Gratitude and appreciation

There's an unsung hero in our family.  

His name is John. 

This guy. 

There isn't enough gratitude in the world the really be sufficient. He's the kind of guy who will give and give and give until there's nothing left of him to give.  Then he'll give some more.  He's the hardest worker I've ever met.  He's adventurous, he's funny, he's generous, he's thoughtful, he's a great cook and there's nothing he can't fix. 

       

He loves his family fiercely and there's literally nothing he wouldn't do for us.  He has always been the guy who will jump up in the middle of the night and run to the rescue whether it be to change and rock a crying baby, wipe a feverish forehead, clean up vomit, drive across town to help with a broken car, run to urgent care, hug someone that's sad or soothe a bad dream.  

If there's something gross that needs to be cleaned up, call Dad. 

If there's something heavy that needs to be moved, call Dad. 

 If there's a pet that needs to be rescued, call Dad. 

 If there's a problem that needs to be solved, call Dad.  

If there's a spider in your bed or a mouse in the garage or a snake in the road... call Dad.

  He'll come running. And never complain.

Nothing is too hard, or too dirty or too complicated 

or too much to ask. Ever. 

He just does it. Because he loves us.
 All he wants in return is to be loved back.    

Somehow, over the years, I have gotten so caught up in being a Mom and been so focused on making my kids happy, that I have taken this wonderful man for granted.  I ask so much. I expect so much.  I've grown accustomed to him always just showing up and giving and doing and I don't tell him enough how much I appreciate him.  I know our kids love him, even if they aren't always as grateful as they could be.  I know someday they'll look back and wonder how he was ever able to do all that he does.  But for now, most importantly, I've realized that I really needed to tell him that I see him and appreciate him for all that he is and all that he does and all that he gives.  

So, thank you John. From the bottom of my heart.

  

Thank you for 22 years of putting me first and always making me and our family a priority.

  

Thank you for all of the beautiful flowers you've brought me over the years.

Thank you for the thoughtful cards, gestures, pictures and gifts for Mother's Day and my birthday. You go above and beyond and I'm so lucky. 

 

Thank you for the treats you buy and back for me, just because.

Thank you for the fountain drinks you bring me that you know will brighten my day. 

Thank you for all of the things that you make and fix. You really are so good with your hands... such a master of problem solving and creativity. 

Thank you for the countless amazing meals you make and always, always, serve me first.  It's not necessary, but you do it anyway because you love me and that's a gift. I love your love of food.  It's delicious. 

Thank you for showing up. Thank you for showing up at field days and school parties and award ceremonies and sporting events and doctor appointments for our kids.  You are always there to cheer them on, take care of them, help them and teach them. 

        

Thank you for your big heart and teaching service. 

Thank you for your entrepreneurial spirit that always sees a way to make a dream a reality and for your work ethic that gets it done. 

Thank you for the hard days that you've helped me overcome.  There have been plenty but you keep putting up with me and encouraging me when I get my feelings hurt or get anxious or overwhelmed. Thank you. 

Thank you for making me laugh.  I do still think you're funny. 

    

Thank you for the many, many good days that you've made us laugh and taken us on adventures.  You're always up for an adventure.  Thank you for that.  Even though I'm a homebody that sometimes just wants to stay home, I love that you are always exploring. 

Thank you for the fantastic vacations that you've taken us on and the memories we've made, even when times were tough.  Because even when times are tough, you find a way to make fun happen.

         

There really aren't enough words to tell you how thankful I am for the good life that we've shared and all that you've given to make it possible.  Thank you for keeping on, when things are hard because there have been hard times.  There will be more hard times, that I can promise.  But I can also promise that I will be better at being thankful to you, for all that you give and all that you do  - for our family and for me.  

     

I love you as much as a freshly glazed, warm coconut donut from the Donut Hole. 

and that's A LOT!

 

I can't wait for the adventures that await us and the many more memories we will make, together. 

Reflections on graduation and growing up.

Somehow, parenting is everything and nothing like I imagined it would be.  I would say, without a doubt, the best and worst part of being a Mom is watching my kids grow up.  It's so fun to cheer them on as they reach milestones and accomplish goals.  

Where does

 the time go? 

But then one day, you look up and suddenly they're taller than you and ready to go make their own way in the world....

I knew this time was coming, but it kind of hit me over the head like a 2x4. I wasn't ready. I'll be honest, it's been very hard to let go of my little boy.  I've learned that I'm a bit of a control freak and I like to be involved in every part of my kid's lives.  There comes a point when kids no longer need Mom like they used to. The urge to be independent, spread their wings and make their own choices takes over and Mama is left wondering where the time went. 

 When my kids were babies, I can't begin to count the number of times I was told to "cherish the moments" and "enjoy them while they're young, because they grow up so fast."  I tried so hard to do that.  I really tried. Yet, the years flew by and what seems like yesterday are memories of years gone by.

Austin decided about a year ago that he wanted to graduate from high school a year early. Once he puts his mind to something, there's no changing it, so graduate a year early he did.  That's a great accomplishment and I'm proud of all the hard work he put in over the years that made it possible for him to meet that goal.  But selfishly, I wasn't ready.  I wanted more time.  I still want more time, but we can't freeze time and we can't get it back. So, I decided to embrace the moment and enjoy these days before they're gone too. I miss my little boy, but I also love the young man that he's grown into. It's a hard place for a Mom to be. This is my first experience learning to let go and entering a new phase of life as a parent. 

 

 Most importantly, I want Austin to be happy and to continue to reach for the stars.  I  know he's capable of amazing things and I can't wait to see what the future holds as we navigate this new sea of life together.  Congratulations to my baby boy!  "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."  

  

Peas and Carrots

These two cute kids are like peas and carrots. They're so different but they get along and are such good friends. Brooke is a great big sister and Cam is a thoughtful, fun brother. The older they get, the more they have in common. They love to read Harry Potter together and hang out with each other.

Today was Earth day, so they went for a bike ride together and picked up trash they saw along the way.

Then they came home and planted cucumber seeds in the cool garden box that Cam designed this past week.

They have just been so happy to spend time together enjoying each other's company and this beautiful day. I love watching them build their friendship and make memories together. ❤️

Hailey... where to start.

Last I posted, Hailey was a baby.  She's still our baby.  We even call her "Hailey Baby" all the time, but she's growing up way too fast!  She is still as full of spunk as she ever was.  She is a natural born diva who loves to sing and dance her way through life. She is creative and imaginative and such a joy! 

 Here's a little glimpse into the fun little muchkin's adventures over the last few years.  

Teaching Cameron some awesome dancing skills.  And Cameron was such a good sport to be her dance partner.  These two have been buddies for years.

Hailey Baby, you fill our family with music, sparkles and dancing.  You complete us.  

And we all adore you! 

Five Years later....

      Yes, 5.  It's been FIVE years since I've updated this blog.  Somehow, life has gotten too busy to take time for blogging, and I let it. Last night Brooke and I were talking and I mentioned my old blog. She asked about it, so we decided to take a look.  I really wasn't even sure if it was still active.  I half expected it to be gone for good, like the days of my little ones that are now teenagers.  But what a fun surprise to find that it was still here, alive and well and full of the most treasured memories of days gone by.  Brooke and I sat looking, reading and laughing at the memories for hours.  As we did this and I read my own posts from years ago, I was filled with tremendous gratitude. Gratitude that I took a little bit of time to record a few of the thoughts and memories from that time in our lives.  Gratitude for the technology that kept the memories and gratitude for the fun chance to reminiscence with my daughter.  The funny thing is, she was there for most of those memories but is now seeing them with new eyes as a teenager.  What a gift.  

  Why did I stop?  I have been asking myself this question over and over again.  It was a combination of factors.  Life got busy. Life got complicated.  The days of little ones and play dates turned into days juggling teenagers, sports, homework, working and busy schedules for everyone. We have dealt with tragedy, loss and sadness.  We have had our share of wonderful days but there have been some hard times these past few years.  I wish I would have taken the time to keep on documenting the simple pleasures of life, even when things were hard and busy and heavy.  But I didn't. I got so caught up keeping up with life, that the extras had to go, and my blog was en extra.  

      I always thought my blog was kind of insignificant. It was a guilty pleasure. I just did it for myself, to have a place to post thoughts and memories now and then.  But now, I've realized how great it is to be able to look back at these memories and relive the days when my babies were babies.  As I re-read my entries last night, there were so many posts that I didn't even remember.  They made me laugh and cry and smile wide with joy, and gratitude.  Gratitude to my past self for giving my this gift. So, once again, I'm resolving to resurrect my blog.  Because this record of raising my children is an unparalleled treasure of my life's work. Because, they are my life.  These everyday memories are my life.  My family is my life.  These simple days that we had in these past posts and the simple days we continue to have, they are our life. The simple days, the milestones, adventures and the meltdowns.  The good days and the hard days, they are all a gift.  And I want to capture them. So in another 5 years, I can look back and smile at the memories we've made. 

The Journey IS the Destination.  And these are the stories of our family's journey. 

Here are my babes now... 5 years later.