Hungry for Sand

For me, the coast is magical, and I think I know the magic my girls felt as they ran barefoot on the beach, dug their tiny fingers in the cool sand and gathered sea shells, sticks and rocks in their tight little fists and bulging pockets.

They ran, skipped, waddled, jumped, twirled, splashed and reveled in the grandeur and magnificence of the world around them.

Rewind to my twentieth birthday. The day I entered a new decade of life, I also boarded a plane and flew to Los Angeles to be a nanny!  It was there where I fell in love with the beach and the wind and the waves!  During that year we lived in Vancouver BC for a short time.  On a day off, we took a day trip to the near by mountains!  We rode a gondola up.....higher and higher until everything was covered in a thick white snow!  The soft white made everything feel slow and quiet.  As we stepped off the gondola, we stepped into a winter wonderland!  Children were bundled in mittens and snow caps.  They laughed and chased each other around on a small ice skating pond.  A horse drawn carriage brimming with rosy cheeked faces trotted through the trees.  There was skiing, sledding, and a beautiful mountain lodge to escape the wintry nip and warm yourself with a huge mug of hot chocolate.  It was a scene from a Norman Rockwell calendar.  Complete perfection.

At the conclusion of our afternoon in the clouds we worked our way back to the valley and ended our day on the beach.  My young heart pounded as I stood face to face with the crashing waves. The cold wind sent my hair whipping out behind me free and wild.  All of us held hands and screamed into ocean, something we often did together.  It was therapeutic, and in the end always turned into laughter.  On that day I felt so small in a big world.  I knew I was small, but I also knew I was an important part of this big picture!!  I felt like the Grinch with a heart that grew and grew until it would burst.  I wasn't a Grinch....just a changed person.   I had a new love for the world I lived in.  That day I grew hungry for sand and waves and trees and mountains and worlds within this world that I had not yet seen.  

A traveler was born.

Our trip to the Oregon coast reawakened this sense of wonder and awe at the creation God offered as our home.  We are lucky.....so lucky.

Our days on the beach were magic.  The warmth and sun and cool breeze in November where so unusual and I took it as a big "I love you" from a generous Father in Heaven.  

As we wandered the small trail away from the shore, Emilee whispered in my ear...."Mama, I'm hungry for sand".  I smiled.

A traveler is born.

Someone to miss

I am a dreamer. A planner and dreamer.

I love to imagine weekends filled with beautiful places, delicious food, shopping for pretty things, soaking in tubs filled with bubbly water, good entertainment, and of course lots of love.....pure passionate love!

This weekend my plans and dreams became reality, as Tyler and I dropped our girls off (one with each grandma), and headed to Park City for a beautiful weekend together! We enjoyed the leisurely days surrounded by pine covered mountain tops and large piles of clouds. It was perfect and beautiful, but the entire time an ache lingered in the midst of our bliss.

Our babies, our girls. We missed them terribly. We wondered about them and checked in from time to time to make sure they were happy and on their best behavior. We talked about them and wondered what they might be doing and whether or not they even noticed our absence.

It felt so good to getaway and focus on just the two of us, but it felt equally good to know there were two bright lights awaiting and expecting our return. Going away is good, but even better is having someone to miss while you're gone!

Movie Buff

During my pregnancy with Adeline, Emilee discovered the magical world of Disney, Pixar etc. Almost every morning we would pop a movie into the DVD player to entertain while I caught a little more rest. It became the expectation, and we could not disappoint.

Shortly before Adeline was born, we went to Orem to pick up our new van! Yes, we are van people now. Our van is nice, it fits all of our stuff and more, and the best part.....it has a DVD player!! I thought this would be a nice way to keep Emmy and Addy happy during our road trips. I was right! That night we made our stop at Wal-mart and bought a new movie to break in our new DVD player. It was getting late as we set off for home, so we stopped at Wendy's on our way out for a late supper. The movie started, Emilee was delighted, and we were on our way! Tyler and I were talking and eating our dinner, when I hear a loud voice from the back. "Mama! Mama!" "Yes my love"......I look back to see what she needs. Without taking her eyes off of the screen she points to the front, then points to her open mouth!! She refused to pull herself away from the movie, resorting to sign language, of sorts, to communicate her need for food!! It was hilarious! I passed back a couple of chicken nuggets, which she grabbed and ate without missing a single moment of her movie.

Hmmm. I don't know if this the healthiest thing we've introduced to our children. (I'm referring to the movie obsession, but the fast food qualifies too) Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do!

A Little Break!

So Sunday night my mom, Amber and I left the babies, husbands, and work at home and headed for Las Vegas!! It's not that Vegas is a favorite spot of ours really, we just wanted to go some where different and we wanted to try out the new Serendipity 3 at Caesar's Palace. Amber and I love the one in NYC and wanted to share the Frozen Hot Chocolate with mom!! It was quite satisfying, however, my heart still yearns for the magic of New York City, oh how I long to go back!!! Although the Frozen Hot Chocolate was delicious it just wasn't the same as being crammed into a corner of the eclectic cozy Serendipity 3 on 60th street! Sigh.

We stayed one night at the Stratosphere were we treated ourselves to a round at the oxygen bar. It was wonderful, we got to relax and enjoy massages while we inhaled oxygen to our heart's content. I felt great when it was through....I would highly recommend it!

The next night we stayed at the beautiful Bellagio. That hotel is so amazing and we spent the evening relaxing in our robes and slippers as we ate our complimentary chocolates. We spent hours wandering, shopping, stopping a the bathroom for the preggo lady (me!), and of course eating.

Our final night was spent at the Loews Resort at Lake Las Vegas!! It was beautiful!!! After a dinner and pina coladas in the "village" we returned to the hotel where we enjoyed another pina colada on the veranda, taking in the fresh air and moonlight. We spent hours talking about life, love, sorrow, family, relationships, and how we want our lives to be!! It was so nice to share that with my mom and sister. Sometimes we get too busy with life to be there for each other the way we would like to, so thank you to my sweetheart and little mini for letting me take some time away to reconnect with them.

As usual, the time went by too fast, and there are so many details I'm leaving out, but I'm so glad we made it happen!! This memory is already a cherished one. I'm definitely looking forward to next year!!