Small thanks.

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Lucy is taking some time today to ponder this concept of thankfulness. We had some great baby talk discussions about it today. This year in particular... she has so many new things that she (and we!!!) are thankful for. There are some BIG new loves in her little life! From grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends... it's there. Wrapping around her sweet little self every day...around us all... bunches of mighty love. Our hearts are brimming over with heaping piles of thankfulness for this amazing love.

Funny thing about amazing love. When it you have it... you are able to settle enough to notice things that often get lost in the blur of living. Certain small favorites that make up our every day May living. Little specials that spontaneously arrive to bring us a great smile. Or a belly laugh. Or a sense of accomplishment and for some reason... often too easily forgotten.

So today. We give thanks for the small favorites too. Because, they're pretty special.

Pea gravel and Mum-mum sorts of special.

Not falling off your bike full speed ahead special...

Climbing up up up to the clouds special.

Everyday. It's there...perhaps something completely new and awaiting discovery. This year, with all our great love helping us keep perspective... we see the small seemingly insignificant with such joy...

And we give THANKS!!!!

Excited to start the holidays! Safe travels!!!

Learning

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In recent weeks it feels as if we have crossed over into something completely new. While I am not quite certain when this shift began to occur, I am welcoming it... for all we know--- it was creeping into our lives for quite sometime. I just needed to slow my roll and look around.

Last week, I was driving in my beloved rental car (never a good thing when the rental is soooo much nicer than your current vehicle...I had to break up just three days in...sigh.) and I glanced back in the mirror just in time to catch Molly say a joke to Gabey, which caused him to snort, moving Lucy in to full on belly laughing. We all felt it. My littles have one fierce connection.

For all the moments of chaos and cranky-faced parenting... this was NOT one of them. This was a moment to be enjoyed and tucked away amongst a not so wonderful one. So, I did.

The past few weeks have been about taking some time to breathe.

I have been here, wrapped up in the everyday of now... tending to a sicky, establishing a new working routine and reclaiming adventures of this awesome city with one really forgotten friend.

I have been out, learning to BUNDLE and explore in the cold...

which has made the days when we don't get out of pajamas that much more wonderful.

 Living in balance. I'm learning.

It feels pretty wonderful.

My Birthday Buddy

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Molly's home sick today with scarlet fever, so celebrations of a second birthday were much more muted than typical May fanfare.

But I guess with this pup... every day longer with her has been a celebration of its own. Our Rosie George. She's our something special, for sure.

We have decided that days chasing after Milo and exorbitant attempts at eating his cat food/poop have led to the acquisition of some very key cat qualities. 

Like nine lives.

Caught her yesterday illegally on the couch! See... she thinks she is a cat.

As of her 2nd birthday, Rosie used up about 8 lives all on September 30, 2011 when she was hit by a car.

I won't go into too much detail about it because it was horribly sad, and we had some really hard discussions on the financial limit of care we could reasonably provide. Oh, to be a millionaire. If this blog is about moments to remember forever, I am okay letting this memory fade. It was just a bad mix of an open garage door, a dangling carrot and a really bad habit. And while it still upsets me that Kelly had to witness it all from 10 feet away... had he not been there, I know it my heart we would not be celebrating our birthday babe today.

For a pup that most likely wouldn't make it through the night, she sure is a rambunctious, happy, healthy, birthday beast now. We are so grateful. For some awesome docs and a great deal of Rosie love that was sent our way. It made all the difference.

Happy Birthday, Rosie George! You are such a light in our lives.

The Beast

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Wrath wriggled in like a snake in the night. Belly to the ground, crreeeeping up the way. Under a blanket of silence, it emerged from the shadows, hungry for destruction.

A mansion in peril.

Unanswered cries for help seeped out in to the quiet of the evening, tainting the darkness with dread.

The youngest, uncertain of her soon-to-be fate, maintained a watchful eye.

Three floors down, they were greeted by the sound of a chair hitting the wall. The kitchen table, in pieces.

Closer, closer and closer still. This day, never to be forgotten and their world... forever changed.

The beast had arrived.

7 Months!

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Is it just me or are these Lucy updates coming a little too quickly? Me no likey. But alas, my little bit is 7-months-old today. I'm in DENIAL.

She sure is a cute 7-monther, no?

Lots of new happening this month. For starters. Can I please take a moment to let you know just how hard it is to get a decent picture of Lu now. She has places to be, people. Just this monthly photo round alone, she crawled off, pulled up to knees and out right lunged at me off the bed. It is in moments like these where a non-fancy camera comes in handy. Throw down camera and catch leaping kiddo. Never a good sign when the object in your view screen suddenly zooooooms itself WAY in.

Our busy body.

Lucy is now sporting 2 fully grown chompers and two more just in on each side. NONE on the top. She swims upstream in development.

Do not let this picture fool you. She is of NO help with laundry. In fact... she likes to hurdle nicely stacked piles of folded laundry. I would tell you this bothers me but in all honesty... I am not the one that folds the laundry around here. I'm the washer/dryer of clothing. Baby contained = happy Mommy.

She always finds a way out.

With all this amazing FALL WEATHER, our routines now include outside almost all day. So this...

seems to happen a lot more. Shopping is now so much better too.  Only problem is when she eats my list.

There are all sorts of fun things that happen when you are a full time sitter now. Like, bubble baths with big sister and/or brother. Not going to lie... piling all three together is the BEST thing EVER.

I have so many separate catch-up posts in the works like... the state fair, our birthday bash, Dallas visit and of course... Lucy's baptism. Her outfit is 89 years old in case you were wondering. Hand stitched by her great great grandmother and wore by her great grandma, Nonnie, Mommy, aunts/uncles, cousins and siblings. She was the 12th person to wear it. So special.

 WHAT a fantastic month!

Just take a couple blinks and I am sure that we will be at month 8. Eek.

Think Pink!

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I would love to say I don't know anybody battling against breast cancer. I mean, how incredible would that be.

This would mean one of two things.

1. There have been so many advances in research that preventative care catches precancerous cells WAAAAY early.

or

2. Julie May has no friends.

Can I take door number 1, please?!

Unfortunately for today, I know too many in this fight. Because right now, breast cancer is everywhere. Yet with research, we are one step closer towards the cure.

In just 3 little days, some AMAZING women I happen to know and love will partake in the Dallas Susan G. Komen 3-Day Race for the Cure. No easy task at all. What an incredible way to give of your time, finances and energy in support of such an important cause. I am so jealous that I can't be there walking right with them.

But, I guess in so many ways we are all walking.

As sisters, daughters, mommies, wives, aunts, cousins, grandmothers and friends, we stand by in support of a cure to a disease that has touched the lives of so many that we love.

And let's not forget the brothers, sons, daddies, uncles, grandpas and hubbies walking right along that journey too.

We're fighting the good fight for sure.

Tiffany, Lauren and Lauren--- we couldn't be more proud of you! Loving and cheering you all the way from Austin...

Mays THINK PINK!

(and has a slight problem remembering his OWN shoes. At least sister always has extras in the car!)

*Seeing how as next year I will no longer be nursing a 6-month-old, I would LOVE to participate in this! Let me know if anyone would love to join in and we'll get a group together!