florida – Page 3 – The Oaxacaborn Blog

Reading Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry Reading in the car — Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry. So sad. So good.

Patches on backpack from Europe travels This backpack has been a lot of places.

Xtreme Surf Shop, Cocoa Beach The town of Cocoa = ubiquitous surf shops and signs with strange grammar.

Cocoa Beach Shark on Sign Impaled shark on sign post. Also, brother. The glasses did not make the trip home; they were swallowed by a wave.

Off Price Shells Cocoa Beach Not sure what “off price shells” are, but they are selling out.

Sans toddler! Thank you, Mom and Dad, for our very first full day away from Aveline. This was the first time in a long while that we both sat down simultaneously while at the beach. ;)

Josiah filming my brother (SchultzFan/John Busakowski rides BMX on YouTube)

The kid is crazy. (SchultzFan/John Busakowski rides BMX on YouTube)

Amazing to have my brother here (from 1,500 miles away!) for Spring Break!

Husband. His hair’s getting long again.

California Sun Date box Snacks. And I didn’t even notice the cheerio until just now!

Board Walk near Lori Wilson Park Cocoa Beach Once John edits the footage he took while he was here, I’ll post a link! Until then, you can check out his YouTube channel.

Poetry & Words

WRITING & WORDS :: A (Neither Sunny nor Relaxing) Poolside Break with a Toddler

March 18, 2012March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Guatemalan Textile Purse

Poolside Snack

I was tempted just to post these photos without explanation, and let you think the perfectly behaved toddler and I reclined on a chaise lounge, poolside, under the sunny sky.

Well, it was a chaise lounge.

And it was poolside.

But the fact is, we only sat there for about seven turbulent minutes. It wasn’t even sunny, and we definitely did not recline.

About thirty seconds after I snapped these pictures (not an easy feat in itself, considering she wanted to poke the lens), she invented a game called “use feet to smash the bowl of crackers”. To my embarrassment, removal of feet from bowl was met by a sudden trifecta of kicking, pinching and yelling, during which time several crackers’ worth of wet crumbs were (deliberately, it seemed) smeared across my white shirt.

We made a speedy exit from said poolside, with a disgruntled toddler and my bruised pride in tow.

And yes, I’m going to try this again, and again, and again….

Poetry & Words

The Thread of Hope

March 3, 2012March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Aveline is finally asleep. The house is quiet for the first time in hours, silent except for the raspy motor on the overhead fan and the clink of the spoon against my cobalt cereal bowl.

My eyelids are heavy. I stare, unsure what to do with this pure, quiet, uninterrupted time. The need for sleep tugs at me, but it no longer captures me with the same intensity it once did. In the past year, I’ve adopted a new definition of what it means to be well-rested.

There is a profound peace in this stillness, tonight. I exhale, the sound of my own voice blending with the fan. I watch the blades spin, lifting and twisting the Florida air. I think of how one year ago, I and a five-week-old Aveline flew through the Florida air to join Josiah, who’d been here for a couple weeks already due to an answered prayer — a full-time job.

I think of the fear and hope of the past two years. I think how hope has been woven into our lives, how hope is the shining thread, the strongest cord, the lifeline of who we are — not because of hope itself, but because of God in who we hope.

I think of the myriad of ways our God poured down manna to us, sometimes as a raven in the wilderness and sometimes as a coin in the mouth of a fish. I think of how He always, always, filled our cups and let them overflow.

And I stand here now in the overflow, here in the land of our sojourn, filled with thankfulness and gratitude and wonder because today — today! — we are finally debt-free. I close my eyes and breath deeply. The glory is God’s.

I lower my spoon, resting the silver-scrolled edge against the bowl. I stand up, and walk toward the bedroom. The night pulled its dusky cover over the earth long ago, and sleep calls.

Before the sun burns off the early morning haze, Aveline will awaken, bright eyed. The sound of silence will be overcome by the sound of life, the sound of love, the clink of the coffee scoop. And the aroma of coffee will swirl and mix with the Florida air, Josiah will kiss me on the forehead, and the thread of hope will shine brighter than ever.

Poetry & Words

WRITING & WORDS :: Toward the sunrise // Toward the setting of the sun

February 28, 2012March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

The sky keeps changing. The morning’s quiet clouds, marching steadily along for hours, finally collapse under the weight of the gathered rain and spill out over the sidewalk and leaves, over the roofs and birds, over the highways and signs, and over our shoulders.

Aveline laughs.

I sigh and pull the tripod and camera back inside, closing the green front door behind us.

Aveline’s face falls. She looks up at me, tugging at my jeans. “Outside? Outside? Outside?” I love the way she pronounces the ou in “out”. She has a Californian accent that makes me proud and buoys hope in my soul.

On Sunday morning, Josiah read Joshua 1 aloud, “Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory.”

I love that Great Sea toward the setting of the sun. I love how my Lord tells me, “only be strong and courageous.”. Four times in this chapter, “be strong and courageous.” I love how He gives me the strength I need to be strong.

The sound of the rain against the windows stops, and we go back outside to walk on this green, Eastern land God’s given us now, “beyond Jordan, toward the sunrise.”

Poetry & Words

“For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.”

February 4, 2012March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Aveline in Marc Ecko shirt holding felt feathers

It hasn’t quite been the weekend for sleep. But it’s been a good weekend for productivity. At 1 o’clock on Friday night? We finished filing taxes.

And tonight? We spontaneously rearranged all the furniture in our great room — at 10 pm.

Maybe we’re crazy.
Maybe we’re just celebrating being in the same house for nearly an entire year.

Maybe it’s a little bit of both.

Aveline in Marc Ecko shirt

A year ago, I was pale, dizzy, anemic, and could barely walk fifteen steps without holding on to the wall. Aveline wasn’t even two weeks old yet, and we* were packing to move to Florida. *my parents and my husband, i.e., angels

And here we are now, in a beautiful sunshine-y apartment, with a laughing, healthy toddler, and a full-time job for Josiah. Do we miss our families and our friends? Yes. (Does Florida seem like a soggy swamp sometimes? Yes. ;-) But, “the Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” -Psalm 126:3

So, so much joy!

Poetry & Words

WRITING & WORDS :: Guest Post on The Organic Bird Blog – On Contentment, and Living in the Moment

January 22, 2012March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Do you all read The Organic Bird? Andrea Levendusky’s treasure trove of poignant, honest writing has quickly become one of my favorite places on the web. It’s truly worth adding to your reading list.

I’ve been so blessed getting to know Andrea through Facebook and Twitter over the last few months, and was thrilled when she asked me to pen a guest post. So, you can find me on The Organic Bird today, talking a little about the ways God is using my daughter to teach me about being content.

Thank you, Andrea!

Oaxacaborn - Guest Post on The Organic BIrd Blog - Motherhood

“I’m staring. It’s that time of the afternoon where all I want is another cup of coffee, but Aveline’s bedroom is right off the kitchen. She’s the world’s lightest sleeper; if I even think about that cup of coffee too loudly, I know she’ll hear me & wake up.

There is a pot of white beans simmering on the stove. I’ll add some sage and garlic in a bit. I’m not sure why I bought white beans. I nearly always cook black beans — black beans with onion, garlic, lime, jalapeño, and cilantro. Once upon a time, when I lived in my beautiful California, I added epazote, too. It grew wild around my front step.

But here, here in the land of my sojourn….” [continue reading my guest post on The Organic Bird blog]

//Comments are disabled here, so you can leave them on Andrea’s blog. :-)//

Life in Photos

Winter in Florida :: Aveline’s First Playground Experience

November 15, 2011March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

I had so much fun taking Aveline to the playground for the very first time. And doesn’t our Florida winter look rough? Believe it or not, we are so.completely.over the hot, sticky weather and are pining away for cold air. (The long sleeves were just a formality because it’s November. We were actually sweating.)

Aveline peeking over the edge of the swings

Aveline on the swings

Aveline on the swings 2

Tiny Aveline in a very large swing

Aveline smiling on the playground swing

Aveline swinging - blue skies

Little Style, Travel/Moving

What to Pack for a Day at the Beach with a Baby

October 19, 2011March 22, 2014 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

We couldn’t stay away from the beach. We went again, last weekend, and Aveline loved it even more than the week before.

Josiah and baby Aveline in stormy Atlantic Ocean on Cocoa Beach

Having a baby has only made me love the ocean even more. Our wee girl literally yells and squeals in delight when the waves splash up over her fat little knees, and she loves the way the sand feels on her toes and fingers.

I love sharing the ocean with her.

Aveline wearing striped watermelon bathing suit

Babymel UK Diaper Bag on a Florida Beach

Taking a baby to the beach honestly doesn’t involve tooo much extra effort. What we pack for a day a the beach is not really much more than the usual beach items plus a diaper bag (shown: my favorite Babymel London bag).

Here’s a round-up of what to pack for a day at the beach with a baby:

Diapers & wipes: Although we use cloth diapers, Aveline wears disposable diapers when we are traveling — we live just over an hour from the beach. When swimming a pool, though, I recommend one of these pool-approved reusable swim diapers.
Sunhat & swimsuit: We put Aveline in this before we leave the house, to avoid attempting to dress a wriggling sandy baby once we’re at the beach.
Sunscreen: Choose your sunscreen wisely. Most sunscreens on the market contain harmful hormone-disrupting ingredients. Explore all the information linked in this Sunscreens Exposed report, and then use the Environmental Working Group’s helpful Sunscreen Guide to select a product with low toxicity.
Small cooler containing picnic lunch, cloth napkins, and water: Obviously it’s super important to keep the baby hydrated…but that goes without saying. We packed Aveline a separate lunch, but she preferred to nosh off ours. And the cloth napkins (or washcloths) have a multitude of uses. I actually never leave home without a washcloth or two.
Blanket and towels: I like bringing a large blanket (actually, I use an old tablecloth) for us to sit on.
Toys: Having something for her to play with definitely makes beach life easier. As you can see, we use the definition of “toy” loosely around here….this stainless steel water bottle occupied her for quite a long time. Oh, and when we got back home, I just tossed her toys in a bowl of water with a few drops of grapefruit seed extract to disinfect them.
Ziplock bag or small wet bag: It’s nice to have something to put the wet clothes in for the trip home. If you’re not familiar with the concept of a wet bag, it’s a waterproof fabric bag with either a zipper or a drawstring closure. They are SO handy, especially since they are designed to be washed right alongside the dirty laundry. I have the small “sunset stripe” wet bag shown here.
A dry outfit for the way home: This one is pretty self-explanatory. ;-)

I really love our beach days with Aveline. Josiah and I feel strongly that there is no reason why Aveline shouldn’t be introduced to the types of things we all can appreciate — as opposed to only participating in overtly child-centric activities now that we are parents.

Aveline in sun hat with plaid bolsa and stainless steel water bottle

Granted, there are a few differences in beach life BC and AC (before child, and after child).

We don’t go on endlessly long walks down the shoreline together anymore (although, she took her first step last night, so I would say our walking days are about to resume).

We keep seashells out of her mouth.

We stop her from crawling off in hot pursuit of sea gulls.

We definitely don’t fall asleep in the sun.

Beach towel on deserted stormy beach

Sea Gull on sandy beach

But none of this takes away the breathtaking beauty of the endless sea, the saltiness in the swirling air, the way the stormy clouds dip down low beneath the horizon and blend with the oceanic blues and greens.

Josiah carrying Aveline