muir beach.

Let's just all take a second to look at Sadie's face in that last one... So good. A perfect representation of her life as a baby sister.

These photos were from our day at Muir Beach a couple of weeks ago. It was the third week in a row that we had spent our Saturday at a beach. The sun has returned to the Bay Area, after a very long and rainy winter. It was the most rain I have ever seen here, and thoroughly rocked my faith in Bay Area weather. But, for the most part, we have seen more and more beautifully warm and sunny days and we are enjoying every drop.

Days at the beach with these two are surprisingly calm and delightful. Eliza immediately sets out to work on some project in the sand, such as an elaborate maze of rooms for her mermaid made of driftwood and rocks collected on the beach. Sadie is still joyously immobile, and just sits on her bum with her chubby thighs sticking straight out as she chews on things with her little vampire fangs. Sam and I can relax on the blanket, taking turns playing with Eliza or feeding Sadie- since she is constantly demanding food these days. We always pack a picnic of fresh fruits and veggies, fancy cheeses and crackers, a sourdough baguette, salami (Eliza's favorite), and perhaps a pastry that Sam and the girls picked up on their Saturday morning walk. It's becoming one of my favorite family traditions.

I have felt pretty blessed lately. I love these girls, and I love my husband. I am embarking on some new and exciting creative projects right now, on paths in which my self-confidence has not allowed me to venture down for years. I don't feel that the girls have become easier, necessarily. I've learned that each new age and stage brings new challenges- Sadie is communicating at increasingly higher decibels, and Eliza has developed a worrisome jealous streak. But, I do feel as if I have been taking better care of myself lately, and that has made all the difference. My days are easier, because I am easier on myself. My mind, my body, and my spirit have not felt this in tune in a long time. And, it's still only a work in progress...