Happy Day to Miss Preslee!

Ok, it really does seem like yesterday when 'Na' was in DisneyWorld and she received a phone call from Mama Tam who said she was in labor and a baby was coming! Preslee you were in a hurry, you weren't going to waste any time. A few hours later, Grandpa Mike called me back and we put my phone on speaker phone. Auntie Kell, Na and some drill girls and mom's listened as we sat in the restaurant at the All Star Music Resort, as you were born. Grandpa Mike and Great Grandma Saundra were there and I'm not sure who else. They were in the hall and they let us join in. It was a wonderful moment and you had the cutest little cry from the very beginning. Luckily, Kell and I were scheduled to arrive home that night and so we only had a few hours before we could meet you in person. Grandpa Mike picked us up from the airport and drove us to the hospital. You were all dressed up in a beautiful pink hat and so cute! I remember your mama's feet were swollen really big, but her and your dad had the biggest smiles ever! They were so happy and grateful that you had arrived safely after a couple of weeks of your mama being really sick.
You are a special girl Preslee Kae! You are full of sunshine and you are spunky like your mama. I love how you love your friends, Woof, Bear, and LuLu. I love that you like to dance. I love that you are a teaser and that you call me 'Na'. I love that you love Backyardigans...I do too!
We love you Miss Preslee Kae and we wish you a wonderful Number TWO birthday!
love, Grandpa, Na, Colin, Kell, and Kaitie

HERE'S THE BIG NEWS!

My handsome prince of a son officially asked his princess Ashley to be his 'true love'. She said, 'yes'! Sisters Kaitie and Kell were happy to be Col's helpers. We are so happy for the two of them and life is good...

Big News Is Coming...

There is some big news coming...I need to find help loading a picture and then I'll break the news. Be patient...you'll soon find out! Hint: true love + bling

Miss Chloe the Birthday Girl!

It is hard to believe that our little Miss Chloe Nan is two years old today! I remember the phone call that Grandpa Mike received from Mama Nat saying she was in labor and then I get a phone call from Grandpa Mike saying I'm booked on a flight to leave in just a couple hours and I'm on Grandma duty!! Grandma duty is the best...second to mom duty...I just love those two jobs!

When I arrived in Burlington, Mama Nat informed me that labor had stopped. Well, we couldn't have that, so Grandma Mel, Mama Nat and Miss Niah headed to the mall and we walked, shopped and walked some more. We didn't know what our new baby was going to be, so we bought light green and yellow jammies. It worked! The labor started up again and we went home and when Mama Nat started to bend over and couldn't stand up any more and couldn't catch her breath, Papa Bryan took charge and off they went to the Hospital. It was a wonderful phone call to receive letting me know all was well and that we had a beautiful baby girl join the family. When Miss Niah woke up I informed her that she had a baby sister and she just couldn't wait to go see her. Later that day I took Niah to the store and she insisted she buy something for her new sister.

From the very beginning you could tell what a sweet, tender spirited little girl Miss Chloe would be. Chloe is Greek and it means "blooming". This is Chloe exactly because she is an explorer, curious, ever learning new things, and happy and beautiful like a new blooming flower.

We love our Miss Chloe Nan and wish her a very HAPPY 'turning two' day!!

Love,

Grandma Mel, Grandpa Mike, Uncle Colin, Auntie Kaitie and Auntie Kell

HAPPY DAY TO MCKELL!

What? Kell is turning 19?!

Because she is turning 19, here are nineteen reasons we love having Kell in our family...

• 1. she is proud of her red hair


• 2. she is an awesome sister


• 3. her beautiful smile


• 4. her contagious laugh


• 5. she has sweet 'white chocolate' moves


• 6. she loves to learn new things and she shares them with us


• 7. she loves, loves to travel


• 8. she is proud to be Irish!


• 9. she speaks to us in languages


• 10. she is teaching little sister to drive a stick shift


• 11. she's a dreamer


• 12. she pursue's her dreams


• 13. she loves great literature


• 14. she can tell you about art...any art


• 15. she is self motivated


• 16. she is kind to all of us


• 17. her nieces and nephew love her


• 18. she has a messy room


• 19. we love, love, love the dimples!!!

Most of all...we love YOU! HAPPY DAY Kellibell!

Update

change

"Learn to embrace change,

and you'll begin to recognize

that life is in constant motion,

and every change happens for a reason.

When you see boundaries as

opportunities, the world becomes

a limitless place,

and your life becomes a

journey of change that always

finds its way."

I guess you could say I've been away from my blog for awhile while I try and 'find my way'. What a journey this has been and, yes, life has been in constant motion...never pausing...and I've been trying to move forward and not backward. Some days are easier than others...some are just plain rough!

I'm so grateful for so many things and these are the things that keep me going...

(check the wordle above..I couldn't get it to go in my post..click on it and you can read it)

WILL IT ALWAYS FEEL THIS WAY?

Yesterday marked 5 months since the loss of my mom. I spent the afternoon thinking about how not everything has been a loss...there are things I've gained. I appreciate family even more than before; sisters, my dad, nephews, neices, my husband, children, grandchildren, aunts and uncles, friends, my mom's friends. I've gained a marked sense of all the 'tender mercies' that have been granted. For instance, yesterday I happened to see two of my mom's dear friends at different places...places I just happened to go to on that day...month 5. I received a sweet text from Tam who had remembered the day. My Aunt Marsh called to check on us...we remembered together-her kindness, her big heart, her way of taking care and knowing how everyone was and sharing it with us, how many friends she had, that she was everyones anchor/calmer. Great phone calls with my sisters...Jen and I were able to laugh just knowing mom is proud that she has been getting a babysitter and that mom is probably teaching Dylan crazy things to do. De and I talked about how the sadness just has to come out now - now that the trauma has subsided some. I can see my mom's twinkle in her eye, her mischeviousness in so many people...Luke, Land, Kaitie, Niah. I even caught a glimpse of her in my own mirror today as I cut my hair shorter yesterday and as I walked past my mirror...just for a minute...I saw her. I went downstairs to where I had brought some of her things to my home. In a bag of her crocheting things, I found the class instructions with her own handwriting on it and the very burp cloth we had learned to do at that class together. Is it coincidence, tender mercy, that just the night before I sat up and finished a burp cloth that I had pulled out of my cupboard that I had started years ago but never finished...the very one from that same class. I'm going to put them both in a special place. I've had this overwhelming desire to crochet, sew, cook (that's a miracle!), be in the yard. Is it because I know these were things she loved to do and they are my loves too? Now the time, the mood has shifted, and it is easier to surround myself with her pictures, things and easier to do things that I know she loved to do. It's a softer sadness, a pure sadness that just has to come out. All by myself, out loud, as I was holding fabric of hers I said, "Mom, I just hope I was good enough to you. That you knew...that you know now, how much influence you have had on me. That I miss you. I love you." I had found this saying on a plaque several weeks after mom died and I had to buy it. It reminded me of her, of the kind of mom I want to be, and the kind of mom I know my daughters are and will be.

Motherhood
is not for the faint of heart
mothers are fierce
protective
HOVER
cheer
Let you fall
Let you fail
PICK YOU UP
worry
HANDLE HEARTACHE
comfort fears
teach
listen
MOTHERHOOD,
Your greatest challenge
Your Finest Hour


I love you mom....