Homeschool

Today we got through all the school work I had planned. Figuring out homeschool has taken some adjusting. It will still take adjusting. But today I have less guilt. 😜
#am_covidchronicles

Arms

Considering a new series: Things he climbs. 😳🙈 Scares me to death, but to his credit, his arms are freakishly strong.

Light Play

Water + light + shadow play. I thought the way the light went around her mouth was interesting. ✨

Adventures

A good day today in the canyon ☺️

Little Beauty

I know I am biased, but she is one of the most genuinely beautiful people I know. How strange that that was ever an epiphany. #misslydiefaith

Leafy

Fall in the mountains. Throwing rocks in all seasons.

Cheese

It’s called “Photographer’s Child Syndrome,” and there is no known cure. 🙃

Climbing Encouraged

We climb, now 🤗 Her physical therapist excitedly pointed out that this is on par with typical 2 yr old development and I almost cried 🙌🏻👏🏻🙏🏻 #misslydiefaith

Make It New

My 365 has pushed me to try to see my driveway in a million new ways. It’s a driveway. 🤷🏼‍♀️ But a 365 (especially during a pandemic) has taught me this: this is our lives. This is where they grew up and this is what they did. I can complain that it’s not scenic or Pinterest enough and is always the same old thing, OR I can try to make that old thing new again. Dang it stretches me. Dang there are a lot of things I want to paint and plants I want to grow in strategic places 😂 But this constant creative challenge is making me grow and helping me see the beauty in our reality.

Get Out There

Mountain adventures. I can clean the house all winter, right??

At the Pavillion

This is me missing black and white.
And also procrastinating laundry, etc.

Motherhood is More

Today I was reading through some comments on a special needs Facebook group and one really jumped out at me. It said, essentially, “This is hard because you love your child so much.” And I felt that. This girl. She brings more joy and light and love into our world than you can possibly imagine. I could not do without her! And yet some days, some hours or moments in the day, I find myself gutting it out through the hard stuff wondering how will I ever do this. This is motherhood, I suppose. And it highlights to me that grace is born of love—not just mine, but God’s. Love to keep us going & grace to cover the inadequacies and to fill in the hard, tear/anger/heartbreak-filled parts with enough wonder, light, wisdom, and strength to compensate. I don’t know how to express this adequately, but I think every mother knows. It is not easy or simplified optimistic/motivational phrases or all happy moments. But it is still ultimately MORE; more lessons, more stretching, more joy, more loving, more seeing, more digging deep, more relying on Heaven... just, more. I am not more, but Grace is enough.
To all moms but ESPECIALLY special needs moms, thank you for being here on this path with me and sharing your tears and your joys. They both keep me going. 💛

Friday Feels

Is it Friday? Yes it is. 🥳

Save this moment

When I die and I can play back moments of my life whenever I want, I want to run up and down this field with Lydie on my hip laughing hysterically about flying kites. It. Was. Too. Good. 😆
A good sunset with my people refocuses me. 🪁

Need some calm

Today feels like winter & Dan had to navigate downed trees & branches & insane freeway conditions on his way to work—and flying building debris once he got there. So add hurricane in the desert to the list of 2020 crazy. 😳 Let’s hope it passes quickly. I’ma do something calming, today. 🧘🏼‍♀️

Goodbye Summer

May your Labor Day weekend include all the happy end-of-summer things. ☀️🍃