Remember When

I just love these pictures of the girls in their daddy's hand.

Morgan,
8 days old
(6-27-01)




Sarah,
10 days old
(2-21-03)

A New Chapter

Yes, a new chapter has begun for us! Our girls are now both in school full time! And just like any good book, I'm filled with expectation as to what the next chapter holds. It's a great story that I'm so glad to be living! Here are a few pictures from this morning. It was so hard to choose just a few!

Our big Kindergartner! Sarah did not want us to take her to school on her 1st day, she wanted to ride the bus with her sister.
I think Morgan would have gladly let us take her on this first day at a new school, but she was brave and eager to help her little sister on the bus. Yes, she really is in 2nd grade already!



The girls are in different school buildings and will be until High School, as there are only 2 grades per building, but they do ride the same bus to school.

Aren't they so cute giggling? It's what I needed to hear this morning!
We had a rainy first day and unseasonably cold weather, I think it will stay in the 70s today...which for August in Missouri, is cold! But aren't they cute walking to the bus stop with their umbrellas?

p.s. Yes, I did cry after the bus pulled away!

Honor and Privilege

Usually I use these words when I talk about being patriotic, what an honor and a privilege it is to be an American. But lately I have been thinking about what an honor and a privilege it is to be a mom and to live life so deeply!

After 7 years of being home with my girls every day, that's all about to change this Wednesday. It's kinda surreal...a season of my life is really coming to an end and yet I know another new season is beginning. How can both girls really be in school full time already? How did this day arrive so quickly? I am so thankful I've had these 7 years with them. So thankful I was able to be at home during this time. My role as a mom is constantly changing, each season no less important than the previous, and yet each season I know ultimately brings me to the point where I work myself out of a job...to a time when I get to see them become beautiful adults with full lives and then I get to share a friendship with them.

Yes, being a mom lets me live life deeply, and so even though I find myself tearful this week, I am thankful that those tears mean I get to love so fully!

My Best Friend

Here are a couple of photos from our Anniversary yesterday. It's fun now that the girls can take pictures.

Half My Life

So, Mike and I started dating when I was 17, and this year I am 34 ...so that makes half my life I've spent with him! Today we celebrate 14 years of marriage! It's great to married to your best friend! I have never even wondered about our love for each other...it's there, it's constant...even thru the challenges of this move. And yet this last week, I was once again struck with the thought, we don't just love each other...we are still in love with each other. That has been a thought that just keeps bringing a smile to my face! :)

We've always taken time for the 2 of us on our anniversary, but this year we decided to celebrate our day with the girls by going to Celebration City in Branson. This is the first time the girls have been to a real amusement park, so we are all looking forward to the day. And next week after the girls start school, we're going to take a day for just the 2 of us! :)

Letting Go

So, I'm always telling my girls...be brave, you don't know if you'll like it until you try it. Well I had the opportunity to model this value for them. So the other night at the pool, I find myself climbing the stairs, holding on with a death grip as I reach the top, thinking "what in the world am I doing? I'm going to die or seriously injure myself"...and in the next breath reminding myself..."I can do this, I will be ok!" Then I get to the end of the rail and I have to take those last few steps without holding onto anything..."Can I climb back down the stairs?" No...I must LET GO...I must let go of control (literally)...so I look up, the girls are watching, Mike is ready with the camera, so I did it...I let go, walked, jumped and fell and fell and fell and fell...then splash off the high dive into the pool! Water went up my nose, I could scarecly breathe...I swam to the ladder...and I felt victory, and relief (I was indeed alive!). I had let go. I had tried something new. So then I get back to Mike and he tells me "You have to do it again...I missed the picture!" "WHAT?!?!" Yes, all he got was the splash...so here's my "letting go" splash! I have no plans to do it again, but then again, perhaps I will again to remind myself the value of letting go sometimes!
By the way, Sarah also let go of the wall the same night and decided she was ready to try swimming without anyone hanging onto her. She's doing awesome! Also, notice Morgan's missing tooth! :) Here was our parting shot from another beautiful day spent at Stockton Lake today.

This n That

We filled up our car for $3.36/gallon yesterday! It's pretty sad when I think that's a good deal!

After 7 weeks of me thinking, "Surely, Morgan's tooth will fall out today"...it finally fell out last night! Seriously, this tooth hung lower than all her others and last week had turned grey! So glad to see it gone! :) She has a cute grin now. The tooth fairy brought her a $1.

Today I had a job interview. If I could write the prefect job description, this would be it. It was at a Child Advocacy Center and I would have LOVED this position. The interview went well, but the only problem is that it is full time...8-5 and some overtime. I had to step back an evalute, what is important to me in this phase of my life...is it important for me to pursue my career full time, or is it more important for me to still be here when the girls get home from school...to help them process their days, to enjoy their company, to spend the hours I can with them while they are still here to spend time with. How do I want to spend my life? When Sarah graduates HS, I will be 47...that still gives me a good 20+ years to have a career! This is the only chance I have to be a mom. I know a lot of great moms who work full time, but for me today the decision was easy, I cannot work full time and miss out on these years, I'd have too many regrets. So now the job search continues for something part-time. But can I brag...out of 137 applicants, they did choose me to be interviewed! That in itself was an honor! :)

Yesterday the girls and I baked and cooked in the kitchen for several hours. It was so much fun. I love that we now have "bar area" where they can sit on one side and I can be on the other...it's nice that I have my space to work and they have their space to work. They had so much fun, they want to do it again today, so I'm off to bake a Chocolate Zucchini Cake...it's become one of our summertime favorites! :) If you want to stop over, I'll share a piece with you! :)