How delightful, to have a second mailing addess!

Rich and I are thoroughly enjoying our cottage life by the ocean (right outside our windows, seen and heard at all times). The children are getting brown and are always covered in sand and going off someplace on barefeet or bicycles. We have a collection of shells getting larger and larger by the day, and pity the one person who goes on a family beach walk with pockets. Sarah approached her Dad with her two hands together filled with shells to request his pockets, “No” was the typical Dad-reply, “you carry them.” “But, but, but, but but, Dad!!”

Needless to say he allowed her to put them in his pockets. How can you say no to your little blond haired baby? (not so little anymore, as Aunt Amanda says, “Sarah is getting so tall!)

We went for a walk today and all of us but Brittnee, who doesn’t care for the ocean, went directly INTO it for a swim. It’s hot outside and the water is like magic *NOT like Disney, though, says Caleb*.

I heard David and Ethan talking. “I am SO tempted to go under the water,” laughed Dave. “Why can’t you?” I asked. “Because it kills our eyes.” It didn’t stop Seth, though. He is now half-wild and half-fish and never plugs his nose. I saw his legs sticking up from the water numberous times as he did handstands on the clean, hard, sandy floor of the ocean.

We pick up sand dollars with our toes to scrutinize them. I say to the sharks, “Go ahead and bite me!” I say to the jelly fish, “Go ahead and sting me!” Fear will not keep me from this salty sea. I am also turning brown. I haven’t spent this much time outside in years.

We ride bikes every day, bikes with bells on them. Mine is turquoise blue with a “cloud” seat and Rich says he will buy me a basket to put on the front. I can go and go and let my thoughts roam as my feet pedal. I bought three new “Life is Good” shirts (my favorite) and two of them are bike-themed. I’m a biker!

Truly, variety is the spice of life. A new place to live (for a month), new things to see and experience, and lots of family time (95% of the time a good thing) is a life-brightener indeed.

My brother Dave sent us the first gift to our new address! Thank you, Dave!

Our son Caleb will have the first birthday in our new place! In six days!

We watch Star Trek as a family every night before bed! I often fall asleep!

Yesterday I put two french braids in the three girls’ hair! But I said there were 8! I have vacation brain!

I’ve rubbed sunscreen on backs 7,000 times already!

We are about to have a thunder storm!

Rich sat right down with our new book from Dave.

Breakfast, at 11 in the morning. “Island time” is what we say, “and it never runs out,” is what Sarah believes.

Sarah and I made a double batch of Rice Krispie Treats right after breakfast.

Impossible to keep clean, but still beautiful! I’m cooking on a gas stove top! The kitchen….the heart of a home. I’ve already done so much in this sweet little cottage kitchen, including bread-baking and a huge apple pie (with Brittnee).

The wild-child came out to the porch with globs of white sunscreen just begging to be rubbed in, so, he was practically attacked by Brittnee and Grace who jumped right at him to help. He didn’t mind but seemed to have a hard time staying balanced as he was rubbed from all directions with four sisterly hands at once.

I sat on the sand after my swim, with my knees tucked under my chin and my arms around them. Seth came over with his stick. “Don’t leave the circle!” he said as he drew one around me. I kept within, and as children came to show me things I told them to lay their “offerings” down at my feet, in a Very Queenly Fashion. David didn’t like this talk, and came over to stomp on the sand dollar which Grace had offered unto me just moments before, and crushed it under his heel. “No false idols!” he admonished. “Dad gave that to me!” mourned Grace.

As we approached the public part of the beach, we all promptly turned around and headed back home. Rich and I looked at each other and smiled over every adorable thing; the boys swimming together, for example. They enjoy each other’s company like good brothers do. They also argue and kick one another in the rears but Rich assured me “it’s okay”. “He kicked him so hard, though!” “I’m sure if it was that hard he would have smacked him back.” “sigh”

And of course we study every living thing (or it’s remains) because we thrive on nature!

*****

Rich is on the couch with Grace. He is reading and she is on her phone (with a book on her lap; Middlemarch by George Eliot). The house is dim, we can hear thunder in the distance. Everyone else is free and gone and busy doing their own thing.

*****

If you mail me a postcard, I’ll mail you one, too!

Shanda Ives
116 Turtle Track LN
Jekyll Island, GA 31527-1073

(I love having a private blog now!)