so much to be thankful for. our beach picnic on pensacola beach

I told my mom all I wanted for thanksgiving / christmas was a charcuterie board picnic on the beach.
years ago I told my husband (let’s say, ten years ago, to be safe) and I’m still waiting. . . .
yet I asked my mom, and one week later, we had the most amazing picnic on the beach > > >

my therapist Jeannie told me,
you can’t expect (one) person to meet all of your needs.
((except JC of course)) 

but much like one food can’t give you all the nutrients you need. . .
my husband is many things, but a romantic, beach picnic planner, he is NOT.

luckily, my mom is 100% over qualified for the task.

It had been (2) years since we did our family video > > > with Pierce Visuals which #dearjason will say isn’t nearly long enough. . .
but for this momma, 2 years is the perfect amount of time to show just how much the kids have all changed. . .
& the difference in the photos, is heartbreaking.

2020 was a wild year.
by far, the WORST.
but also, the best.

it forced us to stop, yet again, and slow down.
to re-prioritize.

I’ve wanted a family for as long as I can remember.
A lovely husband for even longer.
And the past 13 or so years,  I just wanted a nice family picnic on the beach. . .
You know, the all american dream
(or mine anyways)

so while 2020 brought lots of terrible things,
it also made this crazy dream of mine possible too.

So thanks mom for the unreal picnic.
Thanks #dearjason for the family of my dreams.
& thanks C&H for capturing it all for me.

((also, thank you JC ((and mom))  for not allowing the seagulls to tear into our picnic and destroy it before we even got to see it))

2020.
the year all my dreams (and most of my nightmares) came true.