Mid Day School Break

We've homeschooled for years. Even so, 2020 and Covid has even made those of us used to the stay at home drill.... as stressed as the rest. Lately, as this year gets closer to coming to an end I can feel the anxiety in our home hitting an all time high. Willa is trying to meet her reading goals, Capri is SOOO close to graduating, Jason is back in business FT, Im preparing for the rest of the family to get here for the holidays... and continuing to balance my back and forth living between Nashville and 30A.

Yesterday we were at our max. I looked at the girls and told them it was time to take a break.... See THIS is one of those things I LOVE about living here at the beach. We can escape the virtual school and the crazy chaos happening in our lives... and breathe in the fresh air blowing in from the sea... whenever we want to. It's a true gift.

The dogs obsess over the sand and the water... they are such scaredy cats. Chasing the waves, then running from them... it's all a game that can keep them going for hours... once we get home they sleep for the rest of the day. It's AMAZING!

Capri... who is almost 18... also takes in the beach days like a little kid. I love this because I feel like ever since she came home we have been making up for lost time. Her childhood was lost due to years in an orphanage. We knew this move would be really important and so healing for her in multiple ways... being one of the youngest... she was always in the background... now that all the kids are out of the house and just Willa and Capri are left... we get to focus on them more than we could before. I am so grateful to be able to watch her live so carefree... 30A has been so good for her soul... her eyes are focused on her future and she has so much hope. It's all just so freakin beautiful.

Willa, at 9 years old, is living her BEST life!! HAHA! She LOVES being here on 30A. The joy she exudes, teaches me to also choose joy... even in the smallest things. Even the most normal and mundane day is AMAZING to this kid!!

My favorite moment of this very ordinary day was watching Willa hunt for shells... For whatever reason I noticed that she was keeping several that were broken... not her normal way of hunting... after all, I've taught her too look for the ones in perfect condition... But that wasn't the plan this time.

When I asked her why she was keeping this one... she replied saying, "Mom, just because it's a little broken doesn't mean it still isn't beautiful. I LOVE this shell mom, even if she is broken. Can't I keep it?"

Insert me wanting to bawl my eyes out....of course my precious beautiful Willa would find beauty in the broken things....

Yep I think we're pretty happy down here on 30A...lessons learned... life lived...learning more from my kids than they've probably ever learned from me.... I mean what else can you ask for?