august, fully loaded...

just when we get

deep into the delicious ease of july-

that sandy, joyful, barefoot, afternoon-napping bit of summer...

august arrives-

uninvited.

august is...

hard.

and fast... too fast...

heavy rememberances

dreaded goodbyes

twisted and mixed up with

joyful celebrations

 wham! bam!

and it's over-

like a tornado

through your soul

and then...

there your are.

exhausted. 

battered. 

and standing, yes... standing...

but alone

on an empty beach

everyone gone

but so not forgotten...

and every year it just feels harder-

this deep-in-your-bones emptiness

and here we are

home

but so.very. homesick.

for our tribe.

and those summer days

we wait all year for...

all of a sudden, we are here...

sitting on the edge of fall

not ready for the jump-

but before we can even take one last breath

school and meetings and a calendar full of appointments

are pushing us in.

rainy summer sundays

those lazy summer days

 

hazy with light rain

guiltlessly off the beach

 

 sprawled across a couch

falling deeper

into a good book

lunching

with the whole crew

around the family table

in the light of day

lobster 

laughter

and
full bellies

...

sunhats

waiting...

happy list

a collection

of the little things that have made my week

(started here)

...

OH shnikes!

i've been meaning and meaning and meaning

to get to this place

but

JUNE!

is here!

and half gone!

life has been busy, busy, busy

which, i suppose

is good-

these last two months-

filled with holidays celebrating parenthood

and warming tide pools filled with splashing babies

has left my heart heavier than i expected...

but, of course

there are the very happy things

that come with early summer, too...

dining al fresco

 

in our sweet backyard

rising with the sun

and finding such beauty

custom ellas

 

on their way to a colorado wedding

(and to be worn with cowboy boots! love!)

a surprise delivery

 

local, organic, summer berries

oh. my. yum.

and

the most happy thing of all-

the arrival of my people

those friends who really are family

whose summer migration north

makes every. little. thing.

feel

just

right.

Hallelujah.

early spring by the shore

empty stretches

of low tide beach

rolling dunes

of greening beach grass

a pup

learning the way

of the sandy-dog life

bundled

with the view

of a hazy horizon

readying

for summer

...

a happy list, of a saturday sort

happy list

a collection

of the little things that have made my week

(started here)

...

football

drive-in style. down comforters, wool hats, outdoor fire, red wine.

yardwork

it's become a thanksgiving weekend tradition.
family dynamics at their best. (note the inappropriate brother-in-law)

the final weekend

this season, after 14(!), co-workers felt much more like family.
and much harder to say goodbye to for the winter...

puppy visits

three weeks old.
and a name: NOLA

5k records

at long last.
i broke 30mins.
a personal victory... and then i was found dry-heaving in the woods.

...

thanksgiving.
it was wonderful.
and hard.
more, coming...

weekend wave report

sunday morning

we were up with the sun

to waves 

that cape surfers dream about:

clean and head-high

my husband was a happy man

and life felt pretty good

...

i stayed on shore

(and wrangled the dogs)

because honestly

with my luck lately

dressing up like a seal

to splash around in waters shared with great whites

just doesn't seem like such a great idea!

not much beats the outer cape in the fall!

   

july, half-spent

summer, here 

is always chock-full

(thus, the worse-than-usual blogging. please excuse.)

theresa is here

we've had beach nights

 

and welcome cookouts

 forth of july festivities

and farmer's market delights

nursery nesting

and a baby belly that feels to have reached

max-stretchability

...

more than ever

i am thankful

for summers spent by the sea...

i'm off to float!

biking the outer cape

last weekend, we took full advantage of another beautiful saturday

and set out, bikes in tow, for the outer cape

 

the bike trails through the dunes

are nothing short of spectacular...

it literally feels like you are in another country!

 

mom and dad, pre-ride

  

 the hilly trails are beautifully maintained

giving you some of the best undeveloped views of the cape

 and leading to the beach

 

24 week baby bump!

 

happy daddio

  

i just love the old school cape cod scrub pines

our growing family!

after our leisurely ride

we headed into town 

for the first lobster roll of the season

under a bright blue sky

...

happy spring, indeed!

weekend chill out

another beautiful spring weekend on cape

saturday we biked through the dunes on the outer cape

(pics tomorrow!)

and sunday we enjoyed a lazy day

thankful for some much needed rain

this pretty much sums it up:

ahhhhh, the good life.

beach walk, spring 2012

our first spring weekend on cape 

didn't disappoint

summer-like temps
and an empty beach
for a low-tide beach walk
 ...
for some, it had clearly been a rough winter:
  
beached
 
 our 23 week photo

  we couldn't help talking about how crazy cool it will be to be walking
babe in arms
in just a few months!

 
nellie. blissed out.
 

  ahhhh, the good life.