summer skies on the shore

I've been looking through the photos I took this summer and noticed that I took a lot of 'sky' images against the backdrop of the ocean.  Photos of skies and sunsets never seem to be quite as amazing as being there in person, but somehow these are the images I want to keep in my mind as we head into the school year.  It's with a twinge of regret that I head into fall.  Perhaps it was that the summer seemed so short this year with the weather in July being so cold.  Most likely it's that my kids are getting one year older, things are getting busier and more complicated.  Nothing is staying the same, but is constantly changing and moving like the tides in the ocean and the movement of clouds and sun in the sky.  The rhythm of fall is going to be starting up again, and the swift tide moving towards the end of the year is coming much faster then I could imagine.  I just want to soak in the beauty a little longer...

Playing in the Sand

 One of the best things about living in and around Vancouver is that we aren't far from the ocean.  There is something so therapeutic about heading down to the beach on a balmy February day and making a sandcastle with the boys.  It was great to see their faces and imaginations at work as they built tunnels and roadways, borrowing buckets to see whether the water would make it through their canals. 
Today we celebrate Sasha turning 6.  It is amazing that the time has flown by so quickly and every time he grows a year older I feel a little sad that he can't stay 3, 4 or 5 for a little longer.