the beauty in fishing.

It's Mother's Day.

I've been a mom for almost a decade.  

And as crazy as it sounds, sometimes it's a fact that is hard for me to grasp.

Not the decade part, but the mom part.

The part of the word mom that has given me a responsibility of caring for these two growing boys who have turned from little to big right before my very eyes more than anything else in the world.

The part that has taken me to places like fishing holes and beautiful meadows on Mother's Day instead of a fancy restaurant or golf course.

The part that has put worms and bait on my fingertips, and slimy fish in my grasp.

Where waiting and watching ... and praying my way through the minutes of every day is not and option, but a requirement for success.

And where letting go is sometimes better than hanging on too tight.

Almost 9 years of wading through the hard hoping to find treasure because you know right where to look.

Nearly 9 years of capturing twinkling eyes and goofy grins looking right back at me.

I'm a mom.  I'm a mom that has found herself on the banks of the greatest places in the world by saying yes to two boys and no to the world.

I'm a mom that chooses to see hidden beauty that has been there all along.

And the reality is, as great as it sounds to spend the day at a spa, getting pampered and spoiled, I can't think of a better place to sooth my weary soul then on a river bank near Starkey.

There will be days when my camera won't be capturing your little noses or freckled cheeks.

And soon enough, there will be years when you won't be 8 learning to cast perfectly upstream ...

or almost 6 and finally having enough patience to wait for a nibble, or the slightest bite.

So, for now, during the years when my eyes are tired, and my heart is full, I'm going to savor the fact that I am called {mom} ... and that taking me  to one of your favorite fishing holes is the gift you've chosen to give me on Mother's Day.

Beauty is found when you look at what you have and wish for nothing more.

That's when you find yourself the proud owner of everything that can't be bought.

an award

Some days a mom/wife/teacher like me just deserves an award ...

Like a {I made three beds, folded four loads of laundry, washed the dishes, packed two lunches, signed an agenda, read 2 books, swept the kitchen, unloaded the dishwasher & then loaded it again, scrubbed two toilets, drank a beer, planted some tomato plants, remembered to turn the water off on the water truck, drove back to town, planned a PTA event, laughed with friends, sang as loud as I could to Eric Church, gave a birthday hug, called a few people,and remembered to vote for my father-in-law for county commissioner} kind of award.

{that doesn't even include my day job}

Yep. I think I'll go print that award out right now ... and put it on a shelf with my {15 years of service to the Hermiston School District} pin I received today.

for the love of all things {frog} & {toad}

5.13.13

For the last few years, my mom & I have spent Mother's Day weekend pickling & canning asparagus.  It's a wonderful tradition and a whole lot of work.

This year, we opted for weeding the garden and maybe putting our feet up while enjoying a cool beverage on the back deck.

In the midst of the weeding of my flower garden, we found a friend.

A friend with bumpy skin, two big eyes, and wonderful shades of green and brown mixed together.

A friend worth kissing.

A friend that reminds me a lot of myself.

Not because I'm bumpy or anything, but because just like in a few of my favorite books,  alone Toad isn't much.  But when he has Frog with him, he can do just about anything.  It's just like my mom and I ... together, we can do anything!

Happy Mother's Day mom!  I'll be your Toad, if you'll be my Frog ~

......................

3 gifts found in my mom.

My mom is about 5 million gifts in one, and if you've met her, you know I'm not exaggerating. 
My mom has an amazing way with putting words to song. She knows approximately 23 versions of Happy Birthday and is the life of the party. Her eyes tell stories & her hands are always moving. She loves to read, makes friends easily, and has an appreciation for the simplest things in life. She speaks highly of others, looks for good in the frustrating, tears up easily, and smiles with ease. She loves Jesus, practices what she preaches, shares easily, and doesn't hold a grudge.

She's one of my biggest fans & loudest cheerleaders ... and one of my biggest hopes is that I can keep her legacy alive and living well for years to come in my own life!

celebrating the loosening of teeth.

Happy Hour

When one of your best friends shows up in your driveway with these, a hug just because she hasn't seen you for a while, and laughter that makes you smile from your head to your toes, you know you're loved ... and then some!

I let the boys get the slide out today.  I sat and watched from the deck.  Sometimes the best thing you can do is say {yes}!  Today, during this hour of my life that I call {happy} I said yes.  Over and over and over again.

Note to self.  Saying {yes} looks good on you.

wearing {time} well.

early May 2013

After a very full week of teaching & living ...& everything else you do just to keep yourself moving forward, I sat at a table in my classroom on Friday afternoon soaking in the highlights of the week in my mind. 
Highlights are there - even when it's hard. Good can be found through discipline & frustration. Laughter can be heard even through tears ... Because sometimes you're laughing so hard you're crying.

 I wore bits of patience. I wore love. I wore quiet strength. I wore a bit of humor ... And probably the most important thing I wore on Friday was time.

Can a person wear time that doesn't even own a watch? I think so. People know when you have time for them & they know when you carve out time too.

They know that even though you're tired and you'd rather be watching TV or reading a good book in the comforts of your home, you're there, in the midst of life ... right beside them.

Wearing {time} means your world isn't about you ... It's about the person you're giving the time to.

Here's to wearing {time} well.

my 3 gifts worn ... found right here in the darkness of a Sunday evening in May ... + a great dog named BINGO!