Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side...

My buddy Apes put that song on a cd for me recently (she's the only person who EVER makes me cds - just sayin')...I had to smile at these lyrics.  So cheerful and yet so challenging.

Some other lyrics in that song - 
There's a dark & a troubled side of life
There's a bright, there's a sunny side, too...

What?  Is that a train I hear coming down those tracks?  (chugga chugga) Yeah, we're definitely straddling life's railroad lately and having to be ever so mindful to seek the "sunny side."

What's bright & sunny right now?

The babies...

John - our big whopping 4 year old.  Our firstborn continuing to make us swell with pride, continuing to stand a little taller each day, continuing to charm us with his warm heart and his curious mind.

Ella - whewww, my lil' Ella Bella.  That girl's something and I don't know how to describe the something, but she sure is!  Tenacious, fiery, funny, dramatic - there aren't adequate adjectives in my vocabulary to cover it all :).

The business...

is "booming," ha!  Seriously, it's good and as I see new creations coming to life and get those mailing labels attached to send those creations to adorn someone's home - big ol' deep sigh in that.  The love, support and encouragement that have and continued to be bestowed - humble sighs at that.

Recent jaunts to the beach...

relaxing awesomeness for us & the babies :).  Kept up way past bedtime every night, but relished the laughs and time shared.  We shared a "best life moment" with the babies lounging in a late afternoon tidal pool they could "swim" in.  Seeing their delight, being together and feeling that warm early evening sun on our skin - more sighing.

Not to be remiss...the dark/troubled side...

hmmm...don't want to get too Negative Nelly...

Home the other day by myself in the midst of one of these crazy storms - watching out the front door as the wind flailed what's left of one of our Bradford trees towards the house.  Since we just lost the other half in the last month, I was Nervous Nelly waiting for it to come crashing down.  Suddenly I hear a snap and turn just quick enough to my right to see the one on the driveway snap in half.  Like dominoes the one next door snapped completely beside it.  As my eyes survey the damage (insert cuss word)...sighs, and not the good kind.

There's more to the story and why it's a big deal that our trees are snapping like twigs - like it sucks that our house is for sale and trees start snapping like twigs - literally.  Oh, and never mind how much sky/house our view's about to be afforded after Saturday - we're taking both trees down to limit their liability and overall wonkiness (frustration sigh).  Bye shade, bye privacy, bye tree where the babies' swing hangs (tearful sigh).

Oh, and the whole house being for sale thing - definitely atop our life's list of bleggghhhh.  Despise it - the rigamarole that only seems to grow in this process - so much blegggghhhhh.

Ok - back to some bright/sunny - some silver lining for goodness sakes :)

Amidst planning our 6th anniversary trip!  Mountain-bound this go round and very excited for a change of pace.  Very excited for some Mama & Deddy time which is more remiss than I care to acknowledge.

Health - thankful for that.  Seth's recovered from his ear infection (yes, he had an ear infection), John's recovered from walking pneumonia and me & healthy horse came through unscathed :)

Family - thankful for them.  Been blessed to have so much time w/family this summer.  Only makes us ache for our home to sell even moreso to be close to them.  Praying God's plans and our hopes align (more sighing).

So, that's all I got today - kinda stream of consciousness.  As I sit here watching the day heat up outside, the sun's beaming brightly.  Trying to stoke my heart with some sunniness as well...Lord, I'm asking -

Christ says, “If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” John 14:14

Have a blessed day...

Truth be told...Stream of Consciousness (it's been awhile)

I miss a lot of things...

I miss the "box" - the box I lived in for so long.  I knew it's corners, it's schedules, it's predictability, it's limitations - it was sure & it was safe.  I miss knowing without having to think what day it is.  I miss the sameness from one week to the next - the drone of routine.  I miss having a space outside the home - a place where the expectation was a steady pace and if I wanted to just go shut my door and ignore the world, I could likely do so.  I miss the confidence and pride that used to come so easily when talking about what "I do".  I miss living inside the status quo thus having to think about myself to the point of feeling selfish sometimes.   

(deep sigh)  Feels good to put that out there...

As much as I can find myself missing the above if I show up to my own pity party (the only type of party I truly despise) - I can't be remiss on the flip side of things.  As I told Seth over lunch yesterday - I'm also really happy.  Those words, sadly, don't come out of my mouth very easily.  Not that it lessens that I truly feel that way, but I get a little Chicken Little-ish in saying that aloud.  Since the sky's still intact this morning, I'll even put that in writing - I'm really happy :) 

The freedom now afforded to me without those "corners, schedules, predictability, etc." is amazing.  The depth of "you only live once" and each day being a gift - yep, so much truth in that.  The ability to fill my days with a worthwhile-ness that satiates the wife and mother I've longed to be for my family while allowing me to create and move forward in bringing to life a dream I may have not otherwise ever got off the ground - pretty amazing.

(more sighing) just needed to put some words out there this morning.  I miss this space.  I miss cataloging the ever amusing & endearing nuances of the lil' "cherubs" :)  I hope to pop back in for a "Fun Things..." next week - I miss those too. 

A preview of the cherubs (cough) on the 4th for weekend carryover :)

 

Happy WACDD!