Archive | February, 2013

dear bits and jack,

mama sure has been loving our time spent in your little fireside salon

never tire of it

of your asking “please” to do my hairs…

of your scooting right off to gather all of your “tools”…

of your styling…and snapshots…and starting all over…

of your little fingers running and running right through my hairs

and i’m just altogether content to just sit there…and sit therefor as long as you’ll take

‘till my back is all achy…and my legs are both sleeping…and my head is numb some…

for just as long as you’ll stay

and as i’ve sat there…i’ve thought

about how much i’ll miss this…come spring…when the fireplace goes cold for a season and your little fingers stop running…

and…

about how very much i’ll miss all of thiscome just a too-short time from nowwhen my whole season of little fingers is through

but…then

the thought…

how…then…

maybeyour little people’s little fingers!

and…

oh, how wonderful that thought!

oh, how…just too wonderfulthat would be!

then

but for now…i’m utterly altogether content to sit…just right herefor just as long as you’ll stay

alex and emma's hands

very sincerely,
me (your relishing-every-pass-through-my-hairs-with-your-little-fingers mama)

– jack’s image from the salon (the kids’ camera  december 11, 2012)…and one of my very favorites…the little fingers of those first two littles (summer, 1997)

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sharing their last

sharing their last

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dear gramma florence,

nine years ago today, we got that call…the one that said you’d left us…

two years before…on your birthdayclaire noel was born

how delighted you were to have a birthday buddy!

how delighted you were to share the story of your birth…

of how…in the wee hours of that 1918 christmas morn…your overjoyed, eight-year-old sister ran right out of the house…and right down the street…heralding the news of your birth with a “joy to the world…the Lord has come!”

gramma florence

how delighted you were about…anything!

just any old thing!

what an incredible example you were…

of how to live…

of how to love…

just truly so absolutely wonderfully! 

just truly so absolutely delightfilled!

when we gathered to say good-bye to you…your boy…our grampy…asked, “would you say something?”…

so little clairie and i stood at the front…and we read the card you’d given to welcome her…

“love to a beautiful, sweet baby girl.
claire noel…who was born on my birthday…christmas morning.
it’s such a special day to be born on…the same day as the baby Jesus.
much love, great grandma florence”

and we told that sweet story of alice announcing your birth…

and we sang it all together…just for the sweet memory of you

and this christmas…grampy and grammy…and all these kids…and jason and me…

we all sat by the fire and sang some carols…especially that one

and every time…every single time…we sing that song…

i’m just…filled…with the most delightfully sweet memory of you!

gramma florence2

very sincerely,
me

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dear little people,

since this new year dawned, i’ve been spending bits of time flipping through our life…the “2012” edition…

all of the moments made memories…captured by all of you…

imagine my surprise

that out of all of those moments you all captured…it was eian you were most focused on

that little one daddy and i didn’t even know was missing…

that little one you all asked for

that little one we all love just so very much!

thank you for capturing so much of him…

i know it’s getting harder and harder to do!

how very thankful daddy and i are that you all asked!

how very thankful we are that He answered “yes”!

how so very…absolutely…thankful we are…for all of you!

and for all of the moments…captured and not…we were all blessed to share in 2012…

very sincerely,
me (your excited-to-see-what-moments-you-capture-of-2013 mama)

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dear littles,

in honor of his birthday…we spent some time getting to know that great man a bit more today…

that one ordinary man…that did extraordinary things with his one life

soextraordinary

and we listened…

the…“four score and seven years ago…”

and we pondered…

the…what if?

what if we each stood up for one good thing?

what if we each dedicated our lives to pushing right through…no matter what…‘till that one good thing was for sure?

what kind of place would this world be then?

what then?

and then i remembered his…“all that i am…or hope to be…i owe to my angel mother.”

and i wondered…what part did she play in his becoming that great man?

and i had to ask…me

what part am i playing?  am i playing it well?

for when the all-too-soon someday comesand you aren’t these littles any longer?

and…maybe

this? 

right now

my partis my one good thing

very sincerely,
me (your wanting-to-be-more-for-each-of-you mama)

me and my very first little

colleen cahill’s image of me and my very first little (october, 1995)

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on this day in…

~ 2004 ~

2-7-9 - our last day on our property - going on a walk - alex and bits - b

homestead farewell walk

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