Liberation, Jersey Shore, and Time Spent With My Sis.

My sister made yet another trip to see me recently and it was so nice to have spent time with her. I hadn't seen her since our mom passed away last summer so having her here reminded me of her and it was nice catching up and reminiscing about mom. We spent most of our time relaxing in my little house which she loves so much. She finds it very cozy. I personally do love spending time at home especially when it's in my tiny living room talking or watching Netflix. I love small spaces which makes a place more welcoming and personal. She was only here for a few days so I made sure that we planned a day in the city. 

Heat Wave.

The Beach.... 

The beach is something that I always look forward to going in the summer. We went back in June when there was a heat wave going on and it was the best feeling. Not the heat wave, the ocean! I tell you if you have a sore back going into the ocean with the waves hitting you really does feel good on your back. I wish we had a pool so we could swim and get more exercise but going to the shore and to our neighboring pool is good enough for me. The weather is going to be super hot this week so it looks like the pool/and or shore is on the agenda!

A Love Letter To The Jersey Shore...

Dear Jersey Shore, 

You certainly keep our family sane during the winter months and I'm so happy we are still here. To hear the waves crashing while standing or walking along the shore is a blessing for our mental health. For my mental health. You know how to deliver the sounds of the beach. Walking on the sand is a soft reminder that life is good. A sign that spring is not too far off. I love the sounds of the seagulls when it's quiet. I love it when you're empty and only a single soul is on the beach with us playing with their dog. Oh how I love that. 

Beach Therapy.

Going to the beach is all kinds of therapy especially when you need to be reminded of how beautiful life can be. It's up to us to choose joy and I choose to be happy. Losing my momma hasn't been the easiest but I'll tell you that it can be a bit tolerable knowing that she is in a better place. I know that she is watching over me in hopes that I know that she's okay. The beach was her favorite and coming here gave me the reassurance that she is. That she is with loved ones catching up and enjoying each others company. I am so grateful for that feeling of peace and although I have days where I break down I know that it'll pass and that I will repeatedly remember her death but also celebrate it in a way where it can be positive and beautiful. 

Tuesday's Snow Day!

We had our third snow day this year and in all honesty the kids could have had a delay because all the wet snow melted by 3pm! Noah and I enjoyed our day and went thrifting to find him some ski pants for the Klondike derby this weekend and ate at Cane's afterwards. I also wanted to check out the beach to see if there was still snow and it was slowly disappearing. We went to spring lake beach this time and stayed a bit longer because it wasn't as cold. I mean it was hoodie cold but not freezing heavy coat cold. I captured moments of Noah on the beach running around, looking to chase pigeons, and climbing on the rocks. It is always so soothing to hear the waves crashing and to just hear the peacefulness that comes from it. I love coming here off season because there's no people. We saw maybe three people as we were leaving but we still felt as if we had the beach to ourselves. 

Snow Day On The Beach!!

Last Friday we had a snow day off from school and it was the best! Noah was in heaven because this was the second snow day in a week! He is realizing that the older he gets the more tired he becomes especially when he goes to bed late waiting for dad to come home. 10:30 isn't super late but it is for an 8th grader and he needs his sleep! He's starting to realize that classes will be more challenging in highs school which means lack of sleep will increase. He loves sleeping in and is so different from his sisters. The girls would wake up on their own but I have to wake up Noah. He owns a smartphone that isn't hooked up but regardless if it's not hooked he needs to use it as an alarm. I don't mind waking him but he is going to be 15 later this fall and he needs to start being more responsible in waking up on his own, but these past snow days were a blessing for him! And for me too as I love spending time with this kid!

Jersey Shore in January 2023.

Who says you can't go to the beach in the fall or in the winter when it's cold. That's the best time because there are no crowds, you don't need to pay for tags, and when the weather is overcast and the waves are choppy it's a good time to take pictures and go surfing. But we didn't go surfing. We just took pictures and along the shore while Noah chased the seagulls and enjoyed the sounds of the waves. We are so grateful to live near the shore and to be able to come here any time of the year! Every now and then we need to hear the sounds of the ocean and pretend you're the only family on earth! Now for some joyful moments with my two favorite boys... 

Hydrangea Season!

My love for hydrangeas never gets old and as I looked back through the archives of this blog there are so many photos, and written posts I shared about this flower. I first discovered them in North Carolina and when I moved to the east coast they are literally all over Jersey and New England! I love them and summer is the season for them. New Jersey is certainly lovely and not boring because there are a lot of hidden gems around here. If you drive long enough and go rogue without googling "famous hydrangea spots" or "best shore place" you'll most likely find hidden gems on your own. 

Belmar Beach Scenes!

First day of July and I already feel summer flying by! The beach is the one place that I look forward to every summer and even though the water was choppy and the water was super cold Chelsea and I had a girls day out and as always had a nice time having the sounds of the beach be our therapy for the day! Belmar Beach and Spring Lake are neighboring beaches on the jersey shore and we love taking turns going to both. I think Belmar will always be our favorite. The scenes from these two quaint beach towns are charming. From vibrant hydrangea flowers to boats and waves I captured a few moments before soaking it all in getting wet in the ocean! Beach hair don't care!

Beach Day!

With summer winding down we are taking advantage of time by going to the beach. We have less than two weeks before school starts and we really want to soak in these final days of summer-literally! I have to say that this summer hasn't really been filled with beach days because of having other commitments and being that it's been soooooo hot would rather go to a movie, museum, or just stay in the comfort of our home watching Netflix! 

We did manage to go to the beach when Jon was off from work and adopted my other son winsley for the day. Sure do love that kid and Noah is always happy when he tags along. As much as he loooooves his sisters I'm sure that he would like some male bonding with his friends from time to time. It's nice that Noah has a couple of good friends that he can have fun with and are like a brother to him. And looking back at this post I can't believe how tall these boy have gotten in one year!!!! I blame it on the pandemic!!

Beach Day From 2021!

In 2021 blogging became kind of blah for me and really had to push myself and be in the mood to write. Unfortunately this sweet beach post never made it in real time so I am documenting it now. Beach days are our favorite and every time we invite Winsley it just makes Noah's day. He's definitely his brother from another mother. Having Winsley around also gives chelsea a little break from Noah- getting the feel of how it is to have "another brother." LOL! She loves her bro and loves Winsley as if he were her bro too and on this day they all had a blast! 

A Little Letter To The Jersey Shore...

 

Dear Jersey Shore, 

I will never stop expressing my gratitude for living so close to you. And even though some beaches are an hour away that drive is nothing and we still go to take in all your beauty. We love you whether we get in the water or not. Just being with my family and better yet my son is so nice. Even when he  He loves the crashing of your waves and even though he complains knowing that he has to walk on sand in order to get his feet wet -once he takes off those flip flops and dips them into your ocean...he no longer complains. Instead, he has fun running along the water and of course trying to splash me with it! He loves the ocean bits and broken seashells that he finds around you. He's a kid through and through and I love that he can be more old school instead of staying at home playing on Roblox! You are what summer is all about. Kicking it 80's style and just living life outside in the summertime instead of being cooped up in the house! Thank you jersey shore for always being there for us in every season. But mostly in the summer time!

Normandy Beach In The Winter Time.

The beach in the winter time is the absolute best especially when you're with your family. I'd rather venture outside than go to the movies where you know the entire universe is going to be there on Christmas Day. The beach is safer and much prettier! LOL! These photos were taken last year on Christmas Day and they are my favorite. I love the bond between the kids and their dad and just spending time with them is the best remedy for when I'm feeling the winter blues. Christmas Day last year was sunny and the temperature was a perfect 50 degrees! We hung out at Normandy Beach for about an hour and then had our little Christmas dinner. I hope these small and simple traditions never end. The Jersey shore is the best and I hope that the weather on future christmases will be like this. Maybe with a bit of snow! 

Girls Beach Date!

Beach days are an absolute must in the summer time and since we only live about 40 minutes away take advantage of our time to go. We've been a few times this summer and plan to go again before school starts! While Noah was at scout camp we decided to have a girls beach date and we had so much fun. The water was extra warm and we literally didn't want to get out of the water! Chelsea was a true aqua woman and having the best time and even though she missed Noah at times it was nice for her to be able to go deep into the ocean and swim. Normally she'll stay close to Noah and play in the water with him but since he's not a swimmer doesn't like going in too deep. So chelsea went all in and took advantage of the waves! I myself am not a great swimmer and so I too stay close to the shore. Maybe it's cause I'm getting old. LOL! Anyway, we had such a blast just the two of us. We should definitley make this a tradition when dad's at work and Noah is away at scout camp! 

Summertime!!!!

School is officially out for summer and we are soooooo happy about that! After a long year of zoom school we are going to make it up to the kids to do whatever their little hearts desire (well, not everything) but you catch my drift. Going to the beach per their request is an easy task and so we drove out to Belmar beach to let the kids run around. Water is still a bit cold to dip in but it looks like we will have scorching temps in the days ahead to go in. We love summer and all that it brings. Here's to the simple pleasures that life brings...especially in the days of summer.

June Is Here!

So far June has been hot and humid and wet. A couple weeks after having surgery we escaped to the ocean where we can hear the waves crash and the seagulls sing. It was a much needed getaway. Those 65 minutes away from home was the remedy that I needed after being cooped up in a room with four walls. The kids forgot how the sun felt on their face. Their cheeks turned red within seconds but as we continued to walk further into the beach feeling the sand in our toes they forgot about the scorching heat. And ran against the waves and tagged each other back and forth. All Jon wanted to do was relax and lay on the sand but to no avail. We sat and stared at the sun on a bench where Chelsea captured our smiles. He didn't mind. He was just happy to have been at the beach with us where packages aren't delivered. It was a beautiful pre-summer hot day and fun family beach day and we look forward to more days like these this summer! 

Happy June! Enjoy the picture vomit! 

Noah-isms - The Pandemic Edition.

It's been over a year since I've written any thing about Noah and his musings and I have missed that! Heck I miss a lot of things about this little blog. Not many people read blogs anymore but boy do I miss the good ol days when I blogged about anything and everything. The life of motherhood and parenting and all things kids. Now that they are all grown up and pretty much on their own (at least two of them) I don't have too much to write about on parenting. I feel like "a know it all" on mothering and parenting but I know I still have a lot to learn on raising my only boy who's 11.5 years young. So I guess maybe I will still write about the two kids I have left at home. Life is about adventures and living in the moment and learning about life's lessons. This past year was a rough fun one. My kids learned to speak up. Grow up. Get outside and I mean really dig deep into culture so much that Noah was asking all kinds of off the wall questions. He said words that his sisters never said at 10-11 years of age. Penis, sex, are among the words he would say. And in good context. He's growing up and wanted to know how he ended up on earth. How he was made basically. He learned all about maturation class this year so I am happy to know that my son knows all about the birds and the bees. What to do and how not to do it. Especially at a young age! He's so mature it scares me but at the same time I'm chill for the known fact that he knows what certain things mean when it comes down to the nitty gritty. He asks us questions and we answer them in the best way we know how. I'm Latina  so I don't sugarcoat my words. Christian or not it's important to teach our kids things that may considered a sin. The things he has said is proof that he is definitley not sheltered, but cultured. It's been interesting to watch grow up. To hear him respond to his teachers on his own without asking me, "what do I tell her?" He will do really well in middle school if he keeps this up. 

I only have about five Noah-isms to write so here they are...

Enjoying The Festive Season While It Lasts!

Living in an area where there is so much to see and do especially during the holidays is so much fun but time to see it all is not going to be on our side. Time we won't have which is fine because this year was definitely the year to simplify and to not pack so much into our holiday schedule. Luckily we live 40 minutes aways from the shore where there are tons of beaches to go to and we happened to find ourselves at Normandy beach the other day (not the one in France by the way.) There's something about going to the beach in the winter time that is so relaxing. Wearing warm clothes, and hearing the sounds of the waves with no people in sight is a wonderful thing. We came at the right time where we were completely alone and second avenue was secluded. This Christmas tree filled with seashells that people wrote wishes on was a beautiful sight and we managed to hang one up in remembrance of 2020. 

Belmar Beach In The Summer Of 2020.

Going to the beach twice last week was a blast but I gotta tell you that Saturdays are not the best time to go. Especially in the middle of a pandemic. Although the beach was pretty crowded we were lucky to have found ourselves a spot within a distance and managed to be in our little bubble. 

Chelsea's long time friend Amiyah has been staying with us for a few days and hadn't gone to the beach all summer! I can tell she was longing to go and so we braved the crowds on the busiest and sunniest day of the week and brought her. We probably broke all kinds of rules when it comes to socializing but luckily for us we stay to ourselves when we've ventured out and Amiyah and her family haven't really gone anywhere in months so I think we're good. But both she and Chelsea needed girl time and it was nice for Noah to have someone to play with other than his sister! We all had so much fun on this day and hope to squeeze in another beach day before school starts but for now here are a few photos from the beach! 

Beach Scenes From Long Beach Island.

The beaches in the summer of 2020. 

As summer began the beaches became more and more crowded which means we didn't go as much this year. A tad bit sad, but as much as we would love to go to the beach two to three times a week we just didn't do it this summer. We are however gracious enough to have been able to have gone a couple of times, and when we did the kids always have a blast. We did go twice to two different beaches this past week and it was awesome. Although I posted a few pics and a little vid of the sound of the ocean I also wanted to write a little bit about it. We usually go to Bel Mar beach but Long Beach Island is another fun beach to go to. We went to Long beach Island on a weekday which means not too many people so it was nice. I captured some moments of the kids and Chelsea wanted to take some photos of me. She said that I'm hardly in any of the photos and so this time she wanted me to get a taste of what it feels like to have your picture taken! LOL!