the funky bunch.

A good word to describe us as of late...funky. I can't exactly pin down where the "funk" has come from...but there is no doubt it is here. Today, while Asher was having a terrible time at the whole sharing mama thing, I inquired as to if he was feeling "funky".

"mmmmmm, hmmmmm.", he replied.

"Ya, mama feels a little funky too."

And so it is.

It appears that both of my chilis are feeling a bit....um...insecure and are both needing a heavy dose of mama love, which really does delight me in some ways and helps me to feel like the "work" I am doing is somehow helping these little beings find security in this sometimes scary world. But, alas, there is only one of me and two of them...and so sometimes the reality of it all is a tad bit...overwhelming.

After spending an evening at the bookstore a couple nights back...I realize how much moments of solitude, where all I have to be is Jessamyn, are really NEEDED in my life. They help bring me back to who I am...apart from my identity that is all wrapped up in motherhood. That is something really important to me...and something that is usually one of the FIRST things to go out of the window when push comes to shove. Why is that? Hmmmm...something I would like to change. Just another thing to add on my ever increasing list of "things to change". It is funny how you discover more and more about HOW you want to parent and the decisions you want to make once you have already started the whole parenting thing. There are a few things that I look back on with Asher in his infant years that I might have done a little differently with him. But I guess that is why the term "live and learn" is so frequently spoken. And, I feel very, very thankful that I am still in the YOUNGER years of his life...and Journey's. They are both so adaptable to change (well...one a bit more than the other) but you know what I mean. A few of the things I have been thinking about with that? Well heck, I might as well share. One of them being the whole idea of how to guide, engage and influence Asher at this stage in his life. To me, there seems like such a fine line between being responsible for and being an authority to. I always want there to be a respectful relationship between me and my children. I try to parent as mindfully as I can and when I find myself following this parenting style...it feels so good...but it is very hard to stay on that path. Only because it requires a lot of mindfulness and a TON of being present and in this world, those are both things that are hard to maintain. But yet it is what "feels" right to me...and so I know it is how I should be parenting. One aspect of what I am in a funk about is the whole disciplining thing. I know that children need our guidance and vice versa...and that we need to set boundaries. How to deliver them is the thing that tugs at my heart strings. I don't like that we rely so heavily right now on the whole...if you do this, than you won't get that. It seems to be a surefire way to avoid some kind of tantrum or misbehavior or whatever...you know, to make our life more convenient. The only problem is, I don't know if I agree with what that teaches. Sure...there are consequences to all of our actions and that is a very valuable lesson to learn. But, I am not always confident that the consequence of this equation always match up or have any relevance to the situation at hand. Is it teaching him to do something nice out of the kindness of his heart...to help build up a certain character quality? Or, is it just teaching him NOT to do something because he then wouldn't get what he wants...not because of anything going on inside of him. I just get lost in that. I am less concerned with him being a well behaved person than I am with him having a soft heart towards people....but perhaps the two are interrelated. Oh! So much of this runs through my mind all the time. Daily meditations need to be brought back into my life.

Another thing that is bringing out the funkity funk in this home? Plastic. There are so many plastic toys around here and it is driving me bonkers. I don't know how to hand sew children's toys, but I wish that I did...and I wish that I would have given Asher hand sewn toys from the very beginning. And, I wish that I was crafty with wood so that I could make wooden furniture and play things for the kids...but I have my dad for that (right, dad?)! In all honesty, I most likely have less plastic stuff than the average American home....but that is not minimalist enough for me...I just have to get rid of some of it...GOODWILL, here we come.

Are you tired of me complaining yet? I am. But one more thing I need to get off my chest before I lay down with my family to sleep...and that is...THIS HEAT!! For those of you who live here and have children (or not)...what are you doing to keep yourself happy in this heat?! I am climbing the walls and so is Asher. Isn't summer when you are supposed to be outside, playing in the SUN? It is just too darn hot to be anywhere other than inside unless the activity is centered around water. Which is great and all...but the heat really wears you out after a while of that too. What are you doing to have fun, while staying cool? I am feeling so bummed that the most exciting treat I can think of for Asher is going to the mall play thingy(ugh), or to the movies...not something I like to expose him to as often as I have in the past month or so. Any ideas? Please share!

Speaking of which...we went to see Ratatouille this evening. Overall it was a cute film...with a few unexpected gun scenes in it (who would have thought?)...while I was sitting there with a bit of anxiety over the feelings that come with me doing things that aren't on my "ideal" list (ie...taking my 3 year old to a movie among other things)...there came this line in the movie where two characters are talking about their place in this life and what their "role" is. The script went something like this...

"you can't change nature"

"nature IS change...at least the part we can influence. It is our decision"

For many reasons that line stuck out to me...and on many different levels. I am a person who likes change...change that moves us forward...whether that be on an individual, familial, communal or global level (cause one is a part of the other no matter which way it runs)...and I also like to discover ways in which to make the life I am living a little bit...well...MORE. There is a quote that stays in my heart every day...not in words but in meaning. It conveys something about the fact that if we only pass this way...in this lifetime...but once...why not make it for good? Why not leave a positive imprint in this world...on people's hearts and minds...in children's lives...on mother earth? There is always room to change things that need a little improvement, right?

The universe seems to be revealing ever so gently some of those "things" lately. Tonight, I walked around the kitchen humming to Journey as she was drifting off to sleep...which in itself was a change that so humorously unfolded...let me just tell you. Last week I was bouncing Jo to sleep on the exercise ball that we have. For my family members...you know what a huge addiction that became for Asher when he was an infant? It wasn't like that with Journey...it was just the fastest and most convenient way to get her to sleep at night, but she was very flexible with any method really. Anyway...as I was bouncing her...the ball BUSTED. I mean, it just busted in half. We were both so shocked. How crazy is that? So, instead of taking it as some kind of offense to myself(ahem)...I decided to interpret it as some need for change. Instead of quickly and quietly getting Journey to doze through some kind of hypnotic "bouncing"...why not just BE with her. Walk with her. Sing to her more. Let her head rest on my chest so she can hear my beating heart. Let her hands trace lightly on my breast as she winds herself down. Let her soak in that love at nighttime and let myself do that same.

And so that was the message I took...and it has been very sweet, those moments with her...that will pass all too quickly in the grand scheme of things. Tonight proved to be a magical moment as well. In the midst of all the funk that comes along with this life...there are those blessed minutes where all the goodness of life is gathered up and poured on top of me. The full moon shining in through my kitchen window provided perfect lighting for me to witness the beauty of change, through my exchange with Journey.

And that kind of change, I am convinced, is worth all the funk in the world.

growing pains

You know that line from the song by Jewel where she says "your standard of living somehow got stuck on survive."? That line has been playing over and over in my head the past few days. I am not sure why exactly. It may have something to do with my own thought processes...but it might also have a great deal to do with the fact that everyone around here is pretty restless. In fact...I have been attempting to write this post for the past 10 minutes and have been interrupted no less than SIX times by a toddler coming into our bedroom with nothing to say. Just a need to be put back into bed and kissed goodnight....again. It was a long, busy weekend. Full of wonderful moments...but FULL nonetheless...and sometimes that does strange things to us. It always seems like we come out of those times of fullness with a lot of processing to do, a need to slow our pace and a few unexpected growths to embrace and give space to. It seems like Asher has just grown into a full blown CHILD since his birthday. He is no longer a toddler...he is growing into his own and becoming so much MORE. His personality explodes through his words and actions everyday, and I am really growing more and more in love with the person that he is. If only I could figure out from whom he learned that the word NO actually has two syllables. The most frequent and favorite thing uttered from his mouth the past four days has been this: "NO-Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa" For the love of all things holy. It took all but two seconds for that one to become irritating. Where did he get that? I wish that I knew so that I could quietly interject it whenever possible in a conversation with them. Hopefully it is short lived. There have been so many other new phrases and expressions being introduced into our conversations and for the most part, they are really quite charming, actually. I especially love how he shows concern for Journey when she begins to cry. "Wha manner, baby?" (what's the matter baby?)...or when he asserts himself towards something that is obviously driving him nuts. "POP IP!!! Don wan it....MORE!" (stop it! I don't want it anymore!). Or if I am beginning to do something that he disapproves of he is quick to tell me...."wa wa wa wa wa wa wa wait, mama!". I also am enjoying how he uses the word "weally" (really). It pretty much means a LOT of something...numerous or plentiful amount of. As in..."da weally bug n'here"...(there's lots of bugs in here!). He is also starting to answer my questions with a "mmmmm hmmmmm" while nodding his head, and saying "wha boonin, mama" when he enters the room with curiosity as to what I am doing. He is always saying "tay choo" or "take" (thank you or thanks) and has recently started attaching affection to things that he really likes. We were in the grocery store, passed a box of honey nut cheerios and he exclaimed "I yuv honeybee!". He likes to flip through one of the bug books he received for his birthday, and point out the fact that he YUVS each and every bug on the page. I yuv wady bug (lady bug)! I yuv fa fy(fire fly)! I yuv bipper(caterpillar)! I yuv witick(cricket)! I yuv at(ant)! Things like that just fill me up. I think he is aware of his growth and development...and since there was such importance placed on him being a BIG boy this weekend...perhaps he is feeling a bit anxious about it all. That is the only thing that explains him crawling into our bed the past three nights...so sneakily. He doesn't do it sleepily either...it seems like he is wide awake, with a lot on his mind. I have to admit, though, that I love waking up to this little guy. He knows how to greet the morning and the people in his world like no one else I know. It is all as uplifting as the rising sun. Journey hasn't gone without growth the past four days herself. I do believe she is cutting some more teeth and kept herself awake last night with a terribly frustrating runny nose that interfered with nursing. She is MINUTES away from crawling and I think it all is just making her restless. I am so used to her being such a calm and relaxed child, that the nervous energy and anxiety the past few days has really been something different to adapt to. Her nerves are on edge and she is resisting sleep with every ounce of her being. As I write this, I can hear her little body tossing and turning about in the cradle. What work it is to accept the challenges of learning new things! As for me, I have been exhausted. Somehow the combination of the busy weekend, plus eating much more meat than I am accustomed to, coupled with the insane amount of sleep I have been getting (note the heavy dose of sarcasm there)...makes for the desire to have uneventful days that are, in all reality,NEVER uneventful. I feel like the day is a success if I finish it feeling somewhat sane. I am just trying to survive. I did manage to build up the energy to make a sweet little escape this evening. Josh came home and I headed out the door to a bookstore. I had forgotten what a delicious treat that is for me. I could spend days in a bookstore (as long as they have a coffee bar)...reading and browsing and discovering new treasures. I picked up a book that has been appearing to me a whole lot the past few months. It is called The Artist's Way...and I am SERIOUSLY excited about reading it. Yum. So...I plan on that bringing me a bit of inspiration and just enough good ju ju to get me through this feeling of "just surviving" and bringing me loads of the good stuff I need to help ease some of these growing pains. Perhaps then my standard of living won't be STUCK on anything at all, but rather moving with the rhythm and the pace of change. Around here, it appears to be inevitable.

a good day, indeed

"Asher...did you have a good time at your bug party?"

"YA! Bug potty...fun!" "Oh good."

It looks like being three is pretty great.

wanna be a cowboy???

Like Father... Like Son!

tribute to asher

I posted a note to my Asher bug today...but because I had downloaded pictures at my parents' house two days ago and saved it as a draft to be completed this morning...it posted as it would had I written it on the 20th. SO...since I don't have the time to figure out how to fix it, I thought I would leave a note to let you know...TODAY IS ASHER'S BIRTHDAY!!!! He seems to be enjoying the day so far and at this very moment is attempting...very diligently...to blow up a balloon. He woke up early and came into bed with me to snuggle as I sang to him. He knows that the birthday song is something special and I hope he feels his importance throughout the entire day. At this exact time, three years ago, I had already begun the process of pushing this incredible being out. It was a long process...he wasn't born until 10:27am. I know throughout the day I will be reminiscing on what was happening and what I was feeling at the exact time three years ago. He has brought me so much love and so much FULLNESS...and I can't imagine what this world would be like without him in it. Happy Day my sweet happy dragon. (if you want to read my original post to him...scroll down a few, it's there!)

Happy Solstice!

Asher woke up at 5:30 this morning. He decided to rise with the sun...perfect for this day. I knew that it would be a day we would need to fill up...and so, we did. We had an early afternoon date with our friends Alyson, Hayden and Noah. They invited us to a clubhouse in their neighborhood where there is a make shift beach and HUGE wading pool...perfect for the non-swimming types. Journey was introduced to her third solid...you know how it goes...sweet potatoes, mashed banana, and BEACH SAND! She found it to be delectable, and I am afraid we will be seeing the product of her indulgence very, very soon. We came home, took an extremely short nap and finished up crafting the sun pinata that had been in the works for the past day or so. Initially it was just going to be a fun activity for us to do for solstice, but then decided it would be perfect for Asher's little birthday gathering. Now that it is finished, I'm not sure what to do with it! The poor thing isn't very sturdy and I am afraid it will be busted open within two whacks at it. Oh well...we'll just have Asher go first! The best part for the guests is the treasure found inside, right?! See the sun exploding in through the back windows in this picture? It makes me crazy to have it be so hot out that it is actually really UNCOMFORTABLE to be out in the late afternoon. A bit depressing...with all that sun and blue sky. We enjoyed it from the inside for a few moments with cousin Brody while I picked up a few things from my mom and dads. I love seeing these three play together. I've been craving creation around here. I plan to make this a time of making room for new ideas and artistic endeavors. Perhaps this will be a place that I can share some more of that process...since it has been such an inspiration in that realm thus far. In fact, I'll make a declaration...I am starting some new creative adventures and this space is going to reflect that journey, along with my continuing exploration in motherhood, and a bit of my babies growth from my perspective....because of course, it is all interconnected...and all equally important in my own creative expansion...and also something I really like the idea of being documented for my children, so perhaps they can take a glance at it when they are older and know a little bit more about me and my growth during these years.

Enough said....well, maybe a few more things...

Thanks for being here! I like that you visit.

quite the little lady...bug

Just when I thought that my cravings to kiss her had reached their max... ...she decides to grow even more irresistibly sweet! Enjoying our day of sunshine and kisses...and wishing the same for you!

Happy Birthday June Bug!!

Three years ago today, you decided to make your way into this earthly world. It wasn't an easy task. Looking back on your three years, nothing really has been all that easy. In fact, from the very beginning of your existence in this lifetime....from the moment I knew of your presence...there was much to learn and adapt to. Learning with you accounts for the most intense lessons of my life. I never knew a single person could help change and shape me in the ways that you have. Our journey together was unexpected...and yet it was so perfectly designed. From the second I was aware of you...we have been a team. We have faced valleys and climbed mountains together, and I know the learning will only continue. I never knew that I could love so intensely...or that I could fear so deeply...or that I could work so hard for the well being of someone else. You bring me to meet my weaknesses and you trust that I use my strengths, and that trust, little one, is what pushes me to uncover everything I am. I always wonder whether the fierceness of my love for you comes from you being my first born, or if it is just because of who you are...your spirit...the essence that makes you, YOU. You, yourself, are severe. You always have been. You never hold back. I can remember you being on extremes from the tender age of day one. You feel with everything you are and you express it without hesitation. You are so many things to me in this world my sweet boy.

There is so much to know about you...

you are the storm and the stillness that comes after...

and I hope that you always hold space within for everything you are.

A thundering waterfall and a silent spring.

I so admire the creature that you are. And on this blessed day...I honor your spirit...the creation of you. For this world exploded with great possibility three years ago today. You made your way here and brought along a whole lot of magic with you. Thank you for sharing that with me and for teaching me about what it truly means to grow.

I hope that you have a tremendously beautiful day, full of all your favorite things...and that being three feels just the way you hope it would!

I love you Asher.

mama

in the blink of an eye

Asher Drake (one year old and fiercely adorable)

Have I mentioned what a busy month June is here in my family? My goodness. It seems like there is a continuous stream of birthdays, graduations, celebration days, etc...I always know that when the month of June rolls around, it will be gone before I blink. It is just one of those months. And I do love it. It is a time of honoring some very important people in my life...my mama, my grandpa, my husband and my own daddy...and all of that reflecting makes me feel like a very blessed gal. Yes...I am very blessed. We have had so many fun parties and events to attend in the past few weeks. And one very special one we are planning for....Asher's third birthday is on Friday! A few weeks ago I had a talk with him about what kind of party he would like for his birthday. I thought that if he could see some ideas he would be more interested and better grasp the notion of a party and everything that entails, and then perhaps we could have some conversations about it so that he knows what to expect when the day comes for his special gathering. I happened to have a catalog that was FULL of fun party themes and ideas. So I had him flip through the pages. We kept narrowing his favorites down until there was only two left...and what were they, you ask? Well...they just so happened to be BUGS and FLAMINGOS. His final choice ended up being bugs and started sharing the fun news about his "bug potty" with everyone around him. He grew so attached to the paper that featured his choice theme that he went to bed each night with it in hand. He also slept with the flamingo ("nino") page, and still is, because it is the only one that has survived the treacherous journey of his obsessive inclinations. I do love that boy. I love his loyalty. So we are starting to create and think up some fun ideas for his day....all in hopes that he grasps a tiny bit of what a truly remarkable person he is as he turns three. I love that his birthday falls around the summer solstice (he was born on the longest day of the year, and oh how fitting that was for his birth) because it so perfectly fits with change and letting things go. He will only grow older...and I will continuously have to "let go" of the baby that he is and accept more of who he is becoming. The only thing that doesn't change is that I am constantly in amazement of his being. It is proving to be quite a month....of reflection, of letting go, of feeling blessed, of starting new creative patterns, of moving forward with greater passion and of realizing the importance of change. What kind of month have you been having?

on the mend

Flower child Journey

reflecting our good spirits.

Yep...things are looking brighter around here the past few days. We all seem to be on the road to recovery and it has been a smooth ride since Sunday... and no one is happier about that than me. My throat is much better and I am looking forward to some slow and easy days with my babes. Unplugged, that is. We are holding our own tv turnoff week starting yesterday. We usually don't indulge too much anyway, but total elimination seems just the right thing to do after a week of sickness. I also just finished reading a chapter on the subject of TV in one of my simple living books, and am reminded that there is ALWAYS room for improvement in this area! It seems to go along with some of the mental and emotional processing I have had from this week of detoxing. Shifting down, eliminating, focusing...doing without. I've been working on a list of ideas to simplify and help align our family with these values. Perhaps I will share more when the moment is right.

Other than that...just doing a lot of loving and re-centering.

enjoy your day!

Herpangina

Lovely name, isn't it? Before your mind starts wandering too far...it probably isn't what you think it is. Or, if you were thinking herp meaning "pain" and gina meaning "mouth"...than maybe it is what you think. Whatever it is...I had it. I ended up going to Urgent Care late Friday night because I was thinking it was getting ridiculously painful for any kind of "normal" sore throat. I had tried everything under the sun to alleviate some of the pain and NOTHING was taking the edge off. I thought I had strep and that maybe there was something that could help dissolve the misery....just a little? But, alas, there isn't. It is a virus...not the herpes virus mind you, although the name implies it...but something else entirely different. A virus that comes into the cells that make up the tissue lining your throat and starts reproducing so quickly that it causes the cells to explode...leaving the nerve endings in your throat "flapping in the breeze" and causing one the "worst sore throat they will ever have in their life". No kidding. It is also often accompanied by a fever, lack of appetite and headache...and sometimes diarrhea and nausea (ummmmm yes, yes, yes, yes and yes...I had them all). Anyway....ulcerations form around your throat and the roof of your mouth causing an UNBELIEVABLE amount of pain if you want to carry out any function requiring the use of your throat. She also told me that it could last up to 14 days! Say, what??? No thank you. I think I'll be done by then. She said that the worst days are the 3rd and 4th and then your antibodies start kicking in and the throat begins to heal over. Today my throat was in an incredible amount of pain...which means it felt better than yesterday! So...things are looking good! There ya have it, if you even wanted it?! I thought it was all kind of interesting. No wonder I feel like there are a gazillion cuts in my throat....there are! I would wish this upon NO ONE. Especially the rest of my contaminated family who hasn't yet come down with it. Oh the babies...that would be so NOT good. The doc said a lot of times babies will get hospitalized from dehydration because it is too painful for them to drink any liquids. So...we're wrapping them in our hopes and love...and Josh is convincing himself that he had this as a child and is already immune! Mind over matter. On another note...but still related to mouth pain....Journey cut her first TWO teeth this week! She has two tiny little bottom stubs and she has been such a trooper about the whole thing. She really is changing so quickly. I looked at her today and just thought she looked so different. So...that is life in our herpanginal world. Thanks for all of it, herpanginal girl (that would be YOU, Cory)....I owe ya one! :)

a long strange trip

If you were to visit my home, and if I were to pour you a cup of tea in my kitchen, you might see the remnants of several things that would lead you to a conclusion about what we have been filling our lives with over the past four days or so. Some homeopathic pulsatilla, some optique eye drops, some medicated eye drops, some chamomile tea bags used as compresses (after of course they were used to brew some tea), a pot with one boiled potato (the rest were put in a cotton sock and mashed to make a drawing poultice), some garlic, some mullein-garlic ear drops, a collection of Popsicle sticks waiting to be crafted into something spectacular, some Epsom salt, lemon juice and...let's not leave out the bottle of Tylenol for my sore throat. Yes....that is there too. I'm telling you, this is one HELL of a sore throat. That is right. Our immune systems are once again being strengthened at this casa. Journey came down with pink eye...we ended up taking her into the doc after exhausting all of my home remedies and witnessing the increase in the "stuff" seeping out of her eyes. I never had pink eye growing up....how is it that my little one...only six months old has it? I am convinced this is what Asher had earlier and that Journey was holding onto the virus up until Monday night when I wore her in the sling while I made dinner. On the menu that night was pasta with a LOT of onion and a LOT of garlic and a few other things. The two main ingredients were onions and garlic...both of which have components that "draw out" toxins. I am sure that is why the next morning she woke up with a crusty eye. And me, I woke up with a sore throat. Which, after our long neighborhood walk on Tuesday night in which I stirred up everything being held in MY body with some good ole blood circulation, had become a really bad sore throat. By the end of our walk my throat was significantly worse and within a half hour of getting home my body just became the resting place to every muscle ache and joint pain imaginable. I also started feeling like I was FREEZING...hello flu, welcome to my body, I hope you enjoy your stay. So we have been nursing ourselves back to health and have been enjoying the fact that Josh has been at home for the past two days to keep all the small humans in our home safe and well cared for. He also managed to do things like bring me water when I asked for it or another popsicle or some more juice, please? Asher has been walking the line all week. Is he sick? Is he ok? He had a short lived low grade fever and seems to be doing just fine now, aside from the fact that he is TOTALLY whacked out by this mama being sick, daddy is at home thing. He is greatly aware of change....and he feels the inconsistency with his whole self. So, not only have I felt totally helpless when my toddler is crying out for me and my husband so obviously needs some help but my body won't allow me to make a single move...but NOW...I can't even talk. Today, the place where my body needs to manifest the flu is in my throat. I feel like everything is detoxing through that one area. I am telling you. This is no ordinary sore throat. It is like I accidentally swallowed a gazillion fragments of glass that were ground up into powder form, and while en route to the esophagus, got lodged into every inch of my throat and the entire surrounding area. And not only are they not budging, but they cut deeper with each and every swallow, or cough, or spoken word. Basically, it is so painful that I am actually reminiscing about yesterday when I had the body aches and chills. That sounds so much more pleasant. Ok, enough of the griping. I just wanted to catch you all up on all the excitement going down over here. And really I just wanted a voice. I have been carrying around a little tablet and pen to write out my thoughts to Josh when they are required. You know...things like "I feel so miserable" and "you need to ask him first before you cut his sandwich in half!" after Asher went into hysteria from his "BIG" sandwich being turned into two medium sized sandwiches. Not cool Josh, not cool. (you know I love you babe!) What I really thought I might mention which is somewhat interesting to me, is this; The week prior to this imbalance materializing as sickness in our house...I was sitting with a lot of restlessness within myself. For various reasons, I had been focusing on different ways I feel stifled or unable to express myself. It all resonated with me on a creative level....like there is so much more going on in me than I allow to be expressed creatively. So...the interesting part is that tonight I was looking up different probable causes or thought patterns that can trigger dis-ease in our bodies. When I read the probable cause for throat problems,I read, among other things, the words "stifled creativity", and "feeling unable to express oneself". Pretty crazy, huh? So...in efforts to create a new thought pattern for myself and to avoid another behemoth of a sore throat, I share with you, my new mantra. "I release all restrictions and I am free to be me. I express myself freely and joyously. It is okay to make noise. I speak up for myself with ease. I express my creativity. I am willing to change." oh yes....and I now never underestimate the power of the onion! :) What about you? What new thought patterns might bring greater health and healing into your life?

a round of thanks

I just wanted to give a big thanks to all of you guys who come here and visit us. Especially to those of you who leave behind a little love in the comment sections. I always find some kind of encouragement or motivation or just plain kindness in what you have to say. So...thank you! It is always a joy for me to read a little about your thoughts or your take on things. Blogging has been such a cool little part of my rhythm for the past few months. I really enjoy coming here and regurgitating bits of my heart! Sounds lovely, I know, but it really is healing and affirming to me. It has also rekindled a romance between me and writing and has given me bits of motivation to move about my day with greater creative intention . I have really enjoyed revisiting that part of my self and I have been so encouraged by your feedback. So encouraged, in fact, that I recently submitted a piece to a fellow blogger who was holding a contest last week. If you haven't visited Mommyblog yet...you really should, if for nothing more than to enjoy her always funny recounts of the days events with her cuter than cute son! I love my visits there. So, last week she was holding a "Living the Dream" contest where she invited us to write about our various mommy moments that stick out in our hearts. After I read her invitation I couldn't help but respond. I began writing and just couldn't stop! She picked my submission as one of the winners of her contest! Yippeee! So if you are at all interested, you can find my submission here! Now tell me, how do you encourage your creative juices to flow?

round radiance

May the things we begin be brought to completion in all their creativity, love and FULLNESS.