Time, Stand Still

The girl was flipping through a family scrapbook last week, when we spent our Fall vacation at the Beach last year. In her heart of hearts, she longed to dig her toes beneath the cool sand, let the wind whip through her soul and bury herself in the salty air. She longed to return to that sandy shore and forget about the world outside; at the Beach, time just simply stood still somehow.

It was only a short few days later and Mommy and Daddy decided we should spend a day at the beach. Just for fun | to forget time | to lose ourselves in the salty air. The girl's heart leapt with ridiculous amounts of joy. She couldn't help the smile that stretched from ear to ear.

And thus, we packed a basket full of all manner of delicious-ness. Donned Beachy-bum clothes and loaded into the van. Just as we were about to pull out of the drive-way, it occurred to us that our puppy-love should come along. So we grabbed what Dolly-do would need and 3 hours later, we wound up at Virginia Beach. The sun was shining and the air was glorious and ... Mmmm.

My wonderful father-man. He is so very good, and awesome and

crazy to drive us to the Beach for the day. My heart spills over

with love and little pieces of heart confetti.

My Momma, my friend. She's ridiculously funny; not one of them stuffy

mothers that just watches from a distance. Oh never. AND! she packed Nutella

 and Marshmallow Fluff. How cool is she?! Also, the beach feels healthy

so it doesn't matter what you eat.

But just for the record, we had veggies and grapes the size of baby apples and

bottled water and all kinds of yummy things, good and bad. So much FUN!!

* winks *

Daddy and the munchkins playing on the Beach ... sort of

keeping the puppy-love on the least.

Joshy-Washy: The child is a fan of the boogie board.

Puppy-love had no problem staying on her leash. Dolly was beyond

content to sit back and watch. Away from the water was her favorite place

to be .... well, at least for a little while!

Sammy. Oh Sammy, my rough good-hearted little boy. He's the big 09 and this

blows my mind! Eight and a half years ago, we cuddled and he called me his best

Sissy. Now he calls me Brittany between big boy hugs and showing me how its done!

Abs, Sammy & Joshy-Washy. They are so much fun together. I think

they eventually wore each other out from all the boogie-board competition!

The girl watched this Sea-gull for the longest while ... mostly

because it wouldn't fly away. For some reason, it preferred to wander just

outside of our little beach area, but the girl said, "No thank you, we've enough

pets for a life-time."

"Seriously, Brit? Why so many pictures."

--- Hush, boy. Just smile and pretend you look different than you did ten

minutes ago. It's almost the last one. ---

This has yet to grow old, I think ....

If this isn't the most spoiled puppy-love that ever was, I would

be surprised. She loves people food and oh yes, attention too.

See? I told you our beachy puppy wouldn't last long! She was in the

 water with our Daddy and the munchkins in no time flat.

... and then realized how much she missed her Brittany and came to look

for me. Only, I was semi-dry at this point and have never been a fan of mixing

water and sand. The girl screamed No! But Dolly barked Yes! and thus ...

... The girl was covered in specs of sand and sunshine and little bits of the ocean.

But no, she didn't mind too terribly much because puppy was just loving.

I love Kenna's face! She's forever cracking me up, and making weird

sort of faces and being all grown up and mature.

Me and my Wishy-Washy, Peanut Butter & Jelly eating child.

He's my ever-growing shadow which makes me smile. How very nice

to know that one day, my shadow will be twice as big as I!