{Summer In Review}

My Sweet B... this was such a fun summer... watching her grow and blossom further into toddler-hood. She is amazing! She loves to dance, sing, quote the movies and shows she watches over and over; B gives the best neck hugs, and says THANK YOU at every turn. This is such a bitter-sweet time - watching her grow is such a blessing and joy, yet I am losing bitty baby more and more with each passing week. She is on the verge of spouting out sentence after sentence... she faintly mutters and constantly jabbers, and is SO close to actually speaking out right. I know one day B will wake to us being able to fully understand every word. These memories are ones I NEVER want to forget no matter what happens - every face, every giggle, snicker, pout, sincere or silly, I NEVER want my mind's eye to lose them; even if my physical vision one day grows to no longer being able to look back on the images the way I once could. <3

Our life right now is full of this... we are trying so hard to figure out what is best for us, praying and seeking the Lord and the advice of others... we are looking for a new place to move to IN town where we live. Currently, we are in a less-than-ideal situation living about 8 miles out of the city limits, and my night vision is getting worse and worse. Not to mention, gas, school and everything else we need to be able to get to... this house where we are now was a blessing right when we needed it most, and now we are looking for another blessing... something in our price range (constantly praying the property we have for sell in our old home town will find itself a new owner soon and relieve our budget some more), and in the location we need with everything in it that we need. Right now is a searching game... every day we are checking Craigs List, LSN (a local classifieds site, the local paper, property management sites, etc.) We are not giving up at all. BUT in the middle of all this is remembering to PRAY and LISTEN and seek the Lord's direction when we get the "doors and windows" slammed shut at every turn b/c something is just not going to work out for that particular place.

These are the bits of summer I have found an artistic way to capture... this has been SUCH a HOT summer. In the middle of even the driest days of August I managed to find the bits of beauty that made it through the drought. I guess this is kind of like our life... pushing and pushing, looking and seeking the sun light and every drop of moisture possible to sustain us. This economy is none-to-kind to any of us anymore, but especially the small business owners who believe in local and community business and supporting one another from within our country.

This swing has been one of my B's favorite things this summer... by next year she may or may not fit in it; we may or may not have a tree to hang it from ... but I will always remember her joy in this swing... and her looking out the living room window or being out in the yard and making a mad dash for it yelling "Sweem, Mama, Sweem!!!" :) <3

These beautiful, bright yellow flowers... maybe weeds, I am not sure, but they really made me think of this summer... full of my LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE -B- :) And my sweet men (Gar & Alex).... they all 3 love to make you smile and beam. :) I hope and pray that this blog post finds you all well; that your "summer" is coming to a blessed close, and that as Sept. turns into Oct. and October into November and December that we all remember what is most important this coming holiday season ... the reason we celebrate it all (Jesus Christ), and that family takes precedence over work, presents, etc. Until next time... good night and Happy Labor Day Weekend :) Enjoy and be safe!! *P.S. up next time will be B's birthday and our wedding anniversary photos... her party and our anniversary are both Sunday the 4th. Her bday is the 8th :) *

{Day to Day...}

This has been ONE HOT SUMMER. The hottest I can remember in a while. :) I was looking at B's lonely little airplane swing here... it has just been TOO hot to be out any time of the day almost. :( But I promised her we would go out there today. :D

I have a strong love for the word HOPE. It means so much to me, and my life and my life's story. When I had nothing else, and did not even want to keep the faith or have hope, I kept on trying to believe in all of these things, including love. No matter what. I have managed to take some flower shots this summer that I love, so I want to do something with several of them :) This seemed appropriate to me.

Bye bye "Ba'Ba" .... this is HARD... breaking her from the bottle has been TOUGH. Harder than anything so far. B was not SO attached until she got really, really sick back in April. I loved her smiles and playfulness here... the pic on the right is her "Happy" .... little silk rags that her Nana made for her to sleep with and hold whenever. They are the other biggest source of comfort for her, but after her sickness in the spring (and my planning to break her from it this summer), really set me back. I am thinking we are on well on the way to her being Bottle & Sippy cup free, though; as she has decided that no bottle in bed means no sippy either... she cries and fusses and gives up and goes on to sleep.... so we will see :)

 

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This was not the deepest of posts :) But I just wanted to share a few personal photos and a little about life.... Have a great day y'all!! 

HUGS,

Heather

{Simple. Beautiful.}

And in time, all is shown; the beautiful, the ugly, the pure of heart, and that or those of ill-regard. To everything a time, a season, a reason and rhyme, so with this simple thought, everything and everyone is beautiful in the beginning. Time changes, creates and molds; temptations, choices, or forces of nature, all of these inevitably change things, and beauty is shown in all different ways. Call it a mistake or happenstance, either way, God makes none; His choice for us is deliberate, and intended for the best, but by human flaw and design we make things appear abnormal, impure and not what they are. Look in the mirror and you will see, no matter what the seasons have done to you, to your heart, to your appearance - there is always time to change it if you do not like what you see. Beauty simply IS, and only what it can and will be and will become.  
- Heather L. [August 2011]