sky

Happy birthday sweet girl. Being your mom is one of God's greatest gifts to me. May this year be your BEST ever!!!

glimpses of my garden this year

There were some nice surprises. Our first longan and avocado harvest. Some taro, some mangos, and cherry tomatoes. Loads of bananas, tangerines. Papayas. And a canteloupe from compost I had buried. I built a new trellis from salvaged branches. And we discovered more about growing trees, including the value of eggshells for citrus and avocados.

18

 

Shawn, I love how you try new things and are quite fearless when you do. I love that you push me to stay strong and healthy. I appreciate it. Even if I almost die when we go to the trampoline park lol.

I love going out for ice cream and getting boba with you. I still enjoy outings with you.

This year you have worked really hard in school, you have had a couple jobs, including coaching kids in gymnastics, you got your TRIPLE full on floor! You have had fun hanging out with friends, done the entire college application process during a pandemic, saved the life of a starving stray kitten, and at the end of the day, you are simply a wonderful son who helped deliver sandwiches to local homeless people on your birthday.

You won't read this until you are much older, if ever. At this age, you no longer like your picture being taken by me. But these shots are too cool not to share. 

Happy birthday my sweet boy. Now you are a young man!

I love you!

Mom 

twenty two

What will your twenty-second year bring for you Annabel, as we all make our way out of a pandemic? I think it will unfold as it is meant to, as for all of us. 

One thing for sure I have learned -- Love knows no distance, and family is forever. 

You are growing up dear daughter. May you always feel the love of family and stay close to us. May the good times we all shared in childhood stay in all of our hearts as happy memories. You are now entering adulthood. May you be blessed every day and may your heart be light!

We are grateful for you.  We love you so much!

happy birthday my love

When I looked at these photos that tell a story of your life I feel so lucky that I have spent so much of it with you. I’m really glad that our paths crossed and we found each other so many years ago. You are an incredible man, with a huge heart and that’s what I love most about you. You are a wonderful father to our children and when they are grown up I know they will realize this more and more. I’m really happy to celebrate this day with you. Love you Q!!

twenty-five years

It is hard to believe so much time has passed. Marriage is a beautiful thing. It has brought me much joy. It is a honor to be a wife and a mother. I'm very grateful I found Gary, so many years ago. He is my bestie. I love sharing him with my family.  I love our kids. We have a blessed life together.

Sky is 24

I can't believe another year has gone by Miss Sky. It's been a wild year, huh?? Here we are, August 19th, the day you came to meet us, years ago.  

Becoming a mom changed me for good. I remember thinking the day after you were born that I felt connected to every mother around the world, that I would never be the same, but I didn't know what that meant then.

I do now. It means you have been given a glimpse of God in this gift of a child. You are asked to take care of this child and you feel so honored. That's what it is like for me to be your mom. I am simply honored.

I am honored to have been given the task to raise you.  I am honored to have been given the gift of your sweetness, your smiles and laughter, your trust, your innocence, your heart. I am honored to have been given the gift of your steady presence and your loving company for all those years. This is something I miss now, that you are grown up and making a life on your own. But what an honor it is to see and know the beautiful young woman you have become. I am so proud of you and I love you so much. I hope this is the best year ever! 

~Mama

17

Shawn it seems like the last couple years you have been growing at rocket speed. I shouldn't be surprised considering your personality. You are such a wonderful young man and I am so lucky to be your mother.  I loved our times this year at the trampoline park and how you always push me to be strong and try new things. I guess the roles have reversed lol! I can't wait to see what you do with your life. I know it's going to be amazing because you are such an amazing kid. Happy birthday honey!

the whole world has changed

In the course of a couple weeks the whole world has changed. I have been more absent here, although this blog and the community is very meaningful to me, and has been for years. But for the last many months I have been working on getting my life coach certification, finishing a book about parenting I started years ago, and not having much to say here...and then suddenly in the midst of this all, the whole world has changed.

Sometimes it's still hard to believe.

I have started a new blog for my business where I have been writing about this if you wish to read it.
https://www.creative-manifestations.com/blog

I hope you are all doing okay, staying home, finding ways to somehow enjoy the solitude and isolation. I hope you are safe and healthy and with your loved ones. Ours girls are both away at college, which makes it harder. But our son is still home. The girls are okay so I can rest knowing that. And airplane travel home is not wise, so it's the right thing to do.

So many lessons in faith, surrender, staying optimistic, being strong and brave. We are all being called to be on alert, and help our neighbors, to slow down, to be the best versions of ourselves.

I do think it is important to pray now. Pray not just for our own friends and families, but for the planet, for all of humanity. For our well being and our healing, not just of the people, but of all living things.

Let me know how you are.

for my children~what we can do

A few days ago my sixteen year old son asked me to go to the trampoline park with him for the second time. The first time we went we had fun, but I was very cautious and woke up a bit sore from using muscles I hadn't used in a long time. My son and I share a love of gymnastics. He likes to challenge me to push myself. It is hard for him to comprehend that I am unable to do all I could do when I was younger. I also have an injury that I have to be careful of. Regardless of all this, I forged ahead and we drove to the trampoline park for another experience. 

When we arrived he immediately started doing very advanced flips, while I did a few very simple jumps. He kept encouraging me to try more complicated skills. I was worried about injuring my hip, so I took it easy, even though the first time we went I didn't injure it further. This time I had no pain! We were having so much fun. I was able to do all I could do the last time, and more. My son was showing me all of the things he could do, and he was amazing. He was doing flips with twists, running up the wall, touching the ceiling. Little kids were in awe. It was awesome.

I looked over at the huge pit filled with blocks of soft foam. And idea dawned on me that maybe I should try a running forward dive roll and land in the soft foam. I figured that wouldn’t hurt my hip. I hadn’t done this in over twenty years. So I went for it. My son eagerly watched me. The first time I did it, I was naturally cautious. But it didn’t hurt me at all and it was actually extremely fun. I repeated the dive roll over and over again. My son was coaching me, telling me to get more height, taking videos. Every time I landed, I was laughing my head off. For some time I forgot all of my worries, and I just enjoyed being in the moment with my son, and my middle aged body that could still do some things it used to do years ago. 

Later I was reflecting on this experience and I realized how important it is to do what we can. So often we think about all the things we can’t do, especially as we age and lose some of the skills and abilities we had as younger people. 

I have a very dear friend who is in his early fifties, and cannot walk. He was injured in a skiing accident at the age of 18. When I met him what struck me most was how positive his mindset was. I’d never met someone who was disabled and had such a happy attitude. Up until then, everyone I’d met in a wheelchair was so bitter.

Later I got to know this man and I learned that he had deep faith in God, a very surrendered attitude about life, a very brilliant mind, and he practiced daily meditation. I’ve learned so much from this friend. He has a college degree from a top university, he is married with a beautiful wife and daughter, he has a great job and he is now getting his master’s degree. Despite constant pain, he never complains and he is one of the happiest and mentally strongest people I have ever met. He is such a great example of a person focusing on what they can do, not what they can’t do.

Be careful when you find yourself getting caught up in all the things you cannot do. Instead, try to focus on what you can do.

And I’ll let you know what happens next time I visit the trampoline park.

twenty one

Annabel I have had such a great time visiting you and spending your birthday week with you. I loved watching shows with you, laughing together, snuggling, hearing you play music, having meals out and in the hotel, shopping and seeing the gorgeous night sky and incredible mountains.

You are so precious to me. It is hard to put into words the love I have for you. 

You are my teacher. You are my Divine gift. You are my sweet angel. No matter how old you become you will always be my precious child.

It's hard to believe you are twenty one, a young adult. Except for the fact that you are intellectually so brilliant that you run circles around me in many academic subjects! But you've been blowing me away since you got interested in Einstein at age eleven. So I'm used to it by now.

I have so much faith and hope for you. Always know how loved you are. Always remember how much you are loved by your family.

I'm so proud of you. I believe in you. I love you honey!

Forever love, Mom

timeshift

Annabel's newest album, Timeshift, is out. It is available on iTunes, Spotify, amazon, etc. It is available all over the world. Great new songs, unique time signatures. Hope you like it!

summer memories~chicago

On the way home we stopped off to see my brothers. I love my brothers. We stayed with each of them and their families, first my little brother, next my big brother. The kids got to see their cousins. We took Shawn to visit University of Notre Dame and we also briefly visited my alma mater, Saint Mary's College. It was a great way to end of summer travels.