Artfully Said

The Days Are Numbered

 Today I took out all the nursing shirts I have hanging in my closet. Truth is I didn't wear them too often - only if going out in public. But they were there and I guess they represented something to me. Because today when I began to take them down this lump jumped into my throat and this nagging stinging started in my eyes. And I realized, I was terribly sad. Macy decided she was too busy too nurse about oh...a month ago. We still do first thing in the morning but the rest of the day it is bottles for her. She is just a busy, busy girl and there is too much in the world for her to see that she just can't be bothered with only staring at mommy any more. And I'm okay with it for the most part. I can admit the freedom has been nice. But it has been a little sad to know I am one more step away from those baby days. And today it just hit home. And I know my days are numbered for nursing first thing in the morning too. So I will cherish each morning, knowing the last is very soon to come.

Tire Swing

Grady has had his eye on this swing for some years now. It is in the front yard at my friend Margie's house. Well today was his day. The kids had all these great names for the different stunts they made up while playing on it. I could only watch for so long before my friend Robin sent me inside - it was not for the faint of heart. Okay - maybe it is more that I just worry too much. Regardless - can you just feel the joy and exhileration? Remember how good it was to be a kid. Have a great holiday weekend.

I {still} Do

 Three years ago today I had the great privilege of walking down the aisle of the beautiful Oak Creek United Methodist Church, escorted by my wonderful little boy,towards the love of my life and the beginning our new life together as husband and wife. The day was a dream, everything was perfect. I felt like I was floating on air from sun up to when I finally closed my eyes that night. I was surely the happiest girl on earth.

Three years have passed now and  when I reflect on my life I continue to be as happy and as blessed as I was that day.

The only thing I wished we had done different that day was to either have written our own vows or to have toasted him at the reception. In either case I would have taken the opportunity to speak what was on my heart and to tell him, and all the friends and family we were surrounded by, in my very own words (and tears I'm sure) exactly what he means so much to me. I imagine it would have gone something like this:

Jason - I thank you from the very bottom of my heart for giving me the honor of being your wife. I love journeying through our life together as partners.

Thank you for loving me just as I am in all my gifts and certainly in all my imperfections of which there are many. Thank you for your patience and perseverance when things have not been easy. Thank you for having enough faith for both of us sometimes to get us through the rough patches. You are such a blessing.

Thank you for being my dream maker - I cannot believe what we have experienced in three years and I certainly cannot imagine what wonderful things the future has in store for us. I have not met a man your equal who is so determined to live as wonderful and rewarding a life full of adventure, meaning, and love. I owe so much to you. You are an inspiration.

Thank you for being courageous enough to be a real man. You encompass everything a man should be - strength of character, dedication to your faith and your family, and a wonderful sense of priorities in life with the ability to keep them ever-present in your daily living. But what I love most about you is your heart - it is tender and strong and brave. You are never too afraid or too proud to share with me the inner workings of your heart. I am certain God is so proud to call you son for you are such a wonderful example of what God intended a man to be.

Thank you for being a father. We have accomplished so much since that magical day in December when our little girl entered the world and filled our hearts. I know the road has not been easy the past few months as we have adjusted to a new kind of parenthood but I could not have asked for a better partner. Our little girl is so lucky to have you as her daddy. I honestly have to thank you even more for being a father to Grady. It takes a rare and special sort of man to be able to share the role in his life that you do. Your ability to love him as if you have been his dad right from day one is a special, special gift and not something everyone has the ability to do. This is perhaps your greatest gift to me.

You are cut from a very rare cloth Jason Mahnke and I am so incredibly blessed and grateful to be your wife. Thank you. I love you more than I can even try to express. Happy anniversary my love!

I {still} Do

 Three years ago today I had the great privilege of walking down the aisle of the beautiful Oak Creek United Methodist Church, escorted by my wonderful little boy,towards the love of my life and the beginning our new life together as husband and wife. The day was a dream, everything was perfect. I felt like I was floating on air from sun up to when I finally closed my eyes that night. I was surely the happiest girl on earth.

Three years have passed now and  when I reflect on my life I continue to be as happy and as blessed as I was that day.

The only thing I wished we had done different that day was to either have written our own vows or to have toasted him at the reception. In either case I would have taken the opportunity to speak what was on my heart and to tell him, and all the friends and family we were surrounded by, in my very own words (and tears I'm sure) exactly what he means so much to me. I imagine it would have gone something like this:

Jason - I thank you from the very bottom of my heart for giving me the honor of being your wife. I love journeying through our life together as partners.

Thank you for loving me just as I am in all my gifts and certainly in all my imperfections of which there are many. Thank you for your patience and perseverance when things have not been easy. Thank you for having enough faith for both of us sometimes to get us through the rough patches. You are such a blessing.

Thank you for being my dream maker - I cannot believe what we have experienced in three years and I certainly cannot imagine what wonderful things the future has in store for us. I have not met a man your equal who is so determined to live as wonderful and rewarding a life full of adventure, meaning, and love. I owe so much to you. You are an inspiration.

Thank you for being courageous enough to be a real man. You encompass everything a man should be - strength of character, dedication to your faith and your family, and a wonderful sense of priorities in life with the ability to keep them ever-present in your daily living. But what I love most about you is your heart - it is tender and strong and brave. You are never too afraid or too proud to share with me the inner workings of your heart. I am certain God is so proud to call you son for you are such a wonderful example of what God intended a man to be.

Thank you for being a father. We have accomplished so much since that magical day in December when our little girl entered the world and filled our hearts. I know the road has not been easy the past few months as we have adjusted to a new kind of parenthood but I could not have asked for a better partner. Our little girl is so lucky to have you as her daddy. I honestly have to thank you even more for being a father to Grady. It takes a rare and special sort of man to be able to share the role in his life that you do. Your ability to love him as if you have been his dad right from day one is a special, special gift and not something everyone has the ability to do. This is perhaps your greatest gift to me.

You are cut from a very rare cloth Jason Mahnke and I am so incredibly blessed and grateful to be your wife. Thank you. I love you more than I can even try to express. Happy anniversary my love!

Carefully perched

This is our ever-so-smart cat, Parker. Honestly - he is my nemisis. How pathetic is that? My nemisis in life is a feline. Then again, maybe I should count my blessings. We don't always see eye-to-eye because, well frankly, we are probably too much alike. For instance, lately I resemble this image. I watched him with some entertainment the other day once I saw the predicament he got himself into. See his careful little perch and his expression which clearly says to me, "I wonder what the right move is from here that doesn't land me flat on my keaster?" He made a few test moves, tried this footing and that but never gave into any of them - that is until he figured out one that would work. Smart cat. Crazy life. How often do we do this to ourselves?

She's a Keeper...

  Not that there was ever a question mind you. We are just enjoying her so much! She seems to be settling into her new world - she spends time awake each day without constant fussing. She began to smile about 2 weeks ago. Such cute little girl! I watched the movie "The Waitress" last weekend (enjoyed it immensely) and at the end when the main character tells her newborn baby daughter (and love of her life), "We're going to have so much fun!" well it just really struck a chord in me and got me all choked up. I look so forward to having so much fun with Miss Macy Jayne.

Happy Hearts Day!

   

Grady let me shoot some photos of him today. I buttered him up first with a new Webkins as a hearts day present. Here is the "Gradyest" shot from today

 

And my favorite

 

And what Miss M thought of the idea

  My Valentines got me a gift card to Archivers and a very pretty sterling silver and blue topaz bracelet. But best of all I get time with them. Grady has a basket ball game this afternoon. Then we are going to have an early dinner of heart shaped pizza and then off to church where Grady is singing tonight. I hope you all are finding yourself as lucky in love today as me! To see the rest of the shots from today click here Love to you all.

A Little Tribute to a Favorite Little Guy

I got back from a night at my sister Melissa's house yesterday and want to send out a great big "thank you" to her for hosting us! My new little one, Macy, had a case of the crabbies it seemed this week as we endured a number of 3 - 3.5 hours crying episodes with her. My sister welcomed us into her home knowing what she was possibly in for and prepared to help. Fortunately while we were there, Macy was pretty good and only did a more mild version of her fussing for us and for a shorter period of time. The company was great as my husband has been out of town since Thursday attending a conference fo work.

I love going to my sister's house not just because she is a great hostess and probably my best friend but also because she has these little people that live with her that simply delight me! Above is Alec from his first birthday party back in October. I have not had a chance to post about the event until now - craziness I know. Alec is just a doll. It was so fun so see him this weekend as his vocabulary has all the sudden exploded and there doesn't seem to be a word he won't try now! He started saying my name and Grady's names while we were there.

I love the series of photos above mainly because of the last one. It just looks to me like he had just had too much cake and was now drunk from it and ready to pass right out! I love you Alec - thanks for being such a sweet and entertaining little boy!

Better pokey than never...Announcing our baby girl

So yep I'm a little pokey but here she is - Miss Macy Jayne. She is already better than a month old and the time has flown by! She is doing well, well really we all are. We've adjusted as best you can to an infant I think because each day is its own adventure. She is a great little eater and took to nursing very quickly and very well. Sleep is it's own challenge. She has a tendency to be a little stubborn (not sure WHO she would have gotten that from and certainly not BOTH of her Nowegian parents) and if she doesn't want to go to sleep, not matter how exhausted she might be, she doesn't go to sleep. And as you can imagine - OVER tired baby is more challenging that tired baby. Sigh...but we're working on it.

Her Dad leaves in the morning for a 4 day trip to Florida for a conference. I'm very jealous that he is going to where it is sunny and even if only in the 50s - warm by compaison to here. I'm also nervous about how things are going to go here. A friend is coming for dinner tomorrow night and my Mom is coming Saturday and spending this night. Keep your fingers crossed all goes well for us.

I'm certain she is going to wake up for her little snooze any moment now so I'm going to be done here. Here is her one month photo - this is the same Pooh bear I took with Grady every month his first year as well.

I am not dead…

And I didn’t fall off the edge of the earth. Or fall in the toilet. (although I did fall in the tub the other day but that is another story and the long and short of it is I’m fine, Baby M is fine.). In fact, I am just fine, good really if not great. I am just beginning to come up for a bit of air this week after a life that was going in full blur, get me off this ride it is making me sick motion. Well maybe not the sick part but I do think I was seeing stars.

So to summarize the last month – Disney World was great. Grady was more shocked than surprised. I WILL share photos but they are still on the cameras. School has started and Grady is settling into things nicely although it seems his perfectionism and worry flared up the first week a bit (don’t know WHO he gets that from) but we’re handling it. Soccer season is back. First game was last Saturday. Grady got to play keeper (goalie) the 2nd half and really enjoyed it. And our Celebration Sunday Picnic at church is behind me for another year. BUT it was a great event with great turn out. The committee I chair (education) puts on our Celebration Sunday Picnic. This year we had lunch, a bounce house, dunk tank, relay games, piñatas and rounded the day out with ice cream for all. The dunk tank was the biggest hit. It will definitely make a return appearance next year. Grady turned 8 the same day as the picnic. We celebrated in the evening with his 2 dads, his Grandma Happy (this is what he calls my mom – he has since he was about 2 and she taught him to say happy birthday to me), me, and our guest of honor – my pumpkin pie. I do wonder when he is going to request I quit calling him that. I was so tired from the picnic I didn’t snap a single photo of him. I knew I would regret it afterwards. And I so do.

And now it is today. Friday. And the weekend is upon us. And I am so excited about where we are hopefully going I just had to share. Actually I’m excited about quite a lot and probably need to do more than 1 post. So tomorrow or Sunday (depending on weather) we are heading to Wicker Park Chicago for the Renegade Craft Fair. I stumbled upon it is Mary Englebreit’s Home Companion Magazine. And it just looks like the coolest event for all kind of homemade/handmade goodness. Click here for a link to the article. I really hope the weather cooperates for us. I don’t really DO rain if you know what I mean. If it rains we‘re going to Ikea on Saturday and waiting to see what Sunday holds for us.

Okay – the other thing I want to share with you is a new-to-me-music-artist that I am just really enjoying. Francesca Battistelli. She is a Christian artist and her lyrics are SO relatable. The sound is I don’t know…I just really like it. You can listen to 4 of her songs right on her My Space page. The one I fell in love with is Letting Go. But really they are all great. Okay this is all I’m gonna share for now. But I will be back soon (as in tomorrow or the next day) so do stay tuned…