our peace

the south end. my life. my heaven. my peace.

I've been thinking lately and praying. And, thanking God for my amazing life. I have been thinking of some of the many blessings in my life and the blessings I get to share and pass on to my Riley Quinn. I know I have posted about it before... but I felt it deserved another.

My island. My little place of peace. Being raised on an island isn't easy. (Yeh. right.)  My brother and I call it "home." To some it is a vacation. To us it is just our life. Many wonder when they come to visit why we don't spend all of our time on the beach... I think it is comical. There have been times that I have gone days or weeks without even walking up to the ocean.

I was raised on an island. The smell of the salt, the sand and even the marsh make me smile. That fall marshy smell is a smell only some can appreciate. I am so thankful that my sweet Riley Quinn is being raised on the island as well. Almost all of our holidays are spent on the south end. We do spend Christmas at home. Traditions are just that in our family... traditions. We very rarely break them.

I grew up riding my bike with the girls (and Adam)... skating over the post office, swimming in the canal... or across the sound (sorry mom!). Being friends with all the police officers, knowing all of our neighbors... shrimping, fishing, oystering... The best part of all of this is... it's all still happening. And Riley Q is now able to join. She loves our morning walks. We stop and chat with all of our neighbors and friends. It's such a Mayberry feeling to know and love our neighbors like we do. We don't walk past more than 2 houses and not know the person who lives there. And I don't just mean we know who they are. They are our friends. Our family.


My family hosts a parade and party every year on July 4th. They have since I can remember. I have to say it's one of the best days of the year! I remember waking up and getting so excited to decorate my bike for the parade. Now I can pass that excitement on to Riley Quinn! I cannot wait for her to be in the parade for the first time this year. It's called the "4th of July Easter Parade." 

several years ago before the parade

I met my best friend on our little island. I'll never forget the "broom" incident. Julie and Kelly and I were floating along in the canal. Middle school age... Here comes a boy on a float and he lost his paddle. So we decided to help him... We then lost a broom in the process. And that folks, is how I met my best friend. Oh the stories I could tell about me and Adam. But that friends, is for another post... or 10. In fact, that might need a blog of it's own. Who would have known he lived just a couple of miles down the road from me in D.town too and we would end up in the same spanish class a few years later... (Sorry, Srta. Thomas.)

We met Riley's God parents/ family on our little island. They helped raise me in a way. Julie and Kelly and I were inseparable. Spending every night together. Watching Billy Madison and looking for lost dogs after fireworks on the 4th of July.

this is how we make potato salad on the south end (for 200 people!)

one of our july 4th EASTER PARADE t-shirts

me and jewels...

karaoke with my brother

the first picture when michael joined our island family

I fell in love with my husband on our island. I was engaged on our little island... Riley will be baptized on our little island... It's my everything. My island. My peace. My joy.

i've always loved an island bike ride- well into my pregnancy i was riding 10 miles a day.
Riley now enjoys the rides behind mommy's pink bike in her awesome giraffe helmet! 

she even has her own pb kids beach chair with a matching pink polka dotted umbrella

RQ's first time on the beach- I think it was Thanksgiving weekend.
Her first actual trip to the island, she was only 2 weeks old. 

RQ's first Thanksgiving 

Thank you, God and thank you Mom and Dad for giving me the opportunity to grow up on such a wonderful place that we call home. And thank you for sharing this with me to share with Riley Quinn.