ThInGs I lOvE

Finding Superheroes who forgot to grab their masks . . .

Cindy Lou Who Shadows . . .

New Loves wrapped up tight . . .

Smushes

&

Kisses from my girl . . .

How long has it been?

Wow, it's been a looonnnggg time:) The last time I blogged Jackson was a baby & it was Christmas time.

Well, Jackson is 3 1/2 & were in the mist of an Indian Summer. We've had another adorable baby, who is no longer a baby herself. Jamison Elle was born on January 19th, 2009. Gorgeous, sweet as pie, tiny, a perfect little Mama; wiping things off, handing things to everyone, "saying here Mama" in her sweet southern baby voice. She's tough though & has slid in too her little sister role perfectly. She will go to hit Jack, eyes closed, fist tight, do the damage & quickly turn and run away . . .

Watching them together melts my heart (sometimes hurts my ears),

but always makes me feel so so blessed.

I thank G_D everyday for all the blessings in my life.

LoVeS

P.S. Promise not to wait so long before I write again . . .

Merry and Be Merry

Ahh the joy of being little at Christmas Time . . .

Watching my baby boy sleep under the light of the shining star on top our tree takes me to a moment when I was young . . . Christmas Eve, my family and I are traveling back from a Candle Light service that my Mom puts on once a year. Silent Night still ringing in my head. My sisters and I snuggled as close as possible (Winter always seemed so extremely cold back then) Oakley, of course, calling a window seat, Cayden always being the last to call anything out (unfairly) sits in the middle. I am on the other side of her behind my mom, a faint scent of perfume is being blown about from the warm air that is blasting from the vents. Her scent is circulating us like a warm cocoon tucking us in to her sheltered presence. My Dad driving at a fast and steady speed, calls back to us asking if we had seen what he had just seen in the sky? I press my cheek against the cool glass, searching the sky for any possible sign for my Santa Clause. I just know that if I look hard enough that I will see him, if I hold my breath and try not to blink, then I’d catch him. I can feel it with every being of my seven year old soul that I will catch a glimpse of this magical man in the sky. I can feel my sisters next to me, their hearts at a slow beat, I can see me Dads profile from the light of the radio, and I don’t have to look for my Mom, I know she is always there. Staying in this moment, traveling forever in this car is just fine with me. A presence of peace falls over my tiny body, I can feel my eyes droop; the temperature is perfect, hot to the point of cozy sleep, but the cold from the window keeping me awake, ready to catch a glimpse. I don't see him, I know he is just too fast for me; I know he knows I am keeping watch. I slide back down against my sister using her as a pillow, she never pushes me off or tells me to move over, she lets me lie there, she lets me fall sleep. Ava Maria is gently playing in the background. Slowly I lose the fight. I drift off in to a peaceful innocent sleep, I try to stay awake, but it is just too big of a burden for one little girl and as my last eyelash hits my face one more thought flutters me awake . . . I must remember the cookies . . .

Sweet innocence is what I love most when I look at this sweet chunky southern baby boy in my arms. He is fast asleep without an ounce of thought. All he knows is love. The glow of the tree makes him look just like a sleeping cherub and I can hardly stand not waking him just so that he’ll look at me with those beautiful eyes that he got from his Daddy. I look at him and my love for him makes my chest tight and I know that this is how Mary felt about Jesus.

In a cold Manger in the middle of the night I know exactly how she felt as she looked at her

Beautiful Baby Boy in the moonlight. . .

This is what it is all about . . .

knowing only love

Merry Christmas

Feeling Cold . . . I have that winter restlessness that I tend too get once a year that comes with feeling cold. At this time I am always ready too move away, find a new project, create a new space for my family, new job, new house, new recipe, new paint color. . . I dream of summer nights and miss the romance of rolling down the windows; listening to music in the dark warm air, falling asleep in a warm shadow; instead I find myself running from the cold, running from a life that feels boring and nonexistent. I keep trying to find solitude in all that I am, but I look around and feel like I haven’t accomplished very much. I feel as though today needs to be the day . . . Kinda like that commercial for the Georgia Lottery (that I will win on Tuesday)

Today Will Be the Day

This will forever be my future motto, I always wanted a motto anyway and this just seems so perfect.

Today Will Be the Day . . . for new beginnings, new goals, new records, new every things! Today, I have checked one more thing off that I wanted to do in my life. I am sick of my excuses. My excuses of keeping my “babyweight” on, so you guessed it, Today will be the Day that I start my ass in gear, however big that ass may have gotten over the past 15 months, I will shake that ass into losing this extra mass that has attached to my body since getting pregnant 15 months ago.

Here are some goals that I need to put in to print so that they will be in front of my face, until I complete them.

Run a Half Marathon – Today Will Be the Day
Learn how to speak Italian - Today Will Be the Day
Learn how to play an instrument (Guitar) - Today Will Be the Day
Lose this “Babyweight” and then some - Today Will Be the Day
Eat Healthy - Today Will Be the Day
Cook at least 4 times a week - Today Will Be the Day
Drink more water - Today Will Be the Day
Read (something other than Nursery Rhymes) - Today Will Be the Day
I’ve kind of consumed myself with Motherhood and I need to find that place for my husband again - Today Will Be the Day
Stay organized – In my home, in my car, in my life, with my baby and my husband - Today Will Be the Day
Do something for myself (like take a class, get my hair done, go to the chiropractor) I always feel like it is selfish to do these things – always feeling like it is a waste of money to spend on myself when I should be using that money towards my family, but Today Will Be the Day, and I feel like doing a little something for myself isn’t all that bad; I guess I should say it again b/c I feel like I just had to explain myself and make an excuse to do this – which I will do no more – TODAY WILL BE THE DAY

Oggi è una v aux giornata

Ciao

- M -

Lovin' the Holidays

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1469485302

A Pain in My Chest

Jack @ 3 months -

A small pain in my chest rises up every time another moment passes and Jack grows older . . . I can't believe he's already 3 months old!!! Life is starting to speed up and I fear we are all getting older . . . Didn't it seem like just a second ago we were all 17 and bored with our lives; yearning for it to change? Now it seems it is all going by way too fast . . . We all need to take pleasure in the simple things again, like when we were young, when all we had was our mothers arms wrapped around us and that was simply enough . . .

I am grateful for the small things and here are just some of my favorite . . .

good conversation with an interesting person, sipping wine after you’ve taken a bite of chocolate, a stormy afternoon wrapped up in a blanket, fresh sheets, a butterfly landing on a leaf, freshly cut grass, seeing the coast after a long winters nap, seeing the first firefly of the season, a book that moves your imagination, a movie that isn’t a disappointment, a letter in the mail, your honey saying a simple yet loving remark, a dog looking at you sideways, watching your baby sleep, eat, cry, laugh, smile, babble, spit up, poop, drool . . . the small things are what matter most and this small thing named JACK is all mine to love . . .

Feeling Rare

I don't know who this is, but I want to be her!!! I'm feeling restless and anxious. I'm not sure what role I need to fall into. I have so much I need to do, so much I need to accomplish, but with each day it feels farther and farther away. . . hopefully i'll pull it all back in because I have a feeling if I don't, I might end up like this funny little broad:)