Beach fun with Gaga and Papaw

I have not been a faithful blogger lately...please forgive my silence :) Maybe the extra videos and pictures in this post will make up for my 3 week sabbatical!

Lily got her first taste of the beach about three weeks ago when she and I went to visit my parents. We took her out to the beach around 5 pm the first night we arrived and she was mesmerized for the next several hours. Here are some of her first experiences with the sand and water having fun with her "gaga" and "papaw"!

Lily and Gaga building a drip castle together...it brought back fun memories of doing this with my mom when I was little.



After Lily explored in the sand we look her down to the water.  Needless to say...she loved it!




Soon there was a tide pool that formed which was a perfect spot for Lily to play with all the toys Gaga and Papaw bought her for the beach. 




This is one of my favorite pictures...Lily was about to give Gaga one of her famous sloppy kisses. Love the way she is looking up at my mom...pure love. 



My parents thought of everything...they had beach toys and a fun wagon for Lily to ride in to the beach! It was a perfect spot for toting all our gear...I'm not sure why we never thought of having one of these prior to grand kids!  My mom should get some kickbacks from Costco for all the people who wanted to know where they could buy one for their family. 



Here she is having fun in her wagon after one of our photo shoots on the beach.   She went swimming in her dress in a little "beach pool" with some friends we met who also had a little girl from China.



They even bought Lily her own little alligator chair for the beach…she loved eating her lunch and snacks in her “big girl” chair. 





They bought Lily her own "computer" which has been a great source of entertainment for her and laughter for all of us, especially when she gets fixated on the same button over and over (kangaroo...kangaroo...kangaroo!).



I love Lily's spirit of adventure and exploration...each day she wanted to go further into the water.  What a gift it was to see the beach through her eyes. 








The first day on the beach we met a family who had 3 girls...two were adopted from Guatemala and one from China.  When Lily saw their little girl from China she immediately lit up and wanted to play with her.  She also had a cleft lip...maybe another reason she felt an instant connection to her. 

My Mom invited a group of her friends over for a “meet and greet” to see Lily while we were there.  I am so grateful their group of friends who have prayed for Lily throughout our adoption journey.  

Right before everyone arrived Lily decided to have a nice little crying fit on the floor…a combination of being tired and hungry!  Fortunately when the first guest arrived she pulled herself together and was a happy little girl again. 

As I was visiting with everyone I noticed that she was walking around to everyone’s lap and eating off their plate!  It dawned on me that I never finished feeding her lunch...our little resourceful girl.  She loved all of the attention and put on quite a show making everyone laugh.   She was completely at ease with over 25 new people she had never seen..I am in awe of her social personality. 

Being a little tease with her "auntie" Gaye


Getting some sweet kisses from Marilyn



Even my dad decided to join in on the fun...



Getting some laughs from Paula



Lily loving on her Gaga as if to say thank you for my day of fun!



It was a beautiful week and the weather was perfect. My dad was the official "babysitter" so I could go out on the beach with my mom while Lily napped.  It was such a treat to be with my parents for a week and watch them love on Lily (and be so good to me too!). 

It was a week filled with great memories and lots of fun...the only thing missing was Michael and Spencer.  Lily loved it so much that she cried more the two days after coming home than the entire week we were at the beach!  Hummm...could it be she was missing all the added attention she received???












My parents even endured a very hot, muggy morning going with me to take pictures of Lily at an old castle nearby. If you know my dad...this is a huge sacrifice because he does not do muggy! I got a few good shots but the heat made all of us pretty miserable...especially Lily.





Resorting to bribery with some snacks...still not doing the trick to bring many smiles!  My mom said she didn't blame her...three change of outfits + unbearable heat= one unhappy little girl. 


We even went back that afternoon to try and get some better pictures but again...not much success.  I'll probably get written out of the will for showing this one of my mom...she was so hot she actually wore shorts for the first time all summer! 


I finally got a few fun pictures one night when my parents were at church. I loaded Lily up in her wagon and headed to the beach at sunset.







The morning we left God painted a beautiful sunrise so I captured a few shots while Lily was still sleeping...a perfect end to a week filled with great memories.  I am so grateful for the love of family...thank you Mom and Dad for sharing your home and treating us to a wonderful week! 

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.  Their measuring line goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.  In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.  Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat."  Psalm 19:1, 4-6