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.

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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.

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!

 

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.