Learning to Breathe, Pt. 8

The summer is rapidly coming to the a close. It always seems to fly by. Ads for back-to-school shopping are popping up everywhere. I loved shopping for school supplies. I don't know what it is about new pens and notebooks, but it makes me happy! And I know that fall is approaching!

This past weekend has brought some quiet reflection about life and the loss of life. Two people I went to high school with experienced great loss. One person had to put her dog to sleep. And while that may seem trivial to some, it is quite important to others. I am grateful for my Luna and I would be devastated if something happened to her. The other lost his one-year-old son unexpectedly. I can't even begin to imagine the grief his family is suffering. Both will look back at this weekend as life changing.

I know loss. I know that deep pain that doesn't go away. It becomes a part of who you are. Taking time to enjoy the moments we are given with the people we love is so important. This weekend, I am headed back up to WI to see my brother's family. It is an expensive trip - gas, tolls, kennel fees, eating out - that I am not really prepared to make. But I want to make those precious memories to hold in my heart. To savor the times when Brynley calls me Auntie Colleen in her sweet voice and holds my hand. To cuddle a tiny Addilyn because she will never be this small again.

I didn't expect my learning to breathe journey to take this route, but you never know what life will bring. Learning to breathe in the most difficult times is probably something that is never mastered, but it will make the happy moments sweeter.

Learning to Breathe, Pt. 7

I can't believe how fast this year is flying by. The Fourth of July is this weekend and after that, it seems like the summer goes right down hill even though it has barely started. Summer is not my favorite time of year. I don't care of the hot humid weather, but I do enjoy being able to be outside and all the fresh fruits and veggies that summer brings.

On June 25, I saw several people post that it was 6 months until Christmas. That made me really happy for a couple of reasons. One is that I absolutely LOVE Christmas! The decorations, the food, the smells, everything! The second reason is that it will be cold outside. I am winter girl and love being cozy.

As I started thinking about the 6 months to Christmas thing, it made me realize that it defeats the purpose of me trying to breathe in the moment that I am in. While I know Christmas is coming in 6 months, I can't put all my focus on wanting it to come faster.

I have things to enjoy and that will be exciting this month. I am meeting my newest niece next weekend. I want to savor that time because she isn't going to be this small ever again. I will also get to spend time with my other niece and she is growing into such a sweet little girl. The time I get to spend with these cuties is precious and I don't want to rush it.

While my favorite time of year is still yet to come, I am trying to learn the fine balance of being content in the moment I am in and wanting time to move faster.

Snapshots Into My Life

What I am seeing through my lens this week.

Last week was the Glass City Marathon. It is such a fun environment. My mom and I picked up our packets last Saturday. My brother and sister-in-law weren't able to come this year. which was a little bit of a downer.

This year, the 5k participants received medals for completing the race. It was a nice little bonus this year even though I only walked. :)

It is not uncommon for me to wake up and see Luna with her head on a pillow and body all covered up. She is like a little person. It cracks me up!

My precious Brynley! Before my mom and I went up for Easter, my sis-in-law was teaching her how to say my name to see if she would come up with a nickname. Of course, my niece is the smartest kid out there and can say my name with no nickname!

Snapshots Into My Life

What I am seeing through my lens this week.

Oh, how I love this girl! My mom and I drove up to spend some time with my brother and his family for Christmas. And we got to spend lots of quality time with my niece. She is so much fun!

On the way back, we stopped at Mars Cheese Castle. Not only do they have tons of cheese, but they have a bakery. I may have gotten a kringle. Yum!

For Christmas, I got some puzzles. They have been fun to work on. I finished 2 100-piece puzzles. Now I am working on a 300-piece one. It a relaxing way to finish the day.

No more Christmas decorations. While I was sad to see the festiveness go, I was happy to have my house back in order. Now on to the cleaning!

Snapshots Into My Life

What I am seeing through my lens this week.

We celebrated Brynley's birthday on Monday and she loved her cake! I can't believe she is 1 already. Where did this year go?

One the way back from Wisconsin, my mom and I stopped in Shipshewana, IN. This site made me giggle because all the emergency vehicles were golf carts.

Last fall, I constantly looked for these pumpkin spice M&M's. I never found them, so I started early this year and bought 4 bags. I don't know how I am going to use them, but I will be prepared!

Snapshots Into My Life

What I am seeing through my lens this week.

I finally found my coffee pot! I was so happy to see it. I made my first cup of coffee with my own coffee pot...in the living room. Someday it will be in the kitchen. I just don't know when that someday is at the moment.

One of Brynley's socks was left in my car when they came to Pennsylvania a few weeks ago. We are celebrating her birthday on Monday and I can't wait to see her again and give her back her sock.

Libby spent the night last night, so I brought her bed over. While we were doing some running around, she decided that she would take advantage of it being in the backseat. Not a bad way to travel.

Not to be out done, but this little girl was sitting pretty before getting up for the day. I can't tell if she looks tired or was mad at me for taking a picture.

A Letter to My Niece

Happy First Birthday, Brynley!

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since you were born. I remember anxiously waiting to hear from your dad that you arrived on the scene. As soon as the text message came through, I was proudly showing you off all around my office.

I didn't get to meet you until your were a month old. You had a meltdown right before I arrived. Your mom was exhausted, but she was able to get you to sleep. Even from the time you were a tiny baby, music has gotten your attention. One of the songs I sang to you on that first trip was a song your Grandma Jones sang to me when I was little.

You are a promise, You are a possibility

You are a promise with a capital P

You are a great big  bundle of potentiality

And if you'll listen, you'll hear God's voice

And if you're trying, he'll help you make the right choice

You're a promise to be anything He wants you to be

You can go anywhere that he wants you to go

You can be anything that he wants you to be

You can climb the high mountain

You can cross the wide sea

You're a great big promise you see!

Brynley, I pray you will never doubt how much you are loved or how important you are. You are a blessing to our family and have captured our hearts. I can't wait to see you next week to celebrate!

Snapshots Into My Life

What I am seeing through my lens this week.

I wasn't feeling very good last Sunday and was wanting something comforting. So some Potbelly's soup it was. There is something so comforting about good soup.

Lysa TerKeurst released a new book last week. She did a webcast on Tuesday and that was fantastic. I highly recommend this book and I haven't even finished it. Some very powerful stuff!

I had an unexpected delay in picking up my brother and his family at the airport. An accident caused the highway to be closed, so I had to detour and so did a whole bunch of other people. I ended up being late, but I eventually made it. Talking about having a test of patience.

But at the end of it all, I got to see this cute face! I love this girl so much. Her first birthday is on Friday. Where has the time gone?

Running the Glass City

Glass City Marathon weekend has become a tradition in our family. Several years ago, my brother started coming home to run the half marathon because a few of his friends were also running. It became a family thing because there is a 5k and that is more along the lines of something I could do...walking, not running. Thankfully, this weekend was clear and sunny, but cold. Last year was cold and raining and miserable.

This year, we had 2 new family members join the fun. My sister-in-law, Katie, participated in the 5k. And along with her, my niece, Brynley, was along for the ride.

As usual, we were running a little late, but we did get to see the marathoners and half marathoners begin their journey. This year, two firefighter ran the full marathon in full gear in honor of 2 fallen Toledo firefighters who lost their lives earlier this year. We saw one, but I wasn't quick enough to get a picture.

Because we were late, we also got to see the majority of the 5k runners/walkers start the race. We had to walk to the start line, cross it the wrong way, so we could cross it the right way and start the race. We were casual participants so we weren't looking to run or break any kind of record.

Part of the race goes through an area of Toledo called Old Orchard. It is full of beautiful homes. Most are brick, and I love the old stately charm of them. People stand in the yards and dogs bark as all these people go through the neighborhood.

This woman was holding a fun sign. I hit the sign to get my power, but I am not sure if it worked or not. I didn't have sudden strength to run the race. :)

I was really hoping we had made into the second mile by the time this banner came into view. But even still, the finish line was closer than the start line.

Miss Brynley got a little fussy around the mile 2 mark so Katie held her the rest of the race. She said she has been training to be able to hold her so long for about 8 months.

We made it to the finish line with under an hour on the clock time. Not too shabby for not training and making several stops along the way. Now we had to wait for the rest of the crew to finish their races.

My brother's friend, Chris, was hoping to beat the 1:30 mark. He was so close! Maybe it is my cheerleader past, but I love being able to cheer them on.

The happy family after my brother, Tim, finished his race. He finished in under 1:45. We are really proud of him!

Somewhere deep down inside, there is an inkling of a desire to run an half marathon. Maybe it is because I see the look of pride when people finish something they worked so hard to train for. I have 52 weeks to get my butt in gear if I want to try it. Maybe a stop at the gym needs to make it in my schedule for tomorrow??

Snapshots Into My Life

What I am seeing through my lens this week.

Be still my heart! Oh, how I love this little girl! Her face brightens my day and I got to see her last weekend.

My brother's dog, Ellie. She is slowly adjusting to having a little one in the house, but she does need some extra special attention every once in a while. She looks pretty comfy laying against my yarn.

Luna's shoe fetish continues. She looks completely uncomfortable, but she had my shoe so close.

I love Bath and Body Works candles. They smell so good, but don't last nearly long enough. Bigger jars are in order. By the way, hold on to the spent jars. Once all the wax is cleared out, they make great craft items.

Movie night with my mom! This was a great movie. I bought the book, but haven't read it yet. I am definitely looking forward to jumping into it. It is hard to believe what this small group of men saved in terms of art. Unreal!

Snapshots Into My Life

What I am seeing through my lens this week.

I can't get over this face! Brynley has the absolutely cutest smile! I may be a little biased, though.

And those cheeks!! I die.

I started working out this week. My first night on the treadmill, I walked 2 miles. I am doing a 5k in April, so I need to get my mileage and my speed up.

After spending the weekend in the kennel, Luna stunk! Like really, really stunk. She got a bath and was exhausted afterward. But the peace and quiet was very enjoyable.

A Christmas gift from Brynley…a mug covered in her pictures. It is definitely my new favorite!

Christmas in Wisconsin

My family was finally able to celebrate Christmas together. We knew we were going to celebrate in January, but it seemed so far removed from December 25. Unfortunately, I didn't take too many pictures. However, I do have some of my beautiful niece. I just love her so much!

It was nice to have a relaxing weekend to spend together. Our celebration of Christmas really only consisted of opening presents. The rest of the time was spent enjoying the time together. It wasn't rushed and we didn't feel overly extended. We missed the busyness of the holidays by getting together in January.

My mom's birthday was Saturday, so it was an extra special weekend. My sister-in-law let it slip to the restaurant hostess that it was my mom's birthday. So she was surprised with singing by the wait staff and an apple dumpling with cinnamon ice cream. The ice cream was so good!

It is always had to leave, but I am very fortunate to have a family that enjoys spending time together. It isn't a frustrating experience and I leave wishing we lived closer together. Being far away is hard, but it makes the time together that much sweeter.

The holidays are now officially over for me, so I feel like life can return to normal. So, to honor that, I am joining a gym tonight and that story is definitely to be continued!

One of the Best Days Ever

At the end of September, I had one of the best days of my life. I met my niece, Brynley, for the first time. I had been waiting for that day for almost a month and it had finally arrived. I had seen pictures of her sweet face, but I was able to see her and hold her myself.

Right before I got to my brother and sister-in-law's house, Brynley had a melt down. I can only imagine how my sister-in-law must be feeling with a crying baby when she herself is sleep deprived and maybe doesn't know why Brynley is crying. 

I was only able to stay for a couple of days, but I really enjoyed my time just hanging out and not worrying about going here and there. It was really relaxed.

Brynley and I were able to spend some quality aunt/niece time together. Even with my limited baby experience, I loved holding her even when she was crying. I was even dubbed the Baby Whisperer, something I am quiet proud of.

My excitement of being an aunt is just beginning. I wish I lived closer so I could be a part of Brynley's life everyday, but that just isn't my reality. But I am able to be a part of her life in different ways. For instance, I just sent her a really adorable Halloween card.

While I never want her to think that I am buying her love, I will spoil her! But when we are together, I want to spoil her with my time and attention, not gifts.

I can't wait to watch her grow up to see the kind of little girl and young lady she will become. One thing she be completely confident in is that she has people in her life who love her, pray for her and only want the best for her.