Monday, May 30, 2011

Goodbye Momma.


As many of you know I have been my mother's caretaker as she battled stage IV endometrial cancer the last 9 months. Last Wednesday, May 25th, she went home to be with Jesus. I am experiencing much grief but I am so thankful she is out of pain. What joy I have knowing it will not be long before I see her again.


My daily postings got away from me as she was needing more and more care at the end. It is a new chapter and beginning for Mimi and I so we shall see what the months ahead have in store. :) Love to you all. So excited to be back. 

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Project 365: {95/365}


Cousin Bethany crashed out at lunch... juiciest lips ever.


Yup, we have our hands full... :)


Thinking she is a big girl...


... and growing up way too fast. PS: I will never understand kid's love affair with dirt. I so have had to lighten up as a mom. :)



Saturday, April 16, 2011

Project 365: {94/365}


First time my face has shown up in my blog, photo credit to my sister. :) 

My sister was in town for my mom's last round of chemo that started today. Her and I were able to get out for the first time in almost 6 years to get a pedicure. It was lovely. After our pedicures we took my mom lunch and snapped a few pictures.

Cancer is a horrible disease, I hate it. 

Project 365: {93/365}


My Mimi-girl loves dollhouses already, it thrills my heart. I could sit and watch her and her imagination for hours. ♥

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Project 365: {92/365}


My brother came down from Ashland today to do some yard work and visit with us. It warms my heart to watch Mimi follow him around and help him. She isn't used to having a man around so she becomes his shadow when he is here. ♥

Project 365: {91/365}


I love this picture. Mimi wandered out to play while I did some cleaning, when I checked on her she had stripped down and was dancing in the garden. ♥ 

Project 365: {90/365}


This sums up current life... pajamas, dirt, missing shoe, cheesy camera face and a nappy stuffed cat. She adores that nappy cat. Darn it. :)

Day 90! Quarter of the way through, I'm feeling accomplished. I've fallen behind posting many times and have felt like giving up. At the end of the year I be so glad I kept on.

Project 365: {89/365}


These are on my top 5 list of "must keep on hand if you have a child list". Thank you, yet again, to my sister's recommendation. :) They have saved Mimi's ear infection from developing and we have been able to avoid a round of antibiotics. 

Project 365: {88/365}


I discovered my newest addiction a few weeks ago. Pinterest... a few times a day I'll wander on to get a dose of beauty and dream. ♥ If you have not joined, you should. :)

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Project 365: {87/365}








We encountered a problem last week. Meirabel won't stay in her bath seat and she is too little to be in the slippery tub on her own. 
Sooo, momma takes a bath with her now. I turn on some music, add extra bubbles and sandwich her between my legs. 

She could play for hours. It has been amazing for distraction free time with her. I've seared my memory with the way her hair curls when it's wet, memorized every crease in her skin and that precious freckle on her shoulder. I am already treasuring these memories and I can only image what they will mean when I am old and gray. ♥




Project 365: {86/365}


It was freezing but this little lady needed out of the house so we bundled up and headed out. They say it is supposed to clear up tomorrow but it doesn't seem possible. 


It's been fun to stay cozy inside but we are definitely ready for some sun. I've cooked far too much comfort food the last few weeks. :) Speaking of comfort food, I made these bacon cheddar scones for a play date tomorrow and they turned out so good!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Project 365: {85/365}


I can't think of anything sweeter than this...


She is growing so fast, 95 percentile in height and a size 6 shoe. Absolute perfection. :)

Project 365: {84/365}


Today is Meirabel's 15 month mark. This is her monthly photo since she was in a wild mood and it was far too messy to go outside. Cutest blur ever...


We both are starting to long for some sunshine. She says "uh-oh" over and over when the hail starts to pelt down. {That is what she is doing here.} :) It's pretty darn cute.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Project 365: {83/365}


It came! I am so very excited to get started. I have searched for some time to find a fitness program that I like with an eating program that I could do while breastfeeding. Only bummer, I wish I had a friend to do the program with. It would be awesome to have someone to celebrate successes with, encourage each other and split up all the cooking. If anyone is interested, let me know! Of course you would have to be in Redding... :) Btw, it is called Metamorphosis by Tracy Anderson.

Project 365: {82/365}






Happiness is... when your almost 15 month old wears your hat around the house growling like a lion. :) 

Project 365: {81/365}


Rain. Rain. Hail. And more rain...

Mid afternoon I saw a break in the rain I scooped Mimi up and took her outside for some fresh air. She has learned quickly how fun it is to dance in the rain.



Doing a headstand on the sidewalk... kidding! Sweet girl was a little top heavy trying to get up the curb and her forehead kissed the concrete. She wasn't hurt and I think the photo to be quite humorous. :)

Project 365: {80/365}


Mimi was extraordinarily excited to feed herself yogurt for the first time tonight. 


Can you hear the squeals of excitement? :) She did a really good job!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Project 365: {79/365}


More and more lately I have been nurturing my inner hippie. It feels wonderful, amazing and freeing. 


I've been on this journey my 30th year to simplify in all areas of my life. It has been difficult and I have realized I will always be one part glamorous old Hollywood and one part hippie. Frustrating and wonderful all at the same time. After all, it's who I was created to be. {Makes simplifying my wardrobe nearly impossible, but I really want to.} I've been trying to coin a term for my style and who I am discovering I am as a woman. I have yet to find it but I will share when I do.


{Tired chicken} My girl fits the hippie baby part quite well and frankly, I love it. But... I also love her in a dress, tights and mary janes. :) Hmmm. 

I am going to try and share more of my heart on these blog posts. I find keeping up on a blog and my writing journal impossible these days. We shall see how it goes...

Project 365: {78/365}


Mimi decided I needed some help getting the vegetables ready for the soup I was making. {Love her fingers in the above photo.}


It kept her busy while I prepped the rest of the ingredients and I could not have been more pleased with the job she did. :) I made this recipe for Coconut Red Lentil soup. It was delicious and will be a permanent addition to my recipe file. In fact, the entire 101cookbooks site is great for easy to prepare heathy meals. Check it out...

Project 365: {77/365}







Someone found the cookies I was snacking on during her nap. Oh so cute, I had to snap some pictures. You would think she got chocolate everyday. :)





Project 365: {76/365}



St Patrick's Day! My little loves conception anniversary. :) {Blowing kisses and melting my heart}


The cousins go home today but first we celebrated with biscuits and green gravy and green orange juice. Not very appetizing to look at but quite tasty. 

Friday, March 18, 2011

Project 365: {75/365}


The last couple days have been rough. We received bad new about my mom's health and my siblings and I are trying to get her affairs in order. So much paperwork... my sister has been knee deep in it while I care for the four girls. We got a break tonight when our dad took us to dinner and we had some Sweetspot for dessert.

Project 365: {74/365}


The cousins are in town! How nice it is to have playmates for Meirabel. The girls try and baby her but she wants to be a big girl. She keeps right up, it amazes me. 

Project 365: {73/365}


Sweet morning stretches... I think if I loved her anymore my heart would burst.

Project 365: {72/365}


We attended a dear friend's bridal shower brunch this morning. Meira was enamored with the trifle. She soon figured out she could reach and was soon helping herself. ♥

Project 365: {71/365}


My sister has always sang the praises of this product and now that I am a mom I could not agree more. It works magic for painful nipples as a new mom and it's the best thing for the cuts and scrapes of childhood. It isn't sticky so I now keep it in my diaper bag to use on everything from chapped lips to road rash.