and life goes on

Did you hear that exhale? That was me, finally able to breathe again when my tech whiz hubby said those magical 8 words. "I recovered your photos from the dead laptop."

It was all of 2015. All of it. Yeah, I should have been backing up. I get that. Lesson learned.

When I went to the past months of photos I was a little overwhelmed. Where do I start, how do I pick up where I left off? There was the annual camping trip with Joy and her fabulous family to Shenandoah National Park back in early September...

And then much of September and October was spent with boat friends from all over. Two boats from Europe both with boys Zach's age hung out for about 6 weeks. It was non-stop fun with the kids making constant mischief (both the good kind and the not so good kind at times.) And the moms all drinking wine together and marveling at the universal antics of the pre-teen boy. We had such fun showing them our crazy but colorful country and hoped they came away realizing we're all quite friendly here and not nearly as plastic as we may seem.

There was a lot of late nights, and laughing, and wine, and playing music. My little ukulele and friends with guitars and ukes made for many happy memories late summer and fall. There is nothing like music (and wine) to bring people together and create connections. Of course there aren't many photos of those wonderful moments, or any that are for public consumption.

And we got in our last chilly sails on the Bay before winter hibernation. Sunny crisp and beautiful as always.

And of course Halloween at the marina is always a treat (haha!) It's such a sweet little tribe of kids, both boat kids and local kids who merge into the tribe for the experience of dock trick-or-treating. Our neighbors as always got really into it making it fun for the kids.

And finally earlier this month I got to hop on a friend's boat for a delivery down the Bay for a few days. Sailing other people's boats is always fun... it's all new and exciting, but when something breaks it's not your worry! It was a beautiful little trip, a nice mama break from the daily homeschool grind. Though just after the trip I got sick sick sick. Still recovering slowly. Glad I stayed well enough to make the little get away. It really made me appreciate just how beautiful our Chesapeake Bay is, with sunsets and pelicans and dolphins and boats from all over the world.

There is no way to go back and truly rehash all of the living that's happened in the last 3 months since my laptop up and died. But that's ok. I have all of the precious moments etched in my heart and mind, making me smile and remember. Documented or not, life goes on, and how sweet it is.

Five Times Around The Sun

~~~I am way behind here with photos and writing about what we've been up to.  Partially it's because sometimes when life is so full and so fabulous you just have to soak it all in before you can reflect on it all. And mostly it's because we had a laptop crash, and I lost all of my photos from 2015 (ouch). Then we lost internet for about a month and I swear I became common law married to the Comcast tech guy who was on the boat nearly every day sorting out the issue. Back in the saddle and catching up now. ~~~


This fiery little soul is 5 years old now. She waits for the signs each year, watching the trees closely, waiting for them to change. As leaves fade from green to yellow and red and orange and brown, she starts asking... "Is this the day? Is it my happy birthday now? The leaves are showing me it's my birthday!"

Her big day was small but sweet. A little cake with friends, some celebrating with our immediate family. And walk with her birthday silk umbrella.

This girl is full of spark and love and curiosity and she is tough and tender all at once. She loves music and animals and little things and pushing her brother's buttons whenever she can. She is my muse and my teacher and the one who makes me laugh each and every day. Happy 5th Birthday my sweet Naia.

nothing gold can stay

The leaves dazzled, fell, and now lay in a crunchy carpet all around. Naia keeps asking, "Am I still 4 years old mama even though it's not October anymore?" What an all at once freeing and frustrating feeling it must be to have zero concept of time or age.

We managed to rake up the piles of leaves from under the oak tree before the marina landscapers got to them, which meant the kids could rake and jump and throw to their heart's content.

Now the wind has kicked in, the temperatures have plunged, and the amber glow is laying in heaps beneath stark naked trees. The shrink wrap company is scheduled for this week. We're just a turkey dinner away from the start of winter. I am making my annual promise to myself to face the dark season with a brave heart and positive attitude.

And I am holding tight to the last bits of gold.

Last Call

The chill is setting in. The heater is working hard and barely keeping up. The "W" word has been used more than once around here. So rather than focus on the dark days ahead, I will choose to be grateful that our last sail of the season was a perfect one. Nothing broke. Nobody cried or pooped or squabbled. The wind was agreeable and the seas were calm (unlike our second to last sail of the season where the winds were angry and the seas were drunk, but let's not go there.) It was sunshine and blue skies and family who are also friends, and a chance to appreciate our awesome boat and the never boring waters we call home.

(Cousins who just moved to the area, yay!)

It was a beautiful reminder to hang tight, because winter won't last forever.