Today.

Today, I'm:

Thinking about the best ways to live a simple, beautiful, prioritized life.  This isn't always easy, but the efforts I make towards this kind of living are always worth it.

Preparing to start the process of updating my ceilings.  It's time to bid farewell to the popcorn texture of the 1970s.  Its been a while since I took on a home improvement challenge, and I'm weirdly excited about it.  The only downside - the trip to Home Depot that is looming near in my future.  I have a solid hatred of any kind of shopping that involves big box stores and lots of people.

Putting my house back in order after having family here for much of the month of July.  I purposely neglect any sort of housework that isn't necessary when I have them here (I'd much rather spend my time enjoying them,) and now it's time to dig through the chaos. It's totally worth it, though.  I love having my nieces and nephews here, despite the limited space in my small condo.

Listening to "Hotel Transylvania" while Riley watches it.  It's one of my favorite kids movies ever - the dialogue is hilarious.  Have you seen it?  You should!

Grateful the Girl had a playdate this afternoon. She burned off a whole lot of energy with one of the coolest families we know, and I was able to take some time and do a few things for myself.

Sorting out the logistics of the new school year.   In the mix is my new job, a new school for Riley, an off-site after-school program, swim team and gymnastics for the Girl, a different gym for me, and a million other details.  I know it will all work out just fine, but the current state of flux is anxiety-inducing for me if I think about it too much.

Laughing (still) about these beautiful artifacts my sister and I ran across in an thrift store yesterday.  Seriously, WTF?!  I can't imagine why we didn't bring them home.  I mean, they are just breathtaking, right?

When life demands too much ( Gratitude Sunday)

The past couple of weeks have been rough, to say the least.

Between a not-so-fun illness for the Girl, painful dental work for me, the loss of a loved one and some other lame-o drama thrown into the mix, there have been moments (lots of moments!) when I have felt overwhelmed and under -equipped to keep standing and moving forward.  More than once, I have wanted to simply crawl into bed and stay there until the emotional upheaval and the exhaustion passed.  But of course, that wasn't ever an option.  Life doesn't work that way.

Now that I'm on the other side of most of it, I can look back and see how times like these- times when life demands too much- bring their own benefits.  I can be grateful for the strength I receive from my family, the support I receive from friends and co-workers, and the love I've been shown through every ordeal.

As I contemplated this reality tonight, I realized that I simply had to look at the snaps on my phone to see evidence of the blessings that have come with the pain of the past few weeks.  I thought I would share a few here to remind my self of this one powerful truth:  There is a lot of good in my life and even in the darkest time,  I don't have to look hard to find the light. 

This little one- I'm completely smitten with her.

One of my nieces made me an "I love you book." Does it get any better than that?

I haven't seen my youngest brother for almost three years.  It was good to see him, despite the circumstances.

Love these girls.

This girl.  She cracks me up, dance moves and all.

lilacs are my favorite flower.  They remind me of childhood summers.

Me and my wacky little shadow.

Oh, I'm in love.

Riley and I made a quick trip to California over the past few days to meet my newest niece, Naiya Mae.  She is the most adorable baby girl with just enough attitude to let you know it's there, but enough sweetness to melt the hardest of hearts.

Oh, I'm in love.

My sister blooms in the most beautiful way when she has a new baby.  She positively glows with the happiness and love that surrounds her.  You can see it here when she had the twins, and with the addition of this little one, there is a deeper, more profound light.

Honestly, she's just breathtaking. 

It's touching to watch my brother-in-law fall more and more in love with his little girl. For a guy who is naturally such a tease, it's fun to see this more sensitive side of him. 

Still, one of the best parts of the trip was watching the twinners learn how to navigate their way into becoming being big brothers.  They've always had each other, and now they have a little sister to love and protect, to torture and tease.  And I'm certain there will be plenty of all of that.  And more (especially more of the teasing.) 

 

 Riley loved meeting her newest baby cousin, and talked incessantly about how tiny and delicate she is.  It was heartwarming to watch her enjoy this new little life and to listen to her wonder-filled questions while she tried to comprehend the miracle that is baby Naiya.  

 

I've said it before, and I'll say it many more times....There is nothing like being an aunt.  It's one of the best things in my world, and the addition of this new little one adds that much more sweetness and love to something I already cherish with my whole heart.  

Seriously, is she not precious? 
Oh, I'm in love.

Goodbye, July

Where did July go? It seems like a few days ago that we were celebrating Independence day, and out of nowhere, it's August 1st and I'm getting 'back to school sale' flyers in the mail!?!

Not sure how this happened.

Anyway, I thought I'd share a few random photos from July that make me smile.
The last two are Riley's iPhoneography. I love her Self Portrait (she's beautiful, no?)
She described the last photo as "How you look when you drive, Mama." It's fun to see how she sees me. I love it.

Happy August!

In good hands (Gratitude Friday)

This is why I was able to really relax and enjoy my vacation. I knew I had left my girl in the best hands possible.

So grateful for my sister, her husband and the twinners. We love them so much.

Grateful for My Family

I've been sitting here for an hour, trying to distill how thankful I am for my family into a few spare paragraphs.

I'm a writer.
I love my family.
This should be easy.

These people:
my parents, my brothers and sisters, my nieces and nephews, my grandparents....those that I am joined with by blood and those who I am joined with by marriage...
...They are everything to me.

Monday Randomness

She reminds me of myself in this picture.

-I'm addicted, obsessed and madly in love...with Kroger brand low-fat popcorn. I might need to buy stock in the company. It's a quick, salty, and a somewhat 'healthy' option for snacking, and it has replaced lunch a few times in the past week. I might need an intervention. It's getting scary.

-I know every word in the Movie "Aladdin" and "the Incredibles". Every. Single. Word. I could even sing the songs for you.

-Riley's newest obsession is with airplanes. She loves them and is constantly on the lookout for them. I'm taking her to the Air Force Museum this weekend to further fuel the love. Want to join us?

-I need to buy some clothes. The state of my closet is beyond ridiculous right now, but I really have no desire to shop, AND i think most of the clothes this season are U.G.L.Y. (they ain't got no alibi, they ugly...) It's a problem.

-I've been making a conscious and consistent effort to get more sleep, and it's definitely making a difference. I feel much more grounded and productive throughout the day.

-Getting up at 5:30 has actually become something I enjoy. I like the quiet, and the ability to get up and get going at my own pace. If I can get a few things done before Riley gets up, I feel so much more on top of my day.

-It's been way too long since I've seen my sister, and I am going to remedy that soon! I'm heading out to California the last week of May for some quality time with some of my favorite people.

Randomness

*My cell phone drowned this morning. Resuscitation efforts failed. I am trying to be upset by it, but my first thought was "YES! No one can bug me!", which is a pretty telling statement. I think it might be time to break the crackberry addiction and downgrade to a phone that allows me to talk and text. That's really all I need and being the idea of being "unplugged" is really appealing to me.

*I had my girls over last night for girl talk, pedicures, yummy food and some serious soul filling. It's amazing how, even after a late night, I feel more energetic, refreshed and whole afterward.

*My first triathlon of the season is less than two month away. I'm excited to be back in the swing of things, but am a little bit (ok, a whole lot) nervous. I really need to step up my training to be where I want to be. Brick training, anyone?

*I'm jonesing for a new mountain bike the same way I was jonesing for a roadie at this time last year. I'm not sure why, but the mountains are calling to me this spring. I'm pretty amped about doing some trail running in the next few days, too. The muddier, the better, in my opinion and i can't wait to get out.

*My daughter is, quite possibly, the cutest little person on the planet. I mean, seriously...how can you not agree? This is her 'school' photo from her daycare. I have it on my desk at work because it makes me grin whenever I see it.


*I need a california/see my sister trip. Soon.

*I haven't written a poem every day in March, but pretty close. I'm feeling ok with pretty close.

*I love spring.

*I also love cupcakes.

Love Looks Like This

I'm a writer. I express myself through words.

I've been trying to find the words to express how beautiful these little boys are. How, when their tiny fingers gripped around mine, I felt them grip my heart, as well. How amazing it is to see the personalities already. How giant the spirits are that are housed in the tiny bodies. How beautiful my sister is, and how fully she has come into motherhood. How strong and steady their father is, and how he is such a great example of the type of man they will become.

I can't find all the words I need, and so I offer these photos to show you: This is what LOVE looks like.