The beauty of growth

There is nothing more satisfying than growth.  Spring.  Finally, up from the ground come all those sleeping bulbs, warming the air with their colors and filling your nose with the scent of life.

Yes.  Beauty.

But for some reason, even in the dead of winter, (not that it's winter...) the satisfaction of knowing YOU have grown can have the same effect.  So inspiring.  I have had several such moments during our time here.  Today I felt another "stop and smell the flowers" moment happening.  And I did stop.  I smiled and felt so beautiful inside.  What is on the inside will come out.  Don't you doubt it for a second.  We can only keep our nature hidden for so long. 

I have been tested here, in PA, in so many ways.  Never imagined some of the ways I would be tested and each time it happens, I find myself thanking God for the wonderful upbringing I've had.  Gracious.  It has gotten me through some sticky situations.  My heart yearns to be open, ready, pure, teachable, loving, forgiving, loyal, true...and I think that all of those desires have been tried at one point or another.  But it's paying off, my determination. 

I have found solace in prayer, bible reading, and positive thinking.  And I have to thank my husband for being the level in my life.  

But getting "beautiful" on the inside isn't easy.  You take low blows, you lose friends, while loneliness becomes and old friend, but in the end, it's so worth it.  So, I'll just stick with this whole "inward growth" thing because it's not just beneficial for me but for my children, too.

A huge thank you to my Sunday school teachers, mentors, and home church for this wonderful foundation that I'm working off of...

So many little things that make your life special to you

I was thinking about all of the many thing that take place in my life that are unique to me and my family. It really made me smile! There are no other children in the world like my mine. They have a certain smell, sound, look and a way about them that makes it possible for me to identify them in a crowd of a million others. Now that Cylas is a little older, he has developed a few distinct qualities that are so special to me. He likes to walk around on his tiptoes sometimes hence a very affectionate nickname bestowed on him by my mother "TwinkleToes". When he talks, he tends to salivate and therefore slurps his saliva as he is telling you something. He reads his books on the floor, legs crossed and with a ramrod-straight back staring down intently at the pictures. He sings songs like: The wheels on the bus go round and round, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Jingle Bells and Old McDonald had a farm. He is extremely mischievous and is constantly hatching plans to escape out the front door. A good arm and back rub are always in the top five super important things that mommy MUST do for him...next to having a cold tippy full of milk this is paramount! He MUST have his hat, jacket and gloves on before going outside...choke the pants.
He loves his little sister and is very concerned for her welfare. For instance, we were trying to leave the other morning and I had to go out to warm up the car. I took him with me so I could strap him in. As I pulled the van around to the front of the house, he asks in a worried little voice "Wheh Womah? Beebee?" Translated : Where is Roma? Baby?
I smiled and told him that we were going to get her and not to worry. And every evening he has to make sure he kisses her goodnight. If she isn't in her bassinet, he looks for her to make sure she's close by. Just this morning I told him to go potty and he took a detour into our bedroom to check on his little sis before his final destination. Roma, on the other hand, has just started cooing and gurgling. She is a very happy baby and loves to talk. Next to sleeping, it's her favorite thing to do! You can tell that she loves her papa a lot because she responds so well to him by burbling and making gaga sounds. She burps for him too! She enjoys being held high up on your shoulder so she can see the world. And if you look at her and say "Ah-gooo" she will respond likewise. I love the way she stares at me so intently. She doesn't have words yet but I can feel her telling me that she loves me.
My life is uniquely mine and I love it!