This is our Place of Solitude………. The Ocean.

I’m going back in time, March. The month was so full, an overstretch of self that I am just now, a Sunday morning deep into April, catching a breath…. but in the most beautiful way…

The 1st weeks of Spring brought both of my older babes HOME. Quick trips, unfortunately not overlapping, yet restorative and full of quality time, laughter, and joy… A filling up of all of our cups when we needed it most.

I did my best to treat each like a Mini Spring Break—— which meant day drives over to the panhandle I grew up on for some dreamy sun, sand, and crystal clear blue water. Nothing feels more comforting to me than the Gulf Coast…. No matter where all we have been, my whole being becomes warm and soothed on this Shore. Luckily, for my babes, they love it too…

These little moments had me 100% present, slipping into a place where I hibernate with them so deep I don’t even remember to take photos ;) It’s funny- when our children are little, toddling around, we spend so much time wrapped into them, observing, watching so so closely- their curiosity wild, growing and changing daily, we capture it all as we don’t want to miss a minute—- The black box in our face, the picture they get to see on the screen is amusing, its wonder…. It created a way for them to recall their childhood…But as they get older, we find ourselves much further than arms length… In order to stay as close as motherly, un-smothering-ly (is that a word?) possible, we deep dive into conversation and curiosity of the born persons they are… I feel the camera gets tucked away, and that eye contact is more important than ever… Just listening to all they have to say, tapping into stories and bad jokes and their worries becomes the deeper connection, the bond of friendship I always longed to have with my kiddos. And thats just it, this is a family of Best Friends…. Golly, isn’t that the best thing?

The phones may have caught a few more shots, but our memory of these March days together, thats the true keepsake. All I hope is that all 4 of our children will grow up with a box of beautiful moments filed away in their minds and hearts, that out-weigh any of their struggles over the years. I hope that if I keep documenting, even on a minimal level, the bits and pieces here in this space, to one day become albums on the shelf, that they will have a life to look back on that brings them a smile, some strength, and the comfort to know that we are deeply rooted to one another, a family knit together with un-breakable thread.

My Mama Journey is shifting drastically as of late… The younger girls making milestones, the older babes blowing us away, and being a part of their ever-evolving Journey is just the coolest thing… March may have felt like I needed a small island to keep me afloat, that the demands of doing this alone was to much at times, yet here I am, on the other side of the busiest Season of this deployment, and when I look back, all I see is how much beauty came out of it…. THEY are my Village. How damn lucky am I?

Thank you kids, for working with me as a team, let’s make the Summer awesome <3

Till next time- xoxo

March Beach Dayz.