ahhh.....home.

 

 

 

 

It is good to be home.

But our vacation was wonderful. Clearwater, Flordia is beautiful and peaceful. It was my first time there and i'm so happy that Robert picked Clearwater. Our hotel was fantastic; the staff was so great and we were SO thrilled with our room. I hope that going back to Clearwater will become an annual trip for us.

The beach was so very pretty. Oil from the BP oil spill hasn't reached the Clearwater beaches yet, so we were able to enjoy the beach. Emma had a wonderful time on the beach! I don't think that either Robert or i have heard her giggle the way she would giggle each time she set foot on the beach!

I took way too many photos. Really. I am in the 699-720 range in photos. But i am pleased with many of the photos and i was able to really try out a new lens that i found on CraigsList recently. So much still for me to learn with this camera of mine. I recently took some advice and actually read the manual that came with my camera. You wouldn't believe all of the stuff i learned! While i still yearn for a newer camera, i'm in love with my Cannon!

Lots more photos to follow....

....and lots of things that i need to remember.

Hi from....

 

...."da beach"!

Vacation for Mommy?

You know, i thought that i learned a lot in school; and even more in college. I thought that i became brilliant when i was working.

I became clueless when i became a Mommy.

Take this vacation thing....

I started getting ready about a week before we traveled. I planned what i needed to do, how i was going to do it, what day i would pack it and when i would be finished. My husband told me to "Just worry about Emma and you, and i'll take care of me and packing the car!" Wow, i remember thinking, i can do that!

Ha.

I started planning on a list on a Saturday. I would work on this completed list on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and finish up my part on Thursday morning while Emma was in school. I shopped for dry foods, packed those according to my list, shopped for Emma and i, packed those according to the list, packed sunscreen and all of that stuff, packed those accordingly, packed a fun-bag for Emma to keep her entertained, made sure that all laundry for all three of us was done and sorted, shirts/suits picked up from the dry cleaners, and then finished up packing for Emma and then myself. I found someone to house sit and take care of my bonsai plants and other plants, get mail, etc. I also made sure that my Mommy-mobile was clean inside and out. (note: i am so cheap, that i did it myself. I won't make that mistake again as i thought i was going to die of heat stroke while vacuuming.)

I then lined all of my packing efforts in order of importance in the hall way to make it easier for my sweetie to pack the car.

I was on schedule to finish when i was suppose to! What an example of organization and time management i was!

And then i noticed, the morning of the day that we were to leave, that my dear husband, who is attending some kind of wing-ding while we are on vacation and needs suits, etc, had not packed ONE. SINGLE. THING. Nada. Zip. Nor had sweet husband packed the car.

"I got this!" he tells me as i leave to take Emma to school. "I got this!!"

And so, i leave, laughing to myself, because there is NO way he can "got this" by the time i get back from dropping off Emma.

NO. WAY.

Upon getting home, i notice that he is sitting in front of the computer.

He has finished packing and is actually waiting on me so he can pack the car.

He jumps up, and goes to pack the Mommy-mobile.

How is it that it took me 5 days to do my part and almost 2 hours to do his part? And how did he make me think that i was getting the better end of the deal?

It's kinda like Southwest Airlines. They make you print your boarding ticket, bring it to the airport, get in line with everyone else, and then run to get your seat. AND THEY MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT! How do they do that?!?!

That's exactly what my husband did....only i didn't get to fly.

That's not fair, is it?

He's smarter than i am, isn't he?

And how did i not figure this out before now?

Next vacation, i am packing for him and loading the car. :)

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I love trees. In fact, i almost bought a house because of an amazing tree in the backyard many years ago...i had visions of hanging a tire swing on that beautiful tree.

I didn't buy the house....it was really a icky house, but i still remember that tree.

This photo was taken next to the library near where i live. It is under one of the biggest, healthiest trees that i've ever seen.

I should go spend time sitting under that tree....

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I think that i love this photo because i often dream of having my "own" little cabin in the woods, under shade trees with a small garden of cutting flowers, where i can get away alone. Alone to write, to create, to paint, to plant and to sit outside and just watch nature.

This little cabin, well, looks perfect for me to call "my own", i think...

Sugar and Spice...

...and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of.

That and princess shoes.

Since college, i have developed very hardcore strong views on girls growing up and women. I came to call these views "The Non-Waiting Princess Rules" for women. Many of my rules stemmed from those Disney Princess stories...

You see, i was once one of those believers of those stories.

While i fully advocate "waiting for your Prince" (just remember, though, that Princes don't do their own underwear and often leave those dirty underwear on the floor....), i'm not for waiting to live your life till said Prince shows up.

Learned this MUCH later in life....

I sometime sigh when i hear that a young woman is getting married at a young age. I want to run to the young woman, take her out to lunch and tell her all of the reasons why she should wait. The truth is, the young woman could care less about my reasons when she is now planning "the" wedding and i never run to the young woman to try and tell her these things. She is in love, and well, i know that i didn't listen when i was in love, either.

The thing is, between the ages of 21-30 (heck, between the ages of 21 and death....) women change so very much. I know that it's growing up, but it's something more than that. It's life experience and learning about yourself. I'm in my 40-ish years now and when i look back, i'm stunned at how much my views, my personality and my passions have changed since i was 25-ish. Much of the reason for the change is being able to travel, learn to love photography, watch my sister have three amazing children, meet interesting people, buy my own house, find a job i loved, vacation alone, learn to garden, eat out alone, learn to try Thai food, and create friendships with folks.

I think that if i had waited for a Prince to buy my first house because that was the "order" it was suppose to be done in, i would have been sorry later. I haven't done things in an orderly fashion in my life, but that's been okay. In fact, it has turned out rather wonderful.

Here is my ""The Non-Waiting Princess Rules" for women:

1. Princess will attend at least 2 years (if not more of college) before she decides on her degree (if she doesn't start a business first). The college she will attend will be because it's an amazing college for her, not because boy friend is there.

2. Princess will learn to change oil in her car, learn to change flat tires, learn basic car maintenance so she is not stuck on the side of the road, prey for a yucky, mean, take-advantage-of-you-man dressed as a Prince.

3. Princess will travel alone on a few vacations. She will pick destination, plan trip, pay for trip, and have room service on said trips. Princess will also learn photography to photograph trip. (Photography knowledge is something Princess will be grateful for when she has little Princesses and Princes of her own later in life....)

4. Princess will join a community group to serve. This is completely up the Princess on which community group to join as to learn to be part of a community and serve. Church groups are most beneficial to be a part of. Bonus points if she finds a group that becomes her passion.

5. Princess will visit often with parents and grandparents. She will realize early in life that these folks may drive her to insanity on some visits are important to have relationships with and that they DO love her even if THEY act kooky.

6. Princess will learn to buy her own car, haggle a good price and make on-time payments on her car.

7. Princess will learn to do basic cooking or baking skills as to be able to throw a dinner party. Party must have a theme, and more than 3 friends must be invited. Otherwise, it's not a party. Bonus points for costumes.

8. If at all possible, Princess should buy her own first home. Roots and tradition of your own making (as well as keeping the roots and traditions she's been taught) garner extra bonus points.

9. Princess will foster life-long friendships with other women. These friendships can sustain her though her life, giving her hope on days when she has none, make her laugh when she needs to, and help her to offer her friendship to other women who may need her more than she realizes.

10. Princess will learn to sing joyfully, loudly and often to favorite songs, hymns, seasonal music and nursery rhymes no matter who is listening. Bonus points if she also dances with joy while singing.

11. Princess will find her passion, work on it and share it with those around her. She will realize that passions are what life gives her as gifts and will teach others her passion.

12. Upon meeting "THE" Prince, she will take him home to have family, siblings and friends meet him. She will get honest opinions about him, knowing, however, that the ultimate decision is hers. Choosing a Prince wisely is one of the most important decision that she will ever make. (Important note: If a mother/father/sister/brother or pet 'hates' the Prince, be respectful and do find out why with a level head. Remember that the Queen/King/Sibling/Pet love you more than you'll ever know....)

What? Oh. Well. hmmm....

Yes, these are the things that i want most to teach Emma.

Now if she will just listen.....but she's busy trying on her Princess shoes right now.

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Every time i look through the photos that i took at Springhill, i get peaceful feeling. I've photographed in about 3 or 4 cemeteries, and every time, i get this same, peaceful and serene feeling. It's as though i realize that we, as people, are so much more than just our bodies, our hair color, our eye color and all of the "things" that we sometimes think are so important. Our hearts, our souls and our love for God...are truly the most unique and special part of us all.

Cemeteries, i think, are for the living. It gives us a way to honor those we love, and a chance to "visit" the ones that we love. We come to cemeteries to bring flowers, leave momentos, to talk to our loved ones, to receive comfort for those that we loved and lost. In truth, though, our loved ones aren't "there"....

...they are in a much more peaceful and beautiful place.

"That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life..."
~Titus 3:7

Growing....

~Memorial Day 2009

 

~Memorial Day 2010

 

As much as i do know that growing up is simply a part of life, i did not know that it happens in what seems like, the blink of an eye.

I am blessed to be a stay-at-home Mommy. Granted, some days, "blessed" is the last word i'd use to describe how i feel, but every night, i let God know how grateful i am to be able to witness Emma growing up on a daily basis. To watch a child learn, well, is amazing.

Today, Emma and i went shopping. We needed a few things for summer and of course, Emma wanted to see "da fwloers". And so, we shopped.

In the toy section, Emma saw some "Little People". For those who don't know it, Little People are Emma's second favorite thing in the world, next to Pachi. She loves these things. And so, i, being the pushover Mommy, thought it would be neat to have this particular package she saw as it had a little dog, a little girl with a soccer ball and a soccer ball in it. Emma didn't try to rip them out of the package. She just held on to the package, telling me "We open when i in da car".

As i was putting the bags in the car, Emma was still holding on to her Little People package. As i picked her up to put her into her car seat, she looks at me and says:

"Tank you fwor bying dis for me."

I could feel tears in my eyes starting to well up as i put her in the car seat and told her "You are very welcome, Emmy."

On the way home from our shopping trip, i stopped in at a drive-thru to get a diet Lemonade and a small order of fries for Emma. After handing the fries to her, she eats a fry and says, "Wets share dees fwies, Mama!"

What?

Yesterday, she came to me and asked for a towel so she could wipe her slide down in the back yard.

That use to be my job, to wipe the slide down. Wiping is my job.

My husband tells me often that the very best gift he and i can give Emma is to make sure that she is self-sufficient, that she has the tools that she needs to live the very best life she can. Tools like learning about God, leaning to depend on Him, taking care of your things, saying "please" and "thank you" and learning to help others are the foundation stones for a child that are important to have.

He's right, of course, but don't tell him that i said that.

I sometimes have to remind myself that story of the man who finds a butterfly who is struggling to break free from his cocoon. The man, thinking that he is "helping" the butterfly, pulls the butterfly out so it can fly away. But, unknowingly, he has hurt the butterfly as this struggling part is part of the butterfly's way of being strong enough, to live on it's own. By helping the butterfly so much, the man has crippled the beautiful butterfly.

There is a lesson in that story for me....

Stepping back, letting Emma get on the 'big girl slide', letting her run until she can't run any more, standing back as she learns something is also "my" job. You can protect something too much....when you think that you are doing the 'helpful' thing.

So, if you see a Mommy at the park, holding her breath till she is blue in the face, while a little girl swings on the big girl swing, just smile at me.

I'm learning to let go a little...

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...was taken at Springhill Cemetery in Madison.

Springhill is a peaceful, beautiful place....the historical area is amazing to photograph. I spent about 2 hours there last Thursday and managed to get some wonderful photos. The grounds are well-kept and the stones and markers in the
historical section are history in themselves.

I'm sure that i'll go back to photograph more there...

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Another flower photo....

...because it's summer and i love flower photos.

I'm going to visit a new friend's garden this Saturday. I am excited about meeting Glenda and seeing her flowers and garden.

After all, what's better than new friends and gardens?