Fynneus spent the night with us and slept alone in the guest bedroom until 5:45 this morning. Then he crawled in bed with me just as Jim was getting up for work. Fynn snuggled in my arms and 20 minutes later Jim came back to kiss me good bye. He quietly whispered "I love you" and Fynn, who we thought was sleeping, whispered back "I love you too". Jim and I looked at each other with huge (HUGE) smiles of adoration on our face for this beautiful gift lying in my arms.

My Joy today will be spending the day with Fynneus. And he has already asked to go to Starbucks! Life is Good!

Here's to the Journey!

Moments of Joy!

I just returned from the gym. Jim and I both belong to a beautiful gym which is only 5 minutes away and I absolutely loved going there today. I have missed several weeks with all my painting and helping Liz with the boys. (And yes....I know those are just excuses) but I was so excited to go today. I took my iPod, my Bose headphones and rocked out to music that wouldn't let my feet be still. The time flew by, and soon I was sitting in the steam room with a wonderful grin of Joy on my face.

Of course, Starbucks is on my way home, which just added to my day of Joy and now it is almost 4:00 and Jim will be home soon. I can't wait for him to wrap his arms around me, as he does at the end of each work day, and Joy again envelops me.

We will be going to a Tee ball game in a couple of hours to watch Rollin play. I feel like everything I have done today has built moment after moment of Joy.

Life is so very good.

Here's to the Journey!

Joy is playing marbles with Rollin and Fynneus and Liz on a lazy, rainy, Monday afternoon.

Rollin called me three times today to invite us over to his house and I couldn't and wouldn't turn him down. Jim and I went late this afternoon and of course we were welcomed with kisses and hugs. Then they invited me to play marbles while Jim helped Thadeus install a new fan in their classroom. How can a Monday be any better than this?

Here's to the Journey!

A Mother's Day to Remember

Mother's day is always a day of memories for me. We have two beautiful daughters that have enriched our lives more than I can say. Last year I spent the weekend in New York with Jenn. This year I am living in Tennessee and I spent the day with Liz and her family.

I really do love being a Mom. And even though we have transitioned into the "empty nest" phase of our lives, and I no longer guide my daughters on a daily basis as I tried to when they were so young, I love the relationship that I have with them. I value their love for me and my love for them. I so admire the women they have become. I admire the Mom that Liz has become and the love and compassion I see in her as she raises her own young sons. I admire Jenn following her dreams as an artist, and leaving the familiarity of family to go towards what is so important to her.

I use to always think that my daughters were beautiful and fabulous women in spite of me, but now, with my own maturity, I realize that I really did contribute in a wonderful way to them being the women they are today. And for that I am so grateful. And they both have contributed to the woman I have become. And for that I am grateful.

I love you Jenn! I love you Liz! Thank you for sharing this Journey with me!

Here's to the Journey!

It is late Friday night and I have missed a whole week of blogging (practically). But it has been a fun week. I have spent a lot of time with the boys and with Liz this week, but I have also taken time each day to read and/or listen to The Law of Attraction by Esther & Jerry Hicks.

I will be going to Chicago in June to a seminar by the Hicks and can hardly wait to go. I feel like I want to soak up every word I can before I go so that I will be in sync with what I hear that day. But in all of this, I am reminded that Life is so good and that we have a choice in creating this good life. I love attracting good things into my life, and I am grateful for the contrast that I have lived that allows me to enjoy this life today. Life is good!

Here's to the Journey!

I stayed up late Sunday night and finished painting the stairway that Jim and I started that morning. We allowed part of our Sunday to be "lazy" and then we felt like we had to get some chores done. I knew that today I would pick up Tucker, Rollin and Fynneus, so I wanted these chores out of the way.

I took the boys to Johnson park this morning. They rode bikes and scooters, then went roller skating, then played on swings. We came home and had lunch, made homemade banana pudding, rode bikes again, and played tennis. When Jim came home, I packed them, and the banana pudding up, and sent them home to their mom and dad.

I love the role of Nanna. It was so much fun to show them how to make banana pudding. It would have been much easier to just make this myself, but instead, I got out 3 cutting boards with butter knives, and showed them how to cut up 2 bananas each. Then they took turns layering vanilla cookies and bananas and they were delighted with their contribution. I know they will enjoy eating it tonight, after dinner, and they will be so very proud that they made this delicious dish. We always feel so good when we help, when we create. I love allowing this creation in my home and in my kitchen. They are coming back over tomorrow, I wonder what we will create this time.

Here's to the Journey!

Still painting.......................I painted the laundry room yesterday, but the color was so light that even with a coat of primmer I had to give it 2 coats. But I took a little breather and Liz and Thadeus came over for a fish fry of blue gill that Thad caught on a lake here in Tennessee and a family "sleep over". It is so good to spend time with family, and I reminded myself several times today that's why we are here. So good.

I also took a breather and purchased tickets to see the Zac Brown Band at the amphitheater at Mudd Island in Memphis. I heard this band for the first time this week when (my favorite shopping place) Amazon, delivered a CD to Jim. It reminded us so much of our time in Florida, we have to go see them. And I find myself humming all day long as I paint:

I got my toes in the water,

Ass in the sand,

Not care in the world,

A cold beer in my hand,

Life is good today!

Life is good today!

Here's to the Journey!