That looks like paradise? Yep…it felt like it, too! Despite the craziness that has been swirling around me and Mike and our family this year…new baby, new home, usual manic work schedules…we somehow carved out time for our annual beach getaway. Escaping to the beach every year to rejuvenate and come together was a promise we made to each other on our honeymoon (while on a beach in Santorini!), and I am beyond thankful that we have been able to fulfill that promise. This year, we booked too late to be able to enjoy our usual escape, Marco Island, FL, so we explored Captiva for the first time. It was a special trip, as it was baby Mae’s first plane trip, and her first time sticking her feet in the sand and ocean. She did great! I think she’s going to be a beach-bum just like her mommy…and big sis! My heart was overflowing to witness Eloise’s love of a place I hold so dear. There’s no place like the beach for me. It’s refreshing and calming, it puts things in perspective. A true escape. And I have the added bonus of feeling close to baby Hannah there, since we vacationed in 2014 while I was in my early pregnancy with her. Last year, I felt her in the beautiful pink sunsets and cute little shells I kept picking up in the sand. This year, she made her presence known with the brightest, most vibrant, complete rainbows I have ever seen. As you can imagine, with a 4 year old and a 5 month old, it was not a relaxing experience! I spent most of my time living in the moment, and I definitely used my iPhone to capture more photos than I did my “big camera” this year. (We actually hired a local photographer to commemorate the trip for us this year…more on that later!) But I did manage to snap a few shots of the girls lounging by the pool in their “relax chairs,” as Eloise calls them. Such a wonderful trip!
What a great trip! That photo of the rainbow has got to go on a wall in my new condo so I can look at it every day!