Philly, the Shore & a Little Fairy Dust

A mamma/daughter vacay visiting one of my favorite people, my fairy godmother. Spending some time in Philly and having some fun at the Jersey shore. This trip has been filled with so many little moments of joy from Labradoodle love, baby snuggles, the beach, laughter, sunshine, and awesome people. What an absolute blast spending some time with Nana. I haven't seen her in ages. She is so funny, I adore her. Getting to see her again was one of the highlights of the trip.

And then off to Jersey we went. From quiet mornings sitting on the deck to cocktails by the bay, the shore was such a fun time. I loved seeing old friends and meeting some of FGM's family—they are a hoot. Not sure today could get any better- baby snuggles, Labradoodle love, time with FGM, and sunshine. Hanging by the bay with a drink in my hand, sunshine, a cool breeze, and two of my fave people, my mom and FGM around me. Sitting outside, listening to music, feeling the breeze, and just chillaxing. I loved the quiet moments too. One crisp, rainy morning, my anxiety was pretty high, so I went and sat outside on the back deck, letting the sprinkles of rain gently kiss my skin. Focusing on the rain and feeling the breeze helped calm me down. We had an exciting evening as we watched a thunderstorm roll in while sitting on the back deck. Lightning lit up the sky, thunder was booming, the wind was howling, and the rain was blowing sideways. After the adventure of the storm rolled through, we cozied up on the couch with pizza and watched Elle. . One of my favorite evenings was spent by the Jacuzzi with lobster rolls, ice cream sundaes, good company, and meaningful conversation. There were also nights filled with great food, lots of laughter and dancing, meeting Judi's friends, and cozying up on the couch with the show we'd been watching and some addictively delicious caramel corn. The shore was filled with so many simple yet happy moments.

And of course, there was the beach… I love the beach! The sun was beaming, the air was crisp, and it felt like the perfect beach day. I find it so calming to be at the beach. Standing at the shoreline, feeling the packed brown-sugar sand beneath my feet as the waves gently crash into me while I search for seashells. Listening to the waves, feeling the warm sun and cool breeze through my hair, feeling carefree, soaking up some sunshine, and having a great time- everything about the beach is so peaceful to me.

Sometimes the simplest moments really are the best like getting to cuddle and play with an adorable Labradoodle or spending time with a precious baby. It's been fantastic being around my FGM's Labradoodle, Darby- she reminds me so much of my sweet dogs. Though it feels bittersweet, I have absolutely loved cuddling and playing with Darby as she reminds me so much of my boys. Darby let me kiss her nose, plays tug-of-war with me, and plays catch. So many memories of Mak and Russ came flooding back. Of course I shed some tears; however, Darby brought me much joy.

 And then there's my FGM's 6-month-old niece. I had such a sweet time playing with and holding her—the baby whisperer was in full action   Baby snuggles, Labradoodle love, and time with FGM. I can't think of a better combination.

Not every moment of the trip was rainbows and butterflies, as OCD tagged along too. There were moments when OCD really tried to make its presence known. However, I dug into my therapy toolbox and did not let OCD ruin the trip. Granted, I had some moments of really high anxiety, but I still had a great time. #ValuesOverFear

Even with those harder moments, there was still so much happiness throughout the trip.

When I think about what made this trip so special, it truly was all the simple moments: spending time with people I love, laughing, sitting outside in the sunshine and rain, being at the beach, eating great food, dancing, baby snuggles, Labradoodle love, and most of all, spending time with my FGM. There were happy moments, emotional moments, some OCD moments, and a whole lot of joy. Maybe that's what a little fairy dust feels like.