It is Saturday morning and Kadin and I decided, as hard as it may, we needed to get out the door early and enjoy our day outside. We made it to Diamond Knot, down at the beach, by 8 and we were the first people to sit down and have breakfast. Breakfast was great, no meltdowns, both kids ate and were happy, therefore mom and dad were happy too:) We then walked down, Price rode his bike, to the beach. We did the swings, we watched other kids feed the birds, and we walked along the beach finding treasures with the tide out. Price and I walked down to the shore and found 2 starfish and uncovered many rocks to find baby crabs as Price called them. Kadin and Parker stayed up and played with rocks.
Sissy was getting tired and Kadin got this shot of her leaning her head into his lap, I love it.
We were having so much fun we decided, instead of taking Parker home to nap like we'd normally do, I'd just sit down on the beach, feed her and have her fall asleep in my arms. It was heaven. Kadin took Price to the playground where he climbed and played while Parker and I relaxed for an hour by ourselves. I listened to the waves, watched the fisherman going out in their boats, watched a family playing with their dogs, it was awesome. No one talking to me, no one calling, just peace and my baby sleeping in my arms. I closed my eyes and listened to the motor of the boat driving out to the point. Before I knew it tears were rolling down my face as I pictured my dad driving his boat with me in the passenger seat as we did so many times in that exact same spot. He'd wear his yellow Mariner HS hooded sweatshirt, shorts with his white socks up to his knees. His tan face with his wispy hair blowing with the wind coming over the windshield of the boat. He was in his element. On his boat, going out to fish with his family, that was his thing. That was his relaxation and release. It was ours too. I miss those times with him. I miss eating cheerios out of a tupperware container at 5am as the sun was coming up watching my dad drive out to our destination. I miss the smell of the gas, the sound of the engine, the fish tail behind us. As I was sitting there with my eyes closed all I had to hear was the boat engine and all those images and memories came back to me so vividly it felt like it was just yesterday we were having these fishing adventures out in the sound. Once we got to "the spot" he'd put our poles in, slowed the engine down to troll and we'd wait. He'd put his arms up on the side of the boat and smile at me, "are you watching? are you watching your pole?" I loved every minute of our fishing trips and it was nice to be able to have a moment of quiet this morning to remember those times.
When I opened up my eyes after my brief trip back into the past, I looked down to see this angel of a face, my baby girl. She is perfect in every way and I know my dad thinks the same. He isn't here to hold her and to play with her and to watch her grow but he is here, all around. He is in the waves, on a boat, with the eagles flying overhead, he's around and he gets to see our babies whenever he wants, I believe that.
Life is good. Life sure can be crazy at times and very tiring, but all I need to do is have these little moments here and there to remind me how simple life really is and how the little things make me so happy.
