Early Birthday Gift

For Storey's first birthday, Josh and I planted her an Olive Tree in our emerging garden.  A piece of us from the womb that we had preserved  was planted at its roots.  

I have visions of her reading her favorite books and daydreaming under its shade.  I look forward to watching them grow and change together.  

*Editor's note:  This post was actually begun over a month ago, but was never completed to upload.  In the spirit of better late than never, I decided to continue with the post and pick up where my blog has been tucked away and forgotten

A Winter Garden Project

Walk the Path I have cut for you..

DAY 1:  Josh and I have been dreaming of a front garden for quite a while.  We have longingly looked out at our front-yard envisioning a space we can enjoy as much as our back-yard.  Finally on Sunday, we got to work!

The plans include a small crushed-granite patio with seating area, a mini creak for rain drainage, luscious green grass for Storey to play on, and a yard full of tall plants, herbs, and native flowers in the Spring.

Storey and I taking many breaks to snack  

Our Nani came over to hang with Storey while Josh and I got to work.  They shared a walk around the neighborhood as Storey caught a nap in her stroller; her little feet hanging over the side, the sun kissing her toes.    

It was a good day and it felt good to be working the earth, under a warm sun, with dirt under my nails.  I can hardly wait to see How the Garden Grows..

  

*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.  

My Water Baby

Storey Mae and Aunt Kylee hanging by the pool-side

Our first time in Grandma's pool

We love it!

Crashed out with Aunt Jackie

The Great Outdoors

Summer in Texas has arrived in all its shining glory. It has been unbearably hot this week, and I wonder how we will survive the summer (indoors). Storey is in love with the outdoors. We have begun our days in our backyard to soak up as much of nature as we can. I carry Storey, still in my pajamas some days, and she is in awe of the trees, the flowers, the sound of the birds. Her and Josh have made me fall in love with nature also. I have never been so content to just sit and be still in it. Josh has explained his admiration for the outdoors because it is the only thing he cannot control. Nature has its will and will do what it wants. We can help it a long the way, but ultimately, it is of its own. I admire it for its simple complexity. What else can bring you such enjoyment by just being in its presence? No need for words or actions. But at the same time, it is a Creation I will never fully comprehend. I try to learn as much as I can from Josh, who is completely in his element when he is outside. Each plant is different from its root system to the color on its leaves or petals. Who dreams of such things?

I love how Storey can go from a crying mess to thoroughly at peace when we step outside. If we are outside and she is standing (on my lap) she can not be happier. I love how her head turns and tilts in all different directions and angles to see as much as she can. She is soaking it in. I think she could be a naturalist when she grows up.

Today while we were taking a walk, we met one of our neighbors down the street. Storey was in her stoller and the woman had to come down her sidewalk to take a peak. She peered into Storey's stroller and: "Ay, gordita!" I will add this name to our list: Miss Mae, Sweet Mae, Baby Mae, Sweetheart, Sweet tart, Love, Muffin Top, Maeflower, Tulip, Peanut, and Gordita.

Hurricane

“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power.” --Maya Angelou

I cannot describe how sentimental I was about Mother's day. I don't think I have truly understood how special this day is until this year. I just felt so very honored and thank-full to be able to celebrate this day. I thought about all the mothers that have come before me and all the mothers that I shared this day with.

I Am A Mother.

It was a beautiful day. Josh planned an early trip to the zoo, which I had been dying to do for some time. The weather was perfect; Storey was perfect. She started out in the stroller, but of course preferred our arms after a while. She loves to be close. I am convinced there is no happier place for her than in our arms. Josh carried her around in the sling as we walked around the zoo. It was so much fun, and I loved to watch Storey look at these animals for the very first time.


After the zoo, we grabbed some tacos from our favorite place here in town, took them home, and followed brunch up with a nap. It was all three of us napping in the bed. We hadn't done that since Storey was first born. It was sweet; it topped off my day.

That evening, we went to Josh's parents house and spent time with Debbie. Grandma carried Storey in her arms and loved on her the whole time we were there. I loved to just watch them together. I looked at Josh's mom and thought about what an amazing job she has done and continues to do. I have such beautiful models to follow right beside me.

(Almost) summer time, and the livin' is (almost) easy

It is true what they say: time goes by way too fast when you have a baby. Here we are at the brink of the summer, at the brink of four months. Our garden is in full bloom, all different shades of green, the daylight is long, and we are craving a day by the pool-side.

I am feeling so Okay with the way things are going. We have successfully made it out of the fourth trimester. There are definitely new challenges that we face, but Storey is enjoying this world outside of the womb more and more each day. She is becoming an individual and developing her very own personality. The little things that make Storey who she is fulfills me like no other person on this planet. I feel I am getting a small taste of who she is to become. I am head over heels for this little girl.

In the last few weeks, Storey's neck has gained complete control; it is able to work all on its own. She can now sit in a boppy pillow, without any aids propping her up.

She can follow me across the room. And Storey has this way of knowing whenever her mamma is around. Sometimes I like to think she cannot see me and tip-toe across the other side of the room to finish some chores while she is hanging out in her swing. But she is on to my sneaky ways. Storey will let me know she sees me either by letting out a cry or by a letting go of a big smile- that I just cannot resist.

Storey is also getting better at grabbing onto things. She is not yet able to grab things on her first try, but her little arms move through the air like she is conducting an orchestra before she can snatch the desired item.

Her newest thing is to blow bubbles. It is the first thing she does in the morning; it is usually how I know she is awake. I am almost certain she has picked this up from Ethan Faunce. Everytime we hang out, Storey has learned something new. (This will be something to take note of for when they grow older :) ).

And just yesterday, her Grandma came over and apparently showed her how she can touch her toes. It was a proud moment for them both.

It is also evident that Storey is beginning to have her own thoughts. I think she has all these ideas about the world that she just can't communicated yet. She will make squawks and squeaks, coos and little laughs. Josh and I want to record them and wake up to them in the morning. They sound like heaven.

(and a shout-out to our Nani!!)