God's Playground

We recently returned from a fantastic family vacation to St. Simon's Island.  There were so many things that made this trip extra special;   I feel inclined to mention just a few, and then let the pictures tell the rest of the story.  A huge debt of gratitude to my friend Nancy, who let us stay in her beautiful place.  After my Mom died, Nancy pretty much insisted that we use her condo.  She knew how much we loved St. Simon's  (having been there many times in the past) and how a trip to the beach would be good for our family.   And boy was she right!  Maybe my Mom had a hand in all this as well, as she was a big proponent of family vacations.

We also were blessed with visits from family and friends.  My childhood friend Amy, and her family, (who live in Atlanta) were able to join us on both weekends.  In addition, Brian's brother Tim, (who lives in Jacksonville) came up for a day.  What a blessing to be surrounded by family and friends in such a beautiful place. 

It was hard to narrow down the 650 pictures, but here are the ones that I thought were the best...

Our First Day on the Beach

Lucy experiencing the ocean for the first time.

She LOVED it!

Can you tell?

I really get to play with all this sand?

 Lucy loved playing with her friends Emma and Abby.

Dada had as much fun as the girls.

Taking it all in...

How cute are they?

Whose having more fun--the adult or the children?

More time on the beach...

It was a bit overcast, but that didn't stop the fun!

Lucy loved looking for shells.

Hanging out on the gorgeous balcony.

This was our view....breath-taking.

We didn't spend much time in the pool since the ocean was our backyard.

Looking for more shells...

Jeckyll Island

We took a day trip to Jeckyll Island and visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

Lucy loved it!

They nurture sick sea turtles back to health and then release them into the ocean.

Jekyll Island was beautiful....a nature's preserve
with very little development or commercialization.

The beaches were pristine.

It was like we had our own private beach.

We found a great place to eat right on the water.

The trees were unbelievable.

 The Village of St. Simon's 

Dada was getting a little punchy after too much shopping.

On the pier, checking out the boats...

A park on the ocean...what could be better!?!

Lucy loves swinging... no matter where we are!

Our Dolphin Watching Trip

Lucy was so excited!  Look at her face!

It got a bit windy...

And the lull of the engine put our girl right to sleep...but not for long!

There they are! 

As the captain told us, the dolphins love playing with the boats!

Nothing like some oreo ice cream on a hot day!

These butterflies were all over the island.

A morning walk on the beach.

The girls are back for our second weekend!

They loved playing with the sand crabs.

If I had to guess, she is either yelling "Abby" or "Emma"... "come here!"

Our last night on the beach... we stayed out until well after dusk.

The lighting was exquisite with the sun going down.

The girls had so much fun!

Lucy was a bit tired by this point.

The gang... Thanks to everyone for joining us.  The memories will last a lifetime.

An Open Heart

Something interesting has been happening lately.  And it has to do with this:  an open heart will be filled.  Let me explain.    A common prayer I have said over the years, for those who do not know God, is that they learn to open their heart to Him.  I have always believed this is all it takes:  a simple willingness to know Him. And then through this openness, your heart will be filled in ways never before known.  I am now understanding that the more active you are in doing things to open your heart and let God into your life, the more He walks right in, and the greater the reward.  In other words, the more commitment you have in your actions to know Him, the more He fills your every thought and feeling.

Now, here is the interesting part.   This concept of opening your heart, and actively doing things for this process to occur….works just as well with our loved ones who have gone before us.   Yes, in my experiences as of late, my Mom has been filling my heart. I was contemplating the why of this… why now more than before.  And then I put it all together… my actions, albeit subconscious, have been lending to this.  Such things like:

~Reading the book “Finding Your Way after Your Parent Dies”

(thank you to my Mom’s childhood friend, Sister Rose Anne).

~Preparing for a talk for my mom’s group

(which required scripture reading and contemplation).

~Having lunch with a friend from my old church,

who reminded me of my Mom with her hospitality and love of family.

~Talking to my Mom more (both out load, as well as in my mind).

And do you know, my Mom has been walking right into my heart, letting me know in all kinds of little ways that she is still right here with me….filling me.

Here is one example…

I received a card in the mail last week.   As it usually goes, Lucy opened it.  Before I had even seen the card, read it, or known whom it was from, Lucy was in the other room saying “awww, Grammy.”   Curiously, I went to look.  It was a mass card--for my Mom--given by one of my friends (thank you, Hilary) that was sent by the Sisters and staff of Misericordia,  Heart of Mercy.  Obviously, there was no mention of “Grammy” in there… just my Mom's name and some other nice (typed) words.  We have never received something like this in the mail before.  How Lucy had the sense that this was something regarding Grammy can only be explained in one way:  my Mom was speaking through Lucy, letting her and I know, she is still right here with us….filling us.   The entire incident took my breath away.

 So, go ahead, try it…. Be open and active, and see what happens to your heart.

A Cousins' Connection

When I look back on the four years of waiting to bring Lucy home, there are some specific things that come to mind about that period.   None of the thoughts are of the difficulty in the wait-probably because none of it matters anymore… our girl is home, the wait was simply something that got us to where we are today.  It was a very small price to pay for an immeasurable and priceless blessing. 

But the things that do come to mind are really, quite relevant…

One of those things has to do with my (then 8, 9, 10 year old) niece, Lindsay,  and her enthusiasm for her cousin Lucy to come home.  Sometimes it wasn’t just enthusiasm…..sometimes it was restlessness, or confusion, or frustration, as Lindsay wanted Lucy here NOW!  (Didn’t we all!) I always saw Lindsay’s excitement for our family as touching.  It spoke to her big heart and sensitivity to others.  I remember her once saying that she always wanted a sister. Whatever the case, Lindsay has always had a big place in her heart for our girl.

Recently when we were in Indy, as it typically goes, Lucy and Lindsay took off together to do something.   Little did I know what the girls--and a MAC computer---were up to!   A few days after I got back home, Lindsay sent me the following series of pictures, with the caption “I love Lucy” attached.   My heart was so touched, not only by the thoughtful gesture that Lindsay displayed, but also by the evidence, in pictures, of the special bond between these two girls.   Lucy doesn’t attach very easily to others, but she has always had a special connection to Lindsay.

The proof is in the pictures...

How cute are they?  Thank you, Lindsay, for loving our girl so well.  She loves you right back!