Memories
- "Life" Books, Adoption, Aunt-ing, Children, Family, Friends & Neighbors, GRANDparents, Grief, Memories, Mommy, Siblings, Single Parenting
Savoring the Memories
“Give me the WILD children with their BARE feet and SPARKLING eyes! The RESTLESS, churning climbers. The wild ones using their outside voices, singing ALL THE WAY HOME. Give me the WONDER-FILLED glorious mess makers DREAMING of mountains and mud, and aching to RUN through the field of stars.” Nicolette Sowder Just this week my mom and I were talking about how much we miss children. Where I grew up there was plenty of space for children to play and explore, it was a child’s dream come true. I can say this because that’s exactly how I felt there. If children were not at our house, we were still close…
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A Resting Place.
How do you release your grip on something that is so close to your heart, soul, and holds years of memories? Letting go of the Physical, Holding on to the Memorable. Loosening our grip on material things, especially when there are memories attached, I find is an extremely difficult thing to do. It is bigger than the place or the object, it’s the things and the people we remember that are connected. This summer is the first summer in my entire life that I have not visited the lake house pictured above. For many reasons my parents decided to sell this lake home this year, and as hard as it…
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Wacky and Wild Mail
13 ounces or less. The wonderfully wacky things you can mail! Last week I wrote about my love of good ole fashion snail mail, and included that I would write about when I did a “out of the box” mail camp with my niece. Well, I can usually pat myself on the back for documenting things with photos. However, I remember sweating and being stared down by a postal worker while I attempted this fun adventure with my then four year old niece, who by the way was and is an excellent child! I believe the worker was perturbed that my mom and I would engage in such silly business.…
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Smiles Delivered
“When I see a mailbox, I see a friend. I see something that can connect me to the people I love. I see an entity that can take my words and send them, in reliable snail speed, across the planet. Sure, email and social media are faster, but they’ve got nothing on the magic of a physical object arriving in my hands from thousands of miles away.” The Year I became Snail Mail Superstar by Sara McNally Oh what joy it is to find happy mail among the bills and advertisements, can I get an Amen? I can remember vividly as a child receiving mail. We had a post office…
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You’ve Got Mail
I love Valentine’s Day! Now I know this holiday can be a love or strongly disliked day, so let me explain… I love valentine’s day, quite possibly, for the reason that most parents don’t like it and are quite possibly “over it” today. For me it’s the excitement of children, little mailboxes built by little hands, crafts, and hand written cards, and school parties (although I didn’t see or hear of many this year 😕 has our world banned these too?!?) Now all the adult hoopla, I could absolutely live the rest of my life without! Too much pressure and too much drama! You see, I was the kid that…
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A Legacy of Loving Children
If it weren't for kids have you ever thought, there wouldn't be no Santa Claus Or look what the stork just brought (not sure about this line 😂) Thank God for Kids. And we'd all live in a quiet house, without Big Bird or Mickey Mouse. And Kool-Aid on the couch. Thank God for Kids. Thank God for Kids there's magic for a while. A special kind of sunshine in a smile. Do you ever stop to think or wonder why, The nearest thing to Heaven is a child. Daddy, how does this thing fly? And a hundred other where's and why's, You don't really know but you try. Thank…
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A Love Breaks Through
Talk about a winter the world had never known, Talk about a silence that hardened up the soil; No more life left in Eden, but You knew the time would come... 'Cause You were growing up a family that You would call your own, And through a fragile people the Light of Life would come, And when it seemed like we'd never see Sprint, Heaven gave a King! Like an Amaryllis, blooming a Christmas, When everything was cold and dark Your love broke through and You shined With the brilliance of summer, Right in the middle of winter! You came surprising the night, Like a Christmas Amaryllis... Here I am…
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Reminders that She was Here
Somedays I see her in every moment. And then somedays I must search, as though she is playing hide and seek, just like I would imagine her as a five year old would be doing. The arrival of Lucy was long-awaited. The running into Jesus’ arms was fast! The in-between was everything I could have ever hoped for and more! I can’t say “gone too soon,” because I know and firmly believe that Jesus doesn’t do things “too soon.” Arrivals and departures are in His hands. In my human nature, yes I have times of questioning and frustration. But the only thing that brings me peace: His promises and laying…
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When Time Stands Still
1825+ days. Praying, advocating, fighting, trusting, tearful begging, consumed with papers and books and research. And then the moment comes… I finally scoop up a beautiful and precious baby girl up and out of her NICU bed and into my arms. Her eyes meet mine. Time stands still. The noise around us goes completely silent. It is just me and her, and in that instant, we are a family. Every ache and pain, all the paperwork, every tear, every single prayer prayed… in that moment becomes absolutely priceless. I would do it all over again for this moment, and the many moments to come. As much as I wanted more…
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Unrepeatable!
Do you ever just take a minute at look at the palm of your hand? Do you realize that absolutely no one else will ever make the exact same handprint that you are looking at? All of the handprint art that children make, are 100% one of a kind! Unrepeatable! In the adoption process your fingerprints especially become an essential part of your home study. Unless they just can’t retrieve your fingerprints, which is possible! One of the first things they do when you are born is make handprints and footprints to document who you are, who you belong to, and all the important information about your birth. I, personally,…
