Disconnecting.

I hate being so far behind on my blog.  Mostly because I tend to forget the little things about the days I'm posting about and the whole reason I blog is to preserve the little things.

I just wanted to do a very quick real time check in as I don't know that I will have time to blog this week.  Andrew's birthday is on Saturday and I haven't even sent out invitations. (!)  We went on a wonderful vacation to the beach and I've had trouble getting my brain back in gear!

8 days in a beautiful house on the beach...it was such a treat.  We did puzzles,

 

played games,

 

 played on the beach,

 

 walked to the tide pools (and were nearly blown away in the process, the wind blew HARD most of the time).

 

But above all, we relaxed.

 

Sure we cooked, cleaned up, did some laundry...but to wake up in the morning and mosey downstairs, help with breakfast and then just do whatever you want....was amazing.  Dan and I haven't done lengthy vacations by ourselves since having kids.  A night (or two if we're lucky) here and there are treasures.  But it isn't really long enough to truly disconnect and mentally slow down.  But now that the kids are older, this vacation (which we've done before) has become easier.  I mean, I was able to read! The  kids were allowed on the beach (at the foot of the house) without us (we had windows facing the ocean from which we could watch).  It was wonderful.  It was the first time since before we had kids that I felt this disconnected from life and really slowed down.



I did one blog post.  And downloaded some pictures onto my computer.  Had a little bit of fun one day with facebook while we were out and about, but other than that, I was disconnected most of the time.  And it was great.

 

I have to say, I didn't expect coming home to be such a hard transition.  But to taste the luxury of an extended period of time where we could step away and slow down (I spent my down time reading, doing puzzles and playing games)...was so wonderful.  Dan and I came home and had my mom, uncle and Marcia stay over so we opened another puzzle.  Dan and I sat for a few nights after they left for hours piecing together the puzzle while we listened to movies like an old married couple.  It was so much fun.  And so relaxing.

 

Life with kids is busy.  There's just no way around it.  Everyone I know in this stage of life is running on full tilt.  Just trying to talk to my friends on the phone requires an appointment.   I'll play phone tag for weeks with some of my friends and if they're in a different time zone?  Even worse.  It's just the stage we're at.  (I do think it'll improve once all my kids are in school full time.  At least that's what I'm telling myself.  I told Dan I could keep myself busy for probably 2 years with just trying to get caught up with everything I'd like to do around here once the kids are in school).  So to have this time of leisure was such a treat.  It was much needed.  Greatly appreciated (thank you, Mom!!!!!)  And felt so good.  It has been hard to step back into life.  Even summer time life, which is a very low key time of year in comparison to the school year.

I look back at photos and want to jump back in.  I think I said to Dan at least 50 times that week, "I love the beach."  I do.  I love the coast.  I love the first glimpse of the sand and waves when we arrive.  I love the smell of the air, the crashing of the waves.  The sand on my feet.  All of it.   Before kids, starting with our first anniversary, Dan and I went to the coast (mostly Cannon Beach) for all of our anniversaries.  It's a special place to us.

 

I look forward to blogging about our trip and enjoying the memories.

 

In the meantime, I have a birthday party to plan.....