Delays

Delays just happen.
They wear invisible suits
And strip when they want!

Emerging

This is my son ... nearly 19 years ago.  This is the smile and laughter and light in his eyes that made me so proud to be his mom.  What an amazing experience.  What a frightening experience!  Frightening because this life is developing its first impressions of everything in my care.  I made some mistakes.  But I also did some great things.  And I saw great things in him ... then and now.

As the years went by and some of the mistakes went unnoticed or more mistakes were made in trying to make up for the previous ones, the laughter all but disappeared.  It's been a personal heartache that the laughter changed, that the light in his eyes dimmed, and that he had to experience anything that got in the way of the amazing person God created to emerge into this world.

But I'm humbly changed and thankful and proud.  On his own two feet, he is experiencing not just some hard things ... but recently some wonderful ones as well.  I won't tell his story, but I will publicly say I am proud of him for following his heart.

And as I reflect on motherhood, it makes me reflect on godliness ... makes me want to be closer to God, closer to my children, and a better mother/daughter/friend/sister.  I'm so horribly imperfect and a workaholic and sometimes consumed by just making it through the tough places.  But I have my feet on the path.  And that's a good place to be.

Laughter

Always a welcome sound ... laughter was a big part of a rousing game of horseshoes with Uncle James at grandma and grandpa's house in Kansas.  (And even though I couldn't capture the action clearly, I still love this photo!)

Black Light Special

As we stood in line waiting for our turn on the Rockin' Rollercoaster, we heard the announcement, "This ride DOES go upside down." M's head whipped around toward me and her eyes were HUGE! I had just told her that I didn't think it went upside down - at least I didn't remember that it did. It was the one thing that would have prevented her from going. She did NOT want to go upside down!

I couldn't help but laugh and asked what she wanted to do. She was torn. The event had been built so high in her mind that she didn't want to NOT go. And she kept commenting about how her brother would be proud of her if she rode it.

And so we rode ... 3 times!

Screams and laughter were part every round. She was positively glowing (and not just from the black lights in the ride)! I'm glad my memory failed me. It helped Miss M become a coaster lover! Now THAT'S special.

Cake and Laughter

Turning 12 while waiting for a Disney adventure had highlights of its own.  From finding a cake and candles to forgetting matches ... and having hotel staff offer to sing but finding instead when we returned a lobby FULL of business men ... we found plenty of moments to laugh.

Sounds of children ...

Playing, laughing, swinging ... it was all part of the adventure of being on set for the first time!  The independent film, "Pippin's Day Out" brought us to the park, thanks to the fortunate conversations of a coworker which led to an invitation to be an extra in the playground scene.

As usual, these things get me thinking.  Capturing those moments in time is precious.  As much as I love the visual element, I have to admit that sound is amazingly powerful.  I'm daydreaming about the value of hearing loved ones' voices back through a family tree, reminiscing to the sound of a child's laughter, and it makes me want to grab a recorder along with my cameras!  Suddenly I feel like Imogen Heap (how do I explain ... she collects sounds like I collect images and can create amazing things with them).

A cassette tape exists somewhere of my grandfather telling the story about how he tracked a moose (I believe).  If I recall, he didn't know someone had turned on a tape recorder, and those of us who weren't at the storytelling still heard it straight from his lips.  Hearing that again today - probably some 30 years or so later - would be priceless.  And plugging it in to a family tree these days is certainly a possibility!  I think I've given myself a project.

"I help my brother clean his room."

A borrowed scanner and a slightly damaged memory has me wanting to make sure I don't lose those things that make me laugh. Today's gem? This wonderful commentary from my daughter. A couple of years ago, she brought home a worksheet with quotes from classmates about how they can be helpers. Her quote? "I help my brother clean his room." The wonderful illustration with "ewe boxcers" completely cracks me up!