Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

Life takes an unexpected turn. The normal routine suddenly disappears and every day needs desperately to just be taken as it comes.
But...God is sovereign. God is loving. God is present.

What I have been lovin'

my daisies. the rain.


swinging from trees.
cuddles.
new freckles--every day
My Little House Cookbook
empty calendar
Basmati rice, avocado, coarse sea salt, olive oil, basil (from garden), tomatoes (from garden)
swinging from trees...again
playing dress up all day.
these shoes my sister bought me that i just LOVE. They are Greentoe...Simple--shoes for a happy planet.
The most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever experienced.

Last of all.... I have been lovin' BEDTIME.

telling a secret

I sat on the grass, with my camera of course, and watched my little beauties tell one another secrets.



I couldn't help but glow, and deep down wish that I could freeze this moment in time--forever....

Maybe it is because of 'Little House on the Prairie'

but Hannah and Nora have been coming downstairs for bed (for the past few weeks) with 'nightcaps' on.

I realized I was officially a mom when...

... I heard myself say at least 4 times today..."Stop complaining, when I was a kid...."
---"we went outside first thing in the morning, came in for lunch, went back out, came in for dinner, and didn't come in till the street lights came on, and even if we wanted to come in ya-ya would shove us out the door again."
---"we found ways to keep cool, we didn't need adults to demonstrate that for us."
---"we had to eat what was on our plate, without complaining, no exceptions--even if it made us gag."
---"it was hot in the summer (in the house, in the car, etc...). That was just the way it was and we smiled and enjoyed it."

I realized I was a mom and felt MY AGE when...fully clothed, and watching the girls struggle with understanding how to slide on a slip and slide ( the way I did when I was a kid), I told them to stand back and watch 'the real way' to slide. (fully clothed, I might add, and not once thinking that I was going to get wet....WHAT?!). So, I run, and run...jump into the air and belly flop on the VERY, VERY, HARD, Harder than I could ever imagine it would be, GROUND. (Well, I maybe slid---AN INCH!) The girls looked on--very concerned, and when I finally pulled myself off the ground and got on my feet, they said to me--"Mom, you got your clothes all wet". I went in the house, now fully aware, that my 30's are here.
I realized I was officially a mom, and maybe going BLIND when....I was bending over to pick something up off the floor, beside the kitchen table, and SLAMMED my forehead into the table on my way down. I about knocked myself out, and ended up with a large grape-sized welt above my right eye.
Well, that is about all the 'mom moments', well all that I care to share with you all, for now. Pics are from babysitting, treats from my garden, different tastes from summer that I wish I could just bottle up. The complaints about the heat well....my kids have been spoiled going from central air (that my husband likes to keep at 73 or so), to an air conditioned car, etc...and after getting my last power bill I decided to shut the air off...then my car was in the shop for 3 days so we were home a lot more than usual.

My EMMA

Happy 6th Birthday my sweet baby girl!!!!
Daddy has always been your hero. For years you were telling me that when you grow up you want to be a man like daddy. I tried to explain to you that you will always be a woman but you were never happy with that. You are just like dad in that you always have reasons to back up your choices or what you feel. One day I asked you what your favorite animal was and you said a Beaver because they make little houses with little doors. You called your boogies...your buddies. You didn't sleep through the night till you were 3. You called Chocolate milk--Shotlick milk for years. To this day you say "I want a hot dog in a bin" (instead of bun.) You named for your first pet (a male guinea pig) "Girl". When you were younger I asked you what you were taught in church that day and you told me that you were taught about how Jesus died, so I asked you how he died, and you told me that He was hit by a car. You love to learn. "Mommy, why did the old woman in the shoe not know what to do?"You are so gentle with any creature you find. You care for and feed the smallest ant, and are so confused and hurt when you see others around you destroying God's creation. I love your beautiful eyes, your smile, and your enchanting fairy ears, but most of all, your beautiful heart and your love of God and how you genuinely see him as the perfect Daddy. You love to be in charge and to boss others around. You are always negotiating with your sisters and you hate to be wrong. One morning I overheard a conversation between you and your sisters. You all were starting to play but you had to use the bathroom. You didn't want them to start playing without you so you told them to wait and then I heard you say, "Hannah, don't give me that tricky smile!", "Nora don't obey her, obey your head, not your heart." You try and grow up so fast and you measure yourself next to everything to show me how much you have grown. I tease you and tell you that you can't eat anymore or sleep because I don't want you to grow anymore and you tell me that you can't stop, it is the way God made you and don't worry mommy, no matter how big I get you can still hold me on your lap.You are always writing me love notes. You love to cuddle but you laugh more than anything else. You laugh till you cry and squeal and scream for joy. I envy your ability to be so genuine with your pain, love, happiness, anger, sadness and to express it to me with no inhibitions. I ADORE you and LOVE being your mumma. I am so thankful to God for the wonderful gift of YOU!

Emma: "Dad, I am going to live with you and mom until I have babies."
Dad: "Emma you mean, until you get married"
Emma: "No dad, that way you can meet my husband."
Dad: "Don't you worry Emma...I WILL meet you this husband BEFORE you get married"