happy

we are at the beach. it is overcast, chilly-- and perfect. i love everything about being here. the houses are charming. the air smells pure. the girls are active and giddy. eric is relaxed. dogs are playful by day and exhausted by night. cooking is pure joy when i am here as i find ways to make do with whatever we threw in the cooler. i love opening the girls beds and prepping the dogs blankets for slumber. doing the dishes is therapeutic as i run the water and listen to the girls and eric chatter. prepping for the walk to the market, packing the beach bag, sweeping the porch--i love it all. simple. easy. happiness. i have been saying repeatedly since we arrived "i am so happy".

and then i decided to download some pictures i snapped today and blog a bit about my happy place and i discovered wi-fi. (until i discovered i had access to wi-fi i had not tapped in to the fact that part of my over the top happiness was because i thought i was totally unplugged--not a chance for a signal). wrong. and because i have no willpower i checked email and i read one that upset me and my happy place immediately became a distant memory. boo. and then eric saw that there was in fact wi-fi and he started tweeting and emailing and the whole world came into my cozy cottage and they weren't invited. boo. again. but i am taking my black and white self and reclaiming bliss.

i trust these sweet shots of my boy and girls and beasts will bring me back there in no time.

bella & bliss beach bound

skateboarding sweetie

believe it

post-dinner spin

                                                                    my three loves

Voyagers

Today marked a rite of passage for my Olivia. After suffering insecurity for her "fuzzy legs" for far too many years of her young life I succumbed to her pressure and allowed her to shave.

I prepped the bathroom with comfy, warm towels and the perfect temperature bath water and we sat along the tub's edge together. I slowly and methodically lathered up my babe's legs as we both bubbled with nerves and excitement. Rubbing her strong long legs I refelected on when I first lathered them with cream some 10 years ago. I thought of all the times I bathed her over the years and how we made Santa beards with soap bubbles, how she first learned to go under water, and the stories we'd swap about our respective days as we soaked together.

Uncharacteristcally, I took my time with Olivia this morning-- reveling in the simple act of shaving her beautiful legs. I fully embraced the moment and acknowledged how this is a part of her journey and how blessed and grateful I am to be on it with her. As the blond hairs made way for the smooth skin that Liv has been longing for she happily chatted and I happily focused. Sweet kid sis, Audrey, wandered in in the midst of it all and climbed in the tub water. Listening to my girls laughing and spinning tales together was bliss.  Watching Audrey moisturize Olivia's legs was pure joy.

Together we ventured into new territory today. Liv waited so long for this day, Audrey was so thoroughly excited for her sister, and I genuinely lived in the moment knowing this would be a memory Olivia would never forget. And now neither will her mama. Thank you once again, my girls, for helping me adjust my sails and for making the journey magical.