Christmas is Here!

Busy getting ready for Christmas over here… I love this time of year (I know who doesn’t)… but watching it through the eyes, and wonder of a four year old is so much fun!  This year she remembered things from last year, and would get all excited when we’d take them out of the box.  Little things too that you wouldn’t think a 4 year old would care about got her all excited.  So much fun!

Friday we went to get our Christmas tree, and for some reason (perhaps b/c it’s been so warm here this year), I wanted to go cut it down like when I was little.  So Grandpa, the trooper that he is, went with us Friday to trudge through the field, and cut it down for us! 

On our way to get it… Listening to Christmas music!

She has her “Jesus Loves Me” bunny & lip gloss!

I’m in a picture!  Amazing!  I should hire my Dad as an assistant he did a good job!  This was the best smile I could get out of Madalynn even with the bribe of “SMARTIES”.

Notice the “Jesus Loves Me” bunny getting a ride in the tree!

 

We hope the joys of the season are beginning to pop up in your world too! 

I’m doing a 25 day challenge over on my photo biz blog… go there each day until Christmas to see the pics….

Starr Lit Photography Blog

Buckle Up!

It’s catch up time!!  Oy boy… I just checked my blog & my last entry related to Madalynn & our little life together was in May!  EEKKK!  I find I don’t post here much anymore b/c I usually post on Facebook, and have been busy with my photography (more on that later!)… but if you can’t wait here’s a link to that blog…

Starr Lit Photography

Lots going on since then… this will be a quick catch up bulleted entry… soooo buckle UP!  One month at a time!

JUNE-

• We spent our time going to the lake, riding bikes, and playing outside.  We celebrated my nephew’s 10th b-day party… I LOVE that little guy!  My niece graduated from kindergarten, and had her sweet dance recital.
• Some of my facebook updates in June…
• Life;

My brother Rob... a lifelong Bruins fan... got the best b-day present he could have wanted... a Stanley Cup! Last time they won I wasn't even born!

Mom of the year award coming my way... cereal for dinner while watching a "Winnie- the Pooh" CHRISTMAS movie... at least Madalynn picked the whole grain cereal.

• Regarding our move to Kentucky

Madalynn writing a letter, and reciting it "Dear Ga-Ga & Grandpa, we have to go away to Kentucky... I'll miss you soooo much Ga-Ga Granpa, but we'll come back, and return"

• TORNADOES in MASS

The weather man was just saying if you see severe weather don't mess around, and 'take cover'... Madalynn heard 'take cover', and dove under a table!

After a night of some of the weirdest weather I've ever seen in New England... today is one of the MOST glorious mornings... blue skies, cool breeze, and bright sunshine... definitely a top 5 weather day for sure!! Enjoy friends ♥♥

• Madalynnisms

Madalynn just said to me "Mommy... I love being with you"... I said "Oh...honey... I love being with you" to which she replied "... even if you didn't get me a puppy."

Madalynn from the playroom "Mommy... you've GOT to come see this!... it's a mess... you're not going to be angry... you'll be... umm...umm... come see!!"... Oh boy... I'm scared to go look.

Madalynn; "Mommy... did you just sniff?"
Me; "No Madalynn"
Madalynn; "Then who did?"
Me; "I don't know... I didn't hear it"
Madalynn "Me either."

• Trips to our favorite lake











• We also had Madalynn’s last day of pre-school… 1st & last day below.
• Father’s Day was all about celebrating a Bruins win for our hockey loving family!

• Let’s not forget rides on the green tractor…

• I was so excited to get Madalynn in swim lessons for a couple weeks… I felt like a total MOM!  She did great in her “Mini-Minnows” class… didn’t like to get any part of her head wet but did awesome with everything else!  Then she was the bomb in my brother’s pool!

Stay tuned for July!

The Waiting Room…

When my brother graduated from college I gave him a copy of Dr. Seuss “Oh The Places You’ll Go”… classic for a graduate I thought… This quote rings so true for me right now…

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.
You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.
And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted.  But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out?  Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

Dr Geisel had something here… that children’s rhyme EXACTLY describes the last month in my life… came down with an unpleasant BUMP.  My plans to go to Kentucky seem to be on hold for right now, and I’m feeling a bit of aimlessness… not really sure what to do.  I’m still job hunting in my lifetime career, but I think those jobs have disappeared.  So… I’m praying… seeking, and trying to figure out the next step.

I can say that I’m LOVING being home with my daughter.

I read this great blog post today that spoke to me so much… I’m not even sure how I found the blog.  It was a wonderful adoption story (which I ALWAYS love), but the post had some universal truths for those who’ve been holding on for something that God is withholding.  I’ve always felt that way where marriage is concerned for me.  I know God CAN provide a husband… I know marriage is a good thing ordained, and designed by God…  Genesis 2:18 says

^“ The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Yet… here I set 20 years of prayer later still single… still in the waiting room.  This blog while speaking to those waiting to become parents speaks to those of us waiting to be married as well… my favorite line that expresses the truth in this kind of waiting

for something good…

something you know is of God…

a desire, dream of your heart that was placed there by God himself

“Pesky years of waiting eat the rope of patience, determination to believe, trust and yes, hope. A frayed end is clinched between blistered raw fingers, about to lose hold. “

I’ve never heard or read anything that describes it any better… I’ve described it in the past as a roller coaster… some days I’m okay with my single status, and then there are other days when I’m in a free-fall of hurt, disappointment, and doubt… and I’ve had the days when I could lose hold of the rope… so I cling to these promises from God’s word…

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.
~ Joel 2:25

Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.
~Zechariah 9:12

So… if you think of it… say a prayer for those of us in the waiting room… singles waiting for spouses… Moms & Dads struggling with years of infertility, or years of waiting on an adoption.

Randomness…

My poor neglected blog… I’ve missed the entire month of May with you… sorry friend.  In some ways it’s because there isn’t much to post, in other ways it’s because we have some big changes coming, and I’m just not sure I’m ready to put them ‘out’ there just yet…

So, in no particular order (although probably chronological as I do have to have some sort of order to stream my thoughts together)…

I could definitely get used to this life of a stay-at- home Mom… the freedom, flexibility, and time spent with Madalynn I am loving!!  But, since the bills need to be paid… I have been accepted at a school in Kentucky to earn my master’s in social work.  My goal is to work in the adoption/orphan care field… it has become my life’s passion.  Soooo… I’m getting ready to put the house on the market, and hopefully move there this fall.  I know the housing market is a mess right now, but I just keep saying “God is bigger than the housing market”.

I’m realizing that the definition of spring now has a new meaning here in New England… spring is now a long, nasty winter that holds on until the end of May with rain, dreary, and temps in the 40’s (sometimes we’re lucky enough to break 50), and then BOOM one day the hazy, humid, hot days of summer are here.  That’s what happened this past week… we had a horrible spring after a tough winter, and then all of a sudden we’re hitting 90.

Although I’ve lived in this town for 4 1/2 years, and prior to that lived in the neighboring town for 4+ years I just this month discovered a great little park around the corner from our house… complete with a duck pond, and playground!  How I have missed this little jewel all these years I’ll never know… Madalynn is in heaven when we go (and asks daily if we can)… she gets to feed the ducks AND swing!!  She loves to run up the geese, and ROAR….

In bigger news… my brother graduated from Boston College with his  MBA… we’re all so proud of him, as he got this degree while working full-time (sometimes with a few part time jobs thrown in),  and raising three kids (including coaching their athletic teams, and volunteering for the PTO at their school).

Yesterday was Memorial Day, and we did our family tradition of going back to our hometown to watch the parade, then a cookout at my parents house, and then a dip in the pool at my brother’s house.  I really want Madalynn to grow up understanding this day as a balance of solemnity (is that a word), that we pause to remember those who’ve given their lives for our freedoms, while at the same time celebrating those freedoms.  I think the parade, memorial service at the cemetery, followed by time with family achieves that nice balance.

She was a bit frightened of the musket shots so she held tight to Grandpa.

 

We hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day too… bring on SUMMER!!!!

He is Risen…

Madalynn had a fabulous Easter… she had a great day, and crashed & burned as soon as I got her into bed…

Yesterday we dyed the Easter eggs, something she could HARDLY wait to do!

Easter morning…

Don’t ask about the hair…

After church it was off to Ga-Ga & Grandpa’s for a delicious meal, and then the HUNT was on!!

We hope you all had a blessed Resurrection Sunday with your family & friends!!

God’s bigger than the boogeyman…

I watched the‘Veggie Tales’ movie “Where is God When I’m Afraid?” for the first time a few weeks ago, and in it is a song called “God is bigger than the boogeyman”…. Lately God has been slaying a lot of my boogeymen.  Fear has held me captive, and in bondage for so long, and now God in His grace has brought me out of that stronghold to a place of peace… interestingly that place of peace also holds fear of the unknown, but it’s not the bondage kind of fear… it’s the top of the crest of the roller coaster fear… it’s scary… my heart is in my throat… I’m white knuckled holding onto the bar… BUT… I’m beside myself excited… knowing the thrill, and experience will be more than worth the price of admission.

We serve a VERY BIG God… His power, and wisdom know no bonds.  Yet, we as believers (and I’m at the top of the class when it comes to this), are so scared so timid to step out, and tap that power.  God is waiting expectantly, anxiously to reveal to us His power, and His wisdom in all things.  Why don’t we dream bigger dreams?  Why don’t we ask for bigger miracles?

I’m taking the first timid steps to a big dream.  God may slam the doors shut, and I pray He does if this isn’t His path for me.  They’re very big doors so I know it will be crystal clear! 

I think of Peter in the storm.  He calls out to Jesus, and Jesus calls him to come to him, as long as Peter keeps His focus on Jesus he can walk on water.   I love this quote from Max Lucado about when Peter calls out to Jesus….

(Peter) wasn’t being cocky. He wasn’t demanding proof. He was scared. Like me, he knew what this storm could do. He knew that the boat would soon go down. He knew that Jesus was standing up. And he knew where he wanted to be . . .

Peter wanted to be close to Jesus…. he couldn’t trust the boat,  his friends couldn’t save him they had to save themselves… his eyes, and desire went to the one person He knew had the power to save Him. 

A few months back I posted about my feelings of despair with the new year (click here to read it, and another one here).  That time was so dark… I was choosing to trust, but not feeling it.  I was making a choice each day to trust in the promises of God even though I didn’t feel them… I just had to trust based on a lifetime of following Him, and what His word said.

Since then God has called me out of the boat, and walk to Him… the storm is still raging, and the waves can be overwhelming, but I’m going to the One who can save me.  I am soooo excited for this next chapter, and I’m so thankful, and praiseful (is that a word?) that God has been faithful to bring me out of that darkness into a world of new possibilities, and excitement, and promise of new possibilities!

DREAM BIG!

Just a little Madalynn love to end this post… because I just adore this girl!!

Oh boy… this girl!!

This was tonight’s activity… I talked her in to putting the bean bag chair down instead of just jumping off the chair.  She’s also taken to wearing costumes lately which I just love.  The jumping pictures are in her bathing suit from last summer.  The lower ones are in her first Halloween costume that is sized 12-18mos!  I had gotten all the pieces out to try to sell in an upcoming yard sale, but since it still fits she has re-claimed it as a new play costume.  Don’t tell her but I’m still hoping to sneak it into the yard sale.