Tonight, I was blessed to have a very touching and powerful conversation with my grandmother. She was talking to me about the 'art of living'. How every little thing that we use our loving hands to create, is art. Whether we are cooking a delicious meal, tending to our garden, or even writing a blog...it's all our personal art. The art of life.
My mind took off with this wonderful way of looking at things, and I found myself going over the artful masterpieces of everyday. The first thing that popped into my mind was my son's smile. There is absolutely nothing as beautiful, or precious, than his smile. Such a simple thing, and yet so magnificent in that simplicity. I told my husband after he was born that, not only was I amazed that this little human being came from my body, but he worked!! He breathed, and moved, and had little tiny baby thoughts all on his own. My body somehow knew how to make this precious little vessel for a precious little soul. And he is truly a masterpiece. A perfect example of art in life.
I then thought of how much I love to cook, and what joy I get from, not just the colorful arrangement of food on a plate, but the symphony of flavors that melt in your mouth. I love the process of creating that taste. Creating that perfect bite that draws a satisfying "Mmmmmmm". I really couldn't be more pleased then when I know I have made a good meal, and I can share it with others.
I could list a million things that I do every day that I find to be 'artful'. Even just a conversation, simple rhetoric, can be art. I really loved the idea of finding all of those little things that are a reflection of yourself. That allow you to let your creative self flow. It brought a whole new perspective to life. And the beauty in it.
I challenge you....yes, even those of you who claim to be 'far from creative'...to find at least one thing in your life that reflects the art that you create in your life. It's very empowering. And, once you've found that one (or more) thing(s), appreciate it for what it is.
Enjoy!!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Family Time
I have been spending the last couple of days relaxing in Dallas, and visiting with my family. It has been so wonderful to see them with my son. He hasn't gotten to see his grandparents very much, and it means the world to me that he is getting this bonding time before we leave. Thank God for Skype! He recognizes their faces from our many chats, and it will be how he gets to spend time with them over the next two years.
It is really difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that he will be almost 3 years old when we get back. I am so thrilled for the opportunity that he has, at this young age, to really get a taste of a different culture. But, it has been very bittersweet as it sinks in how much time he will be missing with his extended family. He has two younger cousins that will, no doubt, be best friends by the time we get back, and he will be playing catch up. However, I am still very excited about this experience, and, at the end of the day...he gets to be the cool kid that lived in Guam!!
Tonight the plan is to finish the delicious latte that my step-mom whipped up for me, and then cuddle up with a good movie and my family.
Goodnight, All.
It is really difficult for me to come to terms with the fact that he will be almost 3 years old when we get back. I am so thrilled for the opportunity that he has, at this young age, to really get a taste of a different culture. But, it has been very bittersweet as it sinks in how much time he will be missing with his extended family. He has two younger cousins that will, no doubt, be best friends by the time we get back, and he will be playing catch up. However, I am still very excited about this experience, and, at the end of the day...he gets to be the cool kid that lived in Guam!!
Tonight the plan is to finish the delicious latte that my step-mom whipped up for me, and then cuddle up with a good movie and my family.
Goodnight, All.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Father's Day
Today we celebrate fathers. True fathers. Not just men who happen to have offspring. I know that my dad was, and is, a huge influence on my life. One of the most important things he taught me was about the power that we have over our own lives. He was always encouraging me to follow my dreams...not a particularly unique lesson, but one that I took to heart. I have dreams that are bigger than life, and slowly but surely, I am making them come true. Me. Not to say that people don't help me...obviously, I am giving a ton of credit to my dad...but, he really showed me that I can decide my fate. I may not be able to control the events that are going on around me, but I can choose how I react to them, and what I learn from them. There have been so many things that he has left imprinted in my heart, so, today, I thank you, Dad. For every day.
I have been lucky enough, these past 8 months, to watch a new father bloom. My husband has shown me a side of him that I had dreamed about. But, he took the blueprints of the father I had him pegged to be, and is building a masterpiece. It is truly amazing to watch him with our son. He is there for everything. I feel very lucky to have a partner that is, not only willing, but happy to share in everything with me. He changes diapers, we swap night duty, he feeds him, and plays with him, AND if I've had a particularly hard day, he has kicked me out of the room to go see and movie and take a break.
Whether it's watching my son laugh at Daddy's silly faces, or even having to cuddle my crying baby when Daddy leaves to go back to work; every little thing shows what a great dad he is. Thank you, Wade.
Happy Father's Day, everybody!
I have been lucky enough, these past 8 months, to watch a new father bloom. My husband has shown me a side of him that I had dreamed about. But, he took the blueprints of the father I had him pegged to be, and is building a masterpiece. It is truly amazing to watch him with our son. He is there for everything. I feel very lucky to have a partner that is, not only willing, but happy to share in everything with me. He changes diapers, we swap night duty, he feeds him, and plays with him, AND if I've had a particularly hard day, he has kicked me out of the room to go see and movie and take a break.
Whether it's watching my son laugh at Daddy's silly faces, or even having to cuddle my crying baby when Daddy leaves to go back to work; every little thing shows what a great dad he is. Thank you, Wade.
Happy Father's Day, everybody!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Preparing for 'Goodbye'...
This year has, and will continue to be, the busiest year of my life. My precious son was born last October. Four days later, my husband left for a deployment that would last for 4 months. We lived in Georgia at the time, and before Squirt was born, I went to stay with my parents in Texas. I didn't want to be alone during the holidays with a newborn, wallowing in my loneliness. So, thankfully, during my son's two months of colic, I was able to cry on my parents' shoulders when I couldn't get my son to stop screaming.
About a month after he was born, I received an email from my husband, telling me to get our son if he wasn't with me because what he was about to tell me involved our whole family. He then prefaced his big news with this, "Don't freak out...". Well, guess what I did? Actually, I didn't quite 'freak out', but I did hold my breath as I read our fate.
My husband was up for a shore duty, and we had been waiting for the official news as to where we would be stationed. For those of you not familiar with the difference between 'shore' duty and 'sea' duty: Navy personnel rotate between sea duty (being stationed on a ship/sub) and shore duty (being stationed at a job where you are not attached to a ship/sub, and do not go out to sea).
We had been given two choices: We could go to New York, or South Carolina. The same job would be waiting for him either way, all we had to do was choose a location. Well, we decided on New York, and had been pretty much guaranteed that spot. We were so sure of this that we even registered for cold weather gear for our son. Lucky us, we didn't get any of it.
Most people might not know something about the military that all of us active duty and dependents know (and also seem to forget all too easily)...things change. A lot. All the time, in fact. And yet, somehow I managed to let this important fact completely leave my mind. They needed people really badly in New York. Why would they send us anywhere else? What we didn't know was that a lot of people cycled out of their sea duty rotation at the same time in this little place called Guam. It just so happened that my husband fit the bill. He, and 8 other sailors were shocked to find out that plans had changed.
So, there I was, holding our crying one-month-old son, franticly clicking on my Google search box, typing (one-handed) 'Guam', and praying that the pictures would look okay. I started to feel a little better when I saw quotes like, "Reminded me of Hawaii, just smaller", and, "Some of the best scuba diving on the planet!". After catching my breath, I jumped back over to the email, read it over two more times, and then went to announce to my dad that we might be moving to Guam. I think I told him right away because I needed a life-line to the real world. I was an exhausted new mother, and I needed to make sure that I hadn't just had an overwhelmingly real day-dream.
Now, to back-track...in that first email, my husband was really unsure of all the details. He had received the orders, but that was it. No explanation. There were rumors that the Navy wouldn't move our son and I over there with him because the ship he was going to was due to come back to the states. All we could do was pray for those first couple of days. Well, as you've probably guessed, we are all going. And, we are scheduled to leave the states, for the next two years, on July 11th.
I decided, about a month ago, that I wanted to chronicle our adventures leaving overseas. So, as much as I aspire to being a diligent journal keeper, I think this blog will be easier to keep up with. I will be sharing pictures and stories and sometimes just day-to-day life.
I currently am sitting in our hotel room, on-base, in Portsmouth, VA. My husband had to go to a specialty school before we could leave, and he is just about finished up. My son and I are flying home to Dallas on Tuesday (!!!) and Wade will be following in our truck. We are splitting the time we have left before we leave between my family in Dallas, and his family in Houston. I started the blog early because these last couple of weeks in the states are just as much a part of our journey. Unfortunately, we cannot be teleported with all of our belongings to our little island home. Ahhh, how nice that would have been.
So, I hope that you enjoy our story. I know that I will.
About a month after he was born, I received an email from my husband, telling me to get our son if he wasn't with me because what he was about to tell me involved our whole family. He then prefaced his big news with this, "Don't freak out...". Well, guess what I did? Actually, I didn't quite 'freak out', but I did hold my breath as I read our fate.
My husband was up for a shore duty, and we had been waiting for the official news as to where we would be stationed. For those of you not familiar with the difference between 'shore' duty and 'sea' duty: Navy personnel rotate between sea duty (being stationed on a ship/sub) and shore duty (being stationed at a job where you are not attached to a ship/sub, and do not go out to sea).
We had been given two choices: We could go to New York, or South Carolina. The same job would be waiting for him either way, all we had to do was choose a location. Well, we decided on New York, and had been pretty much guaranteed that spot. We were so sure of this that we even registered for cold weather gear for our son. Lucky us, we didn't get any of it.
Most people might not know something about the military that all of us active duty and dependents know (and also seem to forget all too easily)...things change. A lot. All the time, in fact. And yet, somehow I managed to let this important fact completely leave my mind. They needed people really badly in New York. Why would they send us anywhere else? What we didn't know was that a lot of people cycled out of their sea duty rotation at the same time in this little place called Guam. It just so happened that my husband fit the bill. He, and 8 other sailors were shocked to find out that plans had changed.
So, there I was, holding our crying one-month-old son, franticly clicking on my Google search box, typing (one-handed) 'Guam', and praying that the pictures would look okay. I started to feel a little better when I saw quotes like, "Reminded me of Hawaii, just smaller", and, "Some of the best scuba diving on the planet!". After catching my breath, I jumped back over to the email, read it over two more times, and then went to announce to my dad that we might be moving to Guam. I think I told him right away because I needed a life-line to the real world. I was an exhausted new mother, and I needed to make sure that I hadn't just had an overwhelmingly real day-dream.
Now, to back-track...in that first email, my husband was really unsure of all the details. He had received the orders, but that was it. No explanation. There were rumors that the Navy wouldn't move our son and I over there with him because the ship he was going to was due to come back to the states. All we could do was pray for those first couple of days. Well, as you've probably guessed, we are all going. And, we are scheduled to leave the states, for the next two years, on July 11th.
I decided, about a month ago, that I wanted to chronicle our adventures leaving overseas. So, as much as I aspire to being a diligent journal keeper, I think this blog will be easier to keep up with. I will be sharing pictures and stories and sometimes just day-to-day life.
I currently am sitting in our hotel room, on-base, in Portsmouth, VA. My husband had to go to a specialty school before we could leave, and he is just about finished up. My son and I are flying home to Dallas on Tuesday (!!!) and Wade will be following in our truck. We are splitting the time we have left before we leave between my family in Dallas, and his family in Houston. I started the blog early because these last couple of weeks in the states are just as much a part of our journey. Unfortunately, we cannot be teleported with all of our belongings to our little island home. Ahhh, how nice that would have been.
So, I hope that you enjoy our story. I know that I will.
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