this moment

Joining SouleMama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

perfectly perfect

By day's end I realized that the day had been perfect.  Perfectly perfect.  It was not one thing, or even the right combination of things.  It was everything.

The sky.  The sand.  The water.

Cousins.  Always cousins.

Breathing.  Deeply.  Contentedly.

The accomplishment of the high dive.  And going over and over and over again.

Learning a new game.  And winning first place.

Sandcastle building.  And winning first place.

A day that felt like a vacation.  A real vacation (but without the travel and packing.)

A day with many cousins around to lighten the load, and make the deep, contented breathing possible.

Lunch, and later, dinner.  Feasts prepared and brought by my Mama.

The sky and its many colors as hour upon hour passed.

Enjoying the smell of natural water on my skin, in my hair, on all of the kids.

Sand that has smoothed the rough edges, and not just on the bottoms of my feet.

A dock in the deep end to swim to.  Sitting there, talking and laughing with my sister.  I laid down to worship the sun.  Then did back dives off of the side.

Laughter.  And sunscreen.  And watermelon.  And family.  And sky, sand, and water.

Staying until the sun was well into setting.  With kids asleep moments after leaving for home.

Everything summer, perfectly perfect.

this moment {on Christmas Eve}

Joining Soulemama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

Wishing you a weekend full of goodness!

this moment {famil-ie}

Joining Soulemama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

And stop by here for a great giveaway from my dear blogger friend Lady Cordelia!

weekending {a wee bit late}

I know, I know, it is Thursday night. Well past the weekend, and on the eve of the next.  But some weekends beg to be shared, no matter how many days later.

Last weekend was one of those weekends.  Days filled to overflowing with goodness and loveliness and emotion that reminds us what it means to care deeply and feel connected to others.

As has happened during a handful of moments since our move, a feeling takes hold.  Like a breath, a rustle, a warmth that makes this new house feel more like our home, not the place that is still filled with boxes and large splotches of sample paints on the walls (ahem.)  That feeling of home came to me strongly Friday evening as I spent my first real spell at the sewing machine.  I could see the boys playing outside, the smell of Honey's homemade pizza came from the kitchen where Lovey was dancing along to the Friday-evening music.  And I felt it.  Home.  In a way not yet felt here, knowing that home is a feeling gathered over time and intricately layered upon our lives, sometimes so quietly we are unaware.

This time I was aware.  Feeling it deep in my gut, rising, threatening tears.  I stood watching my daughter dance.  And marveled.  Marveled.  Marveled.

Saturday brought more marveling, and humbled amazement of people.  Their courage, bravery, moxy.  Characteristics I value and hope to possess.

My oldest sister Michele began running two years ago at the age of 45.  And on Saturday, at the age of 47, ran her first marathon.  In the face of recent knee pain, and the discovery of being seriously iron deficient, and with her final weeks of training being not quite what she had hoped because of these.  She ran a marathon.  26.2 miles.

I waited for her near mile 21, and as I saw her round the bend in the distance, I ran toward her.   I hadn't planned to, but something inside was compelled to go toward her, her courage, her bravery, her moxy.  I ran toward her, yelling and clapping and cheering her on.  Her slow and steady, not pain-free, pace.

I even ran along side her for a short distance, giving what felt like meager little support compared to her amazing strength.  She had just come up a very long steep hill, and was smiling despite the discomfort.  Smiling!

For the next several miles two of her daughters ran portions with her.  And my sister Danielle -- who had earlier run the half-marathon -- met up with Michele and ran the last two miles with her.  Ran what would be the most grueling two miles of the day, but she did it to help her big sister reach the finish line.

Look at these beautiful women.  Smiling after 26.2 and 13.1 15.1 miles!

I spent my childhood looking up to my big sisters.  How lucky I am, at 42, to still be looking up to them.  Amazing, beautiful women.

And then there is this.

Sunday, Sunday!

It was spent with the dearest of friends, Jennifer, Gina, and Annie, whose talents and passions and ideas and energy are making gladsome 2013 into a weekend that will be simply amazing.  A. MAZ. ING.

We spent (mostly uninterrupted) time together planning and preparing, and some good 'ol scheming too.  There was laughter, lots of laughter.  From us, and from the gathering of just some of our collective kids.

Being together was a balm.  A familiar warmth.  A heaping of nourishment. An overflowing of gratitude.  A gentle reminder of the ways our connectedness makes this life wonderful.

As was the weekend.

this moment

Joining Soulemama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

Wishing you a weekend full of grace and goodness!

this home

We've been packing.

Painting the garage.

Patching dozens (and dozens more) nail holes.

Saying our many good-byes.  Some are so very hard.

And fluctuating between feeling like we can easily do this, and wondering when we will do all of this.

More so I'm uncertain how to go about dismantling a home after a dozen well-lived years within its walls.  It seems like more than just putting belongings into boxes.

We've had three different couches in our living room, but in the same spot this whole time.  Talk about comfort in the familiar. 

In so many ways I know this house by heart.  How many steps to cross the kitchen, to cross the living room, to go out the back door.  The rhythm (and squeaks) of descending the staircase.  The sunlight in every room at every time of the day.  The familiar feel of tasks that have been done countless times, the muscle memory for each and every one.  How long will it take to change that muscle memory for our new space? 

All four of our children came home to this house following their births.  Quite literally, this is the house where we became a family.  For that reason alone I love this place in a special way, despite our having long outgrown it. 

And I realize that this may be one of the hardest goodbyes.

this moment {lovey on prom night}

Joining Soulemama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

Wishing you a weekend full of grace and goodness!

lately

A larger than life version of Fruit Ninja.  Oh the wonders of the mall.  Not shown in the picture are the hordes of pre-teens hanging out.

Yes he is typing.  No, I can barely keep up with him.

Free Cone Day at Ben and Jerry's.  Those are balloons, not ice cream.  We ate the ice cream, waiting for the balloons.  It took me days to realize that Munchkin thought you only got the CONE on Free Cone Day.  He was quite concerned about what we would do for ice cream.

A peek of spring color, coming oh. so. slowly. to our world.

She makes friends wherever she goes.  Always.  Even with dolls at the kids furniture store.

Today I received a message from a dear friend reminding me "Don't leap in front of grace."

It is a quote from Sr. Helen Prejean.  Sr. Helen rocks.  My friend sent the quote in response to an update I had e-mailed about our house hunt.  As happens our journey in finding a house is like that experienced by many others.  A time of great anticipation and anxiety.  Hope and disappointment.  A roller coaster that is more nauseating than thrilling. 

Thursday evening we found out our offer on a house was bested by an offer from someone else.  Hours of disappointment followed the news.  Until the next morning when we entered a house that we really love.  So the waiting has begun again.

How perfectly timed was this quote from my friend.  And in my year of grace, no less.  So, best as I can I am living in the moment, and letting grace take her lovely time.

this moment {this morning}

Joining Soulemama, and many others, in this moment. 

In Amanda's words: "A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

Please link to your moment too -- I love to see what you are enjoying this week!

Wishing you a weekend full of goodness!

ushering

Each year we usher in the New Year quietly.  We like it that way.

Right now, snow is falling.  The big kids are outside building a fort, warm in their boots.

The rich delicious smell of a roast fills the house.

A dear friend, basically the seventh member of our family, has come by with her knitting.

Lovey is snuggled up, watching Charlie Brown Christmas.

Pal is asleep in his car seat.

Quiet.  Good.

I am thinking about all that has been 2012.  All of the growth, change, discovery.  Pal joining the fun.

We have a movie planned for later, letting the kids stay up past their bedtime.  Buttery popcorn and once-yearly French onion dip.

New Year's kisses, and a good night's sleep.

Yes, quiet, and quite quite good.

Wishing you all a peaceful end of 2012 and beginning of 2013.

dad

This picture was taken a week ago.  My Dad holding Pal, the newest of his ten grandchildren.

I love his hands.  His hands that gently and strongly hold my sleeping baby have worked so hard and given so generously these forty years I have known him.  As I know they did before I was born and as they continue to do every day.

Thank you Dad for holding me so gently as a baby and for continuing to hold me in every way as I grow.  I love you, Happy Father's Day.

larger than life

On Mother's Day we got to spend some time with family at my sister's house.  When I walked into her kitchen I noticed this hanging on the wall.

Recognize it?

It is a picture of one of many quiet moments that Pal and I shared after he was born.

Then I noticed this massive canvas next to the picture.

My niece painted this for a final art project at school, for which she was assigned a large-scale portrait.  She had to finalize her subject about the time Pal was born, and she chose us.  For many weeks she wouldn't tell her family who she was painting, and she kept it secret from me until I saw it completed last weekend.

The Monday following Mother's Day, she transported the painting back to school to be graded.  But once done, she is giving the portrait to us.

How lucky are we?

Sometimes someone gifts you with a present so beautiful and overwhelming you can't quite define the feeling or put accurately into words your gratitude and love.

Pretty amazing, this niece of mine.  Her generosity always larger than life. 

first family outing

This post is being written because my oldest son just said to me, as he and Munchkin and Lovey play together upstairs, "Mom, go downstairs and do Mom things."  I wonder exactly what he thinks are Mom things.  I know I consider a new blog post a great Mom thing.  

It was a week after being home with Pal that our first family outing took place.  And by outing, I really mean family bribing. 

I wanted to get some pictures of the kids -- all four of them -- together in their sibling shirts I made.  So, as any smart Mama would do, I promised ice cream for all after a successful photo session.  Certainly ice cream seemed appropriate for this crew as we often celebrate everyday successes with a trip to one of several amazing local ice cream shops we have nearby.

The big boys split their first ever banana split.  Mama got to have extra whipped cream.  Our mini-van seemed oh so full, it took our breath away really.  And Pal slept through it all.

And that photo session was successful.  Here is a peek...