Behind the Scenes, courtesy of Crystal, is a fun way to see life as it really is. Lived outside the snapshots. Check it out here, and read about real life adventures beyond the perfect (or not so perfect) photo.
The picture:
For the past 4 summers, I've been going to the beach in Florida with my folks & my kids. We have some friends with a lovely place on the Atlantic Coast and they graciously let us run away and vacation here. It's been a transformation for my girls. They used to be really tentative around the sand and the waves. A (my littlest) used to just sit on the wooden beach access steps and wait for us to be done. I used to have to beg them to give us 15 minutes in the sand. As the years passed, they've gotten better, and as the week goes on each year we are here, I see their fears subside as the waves and sand become a little more familiar. But still, it's ALWAYS been a struggle. And the beach part has never been what they wanted the most from the trip.
BUT. Sometime in between last summer and this summer, something changed in both of them. We arrived Tuesday afternoon, and after dinner we thought we'd start with a walk on the beach. My mom, dad, and I thought it might start to ease their fears just a bit if we walked before our first play day on Wednesday. We walked down the steps, and they took off like lightning. Fear?! What fear?!?!?!
What was supposed to be a gentle walk on the beach turned into full out frolicking in the waves. All dressed up. Sandy and salty and sopping wet. Not at all dressed for beach play. Tuesday night was a victory for all of us. Kids were thrilled. I let go of some control, decided to be a "yes mom" for that moment, and let them have at it, despite being dressed for dinner and not for a free-for-all. I only wish the picture could have captured the delight I saw sparkling in their eyes along with the glee in their bodies as they ran toward the ocean - embracing everything that used to scare them silly.
HELLO, NEW CHAPTER! HELLO, VACATION!
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A little more about Behind the Scenes:
WHAT IS THE "BEHIND THE SCENES" LINK UP?
Social media and online
relationships can make us feel like everyone else has it all together.
We're edited, proof-read, Pinterest-perfect versions of ourselves (or
so some might think!) when - in reality? There is an unfinished pile of
laundry around the corner. That cute toddler smiling for the camera just
had a massive meltdown seconds ago. That yummy breakfast-for-dinner you
just showed us on Instagram? It's because the cat licked the chicken
that was supposed to be for dinner.
"Behind the Scenes" is a fun link up where we show those photos - but tell the real story behind them. The sneak peek behind the scenes, a look past the edges of the photo to the real life behind it.
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