A Girl after my Own Heart

Mother's Day Questionnaire (Bella, age 8):
1. What's your favorite thing about your mom? She's creative.
2. What was your mom like when she was a little girl? She was creative.
3. If your mom wasn't a wedding invitation designer, what would she be? An artist.
4. What's your mom's favorite food? Pizza. Color? Orange. Thing to do with you? Love me.
5. What does your mom NOT like to do? Eat mint.
6. How do you know your mom loves you? Because I love her too.
7. What is something you want to do with your mom in the future that you have never done before? Go to Italy.
8. What is your first memory of your mom? She loved me.
9. How are you an your mom alike? We like art.
10. What do you want to be when you grow up? An artist.

Ha ha ha

I need to do more laughing out loud. I think we all need to do a little more laughing out loud. It makes us feel better. Remember the last time you saw a funny movie, a REALLY funny movie? Wasn't it great? Remember the last time you laughed so hard, you cried? Fun, right? A good sense of humor is a quality that I admire most in a person. Sometimes I think we all get caught up in life, work, politics, etc. and we forget to stop and just enjoy life. So your mission today is to laugh! I mean have a good laugh. Look around you, listen to your kids (they always have something funny to say), do a crazy dance and laugh at yourself, call your funniest friend, go to a movie or watch a comedy on tv if necessary, leave a comment with your funniest joke to share... Find the funny, and then remember how it feels and spread it around for the rest of the day.

LOL - go ahead!

We are Family

I learned a lot about my 'family' this week. I have always had a very supportive family... my husband, my daughter, my mom, dad, sister, in-laws, etc., and I am forever grateful for all of them. But this week, my family got much bigger. My family also includes the people that are around at a moments notice when needed, the people that over the years, have helped us move, driven us to the airport, painted walls in our house. They are the people that I run half-marathons with, the people I call for parenting advice, the people I work with and play with and travel with. They are the women that I admire that are amazing mothers and support each other at the hardest job we will ever have. They are the men that take care of us and love us and make us feel safe. They are the children that make us smile and keep us young and give us hope. They are the people that I have spent the last 7 years with for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They are all the people who gathered yesterday to say good-bye to our dear friend, our brother. They are the people that shared tears and laughter in rememberence. They are the people that, in the years to come, will try to help fill the empty space. They are the people who will continue to support each other in good times and bad. They are my family.

Love

On October 12, 2002, our friend Scotty stood up reluctantly to read a verse at my wedding. It was not something he really wanted to do, to speak in front of a large crowd. But he did it, for us. As he started to read, a small, LOUD airplane flew overhead and started to drown out his voice. He paused for a moment as we all looked up at the plane and chuckled. But Scotty didn't let it stop him. He just smiled and read louder. The words he read will remain in my heart forever:

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast;

it is not arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,

endures all things. Love never ends."

Yesterday morning I received the news that Scotty died suddenly in an accident. The first few hours of the day were spent in disbelief. The rest of the day was spent talking to friends and family, trying to comprehend that this had really happened. The tears came and went uncontrollably. It just didn't seem real.

At the end of the day, a gorgeous sunny Colorado day, I walked slowly to pick up my daughter from school. On the way home, I talked to my beautiful innocent 7 year old about death. About the death of our friend. I told her why we were so sad and what death really means. I told her that her two little friends were going to be very sad for a long time because their Daddy was gone. I assured her that most of the time, Mommies and Daddies live to be old and gray. I assured her that she should not worry about her Daddy or me. I held her hand and made sure she was OK and she understood. Later in the evening, I watched my strong, rock of a husband weep at the loss of his friend. He spent the entire day trying to make a small dent in the incredible list of things that need to be done when someone dies. He spent the entire day fighting back the tears. I am completely heartbroken and utterly at a loss, thinking of my friend and her two sweet little girls that are devastated and in shock over the loss of their husband and father. I am completely heartbroken for their families and for our friends. All I could do all night was send love and thoughts their way.

But there is one thing that I know, something Scotty taught me 10 years ago. When life is tough, when that loud little plane flies over your head and tries to drown out your voice … keep going. Smile. Don't give up. Love louder!

All my love to you Lisa, Ali, Riley, and all of your family and all of our amazing friends. I miss you Scotty and our love for you will last forever. Rest in peace friend.

When I Grow Up

A few days ago, Bella proudly announced "Mom! I changed my mind on what I am going to be when I grow up. I am going to be an Author and an Illustrator."

Of course I was proud. Not only for her new creative career choice, but because for the last year or so every time I ask her what she wants to do for a living she has replied, "I'm going to be an Ice Cream Taster".

Now don't get me wrong, if Ben and Jerry called to offer me the job, I may consider packing up the family and moving to Vermont. The thought of eating 'Late Night Snack" and "Chubby Hubby" every day does sound like a dream job. But then again, opportunities for advancement are limited (because really, what could be better than tasting ice cream...maybe ice cream and cake taster?), it gets really cold in Vermont in the winter and I don't like eating ice cream when I am cold, and then there's the health risks...daily brain freezes could cause permanent damage...you never know.

So while Ice Cream Taster sounds like a fun job, I think Author and Illustrator sounds like even more fun. And from the impressive stories and pictures the kid is already writing and drawing at age 7, I think she has a pretty good shot at it.

So for now, we'll just be amateur ice cream tasters. I think I hear Ben & Jerry calling now, from the freezer...

Countdown to Disney

Woke this morning to find Daddy & Bella's countdown to Disney drawn on the family chalkboard. One week from today we'll head off to sunny Florida for the adventure we have been planning for what seems like years. Numerous phone calls to my incredibly helpful cousin (whose husband works at the park) for hotel recommendations, park tips, travel arrangements; hours and hours of searching online for the list of attractions we don't want to miss; and day after day, night after night of daydreaming with a 7 year old on how much fun we are going to have...and it is now a mere 7 days away.

My mom, sister and I - Disney World 1972

Disney World has changed a LOT since 1972. The park had been open less than a year on my first visit. Some of the attractions were not even finished yet. There was no Epcot, no Hollywood studios, construction of the famous Space Mountain had not even begun yet. But the magic of Disney was still there. Right from the start Walt Disney had a dream of creating a magical world and right from the start it did not disappoint. I was 3 years old. I don't remember one thing about it. But I am assured now by my parents that my sister and I were as excited about the trip then as kids are today. They also tell me that I was terrified of the Disney characters in costume and did a lot of crying (sounds about right, I was a very shy child...believe it or not). Nonetheless, we had a great time (thankfully, with photos to prove I wasn't crying the entire time! ).

So as I plan the trip next week with my own daughter, I hope to fill our scrapbook with photos of fun and adventure. Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Toy Story, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kindom, Mickey's fireworks, Tea Cups, It's a Small World, and more (and lucky for Mommy, Daddy & Abuela, it's Food & Wine Festival at Epcot while we are there too!) When I suggested lunch at the castle with Cinderella I was informed that "Princesses are for little girls Mommy", so we are having breakfast with the Mad Hatter instead. I can't wait to see the look on her face as we enter the park. That alone will make the trip worth it. A little girls dream coming to reality in just 7 days. Let the adventures begin!

Mind the Gap

I haven't been writing in the blog lately, but I have to check back in once in a while to document some important moments in history...

Tonight, as we sat down to eat dinner, Bella's very wiggly tooth plopped right out of her mouth and into her spaghetti. We celebrated with a toast and three cheers! The generous tooth fairy will come tonight (HE insisted the first one is worth a ten-spot!), so the excitement will continue tomorrow morning. I just stopped in her disaster-of-a-room to wish her good-night and told her that she should clean it up because the Tooth Fairy might trip on something on her way in. She replied, matter-of-factly, "Fairies fly Mommy, she'll be fine".

OK, Maybe Just One More

So my kid is in the tub and she yells for me, then says, "Mommy, smell in this cup" and hands me a plastic cup out of the tub. I say "why?" and she laughs and says "I tooted in it." She could only have gotten that trait from her father.

It's The End of the Blog As We Know It

Since my last post, Bella started Kindergarten, has learned to read, grew about 5 inches and she has just gotten smarter and smarter every day. Between school & homework, play dates, vacations, skiing, ballet lessons, duck hunting (yup, little girl's a ballerina and a hunter!), trips to the playground, etc. etc. etc., my time for keeping the blog updated has dwindled away. So while I'll say good-bye online, the words I have written for the past 2 years will be soon published in hardcover - forever in print to someday embarrass and torment my beautiful and beloved daughter!

So looking back to my very first entry, I'll end with this simple message:

Take a moment each day to laugh out loud...Because Life is Funny...Enjoy the ride!

It's beginning to look a lot like winter...

Last night it was a cold night. Bella crawled up onto my bed so we could read some books before going to sleep. The dog had been laying right where she wanted to sit so of course, the dog got kicked out and moped off to find another place to curl up. Bella noticed that the bed was nice and warm where Zaidy had been laying. She jumped right under the covers and yelled, "Mmm mmm...warm and cuddly, here I come!"

I know it's been a while since I last wrote, but the laugh out loud moments are still an every day occurrence. I'll try to be better about sharing them again.