Hey Hope,

You'll be here soon.

Yay!!!

And here's a short, little

Nana/Hopers

opportunity...

The Farmer's Market

at the pier!

We'll check out the jewelry...

and listen to some good music.

We'll buy some honey

produced by

Interlachen bees!

How cool is that?!

We'll definately have a

New Jersey style

lemon ice...

that we'll enjoy under the pier

to get a break from the heat...

And we'll absolutely walk through the

splash park...

on our way back to the car

with some yummy produce in our basket

to make a feast for the

rest of the fam!

I can't wait!!

Barefoot Adventure

This morning I took a walk.

Barefoot.

Intentionally.

Just to feel the earth under my feet...

and to feel the softness of the soil...

I walked across cobblestones imbedded in moss...

on my way to visit our climbing tree...

I took a short break to take in the sights...

and to smell the earthiness of the salt marsh at low tide~

perfume to to me...

I stopped by Bob's (the racoon) trail  in hopes of getting a glimpse...

and then hopped over to Arnie's (the neighborhood armadillo),

but it was too bright out for him to make an appearance....

Oh, and by the way,

did I mention that the grass was freshly mowed!!...

And just as I was about home,

I had to stop and admire Ruth Ann's garden...

that I get to enjoy each day as I walk out my door...

before I made my way back to my air-conditioned,

earth-toned sanctuary...

because 

summer was making a huge statement...

"I AM HERE!"

Bringer of Light

What is the Irish meaning of
"Lucas", you ask?

"Bringer of Light" ,
I say.

And here is our
latest sunshine,

who made his grand entrance into the world
on June 6th...

and how we love him
from his mohawk-topped head

to his surfer-toed feet

ready to hang ten...

How he is loved...

 and how he has instantly
brightened our world...

Welcome,

our Little Illuminator!

Precious Memories...

I have to say...

I have few regrets in life.

But one of my biggest

is not being there

when Hope was born. 

I think of that alot lately

as I await the arrival of Lucas.

Missing the excitement of her birth.

But hand in hand with those those thoughts

is my memory of our first meeting.

And that meeting is one of my most

favorite moments of all time!

It was at the Orlando International Airport.

Michelle and Hope just arrived from Germany.

I took Hope from her stroller,

laid her down,

and we had our first eye contact with each other.

I will never forget that moment.

She gave me a look that plainly said,

"I know you"

And my look to her was mutual.

From that moment the two of us were

forever bound together

in the most profound way.

Kindred spirits!

And to top it all off,

Michelle caught this moment with her camera.

It's true:
a picture is worth a thousand words.
Because I have a thousand words within
me to describe this exact moment.
But I'll let the picture tell it all...

I couldn't get the pic to rotate :)

Waiting for Godot.... oops, I Mean Lucas!

And unlike the endless and in vain waiting

 that the characters in Godot experienced,

our wait is very much reaching its end

and certainly will not be in vain.

A new little soul known as Lucas

will be making his entrance into this big wonderful world

so very, very soon.

In my hospital no less,

taking his first breaths of St. Augustine air!

But in the meantime,

there is walking...

and wishing...

and dreaming of future quarter (?) rides...

And thanking Hallmark for their heartfelt congratulations....

~~

Also, there was a walk to the pool...

and strolls to see the sunset...



~~
There was a walk by the pier

~~

Let's not leave out the lounging...
 with loved ones...

...and other loved ones...

...and the introductions that were being made...

~~
We had a last minute fashion show for

post-birth, comfy outfits...

~~

And did I mention walking...

with well-deserved breaks...

...along the beautiful intracoastal,

which, fyi, if we were boating people,

we could travel this waterway all the way up north to visit our

Jersey fam!

And as we stroll,

we can stop and enjoy this visual of love ~

a palm lovingly being hugged by its neighbor, the oak...

So, Lucas, you little baby boy,

we are waiting to meet you.

Patiently.

Excitedly.
In better shape...lol...

And with lots of hugs!