the sisters I hope they are.

I truly hope with my whole heart that I give these girls a relationship as sisters that will be timeless and cherished forever. If anything and in everything that I could possibly teach them - I truly pray for this one relationship to be the strongest in their lives. 

I have hope for the strongest future for them because they have each other.

And I get to watch it happen.

"My question was the attention I gave to them,

and their response was their beauty."

friday reading time: march 13th

Dear Mom on the iPhone, it's ok. ---> Fried Okra

what I love about this: "Why does a simple piece of technology give a stranger license to accuse you of being a selfish, too-busy, disengaged woman who's threatening her children's self-esteem and self worth? We both know that's not who you are."

Confessions of a cloth diaper drop out ---> simple kids
what I love about this: "I’m a big believer in using cloth diapers, but I’m even more committed to moms and dads doing what they need to do to keep from being overwhelmed. Parenting is hard enough."

Being brave enough to be un-fine ---> Lisa-Jo Baker
what I love about this: "And I’ve lived enough broken and loved enough friends through their own cracks to know that redeemed is not the same as fixed and that holes can still ache even when we’re whole again."

When You're Expected to "Pull it Together" ---> (in)courage
what I love about this: "In the moments when torment throbs deep, God doesn’t bark 'stiffen that upper lip, girl.' He instead whispers 'come to me dear one, come to me.' "

the mother they need is the mother you are ---> steady mom
what I love about this: "The revelation is this: the mother my kids need is the mother I am."

photo by dolfi

my sentimental mom

My mom is a sentimental kind of women.

She loves researching our family tree and tracking it back generations to generations.

She loves flowers and little trinkets and things that make you think of her.

She loves to remember precisely what the one thing was that you said you wanted a whole year before your birthday even comes. You forgot you even wanted it.

She loves to take walks with her grandkids, and read them books, and show them pictures of herself at their age, and tell them all about her childhood.

She loves to run marathons through all of the major cities in our country and put her medals in a special place where she can always see where she has been.

She loves to bike through Italy and see the beautiful landscapes and to make friendships that are life-long.

She loves learning more about her history and her family's history and see all of the sites they may have seen.

I'm nearly the opposite of all of that. But I appreciate and love her for these things all the more.

I get the opportunity to be an innocent bystander in her love parade with history and facts and lovely stories of her grandmother's kitchen and of Puerto Rico.

I get to learn from her hands that have been so many places and done so many things and worked so damn hard.

I get to learn from the wisdom that only comes with time and hard work and dedication to family and friends and work and play.

I get to witness her as a wife. And what an inspiration it is to see her love and affection within their marriage. And they get to show my children and be an inspiration to them.

Four generations of amazing women.

I am so grateful.

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." ~Maya Angelou

we headed for the 'frisco bay

My brother is probably one of the sweetest guys I know, and not just because he's my brother (I swear). So for his beautiful wifey's birthday this year, he decided to surprise her with a girl's trip to San Francisco with me! It was such an incredible treat for me to have my first weekend away from both girls with such an amazing women as my sister-in-law Susie. I always wanted a sister, so having her in my life and be as close as she is to me is an immense blessing. I decided to document our journey so we could remember it always :)

Susie decided to pack her bags for a stay in Africa for a few months, compared to my measly little bag that looked like a midget next to hers. 

I hate flying more than most, so this was my attempt to be cheerful when I really feel like throwing up :)

We, of course, had to shop our little hearts away. We did the Union Square thing (huge H&M, huge Forever 21, huge Macy's, huge mall, etc etc), but we also wanted to head over to Fillmore street shops. There were some awesome boutiques there that are really rare and have awesome vibes and awesome people. We walked our little tushies off there - the hills were ginormous and killer on my feet and butt. Overall, it was incredible.

I've deduced that every person in San Francisco is a model.

Also, you have to be 120 lbs or less to hang out there.

Also, you have to love scarfs and yoga pants.

Susie looking gorgeous!

Breakfast is my all-time favorite meal, so we had to find a yummy place to eat. Pretty much every where we ate was within 0.6 miles of our hotel. It was so awesome that my bro did some great research to put us in the center of the city! The best places we ate in were the hole-in-the-wall mom and pop shops. It was the greatest.

This was the coolest shot I got, as well as the coolest book ever. It is a notepad with all of this incredible quotes on them... and I plan on writing letters to the girls, tearing out the pages and making them their own little books of letters from me.

Overall, this was one vacation for the record books. Loved every moment.

roller coasters and all

I know, I know. It's been forever.

I've been busy. I guess? Kind of busy. Not too busy, not too sitting still. Just the right kind of busy.

Right this minute I have one child on top of me eating Pirate's Booty and the other child is taking pictures of my nostrils with my iPhone.

'tis the life.

My heart has been going through a roller coaster of emotions. We have close friends that just lost their sweet baby girl after three hours of her life. We have celebrated birthdays, we have seen Michael's niece win the state championship at St. Mary's high school, we have watched Lia in her very first dance class, we have had friends losing and getting jobs, we have celebrated births and joys with families and friends.

We have danced, we have cried, we have laughed, we have struggled, we have begged for the grace to make it. We somehow make it when it seems impossible.

It's a constant - the consistency of inconsistency. I'm grateful for incredible family and community that I can call and say "you've experienced this before, right?? I'll make it, right??"

I am beyond blessed. I've been given support beyond measure. I've been given a family that unconditionally listens to my complaints and gripes and tells me it's all good, it'll be okay, we will not only survive, we will be stronger for having the hard times, and the good times are oh so much sweeter.

I'm rambling. But life is sweet. I'm so filled with joy that far surpasses my look of happiness. I know His joy is in my soul, and that truth is the most golden truth I could have.

But I got to pick up my camera today and shoot some photos of my fun and amazing girls. Lia was cracking up out there. And her joy is beyond beautiful.

"I was here. I lived, I loved."