Cheeks

 This kid.

He slays me.

I think I've mentioned it before, but his nickname is "Cheeks" in gymnastics class.

 His chubby little cheeks enjoyed countless hours digging in the sand.

"I aunt (want) dirt," he would proclaim.

Dirt meant sand and sand meant beach.

And once he decided it was time to get wet, he would just walk straight into the ocean, and John and I would scramble after him to make sure he didn't drown.  Crazy 'ole Cheeks.

Happy 4th Birthday, Orelia!

Happy 4th birthday, Orelia!

You make me laugh so hard every day - either on purpose or by accident.

And you have such a kind nature, it astounds me.

Your joy and exuberance are beautiful to be around.

And your sassy attitude seems to grow with each passing day.

You say "I love you" every day.  All day.  It's pretty much the best thing ever.

You would like to spend every minute of every day with your friends if you could.

I'm not sure I've ever met a more social creature.

You share your daddy's adventurous spirit.

As evidenced by leaping off lifeguard stands and riding every roller coaster you are tall enough to ride.

Clothing remains a central interest and focus of your life, and nothing makes you happier than a new "long" dress.

The world is your oyster, my love.  It is such a blessing to be by your side as you take a leap into this wonderful world. 

Morning Routine

I didn't see the the morning much when we were in Rehoboth.

 John was a saint and took care of both the kids while I slept in every day.

One night Orelia, John, and Bobby had a sleepover on the deck (sans tent), so I got Bennett out of bed and snapped a few photos of him with his precious dogs at the "campsite" on the deck.

My dad also documented the other part of the morning routine where Uncle Bobby did Orelia's hair every morning.

Orelia loved getting special "princess hair" every day, and Bobby somehow came up with endless variations to impress her.  Thanks, Bobby!

The First Week

We are back from vacation and are no longer slipping into watermelon bathing suits at 8:00 a.m.

There are no morning sprints down to the beach.

With boundless energy to greet the waves.

We had a wonderful vacation, and I have more photos than I can even contemplate.  Here are some of the highlights from our first week.

Orelia spent more time than ever in the waves this year.  It was a combination of the warm weather (and ocean), extremely wimpy waves, and just generally being a tad older.

Bennett became more in love with Daddy than ever before, and he is still waking up every morning screaming "DADA!"

We swam in the neighborhood pool almost every day.

The kids both loved their time there and seemed to get more comfortable in the water with each passing day.

When it's 90 degrees every day, the whole family gets in the pool

Orelia took a few swimming lessons while we were in Rehoboth and is getting so close to truly being able to swim.  It's a beautiful thing to witness.

Bennett mastered the art of eating on the beach.  He had a lot of practice.

Wherever this boy goes, he has a smile and a truck.

We visited Fun Land once during the first week, and Orelia took her motorcycle ride very seriously.

Bennett was surprisingly uninterested in the firetruck ride.

Orelia very much enjoyed her first (several) tastes of bubble gum.

Bennett found that the towels drying on the porch made for a wonderful game of peek-a-boo.

Our kids have pretty different interests at home, but on vacation they definitely shared a love of the beach and the pool.

And they both enjoyed quite a few games of tickles while their feet were in the sand.

It's funny how that wouldn't work so well at home, but when on a beach a kid is just a lot more likely to smile.

This was definitely Bennett's favorite vacation of his life, and it showed.

My parents arrived halfway through the first week, and Orelia was especially thrilled to see them.

Her enthusiasm was displayed by spontaneous dance recitals where she would freestyle for anyone watching.

Her song of choice: "Shake it Off," of course.

There's nothing like a beach recital.

It was a great first week, and hopefully one day I will get around to editing the second week of silly sun-drenched fun.

The Rainbow Suit

I've been scrolling through all my favorite vacation photos so far.

And for some reason, it seems like Orelia is wearing her rainbow suit in all my favorite pictures.

 I don't seem to remember her wearing it more than her other bathing suits.

So perhaps Orelia just is her most exuberant when bouncing around the beach in all her striped glory.

 It must make her run faster.

Bounce higher.

 Squirt stronger.

 And brave the ocean better.

Her laugh must be all the more infectious when wearing rainbow, of course.

Who wouldn't love their little girl bounding toward them with her braid bobbing like this?

 Wearing rainbow or not, I love being on the beach with this fun girl.