*pleasures, of the simple variety

just about the time i feel myself wanting more than what is right in front of me, i find myself needing perspective and needing to go to those things that simply make me happy. i refer to them fondly as my *simple pleasures:

National Public Radio

Bird-watching

Card-making

Resale shops

A blanket under the trees in the garden with Storey

Walking the 'hood

Discovering new music

New soap

The scent of my daughter

Josh's home-cookin

My indoor plants

Sweater weather

Picking veggies from the yard

Tuesdays at the Park

Parties of three

Steamy cups of Yogi Tea

Completing a blog entry!

*what are some of your simple pleasures that keep you centered?

Weekend at the Beach

Storey Mae's very first trip to the beach:

Port Aransas, TX

October 4-6

  

Plenty of time spent out of the sun on our lovely balcony with a view

We may have actually spent more time hanging out in the room than on the beach for nap times

Lounging at the pool in mom's sun hat

Storey showing off her big new teeth

Gathering sand (to put in mouth)

Does it get any better than this

My two loves

Afternoon stroll a long the beach

Storey and Grandpa

There is something romantic, freeing, and refreshing about being near water.  Just a few days near the ocean left us wanting to pack up and move down into a hut on the beach.

The last day at the coast: a celebration of a mother's life and love of the sea

On Her Own Two Feet

For the passed six weeks, Storey has been mastering being able to stand on her own and the crawl.  What started out as shaky, nervous, yet determined legs, she is now pulling herself up on everything and anything she can.  Here, Storey looks back to make sure Mom sees what she has accomplished.   

Well done, sweetheart, well done.  

And we're off:  our days are spent exploring one thing to the next.  The world is at our fingertips :).  

How very exciting.

'Our Endless Numbered Days'

     

 

Family Portraits courtesy of Mark Menjivar

Erin with an E

The first thing I noticed about Erin was the perfectly manicured fingernails, long locks of golden brown hair, and the perfected ability to apply smokey eye shadow.  Erin was the most genuine and real person I had come across in a long time.  Erin is a male.

In the hour that he served our family for my dad's dinner at Olive Garden, he had the ability to stir thought and conversation that was deep inside, in need of the right catalyst to come a long and precipiate, by just being himself. 

Across the restaraunt,  I watched a group of abnoxious teenagers turning their heads, talking with covered mouths, whispering judgements as if they had it all figured out. But they were so very obvious.  I was sure Erin knew what was going on around him.  It made me so sad.  

In that moment, I wanted to protect Erin, and I hoped he is loved.  That at the end of the day, after all the shit he deals with from other people, that he has someone that loves him for who he is and who thinks he is the most beautiful person that they could ever imagine knowing. 

Erin motivated me to be more of myself, to be a unique individual.  Because that is how I believe the Creator designed us to be-  a one of a kind, expressing even a small part of the infinite beautiful visages that is Himself.

Erin inspired me to be a better mother- to do everything in my power to have Storey grow up seeing Erin as any other person, as no different from another.

Erin stirred me to again ask the question: does it really matter?  This week I feel the Spirit has planted this seed of questioning.  The questioning began in its simplest form:

does it really matter that clothes are piled on the dresser for a week?

does it really matter that i can't enjoy orange juice with my breakfast this week?

does it really matter that i wore the same shirt two days in a row?

People debate whether 'sexual orientation' is a choice, if it is right or wrong.  But does it really matter even if someone chooses?  Should it have a factor in how we treat someone or whether they deserve Love and respect?  

 

Erin moved me to LOVE. 

 

 

Goodbye June, July

Before I know it, Storey Mae is 7 months.  

June l July have brought unknown joy and new challenges::

For Josh's birthday, Storey and I surprised him with a trip to the Japanese Tea Gardens:

   

  

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Passing the hot summer days at the pool with family:

  

  

or in our back-yard:

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A typical Saturday morning--the three of us have found joy and fulfillment in our yard.  Storey is trying out some of the edible greens as Josh works his garden::

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On Sunday mornings, we have been walking the neighborhood, picking up trash and meeting new people.  This has also been much of our joy and fulfillment:

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Serenading Miss Mae

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Storey Mae continues to teach me simplicity, surrender, and patience.  We have found ourselves happier than we have been before but also more tired than we have ever been.  I have come to know the exhaustion that mothers warn you about.  It has been a summer of transition for Storey's sleeping, and I think we find ourselves at the light at the end of the tunnel. But just when I think I have everything figured out, it changes :). 

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First Storm:  At the end of July, after 6 months of waiting for a good storm, we get sweet sweet rain:

The June Show

6.20.08

The start of the summer season has given us new happenings as well.  The first evening of summer brought Josh's first show featuring his own music.  For the last 6-8 months or so, Josh has been steadily working a collection of songs that found itself an outlet at the June Show put on by an old friend in the music scene.  It is very interesting how it came about, as I know Josh did not expect to be back on stage so soon.  But, it gave him great motivation and inspiration to complete his work, and with the help of his good friend, Jonathan Faunce, they were able to collaborate 8 songs that are really something to hear.  

I wish I had a picture to convey what a great scene it was, but I assumed the role of the proud wife for the evening.  It was a beautiful scene though: the sun was setting and cast a warm glow into the Ruta Maya coffee shop, there was a good crowd with locals that stopped in to enjoy a drink and many of our close friends and family.  But we all sat in silence and just listened.