Giovani Solisti Celebration

We are on day #3 home because of Caronovirus. (music first)

It is sunny and 55 degrees here today so we are going on a nice, leisurely, looooong walk after lunch to get some much needed vitamin D and feel the air on our faces.

I was looking through my phone photos and found this really happy one - I don't think I ever blogged it - but I did blog the event.

It was back when Anna got into Solisti, a very competitive auditioned orchestra this February. We all went out for a fancy dinner to celebrate.

Love the happiness in our smiles and our faces.







It's nice to have the time look back and see the joy in our lives during these days. I am grateful for this memory.

My Valentine

He's been my Valentine since 1989 when he first looked my way in high school biology class.

 We've traveled to China to become parents, walked through trauma with one and daily chronic illness with our littlest.

We've had so many adventures over the 20 years married.

He's pointed our family in the direction of the Lord and his heart is full of faith.

In all the romantic things we've done, dancing in the kitchen with two giggly girls watching has been and will ALWAYS be the most romantic thing ever.  Ever.

I adore my Valentine (dancing in the kitchen is my love language)



(this was the song)

Just Us

Tonight when Scott came home he asked me to take a walk with him, just five minutes, after dinner.

You all know what after dinner looks like in our house, right. There was multiplication to practice with Abigail, algebra to help with Anna, a picture day form to fill out, emails to get to, just life.

But sometimes we forget that it all started with just us and that we are the glue to this family. Just us.

He promised me that he only wanted 5 minutes away from the house with me and that we could go on a walk during "your favorite part of the day". I do think it is such a pretty time of day and I've always loved the sun getting ready to set. My house getting ready to be cozy. So we went.

Just a walk, just us. We might have been just discussing kitchen ideas for decisions that need to be made. It wasn't life changing kind of conversations that we love to stay up late to have but it was good. Cool, crisp air, and just us.

And Scott, he sent me this song this week.  Swoon!

Just Words

Today I picked up Abigail at school at 9:45. We drove and met Scott for her Gastroenterology appointment. It was such a gorgeous day here. Oh so sunny and cool. At the warmest part of the day I think it got up to 66. I wore a dark jean skirt, pink and white gingham shirt, blue polka dot flats, and pearls. The perfect fall, me, outfit. We pulled into the parking lot just about the same time as Scott and we walked in holding Abigail's hands.

I don't have a picture but it was such a sweet moment for me. And I think for Scott too. He's never missed a GI appointment to check on and determine the next journey with her EoE. There's something about pulling into that parking lot and waiting for 'daddy's car' to pull in right next to us. Maybe it's because it's just the three of us. Maybe it's because it's a bit of time 'stolen' from an otherwise normal school day. I'm not quite sure really, but I love those appointments. (or it could be that my heart skipped a beat when he pulls up and gets out of his car in his suit, that sparkle in his eyes, I'm still in love)

In the elevator, an older woman complimented Abigail on her mary jane shoes and lace ankle socks. She was sweet and said, "thank you".

When we checked in it must have been stuffed animal day. Every single patient was hanged a big, soft stuffed animal. She beamed and hugged it tight.

She was brought in and weighed. The nurse said, "you always wear such pretty outfits" (she was wearing a short cherry dress with cream lace on the Peter Pan color paired with light pink leggings)

But the best news of all was her weight gain. She's on a pretty crazy medicine for gaining weight since March. And it's working.

Dr. Hymns said he was proud of her. She told him about chorus in school and homework.

And we left with an endoscopy appointment on the calendar.

Holding hands back to the car and driving her back to school with a feeling of gratitude for this peanut daughter of mine. And my husband. And our little 'stolen' time together. And for fall, super sunny, and cool days.

Just so grateful.

And that I don't need a picture of. It's a feeling in my heart. These GI doctor visits since she was a baby are sweet to me. Of course we wouldn't wish EoE on her life and would erase it in a heartbeat but we make the most of it. And that means enjoying these lovely times together.

There is an abundance of blessing in struggles.  We just have to trust God and let him show us.

Yes, I don't need a picture of that. It's deep in my heart.

I know that Abigail will one day be grown. Perhaps there will come a time when she goes to GI appointments on her own. To her own grown up, not pediatric GI doctor. A time when she's long outgrow her little mary janes.  But I know her heart will have stored so many "pictures" of these special days.

and many years from now, long after we are gone,
these trees will spread their branches out and bless the dawn
so sit down and write that letter... 
SINK INTO ALL THAT MATTERS
let go of all that's passing
lift up the least of these 
LEAN INTO SOMETHING LASTING
planting trees  
She waters us with love and the children grow
so many years from now 
so many years from now, long after we are gone
these trees will spread their branches and bless someone. 

(song here) 

You Are Beautiful

I heard the tail end of this song like a year ago on Kids Place Live (XM Radio) in the car.  I didn't catch the name of it that day but waited and waited and waited for it to come on again.  I was driving Abigail this morning and it came on.  I screamed and then I cranked it up.



Remember who you are
Remember who you were before 
Look into your heart
Slip on through the open door
Sit under the sun
Be still for a little while
For You are the one
You are that sacred smile
Because
You were born with endless love inside you
The whole world was calling your name
Everyone singing Hallelujah
Powerful beyond imagination
You were born with indelible light
Who is gonna change this world for the better
You just might
When you give you begin to live
When you love you become love
I a here to remind you here to remind you
You are beautiful.

This song is makes me smile and tear up all at once.  Behold the one who knows you well.  And I am here to remind you... you are beautiful.

Little Things in April

They say that when you stop blogging you take less pictures with your camera. I can say for sure that since I stopped Instagramming I have way less pictures taken with my phone. I kinda miss having a ton of quick pictures to look at toward the end of a month. Maybe I'll go back... maybe not.

Abigail needed a hair cut.. don't ya think?





6 inches came off and it looks beautiful.



I love how Lana (who I've known since I was in 7th grade and who did my hair on my wedding day) makes my girls feel extra special when they leave the salon.





This song that Scott sent me one day (I love him)



In the small chappel (in the back of our church) is where the Rosary group meets. We're working on making our own rosary beads.



Fun with a friend



Oh she loved finding these at a store. Bear lip gloss. Is there anything better in life?



Taped on the inside of my shoe... I know Anna... I want to too...



Trying to make after school snacks that show my love



but 'baking' early in the morning before school means rushing and the Abigail 'butter' exploded



New medicine



Hawaii clothes are starting to come in the mail



A Judy Garland night with my girls... swoon... that dress!



We went to see Grandpa's Lion King and she got to see her summer theatre choreographer!



My brother is good toddler daddy.



Huge rainbow



Hail



Sewing



All before teaching





When Abigail won this... Anna made her this



better than a trophy



Happy in a Chinese noodle bar



Cool, old town, independent bookstore with creaky floors, and piles of books... best kind of bookstores ever!



He loves me... cought him adjusting the tulip wreath on the front door.





Another book day... this time on April vacation week to a vintage/used/out of print bookstore. Swoon

Warmth

By the time the girls got home from school today (actually at 1:30 because it was an early dismissal) it was 62 out.  Sun shining.  Anna kicked off her flats that she wore all day in school.  And she dug for her llbean lobster flip flops.  Abigail just settled for her winter "brown boots"  I guess that's a March warm day for you.  Brown fuzzy inside warm boots and flip flops.  It all works.




Winter must be over.  Was there a winter?  I love winter.  Because I love cozy.  And dark outside.  And warm inside.  And fireplaces.  And snow.  And us.

But spring is here and change is good.  The girls sure are happy.  And that makes me happy, so I think I'll join them.  On the swings and in the happy they feel in their hearts for warmth. (a song)

Deep Breaths

Scott was telling me a story that happened at his school. Teachers all gathered around telling about how they decorate and how they celebrate this time of year. Now, I'm sure he told some doozies about me (this time of year I'm a bit crazy) but when I asked him, "what did you say..."

"I told them the truth. No one does Christmas like you do."

Oh, I beamed at that comment and could go on for days and days surviving on just the thought of him saying that about me to all of those other ladies... Swoon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And it's a good, good, thing too because I have days that I'm bone tired. Oh so tired. With 'regular life' and all of the Christmas on top of it.

I decorated the weekend before Thanksgiving. Maybe if I stopped decorating I'd get some sleep. I mean, really, I get these ideas in my head that I just have to do.

Like our kitchen windowsill. It was all set, loved it. But then at the antique store I found those new little houses so I redid the whole thing. Sigh.

I think I need to just accept the fact that I'll keep decorating, arranging, trying new ideas, until Christmas Eve. Sigh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tonight, okay, right now, I should be working on our Christmas Card. I've got to choose the photos, edit them, swap a head because Anna is happy in one and Abigail is happy in a different photo. But I wanted to stop in a say hi. Deep breaths girlfriends. Deep breaths. Christmas will come. No matter what. So whether you're a decorator until the big day like me or you're all done and relaxing, just do what makes you happy. Enjoy it.

Oh, and this... I found this note on Abigail's windowsill this morning.



And it reminded me that I never told you that we did get her biopsy back and the inflammation in esophagus is up. So it was bad news. But we're okay. One step forward, six steps back are fine for us because we just keep taking steps with the One that holds us in the palm of His hand. And when some days we feel like we just got the wind knocked out of us... again.. we just take  another step, and another step and another step.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enjoy your week friends... I'm off to edit, make a card, light a candle, and maybe redo where I put my manger... just kidding.

The Meaning of Our Christmas Tree (s)

The day after Thanksgiving was raining so we had to wait until Saturday to pick out our Christmas Tree.  Now, we have several others though tout the house.  One in the family room filled with the ornaments we've given the girls each year (it's kind of our 'ode to Hallmark' tree) and then I have three little trees set up together in the dining room.  These trees are my 'childhood trees'.  They hold the most precious ornaments in the whole house.  They are the ones my girls have made at preschool.  I found old story book garland for those trees.  And then we have a tree in the window at the top of our stairs.  They are filled with the miniature ornaments that I've been given over they years.  (I guess that tree is kind of my 'mini ode to Hallmark minis tree'.  There's a tree in my kitchen that now stays up and changes all year (because I learned that from Billie Jo) and right now it's all gingerbread.

But....

But...

But...

The 'REAL TREE', the show stopper, the one Santa I'm sure stops and breathes deep for a good smell as he's eating cookies and milk is our living room tree.  And we picked it out last Saturday.  She sat in a bucket in our garage for the week because I know what the heat coming on in our house does to her.  And I want her to last all those weeks until Christmas.  But she's going up tonight!

Her ornaments are very special to me.  Very, very special.  If fact the girls usually know that they can help 'just a little'.  But really, it's mommy and daddy's tree.  Maybe I should I call it our 'wedding tree' since all of the others have names.  Because of this text




And this song...

And this little story...

Twenty years ago Scott and I were married for only a few months when December rolled around.  We had very little extra money for things like decorating a house for Christmas.  Without him knowing I had saved just a little bit our our Wedding money.  I hid it away.  And knew just what I wanted it to buy.

That first Christmas 20 years ago we went to New York City (surprised? not!) in December.  We went with my parents and saw The Lion King on Broadway.  And then we did all of the Christmas NYC things.  We stayed over.  I remember what I wore, the New York diner we ate at for breakfast the next morning. I remember loving my coat and the way my heals clicked on the New York sidewalks.  It was magical.

On that trip we went to Sax Fifth Avenue.  And we headed right to the Christmas ornaments.  It was there I saw my first Radko ornament.  I pulled out my Wedding money and bought twelve.  Twelve matching, amazing Radko ornaments.  I know it doesn't seem like a big deal.  Of course we bought ornaments for our first tree.  But it was a big deal.  We were in New York City.  We were in Sax.  This is the most amazing department store in the city.  The very one my Mom and Dad would take up in if we were in NYC just to look around.  And once when were were little I remember my Dad telling my brothers and I to pick out "something to wear on Christmas" in Sax.  I must have been around 9 or 10 years old.  We had just seen the Radio City Christmas show.  I was with my parents, my grandparents, my brothers.  Magical.  My brothers picked out a red sweater and I chose a beautiful green dress.  Oh that dress...

Anyway, Sax is one special place to me.  So that bit of Wedding money, in Sax now a newlywed, with my new husband, my parents, NYC... Radko ornaments.  Magical.

Those ornaments are twenty years old now.  And since then I've added other Radko's to our living room tree.  But that tree, it takes me right back.  Back to when I was 23...

Twenty Christmas's later... so many memories... so many moments I'm so grateful for.

So tonight this tree is more that just our Christmas Tree.  It's a reminder of all the childhood magic at Christmas that I grew up with.  All of the magic that I carried into our marriage.. and all the magic that the girls bring to me each December.





The girls played hide and seek among the trees.

















Have I ever said on this blog that I love Christmas?  And my husband? And being married?  And my darling girls?  And romance?  And my home?  And memories?  If not, I do...

Merry Christmas baby, I love you...

I Will

(this weekend in Maine)


Scott and I went to a wedding about fifteen years ago.  It was a teacher in Scott's school at the time.  I didn't know the bride or the groom.  And Scott just knew the bride through teaching.  He lost touch over the years as he moved on and she did as well.  But I'll never forget that wedding and I can tell you that they are still married  It was the most beautiful wedding.  It was outdoor and on a lake.
And it rained.  As the couple started saying their vows it started to pour.  So many of the guests ran for cover. (right in the middle of the sacred vows)  We sat right there and didn't move.  The rain poured down as they said, "I will love you forever."

Seriously beautiful.

And then someone sang this song.  It was so romantic.

We've been married for nineteen years.  And although 'real life' is not always the easiest we are together still 'sitting in the pouring rain' on some days.  But we won't budge.  We sit and sometimes wait things out, or weather a storm, or hold on to each other fiercely.  But we're together.  Because

who knows how long I've loved you
you know I love you still...

love you forever and forever
love you with all my heart
love you whenever we're together
love you when we're apart

I will...