LOAD Comes to an End.

Oscar Night ...

As a little girl, one night each year, I was allow to stay up late and watch television. Oscar Night.  My mom and I would sit on her bed and we would watch the ladies in their pretty dresses.  We would have a little chocolate, a little soda, but most of all, spend time together.

Tonight, my six year old and I snuggled in bed with a little chocolate, a little soda and watched the pretty ladies in their dresses.  She talked about how it must feel to be up on stage to win a neat award. She said she wants to win awards when she gets older. I love that she dreams. I love she dreams outside of the context of which she sees. I love she is enjoying what I enjoyed years ago.  

She was supposed to go to sleep when the red carpet portion of the show ended but would not. The complaints started about not feeling well, how she did not need to go to school tomorrow, coming up with all the little girl excuses. I did what my mom did. I pretended to be harsh but let her cuddle and watch the pretty ladies in the pretty dresses until she fell sound asleep.

I love making the memories for her ... and for me.
      _____________________________________________

President's Day Observations (a few days late)

Thank you to Anna Aspnes for this wonderful template.  

I sincerely appreciated the reminder to reflect.

For Today - 2.21.11

Outside my window, I see a dusting of snow, not the predicted ten inches.  The birds are enjoying the feeder. 

I am thinking how grateful I am for warm clothes and blankets. 

I am thankful for a quiet day with nothing on the schedule until this afternoon.  The cold I caught is kicking my back end.

From the kitchen, it's thankful to be clean.

I am wearing my bathrobe.

I am creating my to-do list for the week.

I am going drink lots of fluids.

I am hoping this cold does not last too long. 

I am hearing the wonderful sounds of quiet.

Around the house, all is well.

One of my favorite things this weekend was spending alone time with Matthew.  It's wonderful to slow down and enjoy his little personality.

A few plans for the rest of the week are lots of basketball games, lots of fluids, and lots of scrapbooking.

Here is picture from our Mom and Son Day out. 

Tough Love

Oh ... I did listen when those I know well and some I don't know so well but told me anyway to enjoy the kids when they were babies.  I listened, too, when they said time goes too quickly.  I listened well and I enjoyed.  Jim and I both enjoyed very much.

Somewhere along the way, the kids started growing up.  Habits of one were admired and mimicked by the others. 

We are proud to be loving parents.  I am proud to be a loving mom.  I love to fuel the passions.  I love to watch the minds turn.  I love to see the personalities come alive.  I love to celebrate the successes. 

Then, there's the not to fun times ... the talking back, the challenging, the .......  ugh!

Tough love is tough.  Tough on the ones on which it is imposed.  Tough on those who impose it.

Will they look back and realize we had to be tough because we really do love them?

Oh, yeah ... I have to keep reminding myself .... these are the good ol' days.  

OKAY, I know ..... I am spoiled rotten ....

It's Fun Thinking Back .... So Many Years Ago

Week 6 of Project 365 - Time is Flying

Sharing More LOAD Pages

If you are ever debating taking LOAD, DO it.  The prompts are wonderful and most of all, it encourages me to do a page a day.  I can't believe I am done with 12 pages, many of them I would have never done without the prompts.  Yet, I love them.

For a few of the days, I was busy and did not have the time to let the creative juices flow, so I focused on completed my December Daily pages.

Here they are.  Enjoy.

 

Sharing a LOAD Page

Some days, it seems we just communicate with questions.

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Mental illness sucks. Seeing one you love suffering sucks even more.
2.  Having my photography showcased by Katrina Kennedy meant more to me than most awards I ever received.
3. My corporate taxes are done and going in the mail - way ahead of previous years.
4. Andrew is looking more and more like a man. He is almost as tall as me, size 11 shoes, and broad shoulder. How can this be at 11?
5. Am enjoying Senator Bill Bradley's American Voices radio show. My heart is tugged and inspired each week.
6. Don't recall many times actually feeling my breath being taken away. Definitely felt it when I saw Lady Diana's wedding dress.
7. Jim's face looks so much better just five days after ending this round of chemo.
8. Realizing Caroline does not like to be the center of attention.
9. Report cards were issued. No surprises. Overheard mom's talking about their kids' issues at the scout meeting, we are so fortunate.
10. Matthew makes me chuckle. He still loves cuddle time.

Lady Diana: Pure Inspiration

"I want to walk into a room,

be it a hospital for the dying,

or a hospital for sick children,

and feel that I am needed.

I want to do, not just be."

Katrina Kennedy

How is it that you can connect with someone who you have ever met?  How is it that you know that if you lived closer, you would hang out together?  How is it that after a few words exchanged and a few clicks, you feel like friends? 

That's how I feel about Katrina.  She is just .... wonderful.  I can't remember how I first heard about her classes.  I must have been web searching and clicked on some site advertising her classes.

I had never taken a class online before.  I had taken LOTS of photography classes before and could never master the concept of taking photos in anything other than the auto or priority modes.  I resigned myself to the fact that I would never get it. 

Something about Katrina's style drew me in, encouraging me to take the risk.  I signed up for her Through the Lens class.  I was captivated.  I learned.  I got it.  I am forever grateful.

Thank you, Katrina.  Thank you for making it so I could understand.  Thank you for helping me to take my photography to a new level.  Thank you for showing me the way.  Thank you for giving me confidence in my skills.  Thank you for being my friend. 

Getting Memory Keeping Inspiration from Music

This is today's LOAD211 page.  Jim has not seen it yet and likes to peek in and comment on my blog.  Wonder how long it will be before he discovers it!

Loving LOAD211

I am LOVING Load211. Today was finding inspiration on eBay. I searched my name. So many ideas were generated by that simple action. The picture of the DVD is what I used to inspire me.  Here is is my page. Simple. Wanted to do something with this photo ... now I did.

 

Ten On Tuesday - 2.1.11

1. The weeks seem to just fly by .... it doesn't seem right that it is Tuesday, already. 
2. I have such bad, bad cabin fever and we have not had the terrible winter like they have had in the east. I can not wait for spring. 
3. I will be so disappointed if we are not able to go to Grand Rapids this weekend.
4. The mailman left the dreaded note that we had an article of mail being held for us. Figured it was a registered letter from the IRS. NO, I GOT A PRESENT! Nothing is greater than supportive, loving friends!
5. Always amazes me how kids think they are partial owners of a present addressed to me.
6. Tracking Project 365 day to day is much harder now that February has begun.
7. Hope the groundhog sees his shadow or doesn't. I can't remember how it goes but I don't want six more weeks of winter. Hmmm .... I wonder if Phil will be able to dig out and if the town will be able to have its annual festivities.
8. The Camry batter was finally replaced. Having to jump the car five different times was enough to convince a certain someone that it needed to go to the battery heaven. 
9. I got a love note from Andrew today. Made me cry. Have to remember to pull it out on those days when I don't feel like a good mom.