Happy Adoption Day Melissa

Dear Melissa,

Four years ago today I held you in my arms for the first time.  I will never forget that day, the anxiety, the adrenaline, the joy, and the tears.  Words can not accurately describe the emotions of that day.  I am still amazed by the fact that it has been 4 years.  You continue to amaze me everyday. Here are a few things I want to remember about you the year you turned 4.  You definitely have your fathers sense of humor, and you make me laugh all the time, even though sometime you get embarrassed when I think your funny.  You are growing up everyday.  I year a go you were a new big sister and I loved to watch to make your baby laugh and smile.  It surprises me how much you have grown up and changed in the last year.  You speak so clearly now.  Gone are all the cute baby words you use to say.  This year you started pre-school and while it was my idea to begin with I was surprised by how hesitate I was.  I know you love to learn and you are so good at it.  But I wanted to keep you close.  I no longer have total control over what happens in your day and the thought is thrilling and frightening at the same time.  You also had your first dance recital this year.  You were so CUTE!  I was so excited to see your first time dancing on stage.   I loved every minute of it.  I look forward to many more.  I look forward to helping you figuring out what you are really interested in, and what your talents are.    The way you play is growing and changing too.  You love to color, and read books, and play with your new doll house.  I can't begin to imagine all the things you will learn to do next year.  I love you sweetie.

Mom

Things I've been meaning to write about...

In my head I have written beautiful posts about:

• The Annual Christmas Tree Hunt
• Melissa first Dance Recital
• The Dolls I made for Christmas
• The Kids visiting Santa Claus
• Christmas in General: including the much missed Christmas Breakfast, and Festival of Trees
• My super awesome cute kids
• Family Pictures
• Skiing for the first time in many years, With ALL of my siblings and siblings spouses

Instead here are some random pictures.  Can you guess which topic they go to?  It shouldn't be that hard. 

 

Happy New Year: An End to the Blogging Silence

A Story Remembered:

Years ago Kent and I spent a summer in Alaska.  For our anniversary we went to Glacier Bay someplace I have always wanted to see.  We got out on the first flight and so got there long before we could check in to our hotel.  So we stowed our bags, and walked down the street and went for a 'hike'.  We didn't have any water or food, but it was a short walk, through a beautiful shade forest, that ended along the banks of a river.  We sat for a few minutes and then I asked if Kent was hungry, do you want to go back now?  He replied no.  So we sat for a few more minutes and then I asked again.  He's answer remained the same.  After the third time I finally listened.  I stopped.  I stopped fretting about when we need to eat, go back, get water, etc. and simply enjoyed myself.  Its one of my favorite memories of that summer.  Nothing all that exciting happened but it was the simply joy of the moments that I remember.  We watched birds together and listen to Bald Eagles call to each other and land in trees directly over our heads.  Sometimes when I hike (my husband would say always), I often get obsessed with getting to 'the end'.  But I learned that day that sometimes the journey doesn't end when the trail does, sometime that is when the journey begins. 

A Story Untold:

Last year I wrote a kind of New Year's resolution/story.  A story of 2010.  I thought that if I wrote a New Years post I would have to review what 2010 was and was not.  As with all years of our lives 2010 was filled with many up and downs.  Some wonderful things and some not so wonderful things.  But I don't want to look back I want to look forward.  And while I WANT to loose weight (as everyone does this time of year), and read more, and watch less TV, and move out of my parents basement, my goal this year is to remember the story of the river.  To stop always worrying about what we are going to do next or what we need to do next, what to do for dinner, and when to put the kids to bed.  To enjoy the small moments as they happen.  I heard someone explain it as being present, with your whole self.

Funny as I write this I think I wrote something similar last year.  I guess some lessons take more time to master than others. Here's to a new year, with all the ups and downs and changes that it will inevitably bring.  I hope that it is a Happy one, one to remember not just for me but for all of you as well.