Pictures

I’m not doing so well keeping up with all of my favorite things about you both in pictures so I better jot a couple down...

Until then I’ll just do a picture dump and see if I can remember this stage in a couple months from now!

So very thankful we get to get away from snow and enjoy time together on the beach. Also, thankful for family and friends who give us their blessing by watching our dog or sending us down with enormous goodie bags. Buster was equally spoiled and enjoyed his break from the normal as well as extra attention! 

Julia, this was your 6th time to our spot and you hang onto the memories of when my whole family made it down a couple years ago! Here is a picture of when you got to hang out with grandma and pa while we were at the beach. I’m sure you had a better time with them as well. 

Jacob, here’s a picture of your first time at our favorite walking destination on the beach! This was the time we might have been a little more prepared with a diaper bag, unlike 2 years later when we weren’t so much:( 

I’d say we picked the right spot. We still enjoy our getaway every time and love just watching you and Julia do your thing. I do miss our little beach diggers but happy to be a little more active with you in the beach! 

While you were playing at a classmates hotel Julia and I made a pit stop at the park. I’m pretty sure Julia won’t go in this thing again and I thought she might have learned a thing or two about climbing and falling...not so much. When we got home she was climbing the neighbors pine tree and tested the weight of the branch and ended up with a huge scrape and a hole in her new emoji pants:( 

Two arcade trips at three times the price of what we would have spent at our hotel arcade you may have had your fill! Not sure how it happened but Julia managed to win a beanie boo pet from the claw machine and gave up the rest of her points to let her brother try to win one too! No luck for Jacob, but I love how you continue to show love to your brother because you have figured LOVE in your heart feels better than anything else. 

We still have a creature seeker and a dad who supports it while at the stores. I supported an early morning walk to the beach to get close to a dolphin only to get down there and have you say I was right it wa cold! A cuddle listening to the beach while under the covers is just as special. 

In March

Dad started taking you to the gym on Wednesday nights for basketball practice. We aren’t sure what it will look like as in how many games, where they are played, when or the why are we doing this?! I’m sure if I go to the gym instead of enjoying my time with Julia I’ll see why in your smile.

Tents were made, songs were sung, notes were passed, tears were shed and the whole development of friendship is starting to get serious around here. Two new playmates moved in one street over...and the best part is we are friends with the parents and are in this whole stage of life together! 

The Rubik’s cube is the hot item. Thanks to grandma and pa you aren’t switching the stickers but looking up the tricks on a online blog! We may have a little addiction going on, but for the most part you are involved in other things. 

You squeezed in a couple neighborhood hockey games and I took the scoreboard away so it was more about the fun and complimenting goals instead of competing for a point!

We survived another thousand mile trip and you guys got along for 98% of the time. 

We might have had more snow than sunny days. I’m pretty sure you are over it! 

Lucky charms

We spend most St. Patrick’s days on the beach or traveling in the car. I treasure my childhood memories of going to Mary’s with my grandma and uncles for a corned beef and cabbage feast along with pitchers of green beer!Even though we don’t have quite the tradition as I did growing up it would be fun to do a couple more things with you guys to jazz up any holiday really. Julia, it was fun to hear you tell me what you have learned about St. Patty’s Day and I’m thankful your teacher gave you a green sprite at school because I was hoping to have a toast with you, but I didn’t have the energy after our travels to do so! 

 I did enjoy our morning of fixer upper while in Florida! I’ll say we were the lucky ones and the boys were the cold ones:) thanks to Dad for getting us out and having us meet them when it warmed up a bit. 

Does the family size Lucky Charms cereal count as being festive? Wish I had a picture of you two with the giant box of cereal that you may only get once a year! 

Anyhow, thanks for another great trip. We enjoyed the hot tub when it was cold, the pool when it wasn’t crowded and the beach when the sun was shining! I’m pretty sure that’s what you are supposed to do while at the beach:) 

Life has been good to me and I hope it continues to do the same for you two. I’ve had my share of good luck. Really, it’s quite crazy how I’ve got everything I’ve wished for. More importantly I appreciate everything I have and always find the good in any situation! 

Told ya so

Neither of you are super thrilled about pulling teeth. In fact, Julia has yet to collect from the tooth fairy and Jacob thinks she’s pretty great! Good thing we probably don’t even know where your teeth are stashed at the moment because there wasn’t one to add to the collection! It came out while you were eating a drumstick...I was hoping for a repeat Easter tooth knock out by your sister! 

Oh yeah, I told you that you would swallow it! 

A whole new adventure

What more could a boy ask for, right? (besides a pet turtle) This is my new favorite adventure spot. It came loaded with: beautiful ocean, a plank for us to look down at the real sea creature, sunbeams shining down, a pole that caught cigar minnows and a hungry bird, a white sandy beach with a spot to take a break and play paddle ball, oh and a fabulous breakfast stacked with bacon and kid smoothies loaded with whipped cream! 

It was pretty perfect and pretty chilly. Once again Dad was the fun one! 

Remember when

 We look forward to this trip each year, it’s a place where we splurge and get all the special treats. Our fridge and freezer are full of the best goodies in town. So what will you remember? 

Just in case I forget this when I’m older...

This remember when goes way back to 2011 and 2012 and 2013. I hope I never forget the weight of walking you babies down the beach a couple hundred yards before nap time so on our return walk you were ready to retire with me on the beach chair for the next hour and a half! (Don’t think anyone snapped pictures of that one) 

Your dad and I are aware that this stage won’t last forever, so we are soaking up every minute of the creature collector! Watching you get your system down of catching sea critters on the first night there makes the thousand mile adventure worth it! 

Soaking in the hot tub makes the windy days bearable and an opportunity to meet new people. This year Dad found you a couple friends to enjoy for a day and a half...and we piggy backed on the idea of going to Backporch with your “friend”. Hopefully this helped you get over your little fear of storms. It really wasn’t that bad. It just warranted a trip home in a taxi instead of a walk home on the beach. 

The rest of the trip has been pretty easy going. We made it to a couple new places this year and of the few I’m sure we will be back to the pier and that’s about it. It’s been nice not having to go to the arcade every free moment you aren’t occupied, but the games in the tiny hotel arcade beat the ones that we played at Wild Willy’s.