The Overflow

The theme for 2009 in my little heart has been Abundance. From the smallest things to the largest treasures, we've been blessed. It's time to sit down and spell it all out...

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I'm thankful for my beautiful.bebe.brother. He came in town this year with his wonderful girlfriend. It was his first time to meet Jackson.Briggs! When he was holding him, it was hard to choose who was prettier...





I'm thankful that Opposites.Attract... TheHotness gets homemade sammich bread and I get the assurance that our budget will be balanced and bills will be paid. I will talk, tend, and solve. He will listen, comfort, and protect. I am up.in.the.air.passionate and he is down.to.earth.steady.

I am thankful for my life's Soundtrack:
-mouth.breathing.bebies
-the sound of the potty being flushed by an independent little boy
-a dishwasher that offers Help as long as I fill the cup and push the button
-the way James says 'lets riiiide cliiiive' when we back down the driveway... and the silence that follows when no one corrects him to tell him it's lets ride clyde
-the little secrets that the bebe monitor picks up when theHotness is feeding his son, or whispering to him as he changes his diapers
-philosophies that James bestows on his brother when he climbs in to his crib after nap time
-the sound of the garbage truck picking up the garbage twice weekly, and how good it feels to know that I don't ever have to worry about getting the trash to the road. One honest responsibility I don't have to carry...
-the shuffle feature on my ipod... and how each song is a perfectly delightful surprise.

I'm thankful for bulk diapers and wipes... and how indulgent it feels to file them all away somewhere.

I'm thankful when the boys go to bed easy.

I'm thankful that I get to be the second.line.of.defense at bedtime... The clean.up.crew after theHotness does the heavy lifting putting the boys to bed.

I'm thankful the grace that is given when I forget a load of laundry in the washing machine... and how at the press of a button, the machine will re.wash my mistake and no one is ever the wiser.

I'm thankful for a full pantry, full fridge, and full bellies.

I'm thankful for My First... My James Neal... My Beaux Jack... Our BooBoo. He is what has propels me everyday to be Myself. He is my companion and delight. He is the reason that I question nearly everything I do. My inspiration for reflection and Purpose. He was sent to me as a promise.fulfilled, single handedly transforming my life into something worth.while... something beautiful.

I'm thankful for a body that does whatever I ask it to do with very little resistance. It can grow bebies. It can carry a child with one arm while reflexively keeping the other from darting into traffic. It can hear water running from the sink clear across the house- then darting through a mine.field of toys and children without ever losing it's footing. It can ignore Dora.the.Explorer's nail.on.chalk.board.voice while preparing a delish and nutrish meal. It can wake itself out of a dead.sleep to soothe a crying bebe or change wet sheets. It cleans up pretty well and can convince most people that all.in.all it will survive.

I'm thankful for Mustard.Seed.Photography and the passion that is found behind the name. The people who take it upon themselves to encourage me, inspire me... and trust me even when I doubt myself. The people who have convinced me to look High and not Low... and to value my talent. The persistence in their constant nudging and the validation of a hug, email, comment, or phone call.

I'm thankful that theDuckling thinks everything I say is funny, or brilliant- or both. I'm thankful he is mine and I am his. I'm thankful that most days he gets my best... and the days that he doesn't, he loves me anyway. I'm thankful that he is small and fits into my arms just so. I'm thankful that there is nothing in his life that can't be remedied in my arms. I'm thankful that we have this secret, him and me. A secret that he is my son, forever... and that I am his mother... For the rest of time, no one else can say that about him and me.

I'm thankful for Brothers... the magic that only exist between James and Jackson... and inside connection that can't be rivaled.

I'm thankful for shelter. Our little nest, downy soft. It keeps us dry and warm and safe... I'm thankful that Love lives here.

I'm thankful for Connection.
-A connection to a red.blooded.man who loves from the bottom of his feet to the very tip.top of his shiny.bald.head. I'm thankful that after two children and lots and lots of effort, he still Knows me and I Know him. I'm thankful that his foundation is secure and he seeks fulfillment in what is found Here... and not There. He celebrates me... and there is nothing better than that.
-I'm thankful for the connection of Motherhood... the journey that puts meaning in everything I do. A journey that would scare the Hell out of me if it wasn't constantly proving to me the Magic that is found in Everyday. I'd run away in retreat if it didn't make me so dadgum tough.
-I'm thankful for the connection of inspiration found through the internet. With very little effort, wearing not a business suit but a spit.up.stained shirt and pajama pants, I can learn just about anything I want... for free.

I'm thankful for Hope... the hope that is found in Believing in something greater than yourself. The Blessed Assurance that is my story, my song.

I'm grateful for the Grace that's always a phone call away when I've had a hard day and a friendly voice answers the phone. The understanding between women that allows us to pour our hearts out without needing to protect ourselves. The grace that promises no judgement, just mercy.

I'm thankful for Trinity Driving School and the service it provides and the good that it does.

I'm thankful for deeep bathtubs and extra.hot water...

I'm thankful for coffee, coffee beans, coffee growers, coffee importers/exporters/traders/makers... You get my drift. :)

I'm thankful for the night.time... the magic hour when the boys fall to sleep and the house is quiet... and how nice it feels to be 'alone' with theHotness. There is no single place I'd rather be.

I'm thankful for all the Cool People in this world who have made all this Crafty.Old.Lady.Stuff I love to do cool. For the first time in my life I'm like a knitting/baking/sewing*rockstar! :)

I'm thankful for Family... the men who think I've hung.the.moon. The children who make me think, try, strive, and achieve. The instant dizziness I feel when I hug them tightly and take a deep breath. They are the constant in my life that helps me earn my sleep at night... and the very reason I wake up each morning. The tiny collection of people who see the best in me even when I lose my cool, go days without a stitch of makeup, or forget the sweet potatoes steaming on the stove.

I'm thankful for the Truth that our family isn't finished yet... that there is a chapter yet to be written for us. I'm grateful that even though I don't know The Plan... or her name, that God is in control and holding our daughter in His hands. And through the miracle of adoption, one day soon, I will have a daughter that will look nothing like me... but was exactly.created to be my daughter and change my life. Our little treasure waiting to be found...

And of course, I'm thankful for my readers... the ones who spend a tid.bit of their time letting me know that I'm not alone... and that we are in this together. Sort of. :)

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

Peace,