Happenings

Moving into a new house, celebrating birthdays, taking a truckload of teen girls to the drive-in, seeing two girls off to their first dance, joyfully welcoming our third grandchild (a boy!), watching children grow and change....this is what Spring 2013 has brought our way:

Baby Hayden!

I sometimes feel as if everything is in fast forward- there is so much to experience, so much to enjoy and savor and yet life slips by faster than I can grab hold of it.  I feel breathless and, as I've mentioned before, as if I have one foot continuously on the brake, trying to slow things down.

Today I read a quote that summed up those feelings.
 From Courtney Kendrick (on the eve of her son's fifth birthday):  "....His birthday, the anniversary of my motherhood, is the date my life hit a fast forward button and everything started sinking rapidly into a vortex of time and information.  I never knew this was motherhood--watching life disappear into memories at a speed you can't control.  It's a rush of so many sorts."

I so agree!  My life, this blog, everything that I am is dedicated to my family.  It's all-encompassing and yet, 
I wouldn't want it any other way.

Birthday Month

At our house, the month of February is filled with birthdays- three of our own, plus numerous aunts and cousins.  

Growing up, it felt as if February belonged to my sister and I.  Our birthdays, three days apart, were often celebrated together.   That, along with the fact that February's birthstone is purple, made me feel as if it were a month for girls.

Then my sister and I both had sons born in 'our' month.

The funny thing about being a mom is that instantly, you are more than happy to share a treasured thing with your children.   

I happily and joyfully celebrated the birthdays of my two boys over the past two weeks.  

One son, on the verge of being a man, brings humor to our family on a daily basis.  He is a gentleman- the kind of guy you'd want your daughter to date.  Seriously. He's sweet to his sisters and helpful to all of us.  Kind, charming, generous and fun to be around, he has a strong conscience of right and wrong and lives by it.

My youngest son (my baby boy) has a ready smile at all times, can be on the serious side- he's a man of few words for the most part- but a deep thinker.  He has ambitious goals and a loving heart.  He often sees life in black or white, but fights for the underdog and hates injustice.
 

These babies of mine- now young men- make my heart swell with joy. 
 Where did all those baby and toddler and little-boy years go?  Once upon a time, they seemed they'd never end.  

All those days and years of picking up after them, washing mud and jam off their little bodies, hugging them close when they got hurt and praising all the of the neat rocks and sword drawings and other items they brought to me for inspection.

Nights of bathwater splashed everywhere and jammies to be zipped, stories to be read, questions to be answered and backs to be scratched.   How I would give to have one more day with them as little boys, their arms wrapped around my neck, giggling or snuggling with me.

Time with children is precious!

Promise to myself: I will do my best to not take for granted any of the time I have left with them in my home- before the grow up and go out into the world as men.

Multiple Choice

May was a crazy month around here because:
A. We experienced heavy snowfall
B. We got a new puppy
C. My daughter turned twelve
D. We sold our house
E. All of the above!

Can you guess the answer?

                                Puppy love is very real.
                       It also breeds jealousy on occasion
                        but, all in all, it's a very good thing.

                                      ((Meet Finley June. ))

                          My little girl is a young lady now.

                     She and her friends are growing up.
                  (But they still know how to have fun!)

           I mean, what's a birthday party without a friend being tied  to a tree?

                              And finally, we sold our house.  
Lots of mixed feelings here- I get a little vaklempt when I think about it too much.  Lots of good memories here, great friends made and I will miss my backyard views.

Right after we made the deal, a powerful thunderstorm swept over the house.  I waited for it to pass before heading to the store to pick up a few things.  I was feeling a tangle of emotions and was even a little shaky.

As I started to leave the house, a brilliant rainbow appeared, then became a double rainbow.  
This picture can't possibly do it justice.
As I slowly crept down our road, not wanting to miss a moment of it, I looked around the neighborhood.  No one seemed to be out witnessing this event.

I suddenly felt that it was for me.

Okay, maybe there were others it was meant for as well...but I experienced an amazing feeling of exuberance and peace.
A knowledge that a new chapter is ahead and that everything will be alright.                  
 
Someday.
Someday....
Life will feel somewhat 'normal' again.
I will be able to truly focus on only one or two or five things at a time.
I will wish once more that I had something to do...because I'll be maybe just a little bit bored.
This intensely stressful period of my life will become nothing more than a distant memory; with good lessons learned.
I will look back on this time with wisdom and gratitude and a new outlook on the simple things of life.


But for now, there is work to do!
(Just a warning that my posts may be a bit sporadic over the summer.)
Thanks for bearing with me.   : )