Beach Day

We packed up the car on Saturday  morning and headed out to the beach.  I forgot how much packing you have to do for just a few hours at the beach.  I think I always took for granted living so close to the ocean, but now that the drive is farther away AND we have another little one tagging with us…. the packing is much more intense.

I remember my parents doing this when I was young.  We would wake up in the morning and we would meet the Moore’s down at their beach at the north end.  I vaguely remember all the packing that had to be done.  I remember feeling excited, putting my suit on and making sure we had the floats, the boards and “all the things”.  The rest (snacks, lunch, water, boards, chairs, etc) was all just there.

Now as a mom, gosh the list!  And I am a list maker!!  I started the list the night before and wow!  Tuck and I were  “amazon-ing” on the way home from the beach all the things we might need to purchase for future trips.  A lot of the list had to do with cart so we weren’t making all the trips to and from the car!

Anyway… the beach for me has always been home away from home.  It’s my place:  somewhere I can truly relax and let go of anything that might be worrying or wearing on me.  It’s a place where I can sit and do nothing or I can be crazy active and adventurous.  It was a place of wonder and adventure when I was growing up and now it offers the same for us with Linc.  We needed a beach day like no other in this house and I needed to do something good for my heart.

I’ve been away from this world of blogging and my camera for a while now.  There always comes a time when I just take a bit of a break for multiple reasons here and there.  Lately, I’ve been spending more time shooting my own little family and also those around me that truly impact our lives.  I also have a few personal projects I’m working on in the moment which are lighting a fire in me like I’ve never known before.

The best part about all this (and this break) has been getting to understand the true root of why I love being behind my camera and why I continue to feel pulled to pick it up or had interest in it in the first place.  It always comes right back to families and to those moments and bonds that are created when we come together and spend undivided time with one another.  It all comes back to family love which is a love like no other in this world.

That love is forged and made stronger by moments.  They can be big moments or small moments.  They can be intentional moments or moments that just happen by chance.

But they are moments of love and connection and that is what I seek to capture every time I pick up my camera.  Those moments that speak of love legacies passed down from one family member to the next.  Those moments that share those bonds of love that can’t be explained in words because words just don’t exist.  It’s why we continue to do what we do as parents.  It’s the reason behind unconditional love I think.

I desire to capture these moments where we as parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, friends and so on are sharing our love and creating our legacies and leaving our marks on each other’s hearts and souls!

And so that was a big part of our beach trip this past Saturday.  It might sound silly because after all, it was just a beach trip… but to me that IS what a beach trip represents.  That was what my family did on the weekends with this same family that we beached with this past weekend!

We would pack up and head to the beach with the Moore’s.  I would sit with Emily and swim with Emily and catch up on friends and school and sports while our parents probably talked about parenting and other things, more than likely what we are now talking about!

Our parents would swim us out into the deep waters and I can remember being thrilled and scared and wild with adventure all at the same time.  It’s a big part of my childhood and my earliest memories were of the beach and learning to surf and boogie board and ride the waves with my mom and dad.

It only makes sense that doing these activities with Linc and Sadie and the Moore’s are dear to my heart.  They represent a legacy to me that needs to be documented;  one that I HAVE to document with a fierceness.  Watching Owen teach Sadie to surf is something that I just can’t quite explain in words but yet I can somehow feel it with the camera in my hand.  It means something to me.  Watching Simon, who loves to surf see his girls (who are fearless in those waves) take charge of the ocean as he pushes them in to catch a ride… I can’t express how in words exactly what that is supposed to feel like but with my camera in my hand I hope that I can give them some images that they will cherish.  You see, I cherish this time out here with all of them.  I know it might sound silly because they aren’t my daughters… but as a daughter who’s dad taught her how to surf and who’s mom taught her how to ride the waves, I know how much those images will mean one day to those girls.  So I bring my camera because I can somehow feel it and see it and maybe someone else will too!

This is how I work… my camera is an extension of my feelings.  I don’t “see” my images.  I don’t think I have “the eye” or however it is explained.  I FEEL them.  That’s how I work.

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Alright so back to the actual day now…. It was hot and beautiful and super sunny!  I was in the water most of the day and even tried to ride a few waves myself.  It didn’t work out 😉

My little man cub stayed pretty close to the shore building a “hot tub” with his daddy.  He’s such a goof and I love that about him.  I love that he has his own style, his own spirit and absolutely knows his own mind and attitude! He is FEARLESS in every other aspect of his life and when I say fearless;  this kiddo will ride the scariest rides (by himself if he can) will take off without hesitation without us and just goes 100 miles an hour in every direction, sports, flips.. anything.  He will try anything and do most anything.  He is totally without fear most days with the exception of the ocean.  I know I should be thankful… the ocean is kind of a big deal!  Oddly enough, I am a super FearFUL person but the ocean is the one place I feel at home so naturally I wish he would run towards the waves and dive right in.  Linc however, is content to stand at the shore break and cheer his friends on and watch from the sidelines.

We have made great progress this year in just getting him to go INTO the shore break!  There was a time he wouldn’t even approach the water!  I’m not sure what he is scared of or why and he can’t even explain but I know I can’t force him!  He loves the beach though and is just as happy to sit and dig and play in the sand… with his goggles on!

One day I’m sure he will take to the waves but for now… sandy toes will do!