Victories are Sweet

We were a house divided this weekend.

I'm a Vanderbilt fan (Yes, I purposely torture myself with near heart attacks and heartbreak week after week and have for years) and my husband is a die-hard Georgia fan (We have a dog named Herschel Walker, after all).

So this is the one game of the season that I love to watch with him even though I usually end up disappointed and taking all sorts of jabs because, well, there's no guarantee which Vanderbilt team might show up to play.

Not this week.

It was a beautiful win for my Commodores, and I was able to send my nephew all sorts of messages sharing my joy and relishing in his disappointment for just a few minutes, much like he gets to do most years.

And my husband was even a gracious Georgia fan, wishing that his team had won, but most of all, was happy I was happy today. #Wow #ThatOnlyTook10YearsofMarriage #HashtagsSayAllSortsOfThingsDon'tThey?

It got me thinking, though. In relationships, is it more important that YOU win? Or is there satisfaction in seeing the joy your partner is experiencing in the moment of their victory? This weekend, my husband showed me he is fully capable of sharing in my joy even in the midst of his own disappointment. (I'm giving him a ton of credit here. He already knows Georgia's shot at the SEC East or National Championship game are long gone!) But, I'm not letting this moment go by without recognizing the selflessness in the gesture. Because it's there.

And it's a good reminder. It's not always about the winning. Sometimes, it's about bowing out and stepping aside even at the expense of your own joy. Because ultimately, when you love someone, their happiness is also your happiness. That doesn't mean that your happiness has to depend on this other person; they aren't responsible for your joy, that's a tough burden to carry. But why not maximize the happiness and joy you get to experience by basking in the joys and happiness of those around you?

It's contagious.

Go Dores!

See? Everyone loves to see the Commodores win one now and again! Even Georgia's Coach, Mark Richt!

Just Living the Dream

I haven't blogged in forever. I always intend to make time to write, but like most other things, life often interferes with those good intentions. And when I say life, I might as well just say "Kirby".

My father called me the other day mid-afternoon, and I answered the phone while my 3 year old was in the middle of a full. blown. tantrum. 

"What is she crying about?", he asked.

A better question might have been to ask what ISN'T this child crying about???

To be honest, it has completely slipped my mind now why she was having a tantrum at that moment. Perhaps it is because the episode of Bubble Guppies was over. Maybe her brother walked away with her sippy cup. A leaf might have fallen from a tree in a way that displeased her. With Kirby, you just never know. The logic that is her mind baffles me. Three year olds are crazy. She just turned 3 a few days ago. I'm pretty sure this has been the longest three years of my life so far.

When Dad asks what I've been up to, my response is usually "Just living the dream, Dad", because even in the midst of the craziness that often surrounds me in my home, I am living my dream. For years, I wished for this very thing: to work for an amazing company from my home, and have the opportunity to raise my children while doing something that I love. 

Still, it isn't always easy. There are times that I have to tune out the madness (that is a 1, 3, and 8 year old, two dogs, and a husband) and wrangle the impending insanity in order to gather myself and, well, keep it together. 

Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Insanity is often the logic of an accurate mind overtaxed.” 

So this blog, I hope, will be a place for me to attempt to maintain my sanity and UN-tax my mind a bit. My work preaches the mantra that Vulnerability is Sexy, and while I have no problems being honest and upfront, being vulnerable is a bit difficult for me, because it seems so... uncontrolled. In fact, in those moments, I usually cry. (Who am I kidding?  I always cry).

I hope this blog is also a place for me to share my personal journey to choose joy each day, and to hold me accountable! Too often we get caught up with everything that is falling apart around us and focus on the things that are going wrong. I want to focus more on scattering joy--mine and yours--because honestly, we ALL need more of that in our lives.

As I was hanging up the phone with my dad, he laughed and said, "Alright, Go live your dream."

That's the goal. 

People of Wal-Mart

I hate Wal-Mart.

It’s dirty, it’s crowded, and I have to try to maneuver my cart around boxes that are left in the middle of aisles (Certainly this is a fire hazard, right?). It never fails that the strap in the cart is always broken and inevitably I end up with one that has wheels that clank loudly throughout the store as if announcing my arrival around every corner. Each time I leave, I feel like I need to go straight home to take a shower. Each time, I vow to never return.

And the people. There’s a reason there is an entire website dedicated to them. It never fails: If there is a crazy person in Wal-Mart, they will find me. Today was no exception.

I had to go pick up a prescription and return some items I have been putting off returning because: I hate Wal-Mart. While waiting in the Customer Service line of 20 people with only one employee working the register…

Woman Next to Me: “Are those your kids?”

Me: “Yes, they are.”

Woman: “All 3 of them?”

Me: “Uh huh.” (Oh Good, she can count…)

Woman: “See, those girls keep their bows in their hair!”, she tells her own daughter.

Me: “For now, anyway”  (Meanwhile, the line is barely moving)

Woman: “Her hair is really fine, so the bows don’t stay in too good. Oh damn, this rubber band just broke” (She proceeds to try to fix her hair in line).

Me: (Saying nothing at this point.. looking at my phone, talking to the kids)

Woman: “Tomorrow is the 9 year anniversary of my mother’s M-U-R-D-E-R…”

Me: “Oh gosh.. I’m so sorry to hear that” (meanwhile Kelsey has let out a HUGE gasp and her eyes are wide with horror)

Woman: “Oh, can she spell?”, pointing at Kelsey…

Me: “Yes, it’s okay though”, I say as I nod at Kelsey to assure her that is really is okay.

Woman: “Can she?”, pointing at Kirby (My 22 month old)

Me: “Uhm, no.”

Woman: “Oh. Well anyway, I haven’t showered in like a week, I’ve just been really worthless.

Me: “Oh, I’m so sorry” (I think I might have even taken a few steps away from her at this point)

I really hate Wal-Mart. 

I eventually made it out of the line. Got what I needed to get, and waited another 20 minutes to check out in one of 6 lines out of 50 that were open this afternoon.

As I left Wal-Mart, I vowed to never return yet again. Yet somehow, I’m sure there will be a reason that I will be forced to walk through those automatic doors once again, to be greeted by a not-so-friendly greeter and welcomed into the madness once more.

I went straight home and took a shower. I hope that woman did too.

Mother, May I?

“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't.” 
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Do you remember playing the game "Mother, May I?" when you were younger? One person would be the "mother", and he/she would bark orders to the other players. Before the player could follow that order, they must ask, "Mother, May I?", to which Mother would respond, "Yes, You may" or "No, You may not". 

I found myself in a rut the other day, envious of the freedom and flexibility that so many others have right now, or what they appear to have. I became overwhelmed with the thought that so many things were out of my control right now in my life and the reality of that burden weighed heavily on me both physically and emotionally. I am an adult though, right? An adult capable of making decisions and choices for myself, yet I feel as if I have to either do without or ask permission. Mother, May I?

At this point in my life, I live on a schedule dictated by children, and (long) gone are the days where my schedule determined the activities of my day. Want to make a phone call? Better wait until Kirby is napping or quietly focused on an activity. Need to go to the grocery store? Forget that, just order them online and pick them up later. Want something from the mall? HA! Next? Need to use the restroom? Can't. The baby is asleep in my lap and if I move he will wake up and then I'm back to square one again. Shower today? Hopefully I can sneak one in when the husband gets home from work later this evening and before bath times and feedings start again. Everything seems out of my control. Mother, May I?

I shared some of my frustrations with a friend the other afternoon post-my-sorta-breakdown. I admired her ability to take time for herself: to work out, to vacation, to breathe. And she reminded me that I am currently recovering from delivery, raising a newborn, toddler, and 6 year old, and that it will get easier to find the time I am so craving for me. I simply have to ask for that time, or if that is not possible right now, continue creating space for that time so that eventually it will be there for me. When I am ready. When it is right. 

For someone who is so used to being in control and commanding my immediate environment (Hey, teaching middle school is quite the challenge, am I right?), allowing myself to be vulnerable and submitting to the lack of control that I feel at this time is very difficult. And the reality is, it is going to be a while before I am back in charge of everything and I feel that sense of relief and calm. Until then, I need to take control over what I can and accept that it is enough. After all, I am the mother, and the only person I need to ask permission to do things for myself is myself. Kristin, May I?

Yes, You May. 

In a Haze

Seriously, I'm walking around in a haze these days. Life with a newborn, a toddler, and a very active 6 year old has me spinning and no end is in sight. At times I feel like breaking down in tears and feeling sorry for myself. And then, I had a reality check.

I read a fantastic blog post last night that totally jerked my fuzzy sleep deprived self out of the clouds and reminded me of the need to be totally and completely present in the now, if I can. The mommy blogger wrote a letter to herself 20 years from now looking back on her life once her children are grown. And she reminded us that all the things we are going through are simply phases that will end and new phases will begin.

And I realized just how right she was. I won't be a walking zombie forever. Eventually, I'll be that mom waiting up late at night for my teenagers to return home from wherever they've galavanted off to for the evening, hoping and praying they make it back to me safely.

I won't always be stepping over legos and blocks on my floor and wiping crumbs off of my coffee table. I won't always be nursing my newborn around the clock. In fact, there will come a time where my house is spotless and I have no one to cook for, and I will be wishing that my kids were here to make that mess again, wishing I had someone to spend my time caring for.  And wow, does this reality make me sad.

I won't lie: I am exhausted. I am overwhelmed. But, I am totally and completely overwhelmed and blessed with the love I feel for my children. And while I am tired and struggling to keep my eyes open at times, I am also struggling not to miss out on these precious moments with my little ones. So maybe I can let the toys linger on the living room floor, because who else is going to see them but us? Who cares if there is a sticky residue covering my table after a meal; precious little fingers enjoyed a snack and left the evidence for all to see!

I just need to focus on letting my kids be my kids, appreciate them and practice patience as much as I can. I need to recognize that this too shall pass, and too soon I will be desperately trying to press rewind in order to hold on to as much of their childhood as I possibly can.

I have three beautiful children with a lifetime of possibilities ahead of them. Damn, I'm lucky.

"I was always trying to find the balance between trying my best and being an incredible parent. I literally realized that it was chaos - but it was happy chaos." -Soleil Moon Frye

Letting Go

The title of my blog is "Controlled Chaos".  I accept the fact that chaos is a part of life, but that doesn't mean that I can easily give up my need to control what I can. That leads me to today. I'm 39 weeks pregnant and my little man, though I am extremely ready for him to come, apparently is not ready to meet us yet.

Oh, I've tried all the tricks to bring on labor--walking, spicy foods, fresh pineapple, exercise, bouncing on the trampoline, and a few other highly recommended "remedies" I won't mention--and yet, no baby. I'm having to basically accept the fact that I cannot control the arrival date of my little guy. I. am. not. in. control. here. There, I said it.

So instead of fretting over the fact that he isn't coming on my timeline, I suppose I will just sit back and enjoy the time I have left being pregnant, because this is absolutely the last time I will ever be. This is the last time I will feel this life move inside of me. The last time I will share these intimate moments with my baby, without having to share him with others. Precious and special moments preparing me for the time when I can meet this little soul face to face, though he and I already know each other so well.

"There are some things I can't control, and that's just the way it is". - Susane Colasanti, Waiting For You


Sigh. Ain't that the truth.

Weekly Inspiration

Creating a Daily Schedule: Tips for Any Mommy

Being a stay at home mom is new for me.  I also am juggling the responsibilities of working from home for a small publishing company, while taking care of my 16 month old, managing the household, chauffeuring my 1^st grader to and from school and activities, and being pregnant with baby (surprise) #3.

There are days that I look around my house and think, “What in the world did I even do today?”. Some days are busier than others. There are moments that I feel like I am running around with my head cut off, and then other days where I find myself looking for things to do to fill the excess time. 

But I’m not complaining. I have always wanted this life. I have dreamed about the chance to be a FULL TIME mom to my girls, a FULL TIME wife to my husband, and feel blessed to be able to enjoy a career on top of it, all from the comfort of my own home!

It has come to the point where I need to create a daily schedule for myself. And for the most part, the schedule has created itself along the way, but I need to be sure to write in some more time for those things I want to be doing as well as need to be doing.

Tips to Remember:

1. Easiest things to add to the schedule: The kids’ wake up times and bedtimes!
2. Schedule your meals! And with little ones, this is pretty easy to do. Around here, if we are running late for dinner, our little one quickly lets us know we have missed our time!
3. Break up chores: It is not necessary to clean everything every day, or to do everything in one day.
4. Schedule YOU time! While it is important to organize activities and “To Do’s”, it is also important to remember to schedule time for JUST YOU, time where you exercise, take a deep breath, and even time where you can simply do nothing, and not feel guilty. 
5. Don’t be too hard on yourself if something on your schedule goes undone. It will happen eventually. The goal of having a schedule is to give you some peace of mind, and then allow yourself the flexibility to reschedule as necessary. And any mom will appreciate this advice!

Pinterest Inspiration

So I'm totally obsessed with Pinterest these days. It has helped to clean up all the bookmarks that I used to put on my computer to keep track of the blogs and ideas I loved and just HAD to put to use sometime soon. And better yet, I get to share my favorites and see what my friends like as well.  Have you tried it yet? Need an invite? Let me know :)

A few years ago, I was searching for bed/playhouse options for our then almost 4 year old daughter. We lived in a townhouse at the time and had a very small yard (well.. we had NO yard to be exact), so an outdoor play area was not an option.

During my search I came across this loft bed playhouse combo from Pottery Barn. Adorable right? But the price tag was not! I think it was somewhere around $1300 at the time.

Now, my dad is super handy. Builds most things from scratch. So I sent him the picture for inspiration and asked if he was up to the challenge for his then ONLY grandchild and love of his life. He decided to take on the project as his Christmas gift to her. Yes, please :)

He and I worked together for my list of must haves: Had to fit the dimensions of her bedroom. Needed to be easy to put together and take apart. I wanted a window box for flowers. And besides that, I left it up to him.

My dad tends to overbuild. He thought it out. Planned out the dimensions. And built the bed in his workshop in Florida, TRANSPORTED the bed to our home in South Carolina, where we disassembled and then reassembled it. It was a process, but it turned out phenomenal. The best part? He says he has around $300 total in the bed. Yep! That's it!  

Here's the bed in process:

Dad built the frame, and the base of the bed: The actual playhouse. He added a few extra windows and painted it white. So cute, right?

To say this bed was handcrafted with love is an understatement. He built the ladder by hand. He owns a blind/shutter business so the railing on top of the bed are actually shutter frames that he filled with lattice.

My stepmom helped as well. The pink wall on the back of the playhouse is chalkboard paint. My daughter loved it. And my dad actually sewed the little curtains for the windows inside.

And this was the finished product. Adorable! My daughter loved it, and is now 6 1/2 years old and still using it. We have moved TWICE since the bed was put together and it was so well made that it has survived the moves and we plan to give the bed to our youngest daughter when she is old enough and our oldest is ready for a different bed. And then when our soon to be born little boy is ready, we will adapt the bed and make it a bit more "boyish" for him.

I keep telling Dad we need to draw up the plans for this bed and sell them! It's a work of art, and is really an inexpensive way to get an awesome bed for your little one. We could use the proceeds to put towards the kids' college funds :)

I plan to link this to Pinterest and share my Dad's work of art with everyone. Seriously, this was one of the best gifts we have ever received. And the joy it brings our girls is incredible!

The Westberg Life: Reinvention and Restructuring

"I am still making order out of chaos by reinvention."--John Le Carre


Ahh, the chaos of life. We have been in Nashville now for about 6 months, and this time has been one of restructuring, reorganization, and in many ways reinvention. A redefining, if you will, of who we all are and, for Joey and I in particular, our roles in this family.


Because of his job, I've had the opportunity to be at home with Kirby and Kelsey-- something I have always dreamed about doing but was never a reality for us.  I'm able to be that stay-at-home mom that takes her daughter to school, can attend functions during the day, and picks her up at 3pm sharp. Meanwhile, I get to be home with Kirby during the day, spending time with just her playing games and loving on that sweet little one. Something I had to give up when I was required to work outside of the home.


Is this "career oriented woman" bored out of her mind? Not at all.  I was fortunate to have a part-time side job turn into a full time opportunity to work from home. I am challenged daily and inspired by the work I get to do as an editor and writer and well, a multi-tasker for the small publishing company I've been with for a year and a half now. I get to have that career and be the mom I want to be. I'm incredibly blessed and at this point, I can't imagine changing my routine any time soon. I just don't want to give it up.


Not that it would be practical at this point. Because chaos presented its lovely head again in the Westberg family in October when Joey and I found out that we are expecting a surprise: A baby that will be joining our family in the beginning of June... and a baby BOY at that. We are thrilled (still a bit shocked!) but are ready for the reinvention of the Westberg family that this new little one will bring to the table. The two youngest will be 20 months apart, so needless to say I'm going to be  busy. But.... blessed.


So meet the newest addition to the chaos that is the Westberg Family: Our little boy, Grice Patrick.

A sneak peek...

Want to see my precious girls???

"Suddenly, through birthing a daughter, a woman finds herself face to face not only with an infant, a little girl, a woman-to-be, but also with her own unresolved conflicts from the past and her hopes and dreams for the future...".  

Music City, here we come!

It's official!  The Westbergs are headed to Nashville, Tennessee.  And for me, I am heading back to my second "home", a place that holds many wonderful memories for me.  A place where I grew up in so many ways as I ventured off to college, living alone for the first time, and discovered who I was.  It just feels like home.  I'm excited to get back to my old stomping grounds, to introduce my girls to some of my favorite places, and looking forward to a new adventure.  For some, moving is stressful and a dreaded event. Some people cannot function in the chaos that comes during the process.  For me, it feels like a chance to start over again, start fresh, and I enjoy the process.  I enjoy the temporary chaos that leads to a newfound calm and new beginning.

Septima Clark said, "I have great belief in the fact that whenever there is chaos, it creates wonderful thinking. I consider chaos a gift."

Moving "home" is truly a gift.  We are so blessed to have this opportunity, and I am welcoming this chaos with open arms.

A Long Awaited Welcome

A Mommy's Insight

Our family of 3 became a family of 4 in October 2010, when we welcomed our second precious daughter.  Our oldest daughter had long wished for a little baby sister.  Not a brother.  She was absolutely certain that she wanted a sister.  She wanted a friend.  A best friend.  Although when we first told her the news, it was not the “surprise” she anticipated when she heard that we had a surprise for her.  Wondering where her “present” was, and telling her simply she would have to wait another 9 months was not something a 4 year old was accustomed to hearing.  The afternoon we were able to share her new “present” with her was one that I will always remember.  There were tears in my eyes as I witnessed my daughters meeting for the first time, yet something told me this was not the first time these two souls had met.  Our oldest daughter looked down at her baby sister, smiled, and said, “I love her so much”.  That precious moment where I was able to look at both of my daughters together is something that I will never forget.  There’s something so innocent and sweet about the love of sisters.  Friends for life they will be, and I am so blessed to be their mommy. 

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Good Intentions

I always have the best intentions.  I just don't always have the best follow-through with things I decide to do for myself.  Like this blog.  I love to write. I love to express myself through writing.  I intended to blog regularly, to keep this up as a way to communicate my thoughts and ideas and feelings and document what is going on in our lives and our family.  And here I am..  nearly 7 months since my last post, and I decided to visit the blog today.  Ruh-Roh. 

My pregnancy is long over.  In fact, Kirby Claire will be 6 months old in 10 days.  YIKES!  Time marches on, ready or not.  So yes, my intentions are to blog, but I have failed miserably.  Maybe it is the combination of being a working mom and a new mom.  I'm exhausted.  I take care of everyone and everything else, and then I am left at the end saying, "What about me?".  So, while this blogging was intended to be for me, it has fallen to the wayside.  Shall I recommit now and promise that I will do better?  I wish.  I think if I can just survive the interrupted nights of sleep for a little while longer until Summer break, I will be able to step out of this fog and maybe, just maybe, control this chaos a bit more. 

But, boy.. these baby girls are definitely worth the chaos in my life.  Worth it every day.

Lessons from a Pregnancy

I have not posted any sort of updates on this pregnancy on this blog, but if you're a friend on Facebook, you are well aware of the struggles I have faced, and oh boy, has this baby girl put me through the ringer!!  Though this is not my first pregnancy, I have learned or have been reminded of quite a bit in the past 8 months.

1)  Throwing up sucks.  I have thrown up more in the past 8 months than I have in the past 8 years.  I did not get sick one day with Kelsey, had some nausea, but never actually got sick.  This baby girl?  She has a mind of her own, and I am lucky to keep any meals down each day.  The upside?  I have not gained much weight!

2)  I have an addiction.  Tums are my best friend, particularly peppermint tums.  I pop them like candy.  YUM!  My best friend was in town for a visit, and actually expressed her concern over my Tums "habit"... hey, what can I say?  They soothe the heartburn and nausea.  I love them.  Now the moment I am no longer pregnant, I will be repulsed by them, but for the time being, my bottle of Tums is never more than just an arms reach away.  My name is Kristin, and I am an addict.

3) Being pregnant means buying a ton of toilet paper.  Frequent trips to the bathroom because the baby won't get off your bladder = using rolls and rolls of TP.  Enough said.

4) You can truly live with a minimal wardrobe.  I have a pair of maternity jeans, a pair of maternity shorts, two pair of maternity capris, a variety of tops, and some dresses that have worked for me throughout this pregnancy.  That's it.  And my closet stays neat and organized.  Maybe I should continue with this minimalist wardrobe post-baby??  Probably not.

5) I am much slower these days.  Slower going up the stairs.  Slowing going down the stairs.  Slower rolling out of bed (literally, ROLLING out of bed), in general, I've just slowed down.  This totally goes against my nature and my personality.  I'm normally go-go-go nonstop.  Pregnancy changes all that. 

6) Pregnancy causes insomnia.  I know they say to rest while you can, but it physically becomes impossible.  You can't sleep on your stomach (obviously), and you aren't supposed to sleep on your back. You are supposed to sleep on your left side to increase blood flow and circulation, but it is nearly impossible to stay in one position all night long. First of all, my arm falls asleep from laying on my side.  My back starts to hurt from being in one position, and the weight of the baby pulls the muscles in my back.  It's awesome.  I've taken to passing out around 10 PM, I get up every hour or so for a bathroom break, only to "wake up" around 2 or 3 AM and get up for a few hours.  My DVR and I have done a lot of catching up.  Maybe it's just the body's way of preparing you for the sleep deprivation that is soon to come.

7) Bedrest is torture.  I was on hospitalized bedrest for almost a month when I was pregnant with Kelsey.  I thought I might escape it this time around.  Nope.  I ended up being put on bedrest at 36 weeks with this baby, but at least I'm at home.  Have to stay off my feet as much as possible and rest.  This is very difficult for many of the reasons listed above.  Add an almost 5 year old to the mix who keeps us very busy around the house and well, you'll see the bedrest is really amusing.  The idea of it is fantastic when all you want to do is slow down and sleep... the reality of it just isn't practical.

8)  Pregnancy brings out the worst in you, but the best in others.  It gives you plenty of reasons to complain, whine, be in a bad mood, etc.  But there are people in our lives who are supportive, caring, and remind us daily of the blessing we are carrying, not a burden.  It really is a beautiful thing.

9) People can't STAND secrets.  Everyone wants to know-- what are you having?  A boy or a girl?  We revealed that early on.  But we decided to keep this baby's name a secret until she is born.  Just something that we can share with others that will remain a surprise.  This doesn't go over so well with everyone else!  But we are enjoying it immensely :)

10)   As old as pregnancy gets, every time this baby girl kicks me, I smile.  It is a gentle (sometimes!) reminder that life is growing inside of me, and this little bitty person is just as eager to meet us as we are to meet her.  I feel truly blessed and look forward to welcoming my new baby girl into the world, whenever she is ready.  Hopefully it will be soon! 

Oh, Baby!

I am not doing a great job of keeping up with this blog at all, and I'm not going to make any promises that I will get better, but I will try.  I am now 6 months pregnant with another baby GIRL!  We are thrilled and are looking forward to welcoming her into our family in just a few more months.  We do have a name picked out, but all we will reveal to others are her initials-- baby K.C.W.  I have found that people are very opinionated about names.  They either love them and express their elation openly, or they are quickly turned off by the name and begin to offer alternative suggestions.  We decided on this baby's name together and we love it.  When we present her to the world in a few months, we will share her name at that time.  Until then, feel free to refer to her as K.C. 

3+1=4

The Westberg family: A family of 3 for many years now, and about to become a family of 4! We are very excited that our new addition will join us right around Kelsey's 5th birthday in October. She is very excited to become a big sister and we are very excited to "complete" our family!

I realize, as if my life has not been chaotic enough, that a new baby will mean more chaos, but the good kind. As Henry Miller said, "Chaos is the score upon which reality is written". This new chaos will be our new reality. We welcome this new chaos into our lives with open arms!

Empty Nest

It's quiet around our house this week. Kelsey is in Florida visiting with my family and having the time of her life. We are enjoying our time alone as well, but her absence is absolutely felt! There is no coloring, no dress-up or games of pretend, and no Barbie movies playing on the DVD player. No sounds of Dora the Explorer or the Backyardigans, and no little hugs and kisses from my sweet baby girl. Joey and I are going to take a mini-vacation this week to Savannah and enjoy our time together (as it may be our last for a while!) and will get to pick up Kelsey on our way home.

An unknown author once said, "A daughter is a day brightener and a heart warmer". I am looking forward to my bright days and warm heart returning when baby girl comes home!

Happy Birthday, Mommo

At the rising sun and at its going down, we remember them.
At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter, we remember them.
At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring, we remember them.
At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer, we remember them.
At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of the autumn, we remember them.
At the beginning of the year and when it ends, we remember them.
As long as we live, they too will live, for they are now a part of us, As we remember them.
When we are weary and in need of strength, we remember them.
When we are lost and sick at heart, we remember them.
When we have decisions that are difficult to make, we remember them.
When we have joy we crave to share, we remember them.
When we have achievements that are based on theirs, we remember them.
For as long as we live, they too will live, For they are now a part of us, as we remember them.

(From the Gates of Prayer Reform Judaism Prayer Book)

I miss you and love you, Mommo. Happy birthday to my special grandmother.
Sending hugs and kisses to heaven. XOXO

2/17/37 – 12/31/08