The closing of another month. Already. I think we saw a closing to 80 degree temperatures also. Cooler temperatures were pushed in by big, dark, rolling clouds this evening. In like a lion, out like a lamb. . .thats what they say. The kids are wrapped up warm for the night. Tomorrow's clothes laid out. . .we'll be dressed just a little bit warmer as we welcome in October.
She's mastered sweeping the floors, using the dust pan, setting the table and cleaning the counters. She loves stories of monkeys, and elephants and has a very tender spot for kitties. She was very nearly an only child, and has flourished as a big sister. She wraps her little arms around my legs and squeezes with all her might. She understands what "I love you" means and whispers it to us regularly.
She is incredible.
I want to live with purpose. Do those important items on my bucket list. Focus my attention on the things that matter.
Photography by K.Addington ℅ Shutter Candy
Here is a small sample of my list:
1. Continue building a relationship with my Jesus.
2. Dedicate time each day to totally focus on Jon - we're doing life together so we need at least a few minutes each day to just be us.
3. Build memories with my children. Childhood is sacred. These are the days my children will look back on when they are adults. I want to laugh, play and enjoy these days without being weighed down by items that don't matter.
4. Spend 14 days in Tahiti.
5. I want to live simply. Cut out excess.
6. I want to wake up to the sound of the gentle waves lapping my beach. Every single morning.
7. Effectively promote the love of Jesus.
So, I'm going to go do them.
Here is a small sample of my list:
1. Continue building a relationship with my Jesus.
2. Dedicate time each day to totally focus on Jon - we're doing life together so we need at least a few minutes each day to just be us.
3. Build memories with my children. Childhood is sacred. These are the days my children will look back on when they are adults. I want to laugh, play and enjoy these days without being weighed down by items that don't matter.
4. Spend 14 days in Tahiti.
5. I want to live simply. Cut out excess.
6. I want to wake up to the sound of the gentle waves lapping my beach. Every single morning.
7. Effectively promote the love of Jesus.
So, I'm going to go do them.
We went to sleep to the sound of rain…and woke to the sound of it too. Our plants drank the raindrops, while our feet splashed through puddles. The clouds hung dark and heavy all day long and it was a welcomed change.
The evening sky was ON FIRE tonight! In a matter of minutes it went from yellow to orange then pink and purple before settling into the darkness. We took Chloe outside to watch the setting sun and she exclaimed loudly "OHHH the sky is pink and purple!! Jesus made it pink and purple JUST FOR ME!!!!"
My sister always said you needed a sense of humor as a parent. I see that.
Tonight:
1. Mommy! Come look! I pooped on your bathroom floor. (For life's bleachable moments)
2. Chloe, where is the ($30!!) bottle of lavender oil? Mommy, I was tired of looking at it so I dumped it out.
3. Mommy, here eat your dinner with Declan's spoon so I can eat my dinner with your fork.
4. And finally . . . a swift, hard kick to the nose to check mommy's reflexes (which apparently are operating on delay…ask Declan why).
But soon my babies will be college applicants, career seekers and looking for their first apartment. Give me a kick in the nose instead, thanks.
Tonight:
1. Mommy! Come look! I pooped on your bathroom floor. (For life's bleachable moments)
2. Chloe, where is the ($30!!) bottle of lavender oil? Mommy, I was tired of looking at it so I dumped it out.
3. Mommy, here eat your dinner with Declan's spoon so I can eat my dinner with your fork.
4. And finally . . . a swift, hard kick to the nose to check mommy's reflexes (which apparently are operating on delay…ask Declan why).
But soon my babies will be college applicants, career seekers and looking for their first apartment. Give me a kick in the nose instead, thanks.
Tonight the setting of the sun not only marked the end of September 22nd…it marked the end of Summer too. No more lightening bugs, hot summer nights, hotter summer days…humidity that clings to your every pore. No more summer thunderstorms. . .heat lightening. No more tank tops, shorts and sandals, no more beach trips, sunburn and suntan lotion. No more summer garden, blooming daisies and wilted ferns. The leather seats in my car will no longer burn the back of my legs when I climb in . . .the air conditioning bill will no longer reflect constant usage, nor will the neighborhood experience the constant hum of the air units. We'll open our windows to smell Fall. We'll let the cool breeze blow through the house. . .through our hair, and through our car's sunroof. We'll replace the summer's exhausted flowers with mums and pumpkins. Warm up some apple cider and enjoy cool evenings by the fire. All because tomorrow is Fall!
Tonight we are enjoying the raw basics of life. . .
Early to bed. Almost as good as winning the lottery...the only thing better would be a night of solid sleep. But I'm a realist.
This was our evening tonight. Fair rides. Fresh lemonade. Zoo animals. The smell of deep fried everything mixed with cotton candy. Carmel apples. Two tired babies.
Tonight is a first night for:
1. Declan in his big boy room. Bitter sweet. Tomorrow night I may request we disassemble Declan's ENTIRE crib and move it back into our room.
2. Jon and I spending an evening together in a quiet house. . .and a BONUS…dinner with just the two of us! say what?! (yup, this really happened ((after Declan went to bed)) )
3. Chloe spent the evening with her aunties, uncles, cousins, granny and poppy at the County Fair. They picked her up early as a surprise and enjoyed the late afternoon/early evening together. Her first evening EVER away from us.
You know when you're in the stage of very young children you feel consumed by that particular time period. . .tonight, it was different. Tonight was a realization (again!) that kids don't stay little long enough. Just like the image below that I posted last night on fb. . .a preview of what's to come in 16 years' time. Oh my soul.
1. Declan in his big boy room. Bitter sweet. Tomorrow night I may request we disassemble Declan's ENTIRE crib and move it back into our room.
2. Jon and I spending an evening together in a quiet house. . .and a BONUS…dinner with just the two of us! say what?! (yup, this really happened ((after Declan went to bed)) )
3. Chloe spent the evening with her aunties, uncles, cousins, granny and poppy at the County Fair. They picked her up early as a surprise and enjoyed the late afternoon/early evening together. Her first evening EVER away from us.
You know when you're in the stage of very young children you feel consumed by that particular time period. . .tonight, it was different. Tonight was a realization (again!) that kids don't stay little long enough. Just like the image below that I posted last night on fb. . .a preview of what's to come in 16 years' time. Oh my soul.
My guy came home with these tonight. . .love. Simple, meaningful love is why. One of the 536,000 reasons why I adore him.
Sometimes when we don't want to hear what God is saying we place our hands over our ears and shout "lalala...lalalalalalal.......lala"...look around to make sure the voice is gone...then proceed with our day as if the moment never happened.
Today's God poked me in the ribs coz I was too busy shouting "lalalalalala" over his attempts to get my attention. God is prodding me to use my gift. . .pushing me out of my comfort zone. So when I found this spiritual inspiration this evening...it was yet another poke in my ribs.
Stop running...stop shouting to drown my voice out. Just listen. - God
photography by K.Addington c/o Shutter Candy
Today's God poked me in the ribs coz I was too busy shouting "lalalalalala" over his attempts to get my attention. God is prodding me to use my gift. . .pushing me out of my comfort zone. So when I found this spiritual inspiration this evening...it was yet another poke in my ribs.
Stop running...stop shouting to drown my voice out. Just listen. - God
What's YOUR dream?
In case your dream requires a language too - duolingo. . .it's where it's at. Free too.
You're welcome.
The dog and the baby got together before bedtime last night and decided they'd play tag team between 1am and 7am. Come 7am I had lost my sense of humor. . .the dog was left to fend for himself - outside, before sunrise, and thankfully the baby learned from the dog's hard lesson, so he promptly went back to sleep.
It's for this very reason I started this blog series. . .to focus on the good in between the hours when you are fighting for patience, perseverance or just some darn sanity. So this evening, after we had tucked the kids in bed (for a total of 12 times in 1.5 hours and won the battle when the house finally fell silent) I was looking through old photographs. I'm creating a series of photo books with the THOUSANDS of photographs digitally stored - and begging to be printed. It's so simple - just upload and viola. . .your photo books appear on your front door step a few days later!
Here's a special moment that will make an appearance in Declan's photo book. . .he was only 8 days old!
It's for this very reason I started this blog series. . .to focus on the good in between the hours when you are fighting for patience, perseverance or just some darn sanity. So this evening, after we had tucked the kids in bed (for a total of 12 times in 1.5 hours and won the battle when the house finally fell silent) I was looking through old photographs. I'm creating a series of photo books with the THOUSANDS of photographs digitally stored - and begging to be printed. It's so simple - just upload and viola. . .your photo books appear on your front door step a few days later!
Here's a special moment that will make an appearance in Declan's photo book. . .he was only 8 days old!
The sun rose to battle the thick fog. We rose to celebrate Friday.
While the sun and fog began their battle over the morning hours, we remembered that 14 years ago today 2977 people died on 9/11. A battle of survival. A battle lost for so many.
It's days like these that we reminisce on life. The reasoning for our daily existence. . .those special people we choose to do life with. . .the importance of making a difference. . .the loss of life. . .the gift of life. . .everything. I've said it before, we are not here to merely pay our bills and exist. We are here to make a difference. What are you doing to make your ONE chance count?
photo by K.Addington
While the sun and fog began their battle over the morning hours, we remembered that 14 years ago today 2977 people died on 9/11. A battle of survival. A battle lost for so many.
It's days like these that we reminisce on life. The reasoning for our daily existence. . .those special people we choose to do life with. . .the importance of making a difference. . .the loss of life. . .the gift of life. . .everything. I've said it before, we are not here to merely pay our bills and exist. We are here to make a difference. What are you doing to make your ONE chance count?
I don't know if I'm happier that it's almost bedtime or almost Friday. . .
She dropped everything for me today..my special friend. She gives so much to my little family - her time, her talent and her love. Tonight she highlighted and cut my hair, she held Declan while I cooked dinner, and she played with Chloe while Jon and I put Declan down - then we sat down to a nice warm dinner together.
Everyone needs a Vern in their lives! (but she's mine, so you'll have to find another :) )
photo by K.Addington c/o Shutter Candy Photography 2013
Everyone needs a Vern in their lives! (but she's mine, so you'll have to find another :) )
Our two babies are snuggled up in their beds...tucked in warm and tight. I find great comfort in this. Kissing that soft skin that smells of pure baby sweetness...their skin still barely damp from their bath. Fresh pjs, fresh sheets...under the covers they go with the favorite stuffed animal securely perched within reach. The house falls silent as Jon and I take it in...for the next hour we just talk. Each evening is almost the same...and never long enough.
Today I struggled with patience. It began way too early and to the tune of a high pitched cry that bounced around our bedroom walls - penetrating my already exhausted body. From that point on Declan struggled with his 2nd tooth. It was a constant cry that only varied in pitch. After about 5 hours my nerves and patience were at their limit. Chloe was feeling about the same except her expression to the situation only added negatively to it. After lunch I managed to get them both down for a nap at the same time. Once the house was calm, I sat on the couch for a minute to recover from my morning when I read this:
You will never have this day
with your children again.
Today is a gift.
Breathe and notice.
Relish the charms of the
present.
Enjoy today mama, it will be
gone before you know it.
- Jan Hatmaker
That was exactly what I needed today.
It's official. . .Declan has his first tooth! He's been extra clingy and fussy the last two days, so to see a little pearly white make its presence is a relief. . .19 more to go.
We threw our regular dinner and bedtime schedule aside this evening and opted for an evening in Downtown Knoxville instead. We tend to skip dinner outings as a whole as a simple quiet meal at a restaurant can turn into a miniature riot with an unpredictable 2 year old and 6 month old in tow. Despite having nerves of steel and being able to brush off onlookers expressions as one of my children display their latest circus act, I'd rather just avoid the situation completely. Tonight we were feeling brave, so we hit the town. Our kids were on their best behavior, even allowing us to enjoy our meal - skipping indigestion all together. Rarity. To reward our bravery we sauntered through downtown enjoying the golden hour, even stopping for an ice cream. On the drive home, the sun had set and we had officially enjoyed a relaxing evening [way past bedtime!!], without a single eyebrow raising incident...Just like winning the lottery folks. Just like it.
Takes a village, right? Yup. And we are the better for it. My post earlier this week regarding lack of sleep spurred what we are all here for : sharing and caring. A friend of mine reached out to me offering a suggestion of magnesium lotion on Declan. I ordered some off Amazon with a special request to have the postman RUN, not walk, to my village. With a knock on wood I will report that last night...which was the first time we put the magnesium lotion on Declan. . .he only woke up ONCE! A sure improvement from 3 - 5 times a night which he has been doing!
Tonight is night two. Here goes nothing. . .
Tonight is night two. Here goes nothing. . .
After a long day, Jon pulled my vehicle into the garage...and the tires had barely finished their desperate squeal on the polished garage floor when we looked over and saw the VW bug, in the other space silently calling to us. So the four of us unbuckled, scrambled from my car to quickly experience the immediate transportation back in time as we slipped into our 1968 VW. Smiles upon our faces, we pulled out of the driveway. . .and we took a bumpy spin. Just us.
Picked these from my garden this morning. Kinda like life, right?
My one good thing today. . .my mom. Today I was a functioning human being as she gave up her warm bed last night to come over and do night duty on my behalf!! When you have kids you realize the level of amazingness your mom has. . .and when she will drop EVERYTHING in the middle of the night. . .pure amazingness.
Mom - thank you for keeping me alive :) xoxo
Mom - thank you for keeping me alive :) xoxo
