When the Balboa bar craving strikes

Alex was craving a Balboa bar, so he hauled us over to the beach last Monday in honor of family day and my first day on family leave from work. It was a beautifully warm afternoon, with hardly a soul along the shore. We were giddy from these and other evidences of grace that were abounding throughout the day, specifically, the precious opportunity to spend quality time together in the midst of some of the most awe-inspiring creation on earth, away from everyday responsibilities. Alex is a human dolphin when it comes to the sea, and as his complementarian for life, I prefer to stay nice and dry on the sand ;) When we took Serene to the beach for the first time during our second anniversary back in March, we didn't acquaint her with the water because it was too chilly. Alex plopped her into the ocean this time around, and she reacted in terror at the forceful waves. She ended up spending the rest of the afternoon seeking refuge in my arms. Alex is a bit bummed Serene's not yet gutsy enough to frolic in the ocean. According to him, she likes to play it safe like her mama. I'm taking that as a compliment!

I've been noticing that every time we bring along the camera on an adventure, most of our pictures spotlight Serene. Either Alex or I'm behind the camera, so she ends up being the star of the snapshots. I always hear that the first baby gets the parents' undivided attention, which is apparent in the way we're attempting to document all these sweet milestones in her life. Even if the Lord wills for us to have more kid(s) in the future, Alex and I pray to exemplify the priority to love God first, then to love one another before we can attempt to love our child(ren) well. We don't want our child(ren) to believe they are the center of our world. We hope they would comprehend that God is, and that we and they play a role in His plan for mankind, rather than the other way around. So we are praying fervently for grace to love Serene well in this regard, because I confess it's difficult to apply this at her current stage when she's aware she can capture our attention with a singular scream. Especially in public!