Hilton Head Weekend

Before too much time goes by, I wanted to post some of my favorite photos from our weekend in Hilton Head.  We went primarily to celebrate Sophie's birthday.  

{A live starfish.  No worries....we put her right back in the water.}

{These wine charms were in the townhome we rented for the weekend.  Aren't they SO ME?}

{Our patio had lots of lizards.  A big hit with the girls!}

{My mom was able to join us for the weekend. I managed to get an action shot while she played with Clara at the pool.}

{An extremely rare family shot.  On my favorite beach at sunset.  Thanks, Mom!}

{After blowing out the EIGHT! candles on her birthday cake, Sophie asked me to take this photo of her.}

Alain & I took Sophie kayaking for the first time as one of her birthday presents.  It was so great and we got to see dolphins (we were really hoping for this)!  I lucked out and came within about ten feet of two who were swimming close by.  One tilted his head up out of the water to look at me and we locked eyes for a moment.  You know what that is?  PURE MAGIC. It's the second time in my life that's happened and, I'm telling you, there really isn't much else like it. He wasn't a tortured dolphin locked up in a tank that I had to pay money to swim with and touch.  He was wild and free and perfect.  I know it was a 'he' because our guide told us.  He's been living in that particular area for at least twenty years.  The people who work for the kayaking company see him almost every day. The kayaking may have been Sophie's present but I left feeling like it was mine as well.   

We are HARD CORE, people.

So our week at the beach turned out.....COLD.  We had ONE day of really nice beach weather and the rest.....not so much.  Did we make the most of it?  Hell yeah we did.  And we had a blast. 

Yesterday, our last day, was butt cold but we decided we HAD to go to the beach and soak it up (before the massive rainfall a few hours later!).  Let me tell you.....this beach was EMPTY except for a lone biker now and then.

Our umbrella and chairs were the only ones in sight. The wind beat at us and tangled our curls.    The chill cut right to the bone (and I had on three layers!).  The girls (and Alain) built a sandcastle with a long gully that led down to the ocean.  

After dropping Alain and the kids at the beach, I went to the store to pick up some coffees for Alain and I.  While there, I passed by the Krispy Kreme display and noticed the bags of mini white powdered donuts. Well, you have no idea how much white powdered donuts remind me of going to the beach with my family when I was little.  My Dad always bought them.  Isn't it amazing what sticks with you? Of course I picked up a bag, purchased it and took it the beach to surprise the girls.  And surprised they were!  It occurred to me that maybe they've never eaten white powdered donuts. They went NUTS.  Especially Clara.  She seriously ate about 1/2 the bag by herself.  She didn't want to share with anybody else.  

There we sat, all cuddled up under the umbrella, eating white powdered donuts. In the freezing cold. On an empty beach. And it was pure bliss!

Just for fun......we took these few pictures for you, Dad.....hope you like them!!!  

We're back home now but already missing the beach.  Cold weather and all.

The Beach, Nature & Creativity

Welcome to my favorite beach.  

Calibogue Beach.  In our family, we call it Land's End or South Beach.  It's never crowded (not that I've experienced).  This might be because there isn't any parking so you have to walk or bike a good distance to get there.  It could be because there are no amenities. No restrooms, no snack bar, no lifeguards, no umbrella or beach chair rentals.  It might be because there's very little actual beach, especially at high tide.  I wouldn't necessarily recommend swimming here because it's where the Calibogue Sound meets the Atlantic Ocean.  This means heavy currents and sharks (I understand that it's a hot spot for shark fishing but don't take my word on this ~ I may just be overprotective).  What may deter others are the things I love about this beach.  The nature here is CRAZY, there are tons of dolphins and it's the best spot for sunsets.

What thrills me is that Sophie loves it as much as I do.  On Friday AND Saturday, while Clara was napping, this is where she asked to come.  Not to play mini golf, ride horses at the stable, swim at the pool or visit the crowded beach, but HERE. While we hung out and I watched her play, it occurred to me that it's probably my favorite spot/activity for nurturing her creativity.  

For example, just take a look at this sandcastle.

We only brought a couple of shovels and buckets with us.  You can only fit so many things in a bike basket and backpack!  Sophie used those items to make the skeleton of the castle but then collected all kinds of natural items ~ pine cones, shells, driftwood, feathers ~ to decorate it.

My favorite part was the bridge she made out of sticks. I love her imagination.  I don't know that I ever would've thought of that!

 Throughout our visit, items would get added to this lovely castle.....

.....and this was the final view before we left the beach for the day.

Then there's all the digging.  Here Sophie told me she was digging a tunnel.

She was very busy and so quiet (and trust me, she's never very quiet).  Maybe that's another reason I love this beach so much....it captures her imagination as much as mine.

 Then it was on to writing and drawing in the sand with feathers.  Oh, this is so addictive.  Every single member of our family wrote in the sand with a feather tip.

I was happy to receive two love letters.....one being this....

 Be still my beating heart.

 In another moment, Sophie was working quietly in the sand.  I asked what she was doing and she told me she'd made a garden and she was watering it. 

A quick filling of the water bucket. 

And then a sprinkling on her row of plants.

Swoon.

At some point a couple came out with their kayak, promptly got in the water and paddled away.

(I was only slightly jealous!)

Shortly thereafter Sophie found a reed tucked into the sand. She told me she was going to use it as a paddle.  Then she hopped up onto this log and started paddling away.

(I think she was slightly jealous too!)

What could be more perfect?  I'd rather spend a few hours here than just about anywhere else I know.  

(photo taken by Sophie)

See, I told you my girls would turn me into a beach person!!!!  Maybe not the type of beach most people think of (I don't even swim or sunbathe when I'm there!) but a beach all the same!

(this photo reminds me of this one)

Sophie and I.....the beach provided a perfect outlet for our creative energy (mine in the form of these pictures and this blog post!) but, as the saying goes....

.....we took only pictures and memories and left behind only our footprints.

2012 Highlights

2012 was an incredibly hard year.  

During the first half of the year, we were barely sleeping.  I think, on average, I was sleeping between 3 and 5 hours a night. It was so difficult.  There were times I wondered if I could die from lack of sleep.  Then, slowly, as the weather warmed and the year dragged closer to Summer, Clara's reflux started to subside and she began to sleep a little better.  Still far from ideal but better.  I felt like we were slowly coming back to life.  During this time, Sophie started her very first soccer season...and Clara began to walk...

In early June, Sophie spent her last day at preschool and we had a pizza/cookie cake party to celebrate...

Somehow, in the midst of the crazy first half, I did manage to plan and pull off a belated 40th birthday bash for Alain (and, in usual Audrey fashion, I took a bunch of photos of my prep work but none during the actual party!).

In Spring, Alain had a very large project at work and we didn't see a lot of him. Then, as Summer started, he finished said project and we prepared to leave for a week-long vacation over July 4th to New York City.  

The day before our flight we learned of our dear brother/brother-in-law/uncle's tragic passing.  

Our trip to Switzerland was heart-wrenching, emotional and just plain hard.....but, even in the midst of that, there were some beautiful moments.  We don't get to see Alain's family much so, even in the midst of our pain, we had to do our best to soak up our time together (and to celebrate Yaron's 2nd birthday). It was the first time all five cousins were together in the same place and the joy of the children kept us all going.

A life without Ygal. We're still attempting to come to grips with this, if we ever can. It's been six months now. Therefore, the second half of the year has seen us muddling through.  

As soon as we returned from Switzerland, our baby Clara turned one.  My grand plans for her party were put on the back burner and we had a small, intimate family gathering to celebrate.

{I don't know why this picture is "foggy" but I'm including it because it's one of my favorites!}

The very next day we commemorated what would've been Ygal's 36th birthday by releasing 36 balloons.

In early August, my aunt and uncle invited us on their beach vacation.  It turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.  It was peaceful and relaxing....

A few short weeks later and Sophie started kindergarten. Unbelievable!

After two days of school, we drove down to Hilton Head for a long weekend to celebrate Sophie's 6th birthday. It was a lovely, lovely weekend and that trip included what was probably my favorite moment of the entire year....

As I was going back through all my pictures from the year, I couldn't believe how many nature pictures there were.  Flowers, birds, trees, insects, deer, shells, leaves, my garden, you name it.....I don't even know how my computer can contain them all.  I was surprised but this makes sense to me.....when I'm down, nature is my solace.  And there was a lot of nature in my life this year. For that, I am so thankful.

Hard years also come to an end.

I am looking forward, with a hopeful heart, to 2013!