Hannah's beach

Clarification: You are really invited to my little birthday party. I am getting everything ready for a very crafty/fun party. Come one, come all. (unless you are a crazy person of sorts, although mildly crazy is accepted so that people like myself can come. Also, sorry to be discriminatory, but no boys are allowed.)

Hannah has been struggling with water for almost a year now. (not the drinking type, but the bodies of water type. Oceans, lakes, etc...) This started the week after Chris' stroke when the family took the girls to the beach as a diversion of sorts. I am pretty sure that it was related to a certain lack of security that comes with not knowing what is going to happen to your dad. Tie that in with being old enough to suddenly realize that bad things can happen to you and you have a major fear of water. It started out with her going into this unreal crying to herself "I just want to go home. home sweet home. Take me home!" Through many run-ins with water, we have made slow progress. We bribed her to go on a canoe in a lake. (Pet Society time, ice cream AND 5 "my littlest petshop" toys) We explained high tides and low tides and eventually got her okay clamming in bays. We got her to play in the dry sand instead of crying the whole time we were at the beach. Let's just say that it has been a long summer. ;) Fast forward to this past Saturday.

A dear friend was visiting Oregon and there was need for a quick trip to see the ocean. Ironically, we went to the beach that this whole hydrophobia started. As we were coming out of the tunnel that leads to the beach, Hannah announced to me that this beach should be called "Scary Beach" because of the big waves and that she wanted to go to a bay. I told her I thought it should be called pretty beach and carried on. She kept asking if we could leave and I finally distracted her with some sand castle making. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her sneak up to the water line. Then we saw her get her toes wet and boy was she proud of herself! Before long, she was jumping waves with the bunch of them and left the beach completely soaks. I am so proud of her for overcoming this and it was such a great feeling to have her complain when it was time to leave! Since summer is coming to an end, I promised her another beach trip this week so she can really enjoy it. The bad news? Elise was scared just because Hannah was. Now I have two more kids to keep from drowning. Dang. The good news? Hannah and I decided that it is now to be known as "Hannah's beach". I personally think that has a nicer ring to it than "Lost Boy's Beach". Who came up with that?

Where are the pictures? On Jennifer's camera, probably somewhere in between Wyoming and Arkansas. Hopefully on here soon because they were cute.