thank you for the music

People often ask me, “Is there anything you can’t do?”

Well ... certainly, there are many things. Singing ... is at the top of that list. Sure, I can sing along well enough to music. In my car. In the shower. By myself. But singing ... really singing ... I can’t do. I don’t do. There you have it, folks.

But.

Since Ammon’s been around, I’ve had a reason to sing. And not because my heart is light. But because it’s in my job description to try and make him happy. And he loves music. And so we sing.

From the start - even before he was born - I sang lullabies. I made up my own. I repurposed songs ingrained in my repertoire. Like Isn’t It a Lovely Day and Your Song and Cheek to Cheek and Sound of Silence and My Heavenly Father Loves Me and Imagine and I’m Trying to be Like Jesus and On the Street Where You Live. I sang songs just for fun like Give Said the Little Stream and The 59th Street Bridge Song and Bushel and a Peck. Now we both sing. We sing Popcorn Popping and It’s a Very Simple Dance to Do and Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and Jellyman Kelly and A Little Less Conversation and Footloose and Crazy Little Thing Called Love. And oh-so-many others. And dance. Boy ... do we ever dance.

Every once in a while, I catch myself humming one of my lullabies. No reason. I don’t have a baby to rock to sleep. But I do it, anyway. Maybe it’s my heart’s way of saying it’s all okay. Maybe not. But whatever the reason, it makes me so very grateful to have music in my life. Despite the fact that I can’t sing to pay the bills ... it brings me joy to sing to my little boy. And the smile on his face and the sweet sounds of his voice singing along with mine are better than hearing anyone say, “Oh, what a beautiful voice you have.”

I love you, Ammon. Thank you for the music.

I’m nothing special ...

in fact I’m a bit of a bore.

When I tell a joke ...

you’ve probably heard it before.

But I have a talent - a wonderful thing.

For you seem to listen when I start to sing.

I’m so grateful and proud ...

all I want is to sing it out loud.

So, I say

thank you for the music ...

the songs I’m singing.

Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing.

Who can live without it?

I ask in all honesty ...

what would life be?

Without a song or a dance,

what are we?

So, I say

thank you for the music ...

for giving it to me.

Mother says I was a dancer before I could walk.

She says I began to sing long before I could talk.

But I often wonder ...

how did it all start?

Who found out that nothing could capture a heart

like a melody can?

Well, whoever it was ...

I’m a fan.

So, I say

thank you for the music ...

the songs I’m singing.

Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing.

Who can live without it?

I ask in all honesty ...

what would life be?

Without a song or a dance,

what are we?

So, I say

thank you for the music ...

for giving it to me.

I’ve been so lucky ...

I am the girl with golden hair.

I want to sing it out to everybody -

What a joy, what a life, what a chance!

Thank you for the music ...

the songs I’m singing.

Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing.

Who can live without it?

I ask in all honesty ...

what would life be?

Without a song or a dance,

what are we?

So, I say

thank you for the music ...

for giving it to me.

So, I say

thank you for the music ...

for giving it to me.

Lyrics adapted from Thank You for the Music, ABBA

facts in fours

My second year-old tag was received from Laci, my cousin. Oh, how I love her. So, so much. Never would I have thought, when she married our cousin, Jacob, that I would end up bonding with her as I have (though I loved her from the start). She has helped to fill a void in my life that, for a long time, I had felt would just remain empty. I love her as if she were my own sister.

She inspires me. To be more outspoken - and voice the opinions that are in my heart. To face difficult things. Her strength motivates me to face my current realities. Her loving heart challenges me to love better. She inspires me to be the best mother that I can be. She shows me that ‘it’ - representing many things - can be done.

Being able to number her among the hosts of individuals in my family that I admire - makes me thankful. I wish we saw more of each other. I wish we lived nearer. What I wouldn’t give - though she would undoubtedly get tired of me - to be her neighbor. But we aren’t. So until that day, we talk on the phone. We email. We blog. I love her. And that is enough. Always.

So ... here we go. Facts about me in 4’s:

4 shows I like to watch (geezalou this was hard to narrow down):

1. Ghost Hunters
2. Wipeout (with my boys, of course)
3. Everybody Loves Raymond
4. I Love Lucy

4 things I’m passionate about:

1. My Family
2. Documenting our Life
3. Classic Film
4. Harry Potter and Twilight

4 phrases I say a lot:

1. No ... wait ... don’t jump!
2. Primary is fun!
3. You get what you get and you don’t pitch a fit.
4. (whimpering) When will you be home?

4 things I have learned from the past:

1. Sometimes, it’s okay to say ‘no’.
2. Listen to your heart.
3. Heavenly Father knows you better than you know yourself ... and you are never given a trial that you can not overcome.
4. Cultivating a good life and documenting it - especially the daily, mundane moments - is one of the most important things you can do with your time.

4 places I would like to go:

1. New York (NYC and Upstate)
2. Europe
3. Australia and New Zealand
4. To see my family

4 things I did yesterday:

1. Laundry
2. Tripped on a Transformer
3. Sang Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes approximately 467 times
4. Actually took a shower

4 things I'm looking forward to:

1. This weekend
2. Potty training being over and done with ... before we die.
3. Brian’s Graduation
4. A long vacation after Brian’s Graduation

4 things I love about winter:

1. The smell in the air
2. The possibility for snow
3. Cold Weather
4. Christmas

4 things on my wish list:

1. More Children
2. PF Changs
3. A new couch, mattress and washing machine ... because the ones we have all frighten me.
4. For Ammon to stay by himself in Primary. Please.

4 friends to tag:

1. Becky
2. Carrie
3. Lyndsey
4. Kira

beautiful blogger

Okay, folks.

Consider me a good friend. Consider me crazy. Consider me behind. Consider me Superwoman for doing this in the first place.

I was chosen to participate in two blog tags last year. Exactly one year ago, to be exact. Obviously, I never got around to it. Like so many other things. I need to right both of those things now ... because I love both of these ladies with all my heart and half my liver. And because I’m honored that they selected me.

My first tag, was the Beautiful Blogger Award.

I was selected by my dear friend Becky. Whom I admire so very much. She is an excellent mother to her 3 boys. She is crafty and clever and brave. She has helped me out in times of need. She has rescued me from figurative pits. She has laughed with me and mourned with me. My life is a brighter, better place because I know her. And that would be enough. But I can call her ‘friend’ ... and for that, I owe her the world.

Thank you, Becky. I love you.

The rules of this tag are to share 7 things about yourself (yikes), and then nominate 5 other beautiful bloggers (always a difficult thing to do).

My 7 things:

1. I can ride roller coasters all the day long ... but automatic car washes me the sickest kind of ill.
2. I am not an indecisive person - contrary to popular belief - but I hate making decisions for other people. I am overly paranoid about choosing something that they won’t like. So, in those situations, I tend to hem and hah and waft around and give the appearance that I couldn’t make a decision to save my life.
3. I will admit to not being creative in the kitchen. However, over the years, I have become very proficient at modifying recipes. I’m actually a good cook. Who the heck would have thought?
4. I don’t wear lots of makeup in the first place - but I rarely use eye shadow. The reason? It’s not because I don’t have time or because I don’t want to. It’s because I have naturally shaded eyelids. I believe it’s called fatigue.
5. I dream in all five senses. And often in black-and-white.
6. I want to travel the world.
7. I am believed by the world at large, to be 12 years old. This curse has recently come back to haunt me. I’m positive that one day I’ll be thankful. Until then, I plan to wear by driver’s license around my neck.

And I thought that was hard. Sigh. The real hard part is yet to be. Choosing only 5 beautiful bloggers was oh-so hard. There are many blogs that I follow and so many bloggers that I admire. If I had to choose only 5:

1. Becky ... I know she already did it. Maybe she could do it again? Heck ... it’s been a year.
2. Laci ... you’ll see why in my next post.
3. Hila ... because she’s Hila! And she is incredibly awesome. And because I love her and miss her greatly.
4. Amber ... because she equals ‘beautiful’. In every way.
5. Jessica ... because I love her and she understands me. She knows why and that is enough for me.

family photo shoot 2010 | looking back

Just a few from this perfect day ...

12.22 | Jessica Swatts Photography

at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel piazza


"Wednesday morning, we had our photo shoot with my cousin’s wife, Jessica. How excited I was! It proved to be a perfect morning at the Portofino. We took our time strolling down cobblestoned-sidewalks and watching birds and counting boats and pretending we were in Venice. It marked the first time we have ever had our photos professionally taken - and Jess and her superior talent did not disappoint. I will admit to being a little nervous going in - but I cannot even begin to tell you what a marvelous experience it was. How relaxing it was, how fun it was, how easy it was for this control-loving lady to hand over the reigns. It made a big difference - and was as easy as breathing - completely trusting that lovely face on the other side of the lens. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Jess work. Truthfully, the morning made me love her even more. Which is saying an awful lot. Yes. The whole thing made my heart sing."
[ excerpt from the post christmas ]


Thanks, again, Jess. Thanks for making the Thomases Three shine. How thankful we are that our family is full of such beautiful people as yourself. Love you, Gorgeous.
Thank you ... for everything.

a hazy shade of winter

It seems like it's all over. And - in complete, honest truth - I am very sad.

We’ve had an odd mix of weather this winter. Very cold. Lots of snow and sleet and hail. Lots of overcast, dreary days. All in all: Just the way I like it.

For the last couple of months – nearly every day, with the exception of these last couple of weeks – it has looked like snow. If not in temperature – in appearance. It reminds me of one of my very favorite places. And makes me long to be there. My cousin was recently there - in New York - and I loved following her daily updates. All the while daydreaming that I was there, too. One place that, at this time of the year, I deem close to heaven.

This photo was taken from the portico at our front door - which, incidentally, I also love. My favorite part of the whole house ... and something I truly wish I could just hack off and take with me whenever we do move on from this place.

I’ll always treasure this winter - and try to hold the memory of it close to my heart when summer arrives. I relish in the cleansing power of the winter season - when everything is so crisp and pure.

As the seasons slowly begin to change, I am trying to find new bits that I can call ‘heavenly’. Trying to find the beauty in the world around me. The joy in my everyday.

Because - there’s lots of it.

Note: As soon as I finished writing this (but before I posted it), it got blistery cold again. Bring on the hate mail ... because I was the one praying for this. Have I told you recently that I believe in the power of prayer? Yes, I do.