7.19.2008 

This has been a hard week at work... and I am tired mentally, physically, emotionally... my heart hurts for the people involved in decisions I have had to make and situations I have had to deal with this week...

I want some rain to just pour all over me right now...

6.23.2008 

Rascal Dog


So we knew this day was coming... I just didn't think it would hit me as hard as it has... after having Rascal as a loyal family pet for 12 years, we put her to sleep today. She had developed cancer that had spread to her lungs and had caused her to go blind in one eye... it was such a hard decision for us to make as a family, but we knew it was time... she lived such a great life... she brought so much happiness, laughter, and comfort to our family... I never thought I would have gotten so attached to her... I loved that dog. Mom and Dad talked to Trip on Friday night to prepare him (Rascal was technically his dog... he got her as a Christmas present when he was 8), and it was decided that we shouldn't wait anymore. Rascal may have been Trip's dog, but she definitely had the loyal-to-your-master relationship with my dad. If one of the rest of us told her to "come," she would maybe come (chances improved if we had a treat or an open car door). But if dad told her to "come," she would come. So dad wanted to take Rascal to the vet alone, I guess so he wouldn't have to be strong in front of anyone. So we all gave her one last ear rub or hug and told her goodbye beforehand. When dad pulled her leash down, she started wagging her tail, just as she always did when she knew she was going to go for a walk or a drive. When dad left with her, Trip closed the doggy door for the last time and just laid in front of it and cried.


So, Rascal is gone now. We have so many funny memories of her... when she ate an entire pizza off the kitchen counter (giving her the name Pizza Dog); when she ate an entire bag (wrappers and all) of Hersey kisses; when she ate an entire turkey carcass out of the trash (okay, so that dog liked to eat!); when Tilden picked her up when she was getting ready to fight another dog and accidentally stuck his hand up her rearend; when we decided that she had fallen in love with a dog on the Purina Dog Show; when she and Hannah frenched kiss when Hannah was a baby; when she had ELEVEN puppies; when we were pretty sure that for years she talked with a lisp; when just the sight of our tennis shoes would make her whine for a walk; when Becca & I decided to decorate her with paint but Trip got mad at us; when she caught a deer out at camp; when she burped really loud; when she was always there to greet us excitedly and genuinely as we walked into mom & dad's house; when she followed dad around camp everywhere he went; when she did great tricks on command; when she was always available for a cuddle...


I'm going to miss that dog...




5.03.2008 

My thoughts are too complex and involved lately to condense into a pretty little blog post...

3.26.2008 

Stagnant

How quickly life becomes stagnant... of course there are beautiful, small joys in my life every day... especially with little Emerson around... but there are also too many moments that just pass by...that aren't lived fully. I'm reminded of the Pink Floyd song "Time..."

...you are young and life is long
And there is time to kill today
And then one day you find
Ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run
You missed the starting gun...

Time is passing by so quickly... where is it going? What have I done with the time God has already given me? How can I make the most of every moment I have?

Today sure is a beautiful day...

2.27.2008 

I was just watching Super Nanny, and I started crying. I started crying for all the kids in this world who grow up with parents who do not do what’s best for them… with parents who are abusive, immature, selfish, and just ignorant. It hurts to imagine Emerson, or any other child I know for that matter, being treated the way too many children in this world are treated by their parents… the ones who are supposed to love them and care for them the most. I just have to wonder what a different world this would be if all children were allowed to grow up in a safe, positive, nurturing home.

Oh God, please protect and keep safe every child in this world tonight… let the children in this world experience at least this one night of safety and love… and if that is not your will, then please God, put someone in each of their lives that will show them love and will treat them like the beautiful creation you created them to be. Let them grow up knowing that they are valued and are Your creation... let it be so...

2.18.2008 

Time for some more pictures...

If these pictures are any indication of her personality, we're going to have a blast these next 18 years!



This girl loves her bath time...


This picture was taken right after she turned over from her back to her stomach!
Emerson at 4 months old... we almost forgot to take a picture on her 4-month birthday, but we remembered right before bedtime...
Good gracious... I love that smile...

She's recently discovered that it feels good on her gums to stick out her tongue... I love it!


2.15.2008 

"Dance It, Honey!"

Rebecca has been taking dance classes downtown, and she recently received an invitation to attend a master dance class with the Alvin Ailey company since they are performing in town this weekend (which Tilden and I will be going to see as well). She invited me to go with her, so that's how I ended up spending my Wednesday evening. After running a couple blocks in the pouring rain with no umbrella from our parking deck to the Blumenthal, we made it to the class soaking wet, but ready to soak in everything offered in the class.

I love dancing, but haven't done any dancing (besides jumping around in my living room) in quite some time. It was awesome... it made me remember why I love dancing so much in the first place. Yeah, I felt extremely stupid because I couldn't catch on to the routine fast enough, and when I got one part I forgot another part, but I was impressed with how much technique I still remember. My post-pregnancy body is extremely out of shape, and muscles that haven't been worked in a long time from my wrists to my knees were sore, but it felt good to be in a dance class... to receive feedback on how I was doing. The instructor kept saying, "you've got to dance it, honey!" He made a good point: sometimes you just have to get back to the basics and remember why you fell in love with the art in the first place. I think that advice could pretty much work in many areas of life...

Anyways, it was a fun, unexpected way to spend an evening... who knows? Maybe I'll enroll in some more classes soon...

2.10.2008 

Three Cups of Tea


I'd recommend this book to pretty much every American to read... it gives a great perspective on what life is really like in the Middle East... and what one guy is doing to make a difference...


1.31.2008 

So my prayer tonight as I caught a glimpse of my sleeping daughter in the mirror as I was laying her in her crib was, "oh God, please don't let me screw this whole thing up..."

It kind of just hit me, all over again, that she is an actual human... a human that we are shaping into an adult... an actual adult who will make her own decisions and impact other people... somehow.

wow.

1.10.2008 

My life...

Years ago, I never would have thought that my life would now consist of children's music playing constantly in my home, my living room being scattered with colorful baby toys, my days being planned around when my daughter will want to eat again, rushing to get home from work to see my husband and baby, meals being eaten while smiling at the face of a cooing baby, thinking that the best invention ever is a pillow called "My Breast Friend," washing and folding such small articles of clothing constantly, being ready for bed by 9pm, getting joy out of seeing my daughter hold a toy or follow an object with her eyes or take a nap in her crib...

But that's my life now, and well, it suits me just fine.

About me

  • I'm Stephanie
  • From Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
  • I want to make a difference in my world... I want to appreciate the beauty around me to the fullest... I want to experience life in every possible way... I want to love and appreciate each the kids at the Club everday...lots of wants...realities?
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