Adventures in Hilton Head

Being a mom to this little Lu is quite the life!  Lucia and I just returned from a great family vacation in Hilton Head, SC.  Last year, my friend Megan's aunt, donated a week at her beautiful condo on Hilton Head Island for the St. Lucia White Party.  My brothers family won it and redeemed it last week.  My parents decided to meet them down there...so Lu and I could not resist some fresh ocean air and time with family too!  Although we live in Denver with my brothers family, it's sometimes hard to spend quality time together.  Hudson, Marco and Charley are always so sweet to Lu but we understand that it must be confusing for them at times to see how different she is.   S,o when they have a chance to spend extended periods of time with her it's really nice to see them interact.  They see her when she's sleepy, when she's happy, when she wiggles, when she eats, and more!  Once you spend a day with Lucia or a special person, I think it's hard to not see how truly beautiful they are and see that they have feelings and likes and dislikes and personalities just like typical people do...they may just express it differently.  Anyway, it was GREAT.   

Lucia also got to meet some of my close friends.  My best friend from growing up, Brande Lamb and her partner Brandi Mackenzie drove over for the weekend from Asheville NC to meet up with us and meet Lu for the first time.  Brande and I met when we were just 2 weeks old...and remained close friends since we could remember, she's like family. So having Lucia meet Brande and her partner was inevitable, but they made it happen last weekend.  Thank you so much Brande and Brandi for your visit!  

Other highlights of the trip included introducing Lu to Megan's mom, Margot Gilbert, who lives on the beautiful island and Courtney 'Coco' May!  Courtney was the amazing friend that did donations to PKS in Lu's honor in lieu of gifts for her 3rd old daughter, Alden this summer.  It was such a bonus to see both Margot and Coco!   

Margot Gilbert and Lu

Courtney and her kiddos Alden and Thomson

Lucia had many NEW adventures on the island...I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.  

A great week of family & fun!  We landed back in Denver yesterday, October 26th 2012, for Lucia's 1 1/2 year birthday AND her daddy's birthday!  Lucia and I missed you so much while we were away and realize even more how lucky we are to have you be husband and daddy in our little family.  We love you so much!  Happy Birthday Sweetie! 

And lastly we'd like to continue to say prayers and send strength to Shanna's dad and little Reis Casias.  We'd also like to extend our prayers to a close friend who was just diagnosed with breast cancer-we know she'll be ok, but her life will be forever changed.  And with a heavy heart we say good-bye to Maelynn Keefer, who passed at just the tiny age of 3 months old from complications with PKS.  She went through countless surgeries and fought for her life with her parents by her side EVERY moment of her little life.  She is now free to fly in Heaven!  Count your blessings.    As my friend, Dawn Sierens Fable just posted on fb, "My mom always reminds me that 'each day is a gift.' So very very true."   So true, no doubt.