a place of rest

The winter has been hard.

And that is putting it politely.

The truth is, the past few months have rocked our family hard.

It has been a brutal season.

But.......

the spring is here,

we are gaining our footing and marching forward.

Worse for the wear

but still here.

Still together.

Still family.

This weekend we decided to run away from home

and go to one of our very favorite places.

A place that has been a consistent place of comfort for the last 10 years.

Grandma and Grandpa's house at the beach.

Just two hours away it always feels like a world away.

A quiet home away from home.

A place to rest and play.

And be shamelessly pampered by two of the best grandparents you could ever ask for

(and did I mention it has an ocean view!).

We try to make it out every couple of months.

The fab five have all grown up going there.

They belong there.

They have been there countless times and yet they seem to never get bored of it.

There are cubbies and nooks all over the house inviting them to curl up or explore.

Photos line the walls and shelves telling stories and painting pictures of family.

Complex and wonderful.

Beautiful.

Scattered art projects from trips gone by

and hand-painted christmas presents proudly displayed.

Treasures around every corner.

Outside the back door is a yard full of possibilities.

A trail begging to be traveled

and a treasured playhouse.

Outside the front door and just a block away is our special piece of the ocean.

A spot of beach my children are sure belong to them.

And there is no convincing them otherwise.

We are truly blessed to have a place to run to.

A place the welcomes us no matter what.

With people who love us completely and unconditionally.