The beach is our happy place.
Where we love to spend our summers.
Growing up, summer meant playing in the sand, riding the boat out in the ocean, feeling the burn of salty water mixed with sunscreen on my sun kissed cheeks, spending days and days with cousins and being surrounded by family.
Ross and I feel so blessed that our littles can spend a good bit of their summers at the beach.
After all, it is our happy place.
They are comfortable on the beach.
Occasionally a big wave will come and Harper runs to me and yells
“hold you hand Mama!”
And of course I secretly love those big waves because they mean that I get to hold her hand.
Don’t even get me started on these cute, squishy, sandy cheeks.
Our days on the beach are filled with squeals of delight, laughter and pure happiness.
This year, The Boy is convinced he can surf.
Ross and I could sit there and watch him “surf” all day!
He is so stinkin’ awesome, if I do say so myself.
Sometimes we take walks on the beach where we spend time chatting with the littles,
asking them questions, listening to what life is like through their eyes.
They see the magic that this world has to offer and their sweet, innocence makes my heart melt.
Happy.
Freedom.
Late afternoons are spent on the boat.
On the boat, Cliff is in his element.
Asking Ross a ton of questions.
He is a little captain in training.
The best part is when we have friends with us.
Ross is able to sit in the back of the boat and enjoy our family.
This is our happy place.
Smiles fill our faces.
Being together.
Soaking up every second.
This is what life is about.
Exploring the inlet is always so much fun.
And so beautiful.
Then the moment we have waited for is here.
Sunset.
So stunning it takes your breath away no matter how many times you have seen it.
Ross and I laugh when we ride across the inlet to the restaurants and the littles scream and point to the “real” pirate ship!
No matter how many times we drive past it, Cliff always reassures Harper that our boat goes WAY faster than that pirate ship and those pirates will NEVER be about to catch us!
Taking the boat to dinner is always a fun treat.
It’s different and exciting to pull up to the dock in front of the restaurant!
At the beach,
we are all high on life.
Life is so precious and there is something about being here that always reminds us to be thankful for every second we have together.
The beach,
our happy place.
Where is your happy place?!
Love all of the pictures – your family is so adorable!
My happy place = camping out in the woods with family.
Adorable pictures. Love that last one. The whole family…..including the llittle one inside.
Anywhere outside is my happy place, but especially Forest Park! There is so much to do and if you don’t feel like doing anything, you can walk the 6 miles all around the park or go have a picnic on Art Hill (the big hill in front of the art museum). The Zoo is mine and my roommates’ favorite place to be together – we love the animals!
Thanks for the smiles!
Amanda
Oh those pictures make me homesick for the Carolina coast!
Beautiful pictures! Beautiful Family!
That blue house is awful familiar! I’ve seen it in a couple of your other pictures. It looks like the one that’s across the street from where we stay in Garden City. We’ve vacation there since I was little. Your pictures are beautiful and your faith is inspiring! We need more young women like you in this world!