I am not always grateful when "my plans" are interrupted, but this moment in time is a gift for which I am thankful.
My plan to take pictures of Lily on the beach at sunset were diverted by strong winds and a little girl who needed to find a bathroom. :))
The closest stop was my parent's church. After we took care of business, I decided to swing around back to show Lily the flowers on my grandmother's grave.
I have shared many stories about my Mimi with Lily and she knows how special she was to me growing up.
What I thought was an inconvenience turned out to be a magical moment in time.
The light was beaming down and my Mom was able to tell her about my sweet Mimi and the legacy she left our family.
Today is my Mimi's birthday.
I am reminded of her quiet gentle spirit...her creative talents...her humility...the times I would walk down to tell her goodnight and hear her praying for us by name...her love for the Lord...her servant heart...her gratitude to others.
I wish she could have known Lily. She would have loved Lily's laugh, her funny sense of humor, her smile and the songs she loves to sing.
So grateful for diverted plans that remind me of God's desire to orchestrate even the smallest details to show me more about His unfailing love.
"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."
At low tide, there is usually a wonderful tide pool that forms on the beach.
Spencer wanted to pull Lily on his boogie board but she was content with building sandcastles in the sand and didn't want any part of it.
After a little prodding she decided to give it a try and then she was hooked!
She was grinning from ear to ear, laughing and sticking out her tongue to feel the wind against her face.
She took a spill face forward off the board into the water and her big bro was right there to give her a consoling hug to make it all better.
Even her tumble didn't stop her and today these are some of her favorite videos to watch on my phone.
My dad and Lily have a special bond. She knows how to sweet talk her way into getting him to share his phone and watch a few shows on TV that she doesn't get to watch at home :)
She also loves to snuggle up to him when she is tired or watching TV with him...I think my Dad loves it just as much as she does.
He loves teaching her new things and helping reinforce her speech goals (he is the one who taught her how to say "I love you...aka "I wawa woo".
One night while we were watching the Olympics he taught her how to catch a balloon. We have had a lot of fun with this since we came home.
Lily also LOVES her Gaga! My mom gets down on her level and helps her build sandcastles until her little heart is content.
You can see them walking hand in hand often. Lily totally soaks up all the extra attention she receives when we go down there to visit :)
(The beautiful dress she has on is one my mom made for her and I am thankful for every stitch of love that goes into it. )
Spencer prefers body surfing, skim boarding or soaking up a few rays while he is on the beach but he also got some special treatment from my parents when they took him out shopping for some clothes while Michael and I had a date night out.
We got the added treat of being able to see my sister and her husband one day while we were there. I don't get to see her very often so it was a special gift to hang out with her on the beach for a day.
Lily also loved playing with her Aunt Debbie making play dough ice cream cones :)
Our little girl has no fear when it comes to the waves.
She loved going out with Michael into the ocean and having the waves crash against her.
She definitely feels safe in his arms.
The boys headed back home a few days early so
Lily and enjoyed some extended time with my parents.
Maybe she is dreaming about the ice cream boat.
He came by the first day we were there and she and Spencer enjoyed a tasty treat on the beach:)
One of the many special gifts that awaited Lily on her bed were these Tinkerbell pj's!
They rank as one of her favorites and I wash them frequently!
I think this picture is a great reflection of our week at the beach with my parents...peaceful, quiet, refreshing and simple.
What a gift it was to be together as family and spend some quality time with my parents.
Thank you Mom and Dad for creating fun family memories we will treasure for years to come.
Today is my Mimi's birthday. 
