It's My Party...Come On In and Celebrate With Me!

My blogaversary is upon me. Two years of blogging...it seems like many, many more.

My anniversary here corresponds with my daughter's birthday. I started this blog, in part, to commemorate her life and the blessing she is to my life. Last year on her fourth birthday I wrote a series of four posts that tell the story of her entrance into my world in September, 2004. I am going to run them again, as a tribute to her and now her FIFTH birthday and to celebrate my second year of blogging. They are entitled "Four Years Ago Today" and you can find all of them here, here, here and here. I am going to reprint the last one here in its entirety.

Four years ago today, it was a Wednesday.
Four years ago today, my husband and I walked into a hospital
Four years ago today, I watched my daughter’s mother prepare for childbirth
Four years ago today, we met our Hannah Joy for the first time.
Four years ago today, it was a Wednesday.
And I became a mom.

Early on Wednesday, September 1, 2004, my husband and I got into our car and drove forty five minutes to the hospital where our hoped for child was to be born. I remember the blackness of the night, and the pounding of my heart as we left my parents behind and took off into that blackness. At that moment, we had no idea whether we would in fact become parents that day, or whether we would come home brokenhearted.

About thirty minutes into our trip, the song “Unanswered Prayers” came on the radio. This song happened to have been “our song” years earlier when we were dating and the message then and at that particular moment was clear. The plans we had made for our lives in picking out life partners were not God’s plans and He always knew what was best for us. And this chilly morning, it was no different. We had tried to convince God to give us a child for twelve years, He had not answered that prayer, and instead, He had given us a different path to parenthood – His answer was definitely the best one. It was that song, playing at that particular time that gave us both peace in the situation. Whether we came home with a baby this time or not, He had us in His hand and the best for our lives would be whatever He wanted.

We arrived at the hospital at 5:30 AM. Soon after, Hannah’s birth mom and her friend arrived and we all spent some time together until the nurse came to prepare for the induction. Danny and I took a place in the waiting room and soon we were introduced to several members of Hannah’s birth mom’s family. We spent the rest of the morning there, with these precious people, getting to know them and them us.

At 12:41 PM, the precious bundle that would soon grace our lives was born. Because of a breathing difficulty, she was placed in the NICU. Our first glimpse of her was through a nursery window. She was long, small and had lots of hair. Later in the afternoon, we were privileged to meet her in person, and I was able to change her first diaper and give her the first bottle. I cannot even attempt to describe the emotions of that meeting; it would not do them justice, so I will just say that it was the best moment of my life, the happiest moment of my life. All the fears of the last several days vanished and it became clear that this was God’s plan for us as well as for Hannah’s birthmother. She had such peace and showed such warmth and compassion for us that we all felt comfortable and it was easy to feel happiness in the midst of the bittersweet sadness.

For those of you who do not know the song Unanswered Prayers – the chorus is this:

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you’re talking to the man upstairs,
That just because He doesn’t answer, doesn’t mean He don’t care
Because some of God’s greatest gifts, are
Unanswered prayers.

It truly fit that day. For so long God had not answered my prayers to be a mother, to give birth in a hospital room with my family around me. Then suddenly, on that day, I found myself in a hospital room, surrounded by family, being given the gift of motherhood by a sweet woman who loved her daughter with all her heart. It was not the labor and delivery story I would have ever written for myself, but I am so happy to claim it. God answered my prayers, and it was truly the greatest gift and very much worth the wait. Four years ago today, it was a Wednesday, and I became a Mom. Living Happily Ever After,
Beverly

I Hate It When My Dreams Won't Let Me Go!

I had a crazy, terrifying dream last night. It is not a new phenomena in my world, I have had a lot here lately. This one was particularly dramatic, dealt with a real situation in my world and when I woke up, this thought was with me and has stayed with me all morning. I have no choice but to write it here...it might only have meaning to me, maybe to one other, or maybe to all of us!

"I don't know when you are gonna get tired enough, when your feet are going to refuse to run away anymore. It might be tomorrow, or ten years from now, but remember every time the pain comes, the uneasiness appears, and the turmoil and chaos strike in your life again and again, when you are weary of the struggle and the tears, when you are ready for the pieces of your puzzle to get into place and you are ready for true happiness, peace and to find the thing which you seek the most...turn around and come home, I am waiting."

In my dream, I said it to someone. This morning as I write it, it seems like someone saying it to me...perhaps it is just the crazy ramble of a restless night's sleep, perhaps it is God. Perhaps you need to say this to someone in your life or you need to hear this from someone in your life.
I just know I couldn't go on with my day, without writing it down. Do with this post as you will.

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

God Gives Us Blessings We Didn't Even Know We Needed!

I didn't know I needed or wanted a job, but apparently God did.

Through a most casual set of circumstances, I have ended up with a dream job. If I, as a mom, would have written down the things I would want in a job; school hours, off on holidays and summers, etc, this job would have filled the prescription. Added to the perks of the hours and the days, it is an administrative job, much like all the other positions I have held in my years of being in the workforce and the people I get to work with are some of my favorites in the whole world. It is a custom made job, perfect (I hope) for me and my family's needs, to say I am excited is a bit of an understatement.

I start today...wish me luck!

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

The Mirrors!!!

Okay, this blog post is basically for my mother's benefit...BUT.... I got the mirrors hung in my house, on my newly painted walls. Can you tell it doesn't take much to excite me these days?

Oh -- and can I just say that I am thinking I might be a vampire, because I could see myself in the mirror when I took this picture, but in the picture above...I am not visible --- now I have to go check the bathroom mirror for neck punctures!!


Looks like I would have cleaned up the toys before I took this picture doesn't it? Well, WHY ????? They will just reappear in a matter of moments!! This is how the house looks, people, you either like it like this... or stroll on over to Martha Stewart's blog!! Hee, Hee, Hee!

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

Mama is Always Right!

My momma taught me a lot in the years I lived with her, and perhaps more since I have flown the nest, but two things really stick out in my brain this morning; Treat others as you want them to treat you and if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything!

I am a fan of lot of blogs. I read them for fun, enlightenment and inspiration. I read one of my favorites with such expectation this morning and it ended up just making me sad. It seems the tone of the blog here lately has begun to be one of "cutting down" others. Even if trying to do it a funny way...most of the time, the humor is deeply masked by the degradation of the writer on anyone who does not think or believe as they do. Last week one particular post seemed directly aimed at one particular people group and today's seemed aimed right at yours truly. Well, I know I am not the target, but the stresses and emotions I have been feeling at late seemingly were. Let's just say that at 4:30 in the morning, it doesn't feel good to be made fun of (however gently!) or belittled from the blogsphere. I ended up taking the writer's blurbs and jabs personally, when I know they were not aimed at me or even really meant to be hurtful. It just seems unnecessary in my thinking to hurt others through a blog post when there are so many other fun uses of the creative writing ability.

I realize I am probably too sensitive, and perhaps I am a bit dramatic...okay, a LOT dramatic. But I just wanted to take a minute and say to you, my blog readers, that I hope I am never callous and insensitive when I write on a subject. If I am, I hope that someone will leave me an email or a comment if I offend or hurt you in anyway with a humorous (less!!) joke or snappy statement. I hope you will be braver than I was this morning, I just read the blog and sadly went away...

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

Jesus Take the Wheel!

On our way to church this morning we had the following conversation, my sweet, smart, beautiful little girl and I;

"Mama, Jesus died on the cross for us didn't he? And the He rose on the third day, right?"

Me: "Yes, baby, He did!"

"Mama, are we getting close to the church yet?"

Me: "Yes, dear, we are about two minutes from the church."

"Well, Mama, is it gonna be a long time before you die?"

Me: "I sure hope so, baby girl..."

"Me too! But Mama, if you die right now, at least we are close enough so that Jesus can just come and finish driving me to Sunday School, right?"

Me: "Right, Baby!"


File this in the "I couldn't make this up if I tried file!"

Happy Sunday, Ya'll!
Bev

Counting My Gifts!

This has been an interesting, stressful, emotional, entertaining week. I was reflecting just a moment ago on the Monday through Friday I have just lived through. It was full of experiences, some good, some bad and some exciting. Along with each experience, I have seen a blessing and a gift from each one.

Here is a list, pardon the laziness, of just some of the gifts I have been grateful to receive this week.

The gift...
of helping a neighbor
of preparing food to share with others
of walking hand in hand with my child
of laying down to sleep with my little one
of watching a movie and seeing it through her little innocent eyes
of a quiet house
of hours to fill with sweet smelling laundry and a steamy iron
of a short afternoon nap, with a favorite quilt and pillow
of time spent with my best friend
of new pretty earrings
of new sexy red shoes
of accessories for my house
of time with my mother
of a new opportunity on the horizon
of a dream that made me wake with a smile
of hope that life could really become what I most want it to be.

I have been through a lot this week, but the blessings and gifts have far outweighed the stresses. I hope the same for you!

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

A Simple Prop to Occupy My Time

Have you ever wanted what you can't have? Maybe it is a car, or a house or an outfit in a store window? Maybe a particular job promotion or even a relationship with someone? I have, first to admit it, and it is a hard place to live.

Aside from wanting what you can't have, it is also hard to see others get what you want. I know my husband has a really hard time accepting that some people have the new 2010 Camaro and he doesn't. My daughter really thinks that she needs...well, she is five (almost!) and she thinks she needs everything, so she is not really a good example. I see clothes in the stores, or accessories for the home and begin to envision them in my newly painted abode, only to check the price tag and realize I could feed our little family for two months for the cost of a comforter set, so I walk on. This happened to me the other day and a woman came right behind me and picked up the trillion dollar comforter. I felt a little stab in my heart! I wanted it but couldn't afford it and she just walked up, grabbed it and was off to the check out!

Even worse than wanting what you can't have or seeing others get what you want, in my world at least, is watching someone foolishly throw away what you so desperately would have if it came into your world. It's like walking through an antique store or riding past a yard sale and seeing a magnificent piece of furniture, neglected and overlooked for many years, just needing a bit of love and care, priced really low or worse, set out for the trash man to pick up on his next round.

I woke up this morning, far too early, and this thought was on my mind. I have a treasure or two in my life that I have lost and can't really hope to get back, and the thought that whomever does might not appreciate it or worse, might throw it away, well, it just makes me sad.

My thought this morning is simply this, treat those around you with love and respect and the appropriate thankfulness that they are a part of your life today. Be thankful for the gifts of your possessions and remember, that object or that person in your life that you take for granted or treat with disrespect just might be the one thing or person that could bring someone else much joy and happiness. Be thankful for what you have and treasure the gifts in your life. I know I will try extra hard to do that today!

Happy Friday, ya'll!

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

I Don't Know Who is Gonna Learn More in Kindergarten, Me or Her?

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8

Every day I walk Hannah to her kindergarten class. I like to take her little hand and stroll along the sidewalk, through the doors, down the hallways, finally arriving at her classroom door where I receive my goodbye hug and kiss. It is a great way to start the day. On Friday, this sweet morning ritual will be over for me.

Friday is Independence Day for the Kindergartners. They get to wear Red, White and Blue, and they are to be let out at the door of the school and find their way to the classroom all on their own. You can imagine how much I HATE this thought...but it is a reality that I am trying desperately to let sink into my brain and heart.

This week I have been trying to prepare her for this walk of independence. On Tuesday I walked her to the start of her hallway and today I let go of her hand a bit further away, tomorrow I will let her walk from the front door to her classroom as a test run. She has done fine, I am not really worried about her ability to find her class, but you know what...both days, I have stood back and watched just to make sure she got there.

This morning, the walk was a little longer for her and I had to wait a bit for her to turn a corner so she wouldn't see me watching. When I turned the corner she was not in sight. My first thought was "WOW, she must have run to the class!" I turned around to leave and then had a second thought, "What if she went into the wrong class?" so I went back. Of course, mommy's intuition had been right, she went to the first classroom, not the second one and as I turned back around she was leaving the first and heading to her classroom thanks to a kindly teacher giving her direction.

My heart hurt a bit, but then I realized that it is a learning process, she needed to make a mistake so that tomorrow and the next day and all the days after that she will know the right door to go to.

As I turned away to go home, the above verse stuck in my head. I had just been given a visual of what God must feel about us. We have instruction, guidance and we walk with our hand in His but eventually we pull away and walk on our own. We think we are old enough and smart enough and can make it on our own. He knows better, so He stands back and watches. And just like my little Hannah this morning, we all make a wrong turn, go through a wrong door, stumble or fall. It is my belief that God does not intervene unless we ask Him, that He is like me, standing back and watching, willing us to make the right turn. But He also provides for us, even when we don't ask and just like the teacher that was kind and pointed my girl in the right direction, He gives us people and situations in our life that can help lead us in the right way and eventually lead us back to Him.

My child went to school today, but I received the lesson!

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

At Least We Will Never Be Caught Without An Umbrella

I guess it goes without saying that there are lots of differences between my husband and I. The obvious ones of course, but truly, I could not have married a more opposite human than myself. The silver lining in the cloud is that at least things in our home are NEVER dull.

My husband likes nothing better than to sit and watch the Weather Channel. That is just one difference between us. I would rather have all my eyelashes plucked out one by one while sitting in a bed a coals than watch the Weather Channel. For me, the information is easily obtained with a quick glance out the window in the morning. Cloudy, take an umbrella, sunny, pack the sunglasses, I am a simple girl, really, I am!

After all these years, and in the interest of keeping my sanity, I have learned to just accept his obsession with all things weather, I walk out of the room...it is a compromise and stops the urge to scream that gathers in my throat every time the theme music for "your local weather on the 8's" comes on and he risks life and limb to run to watch it.

I have a point....hang on...

This afternoon, I picked up my child from kindergarten and after she had changed clothes and was drifting toward the couch for a moment of rest and a quick snack, a time when she normally asks me to put in a favorite movie or switch the channel to a favorite tv show, she asked me this...

"Mama, can you put it on the Weather Channel?"

AGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

I am sure you could hear my scream at your house.

I asked her "Why?" and she said, "So I can tell what the weather will be like tomorrow, just like Daddy!"

It is like I am living in a nightmare...but at least I know it will be hot and sunny and I won't need an umbrella until Thursday, when there is a 60% chance of an isolated thunderstorm!!


Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

Here's A Glimpse Into My Soul...Look Quickly...

EVENING SOLACE
by: Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855)

The human heart has hidden treasures,
In secret kept, in silence sealed;--
The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures,
Whose charms were broken if revealed.

And days may pass in gay confusion,
And nights in rosy riots fly,
While, lost in Fame's or Wealth's illusion,
The memory of the Past may die.

But there are hours of lonely musing,
Such as in evening silence come,
When, soft as birds their pinions closing,
The heart's best feelings gather home.

Then in our souls there seems to languish
A tender grief that is not woe;
And thoughts that once wrung groans of anguish
Now cause but some mild tears to flow.

And feelings, once as strong as passions,
Float softly back--a faded dream;
Our own sharp griefs and wild sensations,
The tale of others' sufferings seem.

Oh! when the heart is freshly bleeding,
How longs it for that time to be,
When, through the mist of years receding,
Its woes but live in reverie!

And it can dwell on moonlight glimmer,
On evening shade and loneliness;
And, while the sky grows dim and dimmer,
Feel no untold and strange distress--

Only a deeper impulse given
By lonely hour and darkened room,
To solemn thoughts that soar to heaven
Seeking a life and world to come


I love this poem. I have a bit of it posted permanently on this site, over there... below my picture.

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that I, as do probably many of you, wage a war to stay at peace with my past. I don't think I am different from anyone else,I just happen to be a blogger and tend to spill my "emotional" guts every now and then. Sometimes this gets me into trouble, people tend to read into my words, over analyze my sentiments and probably some want to rush to get the men in the little white coats to come and take me away. I promise, from the bottom of my heart that I am not on the verge of some disastrous breakdown, I have a relatively good life, great friends and family and there is no need to be concerned.

That said, the past week or so has had me traveling down an emotional road that I had never wanted to travel again -- EVER!!!

It is with great joy that I tell you that I am past that particular "road trip" now. I even managed to keep it off the blog and only my dearest friends knew how freaked out I was last week. It was a process I had to work through, and thankfully, I did and actually did it quite quickly and even mostly alone,which both surprised and delighted me.

This poem reminded me of that process. The poet speaks of past suffering and memories of that suffering that have been calmed by the passing of time. I have always hated the phrase "time heals all wounds." To me, is not accurate at all, I think love heals the wounds, but time helps to smooth out the scars.

As I was forced to "revisit" a painful time in my emotional past, I was pleased to find that my scars from that long ago time are smoothed out, that love has healed the wounds and the one person that could make the pain really subside, has already worked hard for the past two years to do all that can be done in that regard. It made me thankful for the way life is now, and even in a strange way for the way it was back then.

I am happy to be living in this moment of time, to not dwell on the hurt and scars of the past and to look forward to all the happy moments yet to come. There are "secrets, thoughts, hopes, dreams, and pleasures kept secret in my heart," and just like the above poet, I am finding as the years go by and the secrets surface for whatever reason, it is only joy I feel and not the blinding pain that they once held.

If you are reading this and can relate to it in any way, I wish the same bit of peace for you.

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

Back to Blogging!

OUCH!

Okay, I have felt the proverbial ruler on the back of my hand! I have been lax in my posting duties on this little blog and a few of you faithful readers have sweetly brought it to my attention. My apologies, I have no excuse and I will try to do better this week!

But honestly, last week was a bear!

So much happened, and yet, there was not a lot to blog about, nothing much funny happened, no cute dialogue transpired between me and the child, I seemed to get along with most everyone in my life so the angst of being misunderstood, or disappointed, or angry was not available to provide a writing muse. By the way, I have noticed that hurt, disappointment, anger, or any other types of turmoil tends to get me writing...so therefore, when I have a good week...the posts are few and far between...it is a double edged sword.

I had anticipated a most revealing post to be written this afternoon. I had a a great story to tell, unfortunately, the necessary happening on which the story was based, did not take place as planned, so my fun, inspirational, heartfelt post will just have to wait for another day...

You are stuck with this post...sorry it is not so exciting.

I will share a few pictures with you though, you see last Monday, my hubby and I finished painting the great room! We had to have something to do on our baby's first day of school. I am pleased as punch with the outcome, the only things left now to do are purchase a few mirrors for the empty space in the foyer and over the mantle...otherwise, my home is finally feeling complete to me, and it only took ten years.
Thanks for checking in and I hope this little bit of a post helped to assuage the blog withdrawals some of you might have begun to experience. I am feeling another writing inspiration bubbling up to the surface, so please, don't forget to check in here tomorrow, you never know what you might read!!!

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

My Friend Rocks!!!

My friend Colleen is doing something really cool.

In addition to her regular blog, she has created a daily picture blog, posting pictures of her town, Montgomery, Alabama. I LOVE this idea so much, I might just have to "borrow" it from her. She is using the ABC's to help organize the pictures and it is truly a unique and neat idea. I can't wait to see more pictures, it will be fun to get to know her even more through the sights she encounters daily.

Ya'll go check it out....there is a link in my blog list or you can click here.

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

Well, Well, Well...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

Hope you have a terrific birthday...can't wait to see ya and spend it with you later on today.

We love you....

I am too tired to really write..so here is a LIST!!!

Here's a little list...

...our girl is doing great in kindergarten. She love, love, loves it! Her favorite part...NAPTIME! I told ya'll she was too much like her daddy.

...I am adjusting to my new routine quite well. Still haven't cleaned out a closet or reorganized the laundry room and pantry...but I am catching up on general housework and errands and have managed to make supper all three nights this week, so all in all,life is good.

...after reading this post and several others on this blog, I am feeling not quite so alone. I wish I could be as honest as he has been...but the closest I can get is to just link to his posts and say...ditto!

...I am looking for a new recipe, anyone care to share?

...feeling tonight like there a two year old is strapped to each of my legs...exhausted is not really close enough to explain how bone-weary I am.

...tomorrow I get to go and see my hair stylist for a few relaxing hours. I cannot wait!

...and finally, my mom's birthday is Friday and I have no idea how we are gonna celebrate this year, so mom, when you read this ...call me and let's make a plan!!!


Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

A Mother's Note on the First Day of Kindergarten

For you, my girl, I wish the world
For fun and laughter, joy and excitement
For your first day to be so wonderful you can't wait to go back.

I wish you a table with your name
I wish you paper and pencils
Crayons and paste
And fun pages to color and share.

I wish you blocks and Lego's
Small toys
Cars and trains

I wish you a window to look out on the world
A soft spoken teacher with a smile heard round the world
I wish you friends, boys and girls to make you giggle and smile
A cubby hole and hook for your bookbag and books.

I wish you good food at lunch time
Have fun going through the line
And a buddy to sit with every day,every time.

I wish you books and lots of reading
Some computer time too
And learning to write me a note and sign it "I Love You!"

It's your first day of kindergarten
And we are so proud and so sad
Have fun, be good
And continue to love to learn

My darling girl
GO
And make the best of your world.

Serendipity While We Dipped in the Pool!

Serendipity is the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely unrelated.

Thanks google.com

Today, like last Saturday, Hannah and I spent the day at a neighborhood pool with a friend and her daughter. Today, unlike last Saturday, another mom and daughter team joined us. Hannah loves to swim and I love to be near the water and to soak up the sun as well, so when we accepted the invitation last week and today it was really to just enjoy the time in the sun, hang with friends and wile away yet another summer day. It turned out to be something entirely different, serendipity, if you will.

Yes, my child had a ball in the water, made friends and cried when we had to go...yes, I got to deepen my tan and enjoy the water a bit as well, but the real event for me was the camaraderie I gained in the two women I was sharing all of this pool ecstasy with. I have known both of them for quite awhile and S, the generous owner of the pool membership, has become quite a close friend over the past few years. We have daughters the same age, we think alike, are married to similar type men and we enjoy going out and enjoying life. The other mom, J, I have known equally as long, however, we have not had an opportunity to connect on more than a surface level...until today. She is a "soul" sister as well and the three of us had a blast chatting and eating and laughing around the poolside.

It was serendipity at its finest...

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

A Rambling Mess to Catch You Up On Our Life...

Hi there!

I realize it has been a month and a year since I last wrote, okay - not really, but it seemed that way when I went to log to write this post, I had almost forgotten how!!!

This has been a busy week as we have tried to soak in the last bit of summer and pack lots of fun and memories into our child before she heads out to kindergarten on Monday...needless to say, we are exhausted around this house. Maybe this is God's way of preparing us for Monday, her daddy and I will be so exhausted that we will just drop her off and come home and sleep! (HA - I certainly hope not, because I have two walls that desperately need to be painted and then my painting is project will be through for a bit. )

In the midst of our trying to show our child a good time, her daddy and I took the night off from parenting duties and went out, leaving a grumpy and tired child at her grandparents! I know, we are working really hard on that Parents of The Year Award!

Every month on the first Friday night, our city hosts a downtown festival. There are games for kids, car shows, bands playing on the sidewalk and in the street, street performers, all the shops and restaurants are open;it is just a great way to have fun, walk around and enjoy an evening.

Last night it was also very hot and very crowded!

But we had a blast. We ate po-boys for dinner and then saw lots and lots of fun and interesting sights! I said it was crowded, that is a bit of an understatement...but in all that crowd, over four or five blocks, both sides of the street, I still managed to see people I know. It was amazing to me. I feel like I go for days on end some weeks without ever really connecting or seeing people, it causes my world to get small, my vision and hope gets beaten down. I am a people person, I thrive on seeing others. I can remember as a teen and young adult going to the mall meant that you would see at least someone from every area of your life, school, church, relatives, work,etc. Now, it seems as if the city we live in has exploded and I rarely see even one person I know when I venture to the mall...and I do know lots of people!

Last night it was so much fun to be out and about, the social butterfly in me felt released from the cocoon. I can't wait until next month when we can do it again!!

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

Pressing Out the Wrinkles

I know I have blogged about my life as a formal wear consultant (gee, that is a fancy title for a not really fancy job!) many times. This post is not really about the formal wear shop or the six years I spent there, the people, or the fun times. No, this post is just about my day...standing at the ironing board for hours on end. That is a memory that lives forever in my brain from my formal wear days.

My child spent the day away from home, glorying in the bliss of having grandparents follow her around and cart her to the jumping house and anywhere else she desired to go, I am sure. Even better for her, she gets to do it again tomorrow with my parents...can someone look up the word "spoiled" in the dictionary...I am certain my child's picture will be there...quite certain!

Because she was out of the house and my husband was working, I had a rare day all to myself. Most any other week, should this happen, I would be sure to call a friend and schedule lunch or some other fun afternoon activities...but not this week. I have much to do. Today I cleaned out my child's closet and tried to ready her wardrobe for the upcoming school year. GAG - did I really just say that...I hate that the sentence is even in my brain...school - phooey!

I ended up with a clean stack of laundry, the old stuff deemed acceptable for one more season of wear and tear and clean stack of new clothes, bought last weekend. ALL of it needed ironing. Generally, I am not one to stand and iron for time on end. It was one of my chores from the aforementioned formal wear days and since then, although I love to iron, I don't like to spend long hours doing it. I am generally an "iron as we wear" type of person. I am feeling the pressure of a new life schedule and routine upon our little family and that had me resigned to a day's worth of ironing to make sure mornings run a little smoother than normal - at least for the first week of school.

I sat up my ironing board, readied the steam iron, grabbed the spray starch and the hangers and best of all, popped in a dvd of a season of my favorite tv show. The time really did fly past quickly, my mind was empty for awhile, which is a state of being that I have craved for the last few days and although about half-way through the stack of laundry my back started to twitch a bit, I kept going.

By the end of the day, the clothes were ironed, hung and ready to be worn. My back was aching, my feet hurt and I was really happy to put away the iron and the board. I went back in time in my mind and thought of all those days I spent ironing and starching shirts, getting them ready for wear on the weekend. It was always a fulfilling task to complete and today, even more so.

I readied my child's clothes but I pray I have readied her heart and spirit more. I pray that I have taught her well enough to handle the change next week will bring to her life.

Living Happily In the Moment
Bev

Fashionistas Look Out...

Yesterday was another quiet day at the manor house...we did manage to make an outing to the gparental units house and to eat lunch with them at Pizza Hut.

When we got home... I was treated to a fashion show! Please guard your heart for the cuteness to follow in these pictures...

Our model is wearing a soccer shirt, denim shorts and black leggings...


Next our model is wearing the same shirt and denim shorts, but we have made a change to include white tights and gold sequined shoes as part of the ensemble...And you are probably wondering why her face is significantly cut from these pictures...well, she insisted that I not take a picture of her face because her eyelash (interpret this as "eye shadow") had rubbed off and she didn't want to have her picture taken without it!!! Heaven help me.

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

Monday, Monday...

There is not much to report this Monday morning after a lazy weekend. We are taking it easy this week as it is the last official week of "our" summer. I am pretty much happy to do whatever my little darling wants to do and this morning that included sleeping until 10 AM. It must be a childhood phenomena that a child who has awakened at 6:30 AM pretty much the whole summer is now, on the last week prior to starting 13 (at least) consecutive years of higher learning, sleeping until 10 AM. She has done it all weekend and once again today... it is crazy!

I am sure this week the posting will be spare and light...but hold on cause the most emotional week ever is happening here next week.

Ya'll enjoy the day and the week. I will see you next week, I'll be the one crying and staring in disbelief that my baby is walking, talking and heading to kindergarten!!

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev

ABC..Easy As 1,2,3!

No, this is not a post about Michael Jackson or the Jackson Five. That was the finale song in last night's tap recital. Hannah and a friend have been taking tap/clog lessons every week this summer and last night we invited the grandparents to come over and the girls treated everyone to some cute clogging!

She may not be the most spectacular clogger, but to our hearts, she was precious and it was absolute fun to watch her shine on a stage. I think we have a performer of some sort on our hands...we just have to find the right outlet for talent...Watch Out World, a new star is on the horizon!!!

Living Happily in the Moment!
Bev