knowing that i was taking this trip with my family, i also longed for some time on the beach with girlfriends, creating art together... i wanted to take RAW on the road.  my ultimate dream is to have women gathering everywhere and creating art, but i think that sometimes it feels scary to put together a "party" complete with inviting people, food, and project.  i want women to understand that it doesn't take a ton of planning or stress, just a desire to get messy and share authentically.  and while i don't have my kids with me for RAW nights normally, i'm so glad that i had my whole family there with us on the beach. 

mccabe (or mccute as my kids call her) brought a picnic basket full of paint and supplies and we got busy on rocks found by the shore. 

as the other sista's trickeled in, we hugged and kissed, chatted and shared, as we painted and wrangled the kids.  so grateful to these women for making the trip out and for honoring my children so fully.  my ONLY regret of the evening was the we didn't start earlier in the day, parting was such sweet sorrow.

after the sun set we gathered at our table with mason jar candles lit around so that we could continue on for a little longer. 

i think that the greatest joy of the evening for me was just feeling understood.  as i said before, it wasn't a planned thing for the kids to be there with us, but i'm so grateful they were.  it gave me a chance to share my friends with my family and for these friends that have only known me as a *single* woman, to see me also as a mother and wife.  my husband had a chance to meet the peaceful and beautiful women that i care so deeply about and they got the opportunity to see the joy that he brings me.  and the kids could put faces and bodies to the names they hear.  and to FINALLY meet both mccabe and jessamyn in the flesh, taking our emails and phonecalls into reality. in a way it was my worlds colliding... and it was just so good.

for more pics click to the set