After the rush of Christmas, I love to cozy up in my home and nest for a while. I intensely dislike a constant string of frantic activity. I like to be quiet, alone and thinking about my own thoughts- preferably in elastic-waist pajamas with my hair in a messy bun, the Chris Rice Deep Enough to Dream album from 1997 playing, and bread rising in the kitchen. (I am very specific about my environment and how it affects my senses!)
Unfortunately, the weak, cold daylight of a Missouri winter makes me feel uninspired and cross with people. I tried for years to change myself since I can’t change the weather, but it eventually occurred to me I COULD change my location- and we started spending more and more winter time in Florida.
This year, our family spent five weeks in the Sunshine State. Four in Destin (five starts) and one in Orlando (no stars for the city of Standing In Line Everywhere and Bad Internet). Since this is not a travel journal, I’ll spare you my reviews and instead show you some photographs of my children. I didn’t do much photography and I like it that way. I have to step away from the camera occasionally to widen my perspective. But Destin is beautiful and there were memories to be made, so here are few images from January/February 2022.
Firstborn Jack heaves a loud sigh when Mom takes his picture, so I have to be stealthy to get a genuine expression like this. He’s 13 now, quiet and reserved. His youngest siblings make so much noise I have to intentionally make room to hear what he has to say. A conversation with a teenager is precious indeed.
Here he is drawing a map in the sand. He’s in Challenge A of Classical Conversations, and learning to draw the whole world from memory. I love that he’s currently drawing Eastern Asia while on the sands of the Florida panhandle. Homeschooling is full of rich moments like this.
Ten year old Clara searches for shells each time we walk the beach. Bright and chirpy in her personality, she finds beauty everywhere she looks.
Bruce Michael: always looking angelic, but drawn toward danger. His own guardian angels are overworked and underpaid, but they stay with him.
Mom said he could get wet right after pictures. He has the face of a man determined to do his whole duty.
Charlotte, the baby of the family. I never know what she will do in pictures but I can say I’m never disappointed!
She is four and already losing the baby look. Tall, gangly legs and arms are growing daily, reminding me that every photograph of her is worth it.