eight...really?!

Our beautiful Madison turns eight years old today and I once again find myself sitting here in absolute disbelief at how rapidly the days, months and years have flown by.

From the start, Madsi has been her very own person--so strong 

and self-assured, a fabulous mix of sweet and sassy, unafraid to voice her opinion, and passionate in all things.

As she has grown, one of her especially wonderful qualities has been her generosity.  Especially for the last year or two, she has thoughtfully planned way ahead for birthday and Christmas gifts for everyone in our family.  I'm talking Christmas presents wrapped by Thanksgiving, birthday gifts ready one month in advance.  Most gifts are lovingly handmade (beaded bracelets, necklaces, and most recently, tie-dyed shirts), but she sometimes uses her own money to purchase gifts (a candle for me, books for her siblings, a favorite cookie for Daddy, etc.), and each gift is always accompanied by a lovely and very personal handmade card.   

All this planning ahead from my daughter--I who still find myself running to the store for last minute cards and gifts, often 24 hours before (or even on the day of) the occasion, routinely up late at night, frantically packaging, wrapping, writing.  Where does this sweet girl get such thoughtfulness?  Oh yes, it must be from from her father.  No doubt her wonderful earthly father has become less of a procrastinator and more of a planner in recent years, and I know that she has learned much by observing his loving and very giving heart.  But her heavenly Father is without question the source of all of Madison's most precious gifts.  He who knitted her together in my womb, who formed her in the unseen places and who knew her even before she knew herself.  HE is the One who supplies all that loving, giving, hugging, smiling, running, giggling, snuggling, praying, drawing, dancing, playing, reading, creating, chatting, bubbling wonderfulness that is our precious Madison.  Thank you, God, for this most precious gift.  We are eternally grateful and stand in awe of your generosity.

 

ahh, beach

Without a doubt, the beach is one of my favorite places.  The quiet, the warm water, the slow pace, the spectacular sunrises and sunsets...and in recent years, a place of retreat for my sweet family and me.

Away from the schedules and deadlines and often frenzied pace of our full lives, we find the time and space to enjoy each other in a special way.  We sleep more, we eat slowly, we laugh a lot.  We find time to walk, and talk, and listen.

This year we enjoyed almost a week at a beautifully remote spot called Alligator Point, south of Tallahassee, FL.  There was not a strip mall or condominium in sight.  The closest grocery store was over 20 minutes away.  Nothing but a line of well-loved beach cottages raised several feet in the air in order to prevent storm damage from the inevitable hurricanes that visit the Gulf Coast every year.  Our beach house had two balconies and was a stone's throw from a wonderfully natural, slightly rustic (a few more cattails and shells to navigate around than I am accustomed to) beach.  It was a most relaxing and rejuvenating time, and we are all hoping to squeeze in another weekend sometime before the summer ends.

And of course, how better to remember some favorite memories than with a slew of favorite pictures?

On our arrival there (after a 6am departure, a stop in south Georgia, and an unplanned stop in Tallahassee), the kids pretty much raced right through the house and onto the beach.

Is there anything like the feeling of warm water and soft sand on your toes?

After a nice breakfast and swim on the first morning, we headed out to stock up on groceries and enjoyed our only restaurant meal--some yummy seafood at a local joint called Posey's.

One of the kids' favorite inside jokes is to keep their eyes closed behind their sunglasses as they smile for pictures:

Like I said, we ventured out in the van that one time, and the rest of our days were spent, on foot, within a 500 square foot radius--home, beach, walk, explore, and repeat several times over.

Whatever did we do in those little spaces and all that time?

Well, there was a lot of resting.  The kids loved having their own "beds" (cots and a sofa), but sharing the same sleeping space made for a fun slumber party feel.

One morning they actually spoke with pride about the fact that they didn't even get up from their beds before reaching for the remote and watching a little Disney television.  Life just doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Our lazy mornings also allowed the opportunity for some impromptu dance parties...

And one evening, Caroline even got some "alone time" to enjoy a movie while the rest of the gang played a friendly (but fairly competitive) game of Scrabble.

And, oh yes, there was plenty of beach time.

Time to just take it all in.

Time to collect lots of shells and hermit crabs and even a sand dollar.

We enjoyed a few brief but powerful summer storms, as well as plenty of those incredible sunsets.

We found time to hang out...

...to enjoy each other...

...to have little girly pedicures...

...to laugh with each other...

...to play hard...

...in the surf and on the sand...

There was time for much reading, some journaling, occasional naps, and long walks on the natural, unspoiled beach.  There's something very moving about having unhurried time in a place that seems so close to the way God made it.  The rhythm of the moon and the tide, the beauty of the seagulls, pelicans and sandpipers along the beach, the sounds of the crashing waves, especially as we drifted off to sleep--these were gifts we enjoyed daily and with great reverence.

It really doesn't get much better than this.