Feeding the Ducks

Ditto Landing

Life is a Bench

Emotions wash over me like waves. Sadness. Mourning. Joy. Love. Sometimes I feel like I'm fighting just to tread water... I get caught up in the singularity of an event or a feeling and I forget to open my eyes and look at the beautiful gifts I have been given. I've been struggling lately... feeling alone and misunderstood. But these simple images I captured at the park last week reminded me to step back and look at my life as a whole story and to cherish the individual moments, but not to dwell in them. Each moment, each experience is simply a part of my story.

Awarded

Candace gave me this award on her blog (which I LOVE reading). So, now I get to tell 10 things about myself and then pass it on to 10 other people.
So, here we go...
1. I love trashy reality TV series. Kardashians, Real Housewives of (insert city here), the crazier the better.
2. Reading sooths me. Novels, textbooks, cereal boxes, toothpaste ingredients. If it has words, I'll stare at it.
3. I see the world in snapshots. For my children's sake I refrain from walking around with my camera 24/7, but even my memories are formed in snapshots.
4. I LOVE spending time with my siblings, and I find joy in sharing life's experiences with them.
5. I can't sleep alone. If Sean is working late, I always pile the kids in bed for a spend the night party. Sleeping bags, movies, and snuggles are mandatory.
6. I randomly count things. Objects, mental to do lists, seconds. I know... weird.
7. If I have a spare second during the day, I plop down on the couch. I even keep a pillow and blanket there for those sacred occasions.
8. I vacuum obsessively. I can't stand dirty carpet.
9. Even the thought of a cloth or gauze in my mouth, or any one's mouth, makes me gag. This makes trips to the dentist and kids' bloody lips rather challenging.
10. I miss lab every single day I'm not in school, but I miss my babies every moment I'm away from them. Quite the predicament.

A few blogs I enjoy reading...
Becki
Charlotte
Cari
Mary
Hannah
Debbie
Dawn
Vanessa
Clarissa
Candice on the rare occasion that she posts :)
Thank you ladies for sharing your life's experiences with me. They make life seem a little less challenging and a whole lot more entertaining.

Dirty Faces

Dirty faces and full bellies. The perfect end to a perfect day.

Spring Cleaning

It's Spring time! The lovely, frigid weather has kept us from doing much while Drew's been out of school, but it has allowed for a little spring cleaning. Here are a few pictures of Daddy's little helper cleaning out the garage. Cleaning is always better with a helper :)

Validation

Step 1 to healing is feeling validated. To acknowledge what has happened so that you have the ability to move forward. Today, I have found my footing. I have gained my balance and now have the ability to walk away from my pain. For years, I have been waiting for my parents to fully acknowledge what they have done to me. I was frozen in time, waiting for my experiences to be acknowledged. Today, I take that power away from them. I don't need anyone to believe me or even empathise with me. I know my experiences. I recognize my feelings. I acknowledge my pain, and I validate myself. Today I move forward.