There is Joy...

in the everyday.

Finding it is not always easy.

Simple...

Beautiful.

Ordinary, yet not.

When you step back and become an observer; an onlooker; things seem different.

Living life as a series of moments; by the minute; with a smile; things are different.

Hearing deep dances of belly laughter coming from the next room, and really stopping to listen, brings a smile to my soul, because have you really stopped to listen to an almost two year old's giggles of delight?

I'm learning to shut my mouth, and open my heart...

to the beauties that are my children...

the beauty that surrounds me...

the beauty that is my life...

It is a beautiful life.

The Soundtrack of My Life

You are my sunshine...

My only sunshine...

You make me happy when skies are gray...

You'll never know dear, how much I love you...

So please don't take my sunshine away.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

1. Smile

2. Artificial

3. Repeating pattern

4. Rusty or Something Old

5. Stand Alone

Happy Birthday, Anna

Today you turn seven. It doesn't seem possible you were ever this small.

My first daughter, so pink and perfectly sweet.

Seven years have passed in the blink of an eye.

You are all of these things...

And so much more.

May you always sparkle and shine with a smile on your face and a song in your heart...

just like you do now.

Happy Birthday, Anna!

Love, Mama

Linking up for this Wordful Wednesday with Seven Clown Circus and parenting BY dummies.

Love...

When Love isn't Enough...

I can't get them out of my head.



It's not their fault.

They have four kids...

just like us.

What if...

it was me?

they get split up?

Mark and Fred have been together for 22 years, they have four kids, and Fred just happens to be from France. OUR U.S. government doesn't recognize their marriage and is facing deportation. 

What would I do?

What can we do?

How can I help?

Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.

393 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

P: 202-224-6324

Toll Free: 866-802-2833

Fax:  202-228-0604

Secretary Janet Napolitano

Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Washington, D.C. 20528

202-282-8000

How can anyone help?

See that above address and phone number? You can write them, or call them...

and make a difference.

If you want to know the FULL STORY...here is the link. Mark explains it much better than I ever could.

And here's a link to their CNN interview...

http://cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2012/01/14/pkg-candiotti-gay-man-faces-deportation.cnn.html

Now, imagine it was you...




I broke the rules for a good cause.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

1. Sunset

2. Black and White

3. Colorful

4. A Day in My Life

4. Four (a set of four pictures that go together)

Finding the Joy

It doesn't take much to please me. I am a simple girl who finds the joy in little things.

A stolen kiss...

A lost tooth...

A little kitchen helper who after licking the spatula, says num num...

A rare afternoon alone with my oldest, being silly...

And a good book on my nook with a perfectly sweet and creamy cup of coffee in hand...

I am blessed...

spoiled rotten...

so happy (except when I'm really tired, then I'm a bit cranky)...

content.

     

Yes, This...