My baby is almost one

Me and my baby.

Sunday afternoon.

I'm wearing my old high school basketball shirt.

And if there is one thing I will remember about my motherhood wardrobe,

it's that old high school basketball shirts were a staple.

termite shirts

A box of uniforms for the business came in the mail yesterday. Zach thought it was hilarious to wear as many hats as would balance on his head. He pulled out each polo, and jacket, and white technician shirt and admired them individually, though they all had the same embroidery.

LOOK Lily, Dad has new termite shirts!

***

Last year David's order included some free t-shirts. Zach wore them as pajamas, but they were simply too big for Lily. She was heartbroken. In fact, one night, she refused to go to bed until David ironed on a logo patch to one of her pajama shirts. Now she wears it proudly and calls it her very own termite shirt.

***

Seeing them in those uniforms gets me every time. Makes that lump in my throat. It's so impossible to articulate the joy of having children, because the specifics don't sound that impressive.

They love to dress like us!

But there is joy.

A lot of it.

another year older and wiser too

This is the only birthday I can remember sharing with snow.
Brrrrr. Luckily the forecast is back to springtime.
One of my birthday cards said this is the birthday I'll celebrate for the rest of my life.
(I'm 29) Ha!!
My brother asked me if I felt older.
Then he said, that's a dumb question, huh.
But I made him listen to my answer anyway.
I told him I'd been thinking about how much I learned from birth to 10.
Amazing.
And how much I had changed from 10 to 20.
Incredible.
And now, the last year of my 20s had me thinking about what a difference
there is between age 20 and 29.
There are landmark events like being endowed in the temple, getting married, having children.
They were the catalyst for a lot of growth.
But there are other, perhaps more subtle, metamorphosis that occur.
And in order to really appreciate them, what you need, is time.

The problem with wishing

I did get that laundry done.

But wouldn't you know it, I already have 5 new loads staring me in the face.

I also planted those pretty little peachy begonias, a gift from a thoughtful friend.

I'm willing spring to come.

Each day since Saturday, I check the weather three times a day.

My eyes shoot straight to Thursday because it's the first day where the little picture doesn't show clouds. Also, it is supposed to be 60 degrees. This afternoon they changed it to 63!

Oh, won't it be nice to feel that sunshine?

***

It's a fairly harmless thing...wishing for spring, but sometimes my wishing is a little more detrimental.

Lately, my mind is relentlessly focused on the day I will live in a house again.

My own house.

And I've thought of at least two dozen reasons why life will be better when it finally happens.

Make that 4 dozen.

And the problem, I am slowing realizing,

is that lack of home ownership is not my problem.

Wouldn't it be scary if I got that house, because the day will come,

and I was not as gloriously fulfilled as I imagine I will be?

Yeah. It makes me nervous.

So I am trying to work on it.

The answer to most of my personal issues always seems to be service.

When I get sick of the amount of time I spend thinking about myself, I try to

think about other people.

I wish I could skip right to the service part, but usually it takes me a long while of moping around before I am ready to move myself out of that funk.

***

I like springtime for a lot of reasons, one of which is the visible passage into a new season, a new time.

I've always thought changing seasons were a good opportunity for self evaluation.

Am I any different than I was this winter?

Time, it seems, will tell.

The Weekend

{Saturday morning cartoons}

This weekend we have no plans.

We haven't enjoyed a no-plan weekend in a long time.

Last weekend we went to PBR (professional bull riding), which included my husband wearing the following, HUGE belt buckle.

Isn't it awesome?

And Saturday we traveled to Kyle's tournament in Kansas.

Also...they are REGION 6 champs!

Kyle is going to be sporting a big fat ring now.

It's a level of coolness I will never know.

It's so exciting. They are headed to nationals.

And even MORE exciting is that nationals will be held in KANSAS!

Of all 50 states...this year it is in KANSAS, which means of course,

we'll be there.

{Kyle is standing in front... #10}

While we've had a few sunny and warm teaser days, this weekend's forecast is cold and rainy.

It's get stuff done kinda weather.

I am dreaming up all kinds of things I'd like to spend this weekend doing.

Clean and organize

Cook a new recipe (admire my new pots and pans)

Take pictures

Research items we need/want to purchase

Plant my flowers

Laundry (I'm not fantasizing about this one)

Find Easter baskets for the kids

Finish finding/making (??) pillows for the couch

Who knows what I'll end up getting around to, maybe just the laundry.

That's the thing about no-plans....the possibilities are endless.

Happy tears. Mostly.

This is Ruby, and her new puppy Winston.

Only the cutest...both of them.

Which reminds me of a story.

A few weeks ago I was applying makeup and Zach was lounging in my room.

We were having a comfortable chat when he asked,

"Mom, who is the most beautiful girl in the whole world?"

I have to admit, I blushed a little as I considered what his answer would be.

"I don't know Zach, who do you think?" (fully expecting him to say "you mom")
And with out skipping a beat,

"I think Ruby is the most beautiful girl in the world"

"She has brown circled eyes."

Ahhh, so sweet.

Maybe bittersweet.

It's just the beginning of the letting go.

Kindergarten Orientation was this week.

More letting go.

I had a lump in my throat. I signed in, I collected my packet, I took my seat,

and I looked those six kindergarten teachers up and down.

When we passed the principal he told Zach that he had the coolest hair he'd ever seen.

And. I don't know if I can do this!

I mean really. It's ridiculous.

Kindergarten screening, 2 weeks of summer school, back to school night,

and all serve as reminders that the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL will come.

Oh yes, it's coming.

And he is ready, and excited, and will make wonderful friends, and love his teachers,

and you'll be able to find me in a puddle of tears on my kitchen floor.

Happy tears.

Mostly.