On Brian’s side of the family, we’ve had the amazing gift of time with cousins the past four years.

My mother-in-law and father-in-law have given us the gift of staying at the beach over the Christmas break. Watching the cousins play and grow and laugh together has been the best gift during this topsy turvy world where travel and getting together isn’t easy.

Being at the beach with kids is one of my favorite things in the entire world. Every Christmas growing up, I would travel to Corpus Christi to spend the holidays with my grandparents. My grandfather on my mother’s side was a homebuilder and built many of the homes on Ocean Drive. Christmas Eve shakes at the 2-story Whataburger, after the candlelight service was a tradition. My grandmother, on my father’s side, sang with the choir for as long as I can remember. They would meet us at the Whataburger and my grandfather and I would dip our french fries into the chocolate shakes and laugh at the sea gulls desperately trying to snag a french fry.

I can close my eyes and smell the air. I can hear the waves rocking the boats gently to sleep. I can feel the excitement heading to my mother’s mother’s house, knowing that the next day would be a very crowded, loud, delicious Christmas.

I love how little ones can spend hours running back and forth between the water and the shore, just enjoying the wind and the rhythm of the waves.

I hope my children have their own fond memories of sleeping in bunk beds, sandy floors, those who love them dearly smiling at their contagious joy.

These sweet moments where the hours slip by with the breeze are what I see when I close my eyes. The world is loud again and all of the opinions are stomping their feet for attention, but I’ve chosen to look at The Creator’s beauty and smile at those near me.