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Tradition: Edmond’s Tree Lighting
11.24.12 | Permalink | | Comments Off on Tradition: Edmond’s Tree Lighting
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Tradition: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
11.23.12 | Permalink | | Comments Off on Tradition: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
It’s Lj tradition that every year on the morning after Thanksgiving we Lj’s fling ourselves into our car and race at breakneck speed to downtown Seattle to see the Macy’s Parade. We are always late. Always. One would think that after all these years, after all the traffic jams, after all the silent tension that fills the car year after year as we circle the block looking for parking – ANY parking – and oh my gosh there it is there they are the parade us right there PARK ALREADY – that we would get our rears on the freeway in time to secure a posh spot front and center. But we don’t. This year I just bought in and went with it. We’re late every year and every year we see enough of the parade to have our fill and see Santa. The kids are always excited to stand outside and shiver in wait for the merry man, they never complain that we’ve missed anything. So late or not, it doesn’t matter; it’s always one of my favorite days. My favorite traditions.
This year our kids stood side by side, hands waving, giving fives to anyone who walked by. It seems our kids have this parade thing down by now. They collected candy canes, Frangos and taffy by the handfuls.
My handsome husband… He is what I am most thankful for in this world. First, he’s a babe. A mega babe and the beard just makes him more babelicious and kind of Santa like, all friendly-ish. Anyhow, I’m smitten with it, with him. Everything good comes from him, with him. This family, this house, our happiness, it all stems from knowing and loving him, and oh my I am grateful. He took this of himself to prove he was at the parade too.
And with that, so begins the Christmas season. By the weekend’s end we’ll have our halls decked and our tree decorated. Soon our elves should make a return and before we know it Santa will make his visit. It’s all so delicious, so exciting with a four and nine year old at home. Christmas is magic, and the parade is our doorway to open the season! Tradition number one on our Lj Christmas Traditions list is checked off. Tomorrow? The Edmonds Christmas Tree Lighting!
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Thankful for Readers
11.21.12 | Permalink | | Comments Off on Thankful for ReadersThe kids spent their allowance on new beanbags today and the results were a read-in.
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Baby
I walked into the office just now to find this sitting on the computer screen:
And I remembered that moment. I remember that it was in the middle of the night at the hospital. Guinevere was, perhaps, 36 hours old. Being a good Mama and Papa meant that we both got up to hover over our dear, new little Guinevere as we changed her diaper. Above the changing table there was a heat lamp and Guinevere loved to lay under it, basking in the heat on her naked skin, warming her clothes. She would stare at the light (it was dim) so we would hover under it, flitting about like moths in the darkness, keeping our baby close to her comfort.
Then I looked at my Darling One, my Bradley, and saw what a difference two kids, two houses and a million life events has done to him. Then I saw what it has done to me. It’s not all bad. We are older, for sure. But, oh my goodness, I didn’t FEEL like a baby then… So why did I look like one? I liked my life then, who am I kidding, I LOVED MY LIFE THEN. It was like everything I had ever wanted was finally coming together. When anyone asked what I ever wanted to be in my life, inwardly I always answered wife, mother. Outwardly I said teacher, geologist. Hope is evident on my face. As is, quite honestly, exhaustion. We were coming to the end of a huge remodel, I was just finishing school, we were both working, then along came this little bit of wonder, an arrow in the direction I always wanted to travel in.
In that room, under that lamp, flitting like moths, we finally got to see who were were. WHO we are. And honestly, its a defining moment for me. Granted, times have changed. Our friends have changed. WE have changed tremendously. But at our hearts, we are still those hopeful people under that lamp with our eyes pointed inward at those beautiful babies and one another. I love this life. I still can’t believe we have been parents for over nine years though. I still can’t believe that little tiny girl has grown into this long-legged grasshopper of a daughter. I’m amazed at how much fun she is, how much I like her. And I’m grateful for every moment I get to orbit that light with her, with all of them.
“Time truly flies, and if you’re lucky, you can fly right along with it.â€
-Tyler Knott Gregson
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Life
11.07.12 | Permalink | | Comments Off on Life
Star Wars Bath Time
Lake Washington via St. Edward’s Park (the picture is weird a bit because the app knits together a series and stretches things where need be – hence a behind that is sticking out about a foot behind my leg.)
Silly Boyo
Sleepy Jengo
Scooby Doo Monster from the Sea!
My Man! Jude is quite the photographer (and Bradley is quite the model!)
Brother and Sister Love
Birthday Princesses
Wary bike rider
Bradley used to take his grandfather along to the zoo every week when Gigi was a little…Â Now each week as they head to the zoo they stop to pay tribute to the important ones Bradley had the privilege to love and be loved by.
Fashion Sense…
Otters & Boy at the zoo
