Cut Off From The Outside World

Over Memorial Day weekend I found myself 100 miles from home, relaxing in a beach house with an ocean front view… with no cell phone service. A much needed break from reality. After weeks of speculating about our jobs we now remain employed… but the anticipated news was bittersweet. While we can go on living our lives just as we have always done we said good bye to many friends and colleagues… their worlds have been turned upside down. It just doesn’t seem fair to celebrate our news with so many now out of work.

But this weekend was not about us… this weekend was all about our baby girl who is turning 5 all too soon. With the news of our continued employment we booked a last minute beach house for our annual trip to the coast to celebrate Hope’s birthday in true conventional Gronke style. Hope has declared a trip to coast on Memorial Day weekend a family tradition – all in honor of her special day. With no reason to alter this custom we were off to the beach house. We were cut off from the outside world… where we were able to enjoy some unusually sunny weather at the beach, watch some coveted cable TV (hours of Discovery Health, Jon & Kate + 8, and HGTV) and give thanks for all we have been blessed with.

We were mildly surprised (and I’d be lying if I said we weren’t somewhat disappointed) Nico learned he can to climb out of his pac-n-play and make his way down a steep set of stairs to proudly crash our quiet adult evenings, announcing his arrival with a giggle as he says “Hi”, and then mumble some blubbering that can only be translated into his description of his new found skill that includes scaling his pac-n-play (that is undoubtedly so proud of). I guess a big boy bed will be on order soon in our household.

I’m a bit sad to find my baby growing up so fast. And I’m always a tad bit sad say good bye to the safety and comfort that a confined baby in a crib brings me… a sleeping baby within the confined crib rails bring me a sense of peace and comfort knowing that they are safe and sound and ensures me at least a few minutes of “me time” or a sound nights sleep where I know my babe will not get into trouble, fall out of bed, or wander around confused or lost. But in the end I am excited to embark on this new phase that also signals the nearing end of diapers, binkies and bottles.

But I must admit… I am not enthralled with the idea of taking away the deep comforts that a simple binky or bottle brings my babe so I will focus on the big boy bed for now… we’ll work on ridding our lives of diapers sometime in the near future and we’ll leave the binkies and bottles for the time being. We’ll alter his comfortable little world one luxury at a time.

These are just a few of the memories from Hope’s 5 year old beach trip that we will cherish…

To view many, many more photos of the Gronke’s in isolation (isolation from computers and cell phones but thankfully there was cable TV…and I remembered my camera!) click here.