Melodie Beattie : “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. . . It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Let us all remember to be grateful today – and always. Happy Thanksgiving.

quality time = a fun mess

We are so happy that Brian is at home this week… especially Ammon.

eleven months old is the way to go

So, this month I thought I wouldn’t wait until the very last minute to do the monthly homage to Ammon’s life. Here’s to him as an eleven-month old.

He LOVES: his afternoon routine with his daddy – to be sung to… especially Popcorn Popping, Sing (from Sesame Street), Hello, Goodbye by The Beatles, Abadabadabadabadabadabadab Says Ammon to the Moon, The 59th Street Bridge Song by Simon and Garfunkel and Jellyman Kelly (from Sesame Street) – books – dogs – trucks, trains, cars… anything with wheels – to play rough with his daddy (especially on couches and beds) – to stand and “walk” (still with some assistance) – to be outside – to eat – playtime – any electronic device – music… The Dingees, The Starting Line, James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel, 311 (much to his mother’s horror), Bing Crosby, The Black Crowes, The Electric Mayhem, Billy Joel and Harry Connick, Jr. – to dance – to talk, squeal, laugh… he’s babbling constantly now, rather than just making individual noises – his family – people watching – his bath time – trees – hide and seek – crinkling his diaper – watching manly stuff with his daddy – textures – his bink – the park – nap buddies in his crib – paper – shoes – Transformers, especially his Ammon-sized Jazz and Starscream – to give kisses… be they Eskimo, head bumps or slobbery, wet chews – to make his Incredible Hulk face – balls – speed crawling – the entertainment center – his (get this) sippy cups

He HATES: not getting his way – having things taken away from him –laying down to change diapers or clothes

Ammon continues to hold his own bottle… and now loves the sippy cup way of life. Ammon is, finally, showing an interest in learning to feed himself. Table foods, however, are a problem in his opinion. But, he is slowly getting used to the idea.

Ammon is a talker. He practices new sounds and combinations just about every day. Words we often hear are: Momma, Daddy, Shoe, Sissy (Brian's mom), Ball, Book, Toys, No, Yeah, Hi or Hey – and of course his world-famous whistly-OOOO or Sissssssh when he is very, very excited.

Ammon knows his name; however, he has a selective hearing problem. As most do, I know. He also knows what is off-limits or potentially off-limits. He always stops and looks back at us for “approval”, then goes full steam ahead whether we give it, or not.

Ammon is an independent player – like his mom and dad were. He does like some companions at times, but mostly just likes to explore or play by himself. GRAPHIC CONTENT AHEAD: Brian also calls Ammon a “solitary pooper”… as he now goes and hides whenever he’s, you know…

Ammon still is fascinated by the mechanics of things. He loves figuring out how things work. He now not only get his books off his bookshelf by himself, but he can get out his own toys and whatnots. He is figuring out how to get around the barricades now… allowing him to get to those afore-mentioned off-limits things. He also knows how to open DVD and CD cases.

Ammon continues to crawl via warp speed travel. He pulls up on everything he can, and is at last pulling up to a standing position without help – though he still prefers not to. He is a lazy one... his only vice.

Ammon continues to sleep well through the night. It is rare for him to make the slightest peep at all. He appears to want to drop one of his naps; however, he just isn’t ready for it yet. He thinks he is… but he’s not (and that isn’t just his mom talking). He may only need two naps a day for another few months, but as of right now… he must have two or we have WW111 here on Woodburn Drive. Sleep is not required (just preferred)… but quiet time is non-negotiable.

Ammon still loves to read books – he still cannot get enough of them. Bedtime is still one of our favorite times of the day. We like those nice, wind-down moments when we read a story as a family, say prayers and give goodnight cuddles.

We are still plagued with some separation issues. Around 6:00pm everyday, Ammon gets very clingy… whether Brian and/or I are going anywhere or not. I dread the day when he starts Nursery… or, heaven forbid, school.

Ammon’s bright personality and smart mind always make us smile. He is such a ray of sunshine in our lives. As he rapidly approaches his first birthday, we are ever-thankful for these last eleven months. So grateful for the memories, lessons, fun… and love.

love affairs

I’ll be honest. This photo is somewhat ancient. But, I still wanted to share. So, here it is… our first snow of the season. Which leads us to our topic for the day: Love affairs.

I am in love with this weather we’ve been having. Loving the cold. Loving that nip in the air. Since newly harvested cotton is the closest thing to a newly fallen blanket of snow we will ever see here in the deep South, I am enjoying creating my own little almost-winter wonderland in my mind.

I am really loving having the title of “Mom” this week. Not like I don’t love it at any other time. But this week has seemed different. I firmly feel that it is a new outlook on life that has wrought about this change.

I really love embracing this new “classic” lease on life. I’ve never considered myself a June Cleaver… maybe a Lucy Ricardo (she at least wears pants sometimes). I may be a stay-at-home-wife-and-mom but I’ve never really connected with these icons and how they encompass the term “house-wife”. Even though I have been told that I could totally pull off retro. But anywho… I’ve been working on a family album that I am assembling using my great-grandmother’s recipes and I have had quite the realization this week. I have been reading article after article that my dear great-grandmother had saved. Articles that were obviously targeted for something that I will describe simply as the “house-wife generation”. Women who received the greatest of joys from having a full cookie jar. Women who received the greatest of thrills from packing that perfect lunchbox. Women who received the greatest of pleasures from a properly balanced home.

It has been from this study that I have learned that while I may be a house-wife… I am far from a home-maker. Remember that old saying, “A house is just a building, but a home is a place of love.”? I use this same comparison when comparing house-wives with home-makers. A house-wife is just a vessel of work. A home-maker is someone who emanates love… and someone who truly loves the task at hand… someone who is the glue of the home, so to speak. This concept has brought me a lot of joy this week. While I may not have enough counter space for a cookie jar (even though I did make… and eat… some cookies yesterday); while I may not have to put together any lunchboxes yet; while my townhouse isn’t quite the balanced home I would like to have – I am slowly learning the art of being a home-maker rather than just a house-wife. There is a difference. And my little aha-moment has made a difference in me already.

And, to end my rant on love affairs, the day has finally come… and gone. Twilight. My friend, Kira, and I went to see it this afternoon. Life had other ideas for me after I had made arrangements to go to the midnight showing with Brian. But, I was glad to go with my pal. It’s been years since we’ve been to a movie together. Something that was once an almost every week occurrence is now a thing of the past. We had a nice chuckle as we remembered back to that last time – who we were with, who sat where, what we saw. It’s funny how you remember so clearly the good times.

We decided to be groupies today, but not crazed-groupies. I, of course, wore my “Team Edward” t-shirt. She wore my “Team Edward” pin. And, inevitably, we took pictures. We enjoyed the movie; however, it wasn’t what we expected. I think you have to totally divorce it from the book. But, still good… still worth it. And I shed a tear. While I did let out an exasperated sigh when the girls next to me started giggling when Edward (… and Carlisle, and Emmett, and Jasper… well, everyone for that matter…) came on screen… I can’t deny that I was just a little excited, too. I would actually love to see it again… once the hype dies down just a hair… just so that I can try and catch all those little things you miss during that first viewing. But, I was so glad to be able to see it at all. Thank you for going with me, friend. Brian, thank you for keeping an eye on the bug. I’m already planning a Twilight-DVD-release-party at my house… let me know if you want to come…

After a nice chat with Kira in her car (oh, how I loved the non-what-do-cow’s-say-? conversation), I made the journey inside. I sat down, told Brian about the movie, and just processed everything. It was then that I started to feel very depressed. Depressed because it was over. Simply put… it’s over now. Nothing else to look forward to… apart from the next movie(s). But, I feel as if some part of me has died. I must keep it alive… I must! I’ve connected with this story more than I have with any other. I have connected with the love of Bella and Edward than I have with any other love story. I have decided that I will just have to have a never-ending love affair with vampires. And so the lion fell in love with the lamb.

A very good week, if I do say so myself. Even though I am battling a cold and Ammon is trying to cut more teeth. Brian accepted a promotion and slight raise at work. He is also getting his ducks in a row to start graduate school at the first of the year. Next week we celebrate Thanksgiving… Brian has the entire week off. And just how much do we have to be thankful for this year… quite a lot, in deed.

opportunities

I’ve been thinking all week about what I would say when I finally had the opportunity to post. And, now that I am sitting here ready to do it, words will not come. But, despite my mind and hands and their unwillingness to work as a team, I have travelled long and far to update this most favored of blogs. So… speak I must.

This week has been a mixture of things here on Woodburn Drive. A mixture of things that I will not go into here. But I will say that this week has been a mixture of emotions and thoughts. A mixture of trials and blessings. A mixture of pain and light.

I have had the opportunity to reevaluate my very existence this past week. My life has always lacked courage. I am not brave. I fear things I can’t understand. I fear things my mind can’t wrap itself around. I fear obstacles that I can’t see the way through. I fear problems that I don’t know the solutions for. But, I know in whom I can trust. I know where to put my faith. I know who to direct my questions and pleas to. And how blessed I am to have a companion such as mine. Another person in whom I can trust. Another person in whom I can put my faith. And we buoy each other. We carry each other’s burdens. We lighten each other’s heavy hearts.

I have learned something this week. While I still fear, I have found courage. And after all, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” [Ambrose Redmoon].

We as a family have been forced to reevaluate some things. And, even though I thought it to be a hard thing to do… I’m finding that it is quite the opposite. And while our destination is far off, for today… I am finding the joy in just being ordinary. And, I have so many reasons to enjoy my ordinary life. So many blessings. So many reasons to have courage.

Marilyn Thomsen : "And while it takes courage to achieve greatness, it takes more courage to find fulfillment in being ordinary. For the joys that last have little relationship to achievement, to standing one step higher on the victory platform. What is the adventure in being ordinary? It is daring to love just for the pleasure of giving it away. It is venturing to give new life and to nurture it to maturity. It is working hard for the pure joy of being tired at the end of the day. It is caring and sharing and giving and loving."

As we finally begin to see the effects of fall, I see an interesting (albeit humorous) parallel to my current life. I have always loved fall. Not just because of the beautiful colors, heavenly weather and promise that the holidays are on the horizon. While some love spring because of it’s signs of rebirth, I love fall because it gives the opportunity for rebirth. The opportunity for new growth. The opportunity for new-found life. And depending on what we do with the winter… we may have a lovely spring.

We had the chance to spend the day in the country last weekend. For no reason but to soak in some of that invigorating fall air. The leaves have changed colors. The trees are starting to shed their foliage. The chilly breeze has us reaching for longer sleeves and making us desire to spend more time outdoors. It is just too easy to enjoy this time of the year. Just too easy to enjoy a nice afternoon with family.


The most pleasant sight of my week was a sign greeting me at Wal-Mart that read, “Christmas Trees Are Coming.”. And better yet, on my way to church this morning I saw the poles going up on the property where we usually get our trees. We are listening to Christmas music now. Enjoying the season early. I know lots of people think it too early. But, I think that it is never too early to start celebrating this most special of holidays. The time that we honor the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Aren’t we told to keep that Christmas spirit in our hearts all the year through?

After dinner tonight we flipped on the television only to find the Grinch on... the good one. Another fine-looking sign.

"Pooh-Pooh to the Whos!" he was grinch-ish-ly humming. "They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming! They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do! Their mouths will hang open a minute or two then the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry 'Boo-Hoo!'”

"That's a noise," grinned the Grinch, "that I simply MUST hear!" So he paused. And the Grinch put his hand to his ear. And he did hear a sound rising over the snow. It started in low. Then it started to grow...

But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry! It couldn't be so! But it WAS merry! VERY!

He stared down at Who-ville! The Grinch popped his eyes! Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise!

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, was singing! Without any presents at all! He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so? It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!" And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"

So, try enjoying the holiday season early. If not, well… enjoy your fall, make the most of your winter, and hope for a lovely spring.

review of a 10-month old

Technically, he is still 10 months old until 9:53 tonight. And we don’t want to classify him as an 11-month old just quite yet. Here is a little snippet of what Ammon has been up to during his 10-month old days.

He LOVES: his afternoon routine with his daddy – to be sung to… especially Popcorn Popping, Sing (from Sesame Street), Hello, Goodbye by The Beatles, Abadabadabadabadabadabadab Says Ammon to the Moon and Jellyman Kelly (from Sesame Street) – books – dogs – trucks, trains, cars… anything with wheels – to play rough with his daddy – to stand (still with some assistance) – to be outside – to eat – playtime – any electronic device – music… especially jazz, ska punk, acoustic guitars and The Dingees – to dance – to talk, squeal, laugh… he’s babbling now, rather than just making individual noises – his family – large amounts of attention or large groups of people – anything that crinkles (ideally tracing paper or vellum when mom is not looking) – to be in water – his bathtub – trees – hide and seek – his mom’s hair – his feet – watching Transformers, Airwolf, Voltron, Scooby Doo yadda yadda yadda, with his daddy – textures – his bink – the park – nap buddies in his crib – paper – shoes – Transformers, especially his Ammon-sized Jazz and Starscream – to snuggle – to give kisses… be they Eskimo, or slobbery wet chews – to give noggin kisses (i.e.: head bumps) – to "jump" off any high surface for his daddy to catch him – balls – speed crawling – the entertainment center

He HATES: not getting his way – having things taken away from him – his sippy-cups – getting his nose sucked out (sorry if that was too much information) – laying down to change diapers or clothes

Ammon is working on getting his two incisors. Yes… I know… still. However, the are slowly coming through and he does not seem to be in any discomfort. Mealtimes are not so much of a problem anymore.

Speaking of mealtimes: Ammon is, finally, holing his own bottle. Hurrah! Hurrah! I thought this day would never come. He still pitches a fit when Brian feeds him – primarily because dad is his spoiler and enabler. Mom is the bad guy here on Woodburn Drive. Sippy-cups still elude us. Ammon is, however, learning to feed himself.

Ammon continues to shock us with his love of conversation. He is a loud talker. He practices new sounds and combinations just about every day. He is gibber-jabbering now… so much fun.

Ammon still is fascinated by the mechanics of things. He loves figuring out how things work. He now can get his books off his bookshelf by himself, and he knows where his toys are. He also knows where all the plugs and cords are… as a result we get our exercise every day.

Ammon is a mobile machine. He continues to crawl via warp speed travel. He pulls up on everything he can; however, he still stays on his knees. He has pulled up to a standing position, but he doesn’t prefer it yet. He is very inquisitive and he has to touch everything. He entered the whole put-everything-in-my-mouth stage a little late (something I am grateful for)… and his mobility precision has allowed him to find new snacks…

Ammon continues to sleep through the night and take two good naps in his crib during the day – on his stomach with his behind up in the air is usually how you will find him.

Ammon still loves to read books – he cannot get enough of them. Of this I am glad. He still picks his own bedtime stories each night. Our bedtime routine is still a favorite. After bath, we pick up toys, read a story and say prayers. We love how Ammon sits reverently with his arms folded… then grins the biggest of grins after we say, “Amen”.

Ammon still loves to follow me around, but usually only after Brian gets home. At that point, he wants both of us to be right there with him. We are still plagued with some separation issues.

I have said before – and I will say it for the rest of my days, I’m sure – that Ammon’s personality astounds us. I have been told that I feel that way simply because I am his parent. Simply because he is my first-born child. I have to disagree. Being around him around the clock and looking at him from a completely unbiased standpoint, I have to say that he is a remarkable child. Truly – a sparkling personality. More character, vibrance and love of life than I have ever before seen. It isn’t just because we are his parents, though some may think that way. He is, by nature, sweet and charming. He is smart and funny. But there is something else… something that can’t be pinpointed, that makes me stop and wonder. Wonder what he will do, what he will say… what he will be. I wonder if he will have my imagination. I wonder if he will have Brian’s sensitivity. I wonder… and wait. Enjoying each day along the way. I am so grateful that I am this boy’s mother. I am so very thankful that I can be at home with him and help mold him into something majestic.

We love this boy. He rocks our world. It’s as simple as that.

life changing events

You remember how I was talking about my dreams for the far-off-distant-future… well, I can mark one of those off my list. Last Saturday I had one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. My mom and I drove up to meet our pal, Amber, and go to the Birmingham Museum of Art for the day. And we had a pretty darn good reason for doing so. We were able to view an exhibit of drawings by Leonardo Da Vinci. Yes… real Leo’s. Real, honest-to-goodness drawings done by the master himself. Real drawings that I could reach out and touch, see the texture of the paper, and see the indentations made in it by his pen or metalpoint. How extraordinary. How breathtaking. How amazing to see outside of a book. Simply magical.

“Drawing is nothing more than a mark on paper. But in the hands of the great draftsman Leonardo Da Vinci, each mark takes on a life of its own and the paper is transformed into a masterpiece.”

The drawings have never before traveled in a group nor in their entirety been made available outside of Italy. One of the drawings has been described as the “most beautiful drawing in the world” – and how true that statement is. This drawing was the model for the angel in Da Vinci’s “Virgin of the Rocks” – one of his more famous works. I was familiar with this drawing and what a thrill it was to see it in person.

I’ve experienced some great things in my life. But, this happening was one of the greats. Truly – in every aspect – a life changing event. An affair to remember.

This experience just makes me want to go and see more – go to Florence, Venice… or the Louvre. I’m eager for more. We also grabbed some lunch at Newk’s (reminds me of Earl of Sandwich in Orlando)… also making me eager for more.

The rest of this week has been spent mending sick noses. Ammon is, for the most part, over his bug… I still have some lingering crud. We’ve spent our days in a lazy fashion. Laundry has gone undone… and dishes, too. But, slowly but surely, we are on the mend. Sooner or later we will be on top of things again. I will say that Ammon’s first bout of sickness has not been a pleasant experience. I do not like him being ill. I look forward to the day when my ever eager, full-of-energy, inquisitive boy returns back to me.

We have had a few spells of fun here and there, though. Monday night we went to the Peanut Festival with our family. After years and years of manning the Elephant Ear booth, Brian and I can hardly stand to even be in close proximity to it. But, we go with Brian’s family at least once. We met Brian’s parents and our nephew there; along with Aunt Bev, Uncle Page, Shelby (and Clay), Hunter and Rachel. I must say, it wasn’t all that bad. There aren’t many things quite as good as a nice, fatty corndog smothered in mustard… something I look forward to all year. You know you’re in the South when you can boast a greasy pig and calf scramble on your list of weekly activities. I don’t really like watching these things, but I was overruled. Caulin had fun riding some rides with Rachel. All in all it was a fun night. Not only did we create some irreplaceable family memories, but the weather was nice and crisp and we got some boiled peanuts out of it (not to mention that luscious corndog) – all which are just icing on the cake in my book.

We enjoyed a nice visit from our ward’s missionaries Tuesday night. Ammon adores those guys. We do, too, so it was a nice evening. I was going to make dinner for them, but with being sick and all… they ended up with pizza. And they scarfed it down. I was worried that they get pizza a lot, but apparently not. We called ahead of time, just to make sure that that menu plan was alright by them. They said, “Actually… we would really like that a lot.”. Glad to oblige…

After we ate dinner, we watched The Restoration - which is about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m so thankful for the sweet spirit that always abides in our home after those young men leave. Thank you, Elders. Thank you for your willingness to sacrifice so much. We are ever thankful for the full-time missionary from our family that is currently serving our Heavenly Father.

I’m starting to run some ideas through my pea-sized brain… some starting points and layout ideas for our week-in-our-life album. Now to just start assembling and creating. That’s the fun part about this project and I can’t wait to just get started. It does seem weird to not be carrying around my camera all the time. When it’s on your hip for a week, you really do miss it not being there. Stay tuned for the finished product.

Something that I was able to finish and get on the wall this week was our new family tree. I had seen this in a store and jotted it down in my inspiration journal as one of those I’ll-get-to-it-someday projects. But, when we were in that same store a couple of weeks ago and Brian spotted it again for only $9.00 (reduced from over $40.00), I had to snap it up. I couldn’t have made it from scratch that cheaply – but it would have been so easy to do. I modified it slightly from its “original” purpose – and I am very happy with how it turned out. With all 82 of us on there, we make quite the full, handsome tree. I’ll share a branch with this bunch any day.



Is anyone else sitting on the edge of their seats… patiently waiting for the next 2 weeks to pass? I have a weekend date with my Twilight buds... but I’m wondering if I can wait that long. I’m pondering the thought of going to pick up my soundtrack pretty soon. Just for kicks and giggles, you know. I’ve heard most of it – and I read a good little comment that said, “Smartly (since the film is, for all its supernatural trappings, essentially a love story) … [the] soundtrack provides plenty of fist-pumping moments but far more that are just plain swoony.”. That’s what I like to hear… just plain swoony.

As far as the recent election goes, I’ll borrow the words of our politically-conscious cousin, Ian: Thank you, Senator McCain and Governor Palin. Congratulations to the new President- and Vice President-Elect. God Bless America.


Life changing events, indeed.

when life gives you lemons… buy shoes

This is an old thought – and old news for those of you who have seen me sporting these babies at church lately – but I wanted to share. My alternative to the good cry theory: Good, beautiful, fun shoes. Good $5.00 shoes. Yum… just makes my heart smile.