Wash it all away...

There is something about a spring rain.
Something that wells up inside of me and makes me feel more alive.
Winter is always so long and trying.
It weighs heavy on me.
Spring comes and there is new and beautiful life everywhere.
It's refreshing.
It's inspiring.
Yet winter still weighs heavy...
Until it pours.
It washes away all of the sadness.
The despair.
The darkness.
It cleanses from the inside out.

It is pouring outside.
It is refreshing.
It has brought with it a calm.
A much needed calm I might add...
She has been teething!
We are worn out.
We needed a refresh.

Being a parent, I learn more and more about God's love for us each day.
If I would gladly take my Sweet Afton's pain and bear it for her...
How much more He for us.
I hate to see her in pain.
She doesn't understand it either.
She doesn't know why she is hurting.
How familiar.
I know that it is because she has tiny little teeth pushing through.
How often are we hurting and don't understand why?
He knows why and He desires to take us through it.

I have more mommying to do now...
I love to sit and watch her play.
I just adore her.
Everything she does is precious.
Then, just when I've had my fill of Afton watching...
She looks up and flashes me a devious smile.
What a reward...

Oh the places you'll go...

I wish that Afton could remember all of the adventures that we have taken her on.

We took a vacation!
It was quite spectacular to get out and have absolutely nothing to do.

 

No phone calls to answer, no e-mails to check, no fires to put out.

We started in Eureka Springs. The views were quite amazing.

We checked out the glass chapel. As I'm writing this I have totally forgotten it's actual name. :-/

On the way out of Eureka and on to Branson we stopped in at Cosmic Cavern.

It had 2 bottomless lakes that were quite pretty.

It also had many, many steep and wet stairs.

Todd wore Afton to insure maximum safety. ;-)

When we got to our 'hotel' we were happily surprised to find that we were actually staying in a condo out in the middle of nowhere. It was so very quiet.

We could hear the crickets and frogs in the evenings, something we haven't heard since we sold our house in the country.

We went to the Dixie Stampede the evening we got to Branson. 

We didn't take any pictures. :-(

It was very entertaining.

However, it was late in the evening and so we were pretty busy keeping Afton happy.

The first full day we were in Branson we went to Silver Dollar City.

Once again, we didn't take any pictures. :-(

Have you ever been to Marvel Cave in Silver Dollar City?

A-MA-ZING!

It was sooo cool, not to mention free.

When you have a baby you don't get to ride many rides. 

So we walked around and shopped and enjoyed the beautiful weather. 

That was all we did that day. It was exhausting.

Afton LOVES driving!

Driving a Duck!

Well worth the money.

Fun for the whole family.

We also went to the Titanic Museum and Downtown for shopping and food. 

Bradford B&B

Relaxing for the whole family. 

Lunch with friends on the way out.

Etc., Etc.

We crossed this bridge on the way home and at the end of it there was a sign that read, "You are now entering Nostalgia."

Quite fitting for the end of our journey.

nostalgia |näˈstaljə, nə-|nouna sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations

A day at the park!

The weather was so beautiful today!
Late this afternoon we went to the park and had a picnic!

Afton loved being outside and Todd and I really enjoyed the quiet time with each other.

Baby Beauty

When did my sweet girl get so big?

Having a baby really shows you how relative time is.

Just as soon as I wrap my brain around her being 6 months old she goes and turns 7 months.

What am I going to do?

We are so in love with her.

I have been really busy with being a mommy lately and blogging is not on the top of my to-do list so I will start posting at least a picture with a few sentences AT LEAST every couple of days. :-)

go baby go

No one told me just how challenging a 6, almost 7, month old little girl can be.
She desperately wants to crawl, but she just doesn't quite have the strength.
So she rolls until she gets stuck on a piece of furniture and then screams until I move her.
Fun. :-)
She has recently decided that she loathes playing on the floor with her many toys. I think it just reminds her of the fact that she can not yet crawl and it makes her very angry.
What does she want to do with all of her spare time?
Ride on my hip.
I did not say sit on my lap. That would be too easy.
She wants to GO and I am her chauffeur.
She also wants to touch, grab, hold, eat everything that is not appropriate for her to touch, grab, hold, eat.
Scissors, pens, forks, cords, pictures, anything breakable, and anything small enough to choke on.
Replacing her desired object with anything age appropriate results in a very unladylike grunting session or crying.
I must say that this extremely high maintenance phase makes her happy and content moments SO much more enjoyable and quite precious.
She LOVES her high chair. Maybe it's the grown up food association, or maybe it's the view. I don't know nor do I really care.
When all else fails, I strap her in and give her some food to throw on the floor.

She is extremely happy to go on any venture involving riding in her stroller.
Even Atwoods with daddy to get plumbing parts.
She is all about going.
Part of me wants her to learn to crawl so that she will be happier, and then the other part knows that once she can crawl she will be GOING all over the house and into everything that is not age appropriate.
I also fear that reaching this next milestone will bring with it the need to practice in the middle of the night, bringing on another month of sleepless nights for mommy and daddy.
Each new phase of wonderful brings it's bitter side right along with it.
I'm glad that the wonderful outweighs the bitter by tons and tons.
It makes the challenge of mothering such a head strong child quite enjoyable.
I almost forgot to mention that there are only two people that can hold my sweet girl without me in the room without her searching and sadly whimpering for me.
I absolutely love this.

I love being the one she wants.

Making the effort

Is it completely strange that our Valentine's plans consist of a simple steak dinner at home?
Maybe throw in a few candles?
I've always completely adored getting flowers and chocolates on Valentine's Day.
I've always loved giving a well thought out love letter to my wonderful husband.
I've always ended it at that. :-)
I don't decorate my house with red and pink hearts.
I don't spend any time on lovey crafts either.
The only reason I am planning on having a steak dinner by potential candlelight?
Because we desperately need the effort.
We're not really disconnected but let's face it, life with Afton is not the same as life without her.
We need to make the effort of wooing each other over a romantic candlelight dinner... with Afton. :-)

Yes, our 6 month old daughter will be joining us during our romantic Valentine's dinner.
Will it be a different kind of romantic?
I imagine so.
Does that make it any less important or meaningful?
I think not.
I was pleasantly surprised tonight when Todd arrived home with pretty red Tulips.
Simple?
Yes.
Perfectly wonderful?
Absolutely.

This is our new romance. :-)
I knew it would change someday and I know that it will continue to change.
It takes adjusting. It takes practice. It takes being deliberate. It takes grace.
It takes the two of us making an effort.
Our Valentine's theme this year is not love or lust or infatuation.
Our theme is effort.
That is our Valentine's theme this year.

Happy Birthday!

Tuesday marked my 6 month anniversary of being a mother.
It was also the day that Afton turned 6 months old.
What a coincidence. :-)
As I sit here and listen to her trying to sing herself awake with her foot in her mouth, I can't help but smile.
What a joyful journey this has been.

Have their been days that I wanted to crawl under a rock and disappear?
Yes.
Have their been days where I could not wait for her next nap?
Absolutely.
Even in the midst of those difficult and tiring days she brought so many smiles to my face.

Some days she wears me completely out.
It's 5 o'clock. Todd is on his way home.
I still haven't had a shower and the only food in my stomach is a cookie or a slice of cheese.
She is supposed to be going down for a nap.
Instead, she is singing to her foot.
Before I have a chance to hop in and out of the shower she grows tired of singing to her foot and starts screaming her head off.
She does not want to nap.
What a surprise.
I am unbelievably frustrated.
I smell.
I havent' even brushed my teeth.
We've been awake for almost 9 hours and I am still in my pajamas, and it is not because I want to be!
I peek in to see just how mad she is and it's apparent that this is going to be very difficult.
I peer over the side of her bed and...
I get the biggest, most beautiful smile.
It's contagious.
I am then smiling from ear to ear, despite my frustration.

She is stubborn.
She is beautiful.
She is mine.

Most days are not like that.
Most days we wake and eat and play.

Most days are incredibly happy and fun.

She is such a happy baby.
I am a happy mama.

Would I trade the frustrating days for a day without her?
Not a chance.