by Sarah | Apr 3, 2012 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Molly, All of Us, Crap, Random, WTF?
[flickr id=”6179693357″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”] *This morning I met with some wonderful ladies for a mini-conference w/ a talk given by the ever-internet-savvy Heather. It was a good time, I learned a lot, and it woke up something that I’d been thinking about for over a year now. I have two blogs – and for a scatterbrain like myself it wasn’t working. I feel pressured to come up with twice the posts and then I don’t post at all. So I’ve made the decision to somehow combine my writing blog (Sadie’s Storylines) into this one. It’s not a clean mesh by any means – which is what has kept me from doing it for so long – but it’s a necessary one. After all, my photography is here – why can’t my writing?
*I have been super-stressed in recent weeks. Many crazy things have happened health-wise and personal-wise that I’ve been feeling awful overwhelmed. Worst part is a current health-crisis with the hubby (although he’ll not be thrilled that I call it a ‘crisis’). It’s serious and scary and worst part is we still don’t know what’s going on. He’s having a procedure in a couple of days and we’re hoping that brings us answers and resolution in the coming months.
*In the next couple of days we’ll be a house full of eye-correction. There will be a forthcoming blog post w/ the cuteness of my girls in their new glasses.
*The teen has been on the roller coaster ride of teen hormones and girls. This is also inspiring another blog post to be forthcoming.
*Expect some dust as I attend to the first item mentioned on this list – combining my blog. This will require some redesign and some conflicting posts. i’ve already transferred over all of my posts from the writing blog – now I just need to organize and clean this place up a bit (this will likely involve a new look of sorts – but nothing drastically different as i just ordered business cards)
*Just 2.5 weeks until I go to Bloggy Boot Camp. Checking 2 things off my 45X45 (Blog conference & vacay w/ the hubby) in one fell swoop. After failing to get excited about it in the recent chaos, I’m starting to get giggly and eager.
*While there i’m totally going to have a nerd-gasm and go to the Star Trek Exhibit w/ my hubs (thanks Groupon for alerting me to its presence in St. Louis). It’s geek-heaven.
*Gorgeous weather is leading toward lots of line-drying of clothes. Oh how I love this time of year 🙂
*I recently totally reorganized the hubbies DVD’s. Picture proof coming soon – HUGE and refreshing change.
*I got a new (to us) car. I have to say that despite its age – it is hands down the nicest car we have ever owned (and we have owned a LOT of cars in our 10 year marriage). It makes me very happy. More on that coming soon too 🙂
That’s it for now. Just got the call from Wal-Mart – glasses have come in!
by Sarah | Mar 14, 2012 | All About Denver, Crap, The Teenager
[flickr id=”6982397429″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]It was bad enough last year when he hit the all too frightening age of 13. A teenager.
Then I get this in the mail.
“Freshman Course Planning”.
Suddenly we are talking what sort of diploma he’ll be getting. Extra curricular activities, electives, college courses taken at high school level.
It’s all happening too fast.
Forever he’ll be my baby…
But he’s not a baby any longer.
by Sarah | Jan 24, 2012 | All About Denver, The Teenager
Time sometimes flies like a bird, sometimes crawls like a snail; but man is happiest when he does not even notice whether it passes swiftly or slowly.
~Ivan Turgeney
Thirteen years ago this minute, as I was in labor, I still thought he was a girl. The ultrasound said girl. Everyone said girl.
My dreams had said boy.
My morning walk to induce labor I had stopped not at the girls clothes rack, but at the tiny little suits, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the teensy little ties.
After three false labors I was forced to sit in the hotel room my Mom had reserved utnil I “Finally” stopped screwing around and gave birth already. (For the record, Brandon was only 1.5 hours “early” for his due date.) When my contractions were finally 3 minutes apart, my mom called my OB, who then demanded to know why we waited. She, in her dry and sarcastic glory informed him that she wasn’t about to take me in if I wasn’t going to actually have the baby.
And so Brandon made me a parent. With his perfectly round head and surprise appendage that made him decidedly NOT a girl, & made me wonder how in hell I was going to raise a boy.
But he was perfect.
The gorgeous blue of his eyes made me fall in love in an instant.
Everything on time. Every milestone reached at JUST the right moment. Every clothing size changing right at it’s declared time (0-3 months? Gone at three months. 3-6? Gone at six…it was eerie).
He was happy. Smart. Playful. Loving.
He was my world.
He was my mom and dad’s world.
The first born grandchild. The first born great-grandchild.
The star.
Our family grew. It changed.
Not always in the best, most fair ways for him. In truth, sometimes he was forgotten, because he was so ‘perfect’. So easy in comparison. (I hate myself for it, but it is true).
It never made him less loved.
In many ways, being the parent of a teen is infinitely harder than raising the young ones. He isn’t satisfied with easy answers. He sees the world around him in such a different light. He sees things that a younger child wouldn’t. He understands and absorbs everything. Things that I sometimes haven’t the slightest idea how to explain to him, to clarify.
Right now he is struggling, battling against an internal battle I can’t resolve for him. Fighting against the common, and always unique and personal pain of being a teenager.
But in his heart – he is a good kid. He is smart. He is still loving.
He is annoyed with his parents. Embarrassed that his mother has a tattoo and plans more. He hates failure. He strives to do his best and no one is harder on him when he fails than himself. Interested in photography. Science. Math. Writing. Cross Country.
He dreams big dreams. Of being a doctor at Riley so he can help other kids like him.
He achieves big things. Advancements in Boy Scouts, Junior Honor Society.
He struggles to fit in.
He is 14.
In so many ways.
He is my baby.
In so many ways – he always will be.
Happy birthday to my oldest, my first born.
14 is a big number. But you’re just getting started.
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by Sarah | Jan 4, 2012 | All About Denver, Crap, Random, The Teenager
[flickr id=”6087274981″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]At first I thought it might be the special needs babies, toddlers, kids…
I thought it might be the mountains of paperwork to deal with it all.
The endless doctor visits, medical terminology, therapists and IEP’s.
No. It’s not going to be any of that.
It’s going to be 1 word.
TEENAGER.
The surly attitude. The lack of common sense. The lack of respect. The lack of hygiene.
In brief shining moments you see the brilliance of his brain. The kindness of his heart.
Covering it all is the teenitude. The fact that we, as his parents, are just the biggest jerks, the meanest people, and so frickin’ annoyingly embarrassing.
According to the Scout leaders they see it all the time…and then there is the “lightbulb moment” when it all clicks and he becomes a human being.
We wait for that day.
Or death.
Whichever comes first.
Right now I’m thinking it will be death.
by Sarah | Nov 12, 2011 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Family, All About Kennedy, All About Me, All About Molly, All of Us, Random
Since I failed to take out my camera this week, I won’t be doing a Weekly Winners or Scavenger Hunt Sunday post this week. Instead I went into the October Prompts from the NaBloPoMo site to find a prompt to inspire me today. I found this one:
If your life flashed before your eyes, what are 5 moments you know would be included?
My immediate response was the births of my three kids and my wedding, taking me up to four moments in the matter of a heartbeat. What else would there be? What one moment stuck out to me in the realm of the birth of my children and the marriage to my wonderhubs?
Would it be the last dance I shared with my Grampa? The one at my brother’s wedding? Would it be the last heart to heart talk I had with my grandma on her front porch the year before she passed away? What about our family trips to Disney World? Our weekends at the campground? The summer that it rained every day the entire summer? Of course I could remember the days spent at the hunting lodge with my dad, uncle and cousins.
Or would it be a place that we all gathered? Where so many of my family could be found?
A 4th of July celebration at our cottage in Ontario. Where all of the family (both sides) had gathered to join the bonfire. Watch the fireworks.
I think that is the last memory that would flash for me.
Every one of the moments would be deep, profound and special. Surrounded by family. Love. Excitement and wonder.
by Sarah | Nov 9, 2011 | All About Denver, All About Erik, All About Kennedy, All About Molly, All of Us, Photography
[flickr id=”6293299563″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”center”]
In the morning when you rise
I bless the sun, I bless the skies
I bless your lips, I bless your eyes
My blessing goes with you
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In the nighttime when you sleep
Oh I bless you while a watch I keep
As you lie in slumber deep
My blessing goes with you
[flickr id=”6247844013″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”center”]
This is my prayer for you
There for you, ever true
Each, every day for you
In everything you do
[flickr id=”5888383181″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”center”]
And when you come to me
And hold me close to you
I bless you
And you bless me, too
[flickr id=”6217579492″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”center”]
When your weary heart is tired
If the world would leave you uninspired
When nothing more of love’s desired
My blessing goes with you
[flickr id=”6087274981″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”center”]
When the storms of life are strong
When you’re wounded, when you don’t belong
When you no longer hear my song
My blessing goes with you
[flickr id=”6134809815″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”center”]
This is my prayer for you
There for you, ever true
Each, every day for you
In everything you do
[flickr id=”5984317283″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”center”]
And when you come to me
And hold me close to you
I bless you
And you bless me, too
[flickr id=”5885134239″ thumbnail=”medium” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”center”]
I bless you
And you bless me, too
~Celtic Woman – The Blessing
