More Memories In The Making

At the end of yesterday's post, I made mention that the last picture I shared had stirred up some strong emotions for me, as did these next two pictures that follow. Let me explain why.

I, vividly, recall the very first time I saw the ocean. Mom, Dad, and I, along with my soon-to-be sister-in-law, had driven down to Pensacola, FL. when I was about 11 years old to see my oldest brother get commissioned in the Navy. I walked out on the beach and it, literally, took the breath right out of me. What a beautiful sight to behold! Well, on Tuesday evening, we all went out on the beach. The girls walked along the shoreline, my mother-in-law gathered seashells, Chris fished, and I wandered off for a little while by myself. As I stared out into the wide, blue ocean, I began to think about Mom and Dad and what they meant to me. I missed them so much at that very moment...I can't really describe it. Then, I walked back to where my girls were and it hit me. I suddenly realized that this might be the last family vacation we'll have at the beach (or anywhere else) before Brittany goes heads off to college and begins her own life, chasing her own dreams. Abby won't be too far behind.

So, I decided to have the girls stand side by side, holding hands on the shoreline, and capture it in a photo. The way they looked through the lens really knocked me for a loop. Then, I asked Chris to take a picture of the three of us standing together holding hands. I wanted to remember that moment FOREVER! As soon as Chris snapped the picture, I had to walk away because the tears came on without warning. I thought I could make a clean escape, but no such luck...Brittany walked beside me and asked what was wrong. All I knew to do was be open and honest with her. I tried to explain that I've been a stay-at-home mom to her for the past 17 years and knowing that I'm going to have to let her go in just a year from now is something that's not easy to face. I went on to explain that it isn't that I'm not excited for her as she begins a new chapter in her life, it's just that things will never quite be the same, again. I am so thankful that she's a strong and independent young woman. She said that I can't look at it that way because we still have many more memories to make. I know she's right...but, my heart still longs to freeze time.
Now, I certainly didn't intend to ramble on and on, but I wanted to explain myself...I know you understand.

OK, on to more cheerful subjects! So, on Wednesday, we all decided to go kayaking in a bay area nearby. Unfortunately, about an hour or so after we paddled away, the tide went out and the water was only about 6-8 inches deep. So, Chris, being the chivalrous man that he is, pulled us girls in our kayaks along the water. I felt like the Queen of Sheba! Here we are checking out some of the sea life. We saw blue crabs, a few baby sting rays, horseshoe crabs, a starfish, and lots of hermit crabs! See all of those brown specks? Those are hermit crabs!There had to have been thousands upon thousands of them! I've never seen anything like it!There were so many, in fact, that they made a noise when they scuttled across the sand! Abby almost looks like she's walking on water. Just goes to show you how shallow the water was!We went kayaking for about 4 hours, so when we got back to the beach house, we were exhausted! I made Crock Pot chicken for dinner, so we just took it easy the rest of the night. The girls and I went for a late night walk on the beach with flashlights in hand and saw lots of blue crabs heading back into the ocean. The stars in the sky were so bright, you felt like you could reach out and touch them.

The next day was another day at the beach. The girls and I relaxed on the beach and played in the ocean all day long.I, finally, convinced Brittany to let me bury her in the sand...Abby said, "No way!" Later on, we went for another walk on the beach...we couldn't stay away for long!Abby drew this in the sand...it's a picture of the four of us and it reads, "Dad, Mom, Sis, Me" at the top. The perfect ending to a perfect day...
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."~Mark Twain