a two year old, and are nice people. We had dinner with them the other night. We’ve also been to the aquarium in Sarasota multiple times. Whoopee for fish tanks. Davy and Ben love them! I do too, just not quite to the fanatical degree that the males in this family do. Also,  we have officially gone through ten bottles of sunscreen. It is the spray kind… but wow… I never imagined using so much sunscreen. I remember the days when I didn’t wear it. Also, I am becoming a student of the tides. You know, I always assumed that the ocean did pretty much the same thing every day. Apparently, I was wrong. Spending so much time near the water I have come to realize that the ocean is different every day. The strength of the waves obviously changes, but so do the direction at which they approach the shore. Every tide is different… not one is yet to be the same. Same days there are lots of big shells, other days there are millions of tiny coquinas. Today I saw a dolphin while kayaking… it was maybe 10 yards from my boat. I am coming to rely on the beauty and mystery of the ocean on a daily basis. I will miss this place immensely when we leave.

Below I have attached some of my favorite pictures of the last few days. Even with the beauty and mystery of the ocean literally at my doorstep, these precious children still capture my heart above all things…

Summer loves the backpack.

Father and son.

Ben and his new friend, Emily.

Behold the duck face.

Ben needs his beauty rest.

Avoidance and embrace! Love that smile.

I see you, Summer Sunshine.

A moment of many.

The family.

Loving the company.

Ok, am I the only one?

Ok am I the only one fascinated by the “code” you have to type in when posting comments on sites like Blogspot and Blogger? I think I love these words. I just typed the word, schizzle, krakger, and hamtin. Are these real words? (Of course, I know they are not real words… but how much would I like to weave them into my daily life?) Oh, and do you have to type these words in when posting on my site? The thought is quite vhortraking to me. I hope you have a phorischle day. You are a ganrey befder. 

To D

It is Father’s Day. I typically think of this holiday as just another way for Hallmark to make their bucks… but I know that there is more to it than that. It is a day to say thank you.

D, I cannot thank you enough for all that you do and say… you are by far, my favorite person to lay down next to at night. You hardly ever snore… and you always put up with me shaking you at any little snore and telling you to roll over. You are so patient with me. I am quite possibly one of the most exasperating people in the universe, and when I provoke you to no end… you usually patiently sit there and explain to me, “I will not talk when you are like this.” Thank you for your wisdom in moments like that. And thank you for your gentleness with our precious babies. You are a mother and a father to them. You are loving, gentle, affectionate, reliable, present, creative, and encouraging with them. You show Ben how to do everything… I know he knows exactly how to use the power drill and how to powerwash the driveway… and how to cook… and clean. Summer knows the value of playing with you… and discovering every bug and animal that you can describe to her. You are D, quite possibly the most helpful person I know. You would do everything around the house if I let you. You would help any person or animal in need. I am constantly having to remind you that you cannot pick up stray animals. You would give any person, whether you knew them or not, the shirt off your back if they needed it. You would do it. Not many people would actually follow through in helping others… but you are selfless. I am 100% certain of what you would do if someone needed you… you would come through. I know that because you come through for me every single day. You are there, smiling, patient, and positive. I love that not many people know you the way I do. You do not feel the need to advertise yourself to others… I think you just assume that your actions will speak for themselves. They do. You are the truest friend someone can have, and even though you are sensitive to a fault,  you are always hoping the best of others and yourself. You are my best friend. And even though I beg you to stay up just a little later with me each night… you never make it. And that is ok, because I love to watch you sleep and to reflect on how lucky I am to be spending my life with my best friend, my husband.

a day in our life…

We are still here. That is the beauty of a month long vacation. I keep thinking it should be over… but it’s not! I must appeal to you on behalf of this amazing place. Anna Maria Island is one of my favorite spots I have ever visited. It reminds me of Kailua, Hawaii…  which is pretty dang amazing. The beach is beautiful. We spend our days snorkeling. kayaking, shell-hunting, swimming,  and simply getting sandy. On top of that, the island has a free trolley (which Ben adores),  a great public library, and an incredible aquarium nearby. 

I am sitting on the screened in front porch right now as the children nap, listening to the birds, drinking a beer, and thinking I am very lucky. 

Here are some recent photos of our life at the moment…

The daily set-up. 

Ben waiting for the trolley.

Summer clearly loves the sand. This is her life right now… she is constantly covered in sand.

The sandified booty.

Did I mention we have to spray his crack with sunsceen on a daily basis? Cute.

Sumi clearly loves sand and shells. I am constantly sticking my finger in her mouth to sweep out any unneccesary shells/shellfish/small crustaceans from her mouth. I am sure she has eaten some… oh well… look at her face in the photo… she loves that she is eating this crap.

This is the order of the day: Summer eats a shell, while Ben waits for the next giant shark to make it’s way into 6 inches of water. Life’s a beach!

 

Thank you for people who impart hope…

Has anyone read this book? I just finished it today, and I closed the cover feeling rather hopeful. If you haven’t read this book and care about what people are doing in the world to advocate for children, I suggest reading this book. Also, the story is a phenomenal testament of the dedication, perseverance, and honesty of a single person. 

The short and sweet… in the eighties, a young man attempts to climb mountain… fails… stumbles into remote village in Pakistan… really loves the people… promises to build them a school… and actually follows through… raises all the money himself… builds it without the help of anyone but the villagers themselves… and then repeats the process… fifty five times… in all different areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan… and is still completing more schools…

I really savored this book. 

Also, yes, I am reading this…

What do I think? (You may not care what I think… but this is the place I can actually proceed to say what I think…) I think that this book is good. I hate to say it… but it is very good. And thank goodness, it is actually fairly well written. His ideas are fresh and he seems to be very honest about the fact that they are “ideas” and not necessarily his platform. I am appreciating his ideas. I’m not saying I agree with absolutely everything he says… but I am listening. I am hoping some of you reading this are not booing and hissing about this. I’ll probably write more about this read when I finish.

Vacation is so nice. I love to read. 

just another day…

…in paradise. Here are some of the recent photos from our month on Anna Maria Island. Some are just cute shots of the kiddos and others you will see the amazing natural beauty we are surrounded by…

The munchkins first thing in the morning… they look so sweet and innocent…

Let the sandiness begin! Summer loves sand… until she eats a the equivalent of a small bucketful. She is a great sport at the beach and can hang in there with the rest of us. Notice busy Ben in the background. Two year olds can have alot of fun at the beach!

Ben at the beach.

A moment to savor. (Literally, at least for Summer.)

Ben’s beautiful eyes..

.

Sumi after a day at the beach.

Are they bonding? I think so. (Or maybe they were fighting…)

Anna Maria Island is known for its incredible sunsets.

The sunset.

The beach at sunset.

Taken today after a morning at the beach. The camera lens even fogged up as we brought the camera outside into the ninety degree heat. Kids love the beach.. it’s a given. We are enjoying every moment of our month here.

Over the last month…

Ben’s black eye

You never thought you’d see her in a bow… (it’s from a gift, by the way.)

This is why bows are a bad idea.

Ben with his favorite thing, Picasso. I think Picasso had put a gash in his head about 2 hours previous to this picture. 

 

Ben grad-i-ated… sort of… he is just going to a new school next year. His teachers were incredible and we will miss them dearly.

This is the beauty of our life right now. There is always someone to hold your hand.