Running Through the Streets in the Rain

There are a few signs. 

Signs which let me know I'm in a happy place. 

Like I do my thinking in writing.  My thoughts aren't muttled by worries or anxieties about what will happen next or of trying to plan the unplannable...they are simply woven together as if I was writing them down with a smooth pen.   

Like I keep my jewelry on even after I change into my favorite pair of faded blue sweat pants.  I keep it on because it feels right on my wrist. 

Like I curl my legs up under me when I sit in this space to do this writing and the only thing I'm taking space up in my brain with is the flowing of the words.  Nothing else. 

Like being alone in my house is welcome.  I turn the lamps on one by one and get music rolling through the air and I choose to be nowhere else than right here.  Cherishing this quiet time with myself.    

Like the feeling of being the luckiest girl in the world is right on the surface.  Driving me.  Pushing me to be her.  To be the lucky girl who gets to run through the streets of Chicago in the pouring rain to swing open the doors to the museum of all museums.

The lucky girl who gets to then bound up the steps to meet Walter.  A man who loves art and just wants someone to listen to him, "If everyone was as nice and happy as you, my job would be fun."  Well Walter, keep spreading that art love anyway.  You got me.  I got you.  And that counts for something.  

The lucky girl who walks down the hallway and gets in trouble in the hallway for taking a picture of the floor.

The lucky girl who meanders into a room with the most breathtaking works of art and is brought to tears with one glance.  One single glance.   

The lucky girl who experienced feeling her roots inside that museum.  The roots of where she comes from and who she is becoming. 

The lucky girl whose eyes drifted over the same works of art as millions of eyes in the past have.  Marveling at the enormity of the unending beauty around every corner.  Some easily realized as pretty and some needing more time to appreciate. 

The lucky girl who feels at home in a new city.  Who feels like she is doing the best life living in those situations of meeting strangers and finding her way and experiencing new and not slowing down for a second because there is soaking of it all that needs to be happening.    

The lucky girl who shares a perfect moment with a stranger on the street without even knowing she is.  I guess if you are putting out the happy, others follow.  His presence was unbeknown to me and yet, we are both doing the exact same thing.  Both doing some life loving and life living.

The signs.  They are all around and I am that lucky girl. 
 

Those Two and It's Time

Those two.  

"It's those two again!" 

But this time, they weren't running through the background or deciding to take a bathroom break in the middle of my yard.  This time they were just being adorable and charming.  

After I finished the cupcake cuteness pictures, both Owen and Emma yelled, "My turn!"  

Who am I to argue?  

 

Five minutes later, they were happy they had their time to shine.  They did just that too.  They shined.  Hair doesn't need to be perfectly done, outfits don't need to be the best or even clean for that matter, faces can have some left over dinner on them too.  Because that's not what is important for a picture, a capturing of a brief moment in time.  What's important is the person.  The inside of the person shining through to the outside.   

Which is not hard for those two considering they are cute as bugs.  Just like their littlest sister.

 

 

Now for the life really is not fair part.  Emma's tiny body is still working on healing completely after her big surgery in March.  

 

 

She is starting to feel the frustration of not being able to do "normal" kid activities and it is heartbreaking when she says in the most excited innocent voice things like, "Amy!  When I am awll heawled, I'm going to go down the slide!"  Her attitude is a lesson for us all.  

 

So if you have a second, think of her and maybe send up a prayer for that wound of hers to finally close once and for all.  It's time.  More than time.  

 

Emma Bean has slides which are calling her name and pools she wants to swim in and lake sand she wants to dig in and swings she wants to use to fly through the air.   

Cupcake Cute with a Fax Thrown In

This just happened in my yard. 

It's Autumn's first birthday tomorrow. 

So naturally Danae brought her to my house with a giant cupcake pinata so I could grab a quilt off my couch to lay on the grass and we could both dance around and clap cheers to once again baffle the neighbors at what goes down over here.   

At one point I was laughing so hard my camera was a shake shaking and I had to take a brief second break from clicking.  Danae's two oldest poptarts kept running behind the scene and I kept telling them to run and touch the neighbor's deck and then finally Danae said in exasparation, "Not those two again!"  She really does love them.  I think.  She just didn't want their bums and hands in the cupcake world.

 And then we got even more of the giggles when Autumn kept doing this pose with her leg.  I said, "Get her to stop doing that weird leg thing."  Danae walked over to her, pushed her leg down, and it popped right back up.  She turned to me, "I guess she likes showing that yoga pose."  I guess so too.  Especially when her brother and sister are taking a break from Amy's game of run to the neighbor's deck as fast as you can in the background.   

Those two goofs stopping in for a sit or yoga poses gone wrong made no matter because little Autumn did her shining right through the chaos. 

Once ten minutes went by, I felt I had enough of Autumn.  Then it was the cupcake's turn for a solo.  I like to keep the neighbors on their toes with where I point my camera.  A minute later this came out of my mouth, "Okay so I think we are done."  Danae and I high-fived and patted ourselves on the back for our successful eleven minute picture taking escapade. 

I couldn't stop there though.  Ending on a high note.  Oh no.  Instead I decided it was necessary to add, "Just fax me with the details and I'll get right on whipping up the invite." 

Just fax me?  Who says that anymore?  Uffda. 

Danae's response was, "How about I text you?  Or maybe I could email you?  Facebook you?  Call you?  I'm not sure about the whole faxing idea." 

Thank you friend.  Thank you for laughing with me instead of at me.  Because really, just fax me.  Yeah I said that.  Therefore, you can laugh. 

And your baby girl who is turning one tomorrow sure is cute.