Girl

Yesterday was girl day.

Packed up the babes and shipped 'em off.

Okay, not really.

Just had a Mary Poppins take care of them for the day.

And, okay, I kinda felt like I was missing something, like my everything, all day.

But, really, it was pretty awesome at the same time.

Especially the fact that for about four hours, I stayed spit-up free.

Not gonna lie, I felt like a girl again. It was nice.

It started with brunch.

With a toast to begin and a bottle of champagne as the item designating whose turn it was to talk.

It's true. We passed it around and took turns.

We're teachers. We just have to do things like that.

And then shopping.

For post-baby body clothes.

Yikes.

Things change....but I won't go there.

And, finally, my first ever beautifyin' project.

Turned out pretty sweet, I think.

This girl seems to approve at least.

Overall, my girl day, loved it.

But I sure didn't mind too much comin' home to my sweet things.

Normal

We've been layin' a bit low this weekend.

Embracing the normal.

Just wanted to take a break from editing these sweet family pictures from last night.

To make a shameless request for a vote by clicking here in a photography contest for this photo.

Otherwise, just the normal life here in the French home.

Normal snuggle.

Normal chores.

But a special treat time.

Yes, normal times...

The best times.

Photography

A fav photo from a recent shoot.

Love the love goin' on here.

Mothers

Mothers do dinner and debone grody chickens.

Mothers do dishes and wipe down crumby counters.

Mothers do baths and scrub down muddy children.

Mothers do diapers, especially the super poopy ones.

Mothers do sick little ones, even their green vomit.

Mothers do lots of the yucky and stinky and icky.

Mothers do not do hornets.

(Yes, this is me. Yes, those are gloves. Yes, that is my husband's Northface mountain climbing layered winter coat. Yes, it's still 103 degrees outside. I told you, I don't do hornets. I really, really, super really don't do hornets.)

Seriously, traumatizing.

God bless Raid.

Peace

Spent a little time with him yesterday.

Love him.

And Ellie played copycat.

Love her.

When that grew old, she played outside in her coupe car.

Actually, there wasn't as much playing as this little one preferred just to sit in it.

Just sit.

In quiet.

Not moving.

Just breathing.

By herself.

Just thinking.

Happily thinking.

And it made me think.

Too often, I have my reasons, my realities, my world.

I have priorities and possibilities and promises.

My deadlines, my despairs, my dread.

The commitments, the chaos, they sweep me up so swiftly, threatening to overwhelm me in a swirling state of hopelessness.

It's time for me to stop.

To remember my Rock, my rest.

To choose Peace.

A serene sense of secure calm. A choice of trust and surrender.

Knowing that even He rested.

On day seven.

He built margin in.

Not a back-to-back series of events, miracles, outstanding feats.

He valued a pause.

He could have made more. He could have continued.

But He paused.

He speaks in the stillness, the quiet.

He brings joy.

And this is what I'm loving today.

80

Finished the pictures of this family last night.

What a joy they were to photograph!

The slideshow can be found here.

Little ones fourteen months apart, silly as anything I'd ever seen.

Then went straight to my own.

Celebrating a good, good man.

It's the first I've seen him since his other half joined Jesus.

My Lulu.

My Papa's a good man.

He's lived 80 good years.

We're all a testament to that.

He's the papa I get to see maybe a few times a year.

But he never missed a birthday card for all of his children and grandchildren, and now three great-grandchildren.

Rarely missed a Sunday evening phone call.

I couldn't have been prouder to be on his arm at my high school graduation.

He always had dried apricots in the glove box of his car.

And the very best playground ever just a short walk from his house.

I got to spend a week with him several years ago.

My sister and I traveled out there for a spring break. One of the nights, Papa and Lulu, they broke out the date matching service videos they recorded, previewed and selected of each other.

What a special thing it was to be let in on this little memory lane.

They both sat there, not a clue of the love they would find. Carefully choosing words to describe their perfect mate, making sure to explain the priority of their allegiance to Nebraska Cornhuskers.

And when Papa drove us back to the airport, that's when he let us in on his childhood.

My heritage.

He's the kind of man whose kindness lies under a boldness, a matter-of-fact, good kind of skin.

And it's had to be a thick kind of skin over these 80 years.

He started working when he was 12 or maybe 14.

Either way, before he had facial hair.

Worked sometimes all day.

Took care of his mother each day.

He's a black and white kind of man. Right is right. He says what he means, means what he says.

That's just the way it is.

That's just the way he is.

Happy birthday, Papa.

Good

The weekend's not yet over and already it's been so full of good stuff.

Sprinkled in was yesterday morning's two photo shoots.

More to come about those though, and, of course, slideshows are posted here.

But I couldn't spend the morning clicking for someone else without coming home and scooping up my sillies for an impromptu modeling session.

And of course Ellie was more than happy to model her new training trike.

Three dollars at a garage sale.

Sweet.

Then was the long awaited shower for a long awaited baby.

And, because it was us, it had to be a couples shower, complete from the hostess with the mostess with a catch phrase game and diaper contest for us to to come up with and record some phrase so clever as to bring a chuckle at a 3am change.

And my hubby man won.

So someday, some night, when they need it most, they'll pull out a fresh one for their sweet cuddle bug and will read, "Mmm, this reminds me, gotta pick up some frito and bean dip." Good job, babe. Disgusting.

Sorry, Lauren.

Oh, but those days go so quickly.

Yes, we're just working on soaking the goodness up.

Time

It hit me last night.

Actually, for the first time since becoming a mother.

The sweet sorrow, the lingering sentiment of the trickling sand of time.

And it's certain divine pang for a mother.

I was spending a little time in my little man's room.

Organizing, sorting, packing away.

A little jammie set just too short now, a onesie that pulls across the shoulders and is too tight to snap. The sweatshirt never even worn, not quite long enough for the strength of his long torso, just like his daddy he's already built.

And then the boppy across the chair, the one stained with spitup, my relief in the night too tired to hold up my elbow.

The swing, purchased with my first after night three of life and the all night scream fest she gifted us with, now out grown by my second's interest.

I cleared the floor, realizing it will only be this much time before he's needing the space to explore.

I, no different from any momma out there, cherish my little ones.

I truly relish in their their growth, celebrating their milestones, loving the newness of each day, each month, each first of their existence. But last night, I sighed. I just had to.

It really, without any cliche intended, seems like just yesterday I allowed myself to hope again and pulled out the newborn things, the survival things of mommyhood.

And then, he was here.

And then he smiled.

And then he was sleeping, hard core sleeping.

And then he was rolling over.

And now he's laughing and playing.

And so much more to come.

And not only that, but my big little girl is just that, so big little.

Snacking with me each afternoon.

Gettin' goofy.

Insisting on praying for her little brother before bed.

Picking out his jammies for me.

Running the other direction when the camera comes out.

Squealing at the dog's howling level when her daddy walks in the door.

Oh, these moments in time are precious.

"Ican'twait" is a bad word in my house.

I won't allow it.

And for this exact reason! Time goes just so quickly.

So, I can wait.

We're going to enjoy each moment, bitter or sweet, slow or speedy, and we're going to look forward to the future with all hope and joy of anticipation, and know, oh, time goes so quickly.

Just too quickly to waste.

Too quickly not to love. Too quickly not to kiss.

Too quickly not to say I'm sorry. (I gotta work on that one...)

So, it's not that I was sad last night.

I'm not sad.

No, us mothers are meant to give life, give up their life, love life, raise life, guide life...

and then....

let go of that life...

letting them live.

So, I refuse to look back with anything but joy,

so I'll just say, last night, realizing the speed of time,

I'm really happy this morning.

Cousins

These three munchkins...

They just don't have a choice.

They're stuck with each other.

Like it or not.

Good thing they love it.

Note from momma: the handsome fella in the middle has officially entered the teething stage.

As proven by the constant stream of dribbly drool attached to his chin.