Thanks

"This is the time. To stop. To think. To rest. To realize.

We all have so much. So many things. So many treasures.

We also have moments. Stretched before us. Not unlimited.

Take these moments. Take this time. Open your heart.

Let it breathe. And see. And feel.

It’s more than a word: Thanks.

Be conscious of your treasures.

Be alive in these moments."

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fourteen

Fourteen.

Literally, it doesn’t really sound much different then thirteen. But figuratively, fourteen IS different. It signifies so many changes. The last year of middle school. Ability to get a REAL job. T-minus 2 years until driving, Challenging academics. The building blocks to high school. And so on.

Some might say, it’s the beginning of the rest of his life.

I will now take a BIG, belly-breath sigh!

Although our family is in the midst of all these teenage-year changes, I am grateful that life makes these changes slowly. That I am able to fine tune my life as the wind blows in a different direction. We will adjust as needed.

Landin has done us proud over the years. I’m eternally grateful for his hard-working, judicious and kind spirit. He warms my heart with his. I marvel over all of his accomplishments, big or small. He is my pride and joy. And although life sometimes gets sticky, it's always sweet when he's around. Happy Birthday. Always, your mommy.

Wildness

St. Simons Island, GA

"I have a mild allergy to adulthood" I heard someone say on the bus the other morning. I didn't quite understand the context in which this was being referred. I did however, keep that statement in my back pocket. It spoke to me. But it wasn't until this past weekend that I realized just how much.

Deadlines? Chores? Taxes? Wrinkles? Schedules? These things give me existential hives.

And yet. I tolerate adulthood because I must. Because though I've definitely whined like a toddler, I am an adult. Because at thirty-five, I am a big girl. I have no choice but to act like one.
Why the allergy you say? I'm not entirely sure. It's complicated, I suppose. And the answers may be cop-outs, but they are mine and I hold them dear. I think there are many reasons why I occasionally have a hard time with this growing up business. One of them?

Wildness

We adults - and particularly we perfect parents - are not encouraged to be wild. We are implored to be prudent, responsible and organized. We are supposed to make lists and plans and beds. We are expected to live within our boundaries. We are supposed to color inside the lines. To be civilized and to use our inside-voices all the time. We are supposed to be healthy and rested and drink lots of water.

We are expected to be good boys and girls.

But here's the thing. Sometimes I don't want to be a good girl. Sometimes I want to go out and drink wine (or margaritas) and dance and be young again. Sometimes I want to stay up past my bedtime and swim in deafening music. Sometimes I want to scribble outside the lines and celebrate. Sometimes I want to break the rules.

Sometimes I want to be wild

It was a wild weekend.

And I’m tired. So tired. But I can’t stop smiling. Literally. Can't stop.

It all started with an invitation. Inviting a reunion of sorts. 15+ college friends conjugating to witness wedding vows. The anticipation was immutable.

Friday night? We settled into old habits quite effortlessly. Laughing and teasing. Beer and beer pong and quarters. More laughing. You get the picture. It was a late night and we had a lot of drinking, I mean catching up to do. But Saturday night? It was nuts. For me at least. I got dressed up. (Roar.) I even wore heels. I sipped wine with good friends while making new friends. I played more drinking games. I danced. And I laughed ceaselessly.

My cheeks hurt for hours. It was wild.

Sunday was a bit tamer. A bit. I held court in the kitchen for the first half of the day. Monitoring and offering various foods and beverages to all of the football watching couch-potatoes. But I was happy. I can't explain it. Maybe it was because I was just an adult that weekend. Just me. Not mommy or home organizer. With no expectations. No hard pressed rules or agendas. Later that evening we witnessed a beach wedding with a beautiful couple. And once again, the festivities began. Dancing. Cocktails. Drinking games.

And Monday? For the first half of the day, I was a shell of a person. I was a bit melancholy and my sentences had holes. But I stuffed them with husband snuggles and a good open-mouth airplane nap.

And Tuesday morning? I was beyond shredded with exhaustion. Moving slowly. But quaking with awareness. That life is good. That I am where I should be. That this adulthood thing? It’s actually not half bad. I sit here, sipping a 140 degree cappuccino. Still smiling.
As I write this, I realize that it is okay to go back, to regress, to get wild once in a while. If only to remember. If only to realize that this place, this here and now, this tame territory, is quite lovely.

So. I sit here. A person. A parent. An adult. A wild thing.

Cheers to your inner wild thing!

falling back

I haven't taken my camera out. Much. The beginning of the school year seems to do that to me. I'm so preoccupied with getting organized and into a school routine that I can't seem to find the time. I know. A poor excuse. However, whenever the leaves start to do their thing and I can smell the neighborhood fires, that all changes. New sceneries beg to be photographed. And my camera falls back into its proper place; my hands.

The new school year

One summer ends, another school year begins.

Aye de mi!

Welcome 8th and 4th grade!

A peak into 12 days of summer fun...

We packed our car and drove with such anticipation. "This is going to be a great and much needed vacation." I heard Kian say. Well said son. We are sooo ready for this. Our first stop, Provincetown, Cape Cod. Get the bikes off the car and lets go to the beach! Little did I know I was going to break a mediocre sweat. This was the east coast- we are only slightly above sea level! Fortunately, once we got there I forgot all about the rocky shoreline until we had to leave. The kids didn't mind. Our very first challenging bike ride where BOTH of them could keep up with us. What an extraordinary feeling!

During our stay we traveled to many little towns; Cape Cod is filled with them. Each town, quaint in its own way. They were lined with cafes, antique shoppes, American flags and gorgeous flowers. I could have easily stayed there for the rest of the summer!

We were very Carpe Diem on this trip. But, the one thing we did "plan to do" was a whale watching tour. While aboard we mingled with friendly strangers, enjoyed beautiful scenery and marveled over all the humpback whales (including a baby-which was very exciting.)
It was definitely worth the planning.



A view of Provincetown from the boat.

Good-bye Cape Cod, hello New Jersey.

Our 3rd annual cousins BBQ. 1st cousins, once removed.

McNeil 1st cousins.

Home Sweet Home

LBI, New Jersey

One more beach day.

Hope you enjoyed your 2010 summer!

Sweet baby Abigayle

My husband's cousin had her second baby just a few days ago. We were all so excited to meet her and take some baby-licous photos!

Well, it's about time...

I know, I know. Another few months have gone by and nothing to show for it, on here. In the non-blogging reality world that I live in, there has been almost TOO much going on. The Delaney's have been in the business of getting things done!

The beginning of 2010 brought us much good fortune. We spent all of January organizing the house for our departure and pining over all the new goodies and gadgets we were to purchase for the new house. That 11 year old couch finally hit the jackpot and went into early retirement; I couldn't have been happier.

February filled our home with joyful snow days and a side of sheer panic as we were preparing for our final days on Birmingham Ave. With both Mike and I working full-time (something that hasn't happened since early Anchorage days), his grad school responsibilities and and my various hobbies-turned part time work, our target move-out date of March 21st was a definite challenge.

As always in February, my baby became another year older. Kian is in his last year of single digits! I know I say this every year, but how did this happen? He's the most genuine, disarming boy. We enjoy his comedic attitude and are so very proud of the (almost) young man he is becoming.

March was true to it's nick-name: in like a lion and out like a lamb. We spent most of the month painting, organizing, decorating and purchasing new "house" stuff. Of course, one of the first things that had to be put up was the basketball hoop. I'm not sure who benefited more, Mike and I or the boys? Either way it was a win-win. As anyone who has recently moved knows, it takes time to get a house "in order" but we feel our efforts have put us in a good new house sweet spot. We have slowed down quite a bit (the kids baseball schedule has a way of forcing that) and are sure to take time to enjoy the beautiful flowers and comforts of our new home.

Cheers to finding your sweet spot this summer!

glimmers of 2009

It's truly hard to believe that Christmas is over. Sigh.

2010 is here. Time to put 2009 to bed and look out into the wide expanse of possibility that the New Year always brings. It's scary because every year that passes seems to go faster than the year before. Sometimes my life feels like it's running on warp speed and I'm not quite sure how to slow it down. Some days pass without even being noticing, and before I know it the intoxicating summer heat has morphed into the icy unshakable chill of winter; I never saw it coming.

Since the day I became a mother, I was concerned that our days together would pass by too fast. Some might say I'm young and still have plenty of time with my children and with my life in general, but that's not my concern. My concern is that I will wake up tomorrow and 40 years will have passed by in the blink of an eye. This is something I think a lot about; the brevity of life. Like many, I find myself scared of having regrets. I don't want to waste my time or live for things that don't really matter in the end. This is my constant struggle. To let go, pay attention to what really matters and to be in the now. To feel the breath come in and out of my lungs, experience the gladness that each moment holds and acknowledge that my life is a gift from God; this is real time living!

In the spirit of reflecting and living in the now, I thought I'd share a few light hearted things that I enjoyed about life in 2009 (and about everyday life in general.) Hopefully it doesn't turn into a deep dish of emotional philosophy.

1. They way our puppy, Luci, runs to the door when she hears us pull up and then welcomes us by flopping all over the floor like a fish out of water.

2. Getting to see Phish after a 10 year hiatus

3. The taste of my moms homemade banana cream pie

4. Watching Landin turn into a thoughtful, honorable young man.

5. The delicious feeling of clean white sheets on the bed on a summer night

6. Watching Kian develop so many new skills and inspire me to be a better person

7. Getting to see college friends multiple times this year

8. Selling our house of 6 1/2 years and then finally buying an even better new one

9. Wrapping my arms around my kiddos and squeezing them with all the love I have to give, especially right before bed.

10. Getting a hand written letter from anyone...but my favorite was the one from Kian that told me all the reasons he loved me so....

11. That Landin still likes to "hang" with us.

12. Stumbling upon an old photograph in a drawer and being thrust unexpectedly down memory lane.

13. Taking the kids to NJ this summer and showing them all the places I use to live, work and play!

14. Mike taking me on a surprise 4-day cruise for our 10th anniversary - my husband ROCKS!

15. Hearing my mom or Mike relay a memory involving me...but I have no recollection of it ever happening!

~Wishing you MANY great memories and accomplishments in 2010~