exuma :: my heaven on earth

I’m certain that when God created Exuma … He had me in mind!  He knew one day my soul would be tired, weary … my body, sick … He knew I would need to have my own little piece of Heaven, here on earth.

I wish I could bottle and share, right through this screen, what I experience when I’m here.

Time stands still.  Worries wash away.  Peace sets in.

We’ve been here since Christmas, and while it took me a full 2 1/2 weeks to finally feel completely at peace … I finally DO feel completely at peace.

Oh how their personalities shine through in these photos!  And remember Wynt’s accident?
Her shiner below was a full week & a half later!  It got much worse before it got better {can’t even see it now though!}.


Drama much?


Channeling her inner Jackie O?
Okay, but seriously … she won’t take these off.  We bought ’em in the local grocery
store and she wears them everywhere.  The pic of her chasing the waves?  She has ’em on.
Hunter seems to be growing before my eyes on this trip …


Sand burial anyone?  And yes.  As a matter-o-fact, they do eat sand.
Ever since they’ve been old enough to crawl in it!


Island hopping.  Didn’t get many photos this day {actually, haven’t taken many photos at all} …
We visited Long Island … an island believed that Christopher Columbus
first hit when trying to find America in 1492.


And then we have school.  It’s seriously going MUCH easier than last year.  We have a week
left in Exuma, and the girls are pretty much done with their work.  Honestly, Piper
didn’t have too much … and super-student Wynter, flew through hers.
We’ve been working on reading flash cards with Hunter {watch out
Mrs. R, you’re going to be amazed!} … and Tay is plugging along
with her regular homeschool curriculum.

I wouldn’t trade any of this!


And a view of my heaven … here I sit watching the sun rise, reading, writing, praying, gazing, wondering.

And sometimes when the afternoon is coming to a close, I’m back again …
folding laundry, writing, emailing, twittering, reading, gazing, wondering.


Thank you Lord for blessing me with this amazing slice of Heaven.  Knowing the beauty you’ve created here on earth,
makes me yearn for my real Heavenly home all the more!

15 Comments

  1. marmalade January 17, 2011 at 6:39 am

    Glad to see your heart & body are feeling well (as well as your soul). It looks GLORIOUS, I’m filled with sunshine just looking at these (as you know it’s less than sunny here in Chicagoland! LOL)

    BTW LOVING the girls haircuts. Just adorable. Enjoy your time with your beauties in paradise.

    Reply
  2. Jessica Lynette January 17, 2011 at 6:46 am

    My 2.5 yr old – “Mommy! They are at the BEACH! We should go play with those girls today!”

    If only :)
    Thanks for sharing all this and I am glad you are having this opportunity to relax.

    Reply
  3. dawn January 17, 2011 at 8:27 am

    sitting here smelling a birthday cake burning in the oven and thinking i wish i was there! because my soul is so often calmed by the beauty of the beach… air, sky & surf… i get it. heaven on earth. hoping that the healing powers of it all are magnified for your last two weeks!

    Reply
  4. pamela January 17, 2011 at 8:59 am

    mmmmm… i can just breathe it in. thanks for sharing, tracie.

    Reply
  5. cyndi January 17, 2011 at 9:02 am

    This may sound crazy but the pictures alone were enough to calm my breathing and wash my worries away for a moment. It is heavenly and I’m so glad that you have a place to retreat to when you need to heal your mind, body, and spirit. The girls look like they’re having a good time and doing some serious sister bonding. The moments are ones they’ll look back on when they’re older and cherish. Enjoy!

    Reply
  6. Kate January 17, 2011 at 9:03 am

    So glad you are having a wonderful time! It looks so beautiful there! I can see why you are at peace! Love Miss Hunter in her shades!!! xoxo

    Reply
  7. Heather January 17, 2011 at 9:53 am

    I love your special place and these beautiful photos! The girls look like they are having so much fun (and I must admit that I was looking at the pics on my phone, but I thought Wynt had on eye shadow until I read what you wrote. poor girl!). Glad you are feeling at peace and having a good bonding/together trip! Miss you though!

    PS Looks like the girls & Jack share a math curriculum (looks like the same page layout I see at homework time!).

    Reply
  8. Granny/Mom January 17, 2011 at 10:58 am

    Brought tears of joy to my eyes, to know that you are at peace, enjoying the beauty of not only the scenery & of the girls but the beauty of your inner soul.
    Love you and miss you terribly!!

    Reply
  9. Amy January 17, 2011 at 11:03 am

    Thank you for sharing your little slice of heaven. I am presently begging my hubby to please, please, please take me to the ocean for our anniversary in April, please. There is just something about it that refreshes my soul. Enjoy your last week. Cherish each moment.

    Reply
  10. stef January 17, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    I am SO crashing next year – I don’t care if I have to swim to get there!!!!!!

    Reply
  11. keely aka LKP January 17, 2011 at 7:05 pm

    seriously a rad place on this planet. i want to see this place in person someday. :)
    as for the pics you did take, they’re lovely. and i had to laugh at myself for a moment since i’d forgotten about wynter’s eye. and i was looking at that first photo thinking “ok, nice eye make-up, but why? and why aren’t the other girls all dolled-up too?” then i remembered! glad to see it’s improving though! that’s good news. homework in a place like exuma looks wonderful. if i could do homework there, i’d finally go back to school! :)
    ::hugs::

    Reply
  12. katherinemarie January 17, 2011 at 9:05 pm

    ohhh what a BEAUTIFUL post!!!! I love all your photographs and that last line is so PERFECT… I’m going to write that in my favorite quotes post! SO TRUE!

    Reply
  13. Rebecca January 24, 2011 at 9:49 am

    LOVE all these pictures! Makes me long for warm sunny days on the beach! So glad you had a good time to relax and enjoy!

    Reply
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