Family Time at the Ocean

My Girls...

Allison made us shirts
to commemorate our trip.

Last week I attempted to craft a blog on a life lesson I learned from the ocean. It wasn’t all that deep…if you’ll pardon the pun…but you are welcome to check it out HERE if you missed it.

 

Although I’m a writer, I cannot fully express what that time with my daughters meant to me on a personal level. My heart is full.

 

We returned from our week at the beach on Saturday. Usually, after a family vacation I am in need of another one. I can remember coming home exhausted from the long drive and needing to immediately jump back into a routine. After doing laundry and going to the grocery, that is.

 

This trip was different. We played games in the condo and rode the waves in the ocean. We walked along the shore to a restaurant for lunch by the ocean. We laughed until we cried. I don’t remember turning on the television even once. 

 

We fell into a rhythm as comforting as the steady sound of the waves out our door.

 

These weren’t “my little girls.” These were women I love and respect. These were adults with opinions and ideas with a great sense of fun and humor. These were people I can enjoy as friends and equals. 

 

I know the girls texted their husbands during the week. They likely talked with their children. They are good wives and mothers. But those moments didn’t consume our time. In part it’s because my girls chose incredible men to wed. They are good husbands and fathers. They value their wives and recognized how important this week was for us.

 

This wasn’t a week of trying to recreate memories. It was a week to make new ones. 

 

This was a week to appreciate each other. It was a week to celebrate the individual gifts each woman brought to the table. 

 

God blessed me with three daughters who grew up to be three of my favorite women in the world. As I said…my heart is full.

 

Thank you Allison, Danielle, and Kendall for sharing this time with me. Thank you David, Tim, and Scott for making it possible.

Photo Album: