Our Christmas 2014

On December 27, 2014 By AngeliaIn Beautiful Life16 Comments

Well, it happened and it happened fiercely.

Christmas 2014.

I will remember it as the Christmas I almost didn’t get the tree up.

The Christmas I almost didn’t get the presents wrapped.

The Christmas I thought would be a bit skimpy, but lo and behold, it turned out as plump and magical as always.

We did our traditional Christmas Eve candlelight service with IHOP for dinner after.

As beautiful as it was, I think we should have just stopped there. IHOP ended up being packed. The girls were in absolute distress to be late back to their mom’s.

It was actually our year for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, but we had traded it to their Mom and just borrowed them Christmas Eve. I thought this might be Bridget’s last “Santa” year and I wanted their Mom to have it. In the end, as happy as I was to have my family together on Christmas Eve, it was just too tense and I felt really bad about the late thing, even though it wasn’t exactly our fault. It still was and…it wasn’t fun. Not for anyone. I did enjoy Averey’s great-grandparents who joined us at IHOP. I do hope that becomes a new tradition.

When Christmas afternoon came, we received the gift of two stress-free happy girls ready for a wonderful Christmas Day.

I didn’t mind at all waiting until Christmas Day to open presents. It was nice to have a relaxed time of opening gifts and having some time to enjoy them.

Of course, we dressed the dogs up. Of course, we did.

Bridget’s first gift was the new Kindle we got to replace the one the thieves stole a few months ago. The tag said: To Bridget From: Someone who is sorry.

I doubt they are sorry at all, but it was a nice thought. Maybe, if they knew they took an eight-year-old’s Kindle they would feel sorry. Maybe? Nah.

Molly got a cool cat shirt. And many, many other things.

And then, the big gift they had to open last. The iPod Touch we trekked out on Black Friday to retrieve at a decent price. Oh yes, we did!

It was worth it.

The smiles. The enchantment. The surprise. Every second of blood, sweat, and tears worth it.

Okay, maybe there wasn’t any blood or tears, but I sweated to get those presents all wrapped. Phew!

The grand baby was more fun, too. Oh, she doesn’t “get” it. But it is still fun to watch her surprise. Next year, I have no doubt, she will most certainly “get” it.

One of the gifts was a set of Speed Bumper cars. Those were a big hit and just as I predicted, the big kids (including Jason) liked them just as much as the girls.

© Angelia's Photography 2014
There was another surprise for me. Jason and I had promised not to exchange gifts, but out of the tree, he pulled a little box. Inside the little box, a beautiful set of diamond earrings. Earrings I have wanted a long time. I was surprised, thrilled, and humbled. What an enormously sweet gesture.

So, Christmas 2014 was an amazing day!

And now, the fun really begins….

Finding Goodness

On November 2, 2014November 6, 2014 By AngeliaIn Beautiful Life, Timeless Treasures19 Comments

The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.
-Dalai Lama

Funny thing happened in the midst of our break-in troubles. I had my notstolen camera and carried it through the house taking photographs. Then, I went out into the yard and looking about I spotted two big pieces of glass towards the back fence.

Someone had to have hauled butt to get from the broken window to the back of the yard. Fleeing so quickly they don’t even notice the big chunks of glass they carried with them.

These clues helped us figure out the robber fled from the house out the backyard. Right behind us is a small section of woods that lead to a main street. Jason heard a “crunching” sound when he was checking out the neighbor’s yard. A sound of someone walking through the brush.

It helped us make sense of things. Someone stayed in the car as lookout. Someone in the house had contact with the lookout. When we pulled up, the lookout had them exit in a hurry. So much of a hurry, they didn’t even go back to the car, but out the woods to a busy street. When the lookout car pealed out. He must have picked them up later.

Explains why we didn’t actually see a body inside or out.

Those pieces of glass pieced a few things together. And when you are trying to make sense of the senseless, anything you can grasp onto can help.

I’m standing there staring at these chunks of glass and I look to the right of them. There I see a gorgeous bloom. So much color, strength, and joy. Our rose-bush is blooming.

I saw that perfect rose as a sign. Fear gripped us. Despair shook us. But still, the beauty shined through. There is goodness when you look for it.

We were blessed by so many things that went right, and not wrong. Our goodness lie in the soil and I could appreciate that even in the midst of our turmoil.

Are you finding your goodness? It is my hope that you do.

Give a Baby a Cookie

On September 30, 2014September 30, 2014 By AngeliaIn Good Times with Grammy24 Comments

And she gets super happy.

And super messy.

But I didn’t really give her a cookie.

Nope.

I decided to do a few macro images of some leaf cookies for Fall. I had big plans of a nice close-up of the yummiest cookies I could find. If those didn’t turn out, I had some felt leaves and a cute baby dressed in orange. I had hopes of getting something interesting enough for my Project 52 weekly theme of “Welcome back Fall”. I would love to get a beautiful orange and red leaf-strewn path, but our leaves don’t turn until late November or early December. And honestly, they are not even that glorious. I would need some Photoshop magic if you know what I mean.

I thought about attending a few festivals in the area that might have some fallish stuff, but I am recovering from a brutal head cold and my husband is now sick too. Getting out and about didn’t seem very pleasant. So I did what I could with props and a baby.

Fall cookies.

Cute baby.

Felt leaves.

Funny thing happens when your grand baby becomes mobile and I don’t mean the pulling up and cruising mobile. No, I mean the full-blown gets.herself.all.over.the.house.no.place.is.sacred mobile.

And that, my friends, is how she happened upon my Fall cookie shoot.

Fall leaf cookies.

Macro of fall leaf cookie.

Baby finding cookie.

Baby picking up cookies.

Baby going “Mmmm”.

And really? I may have flubbed up setting the scene so low to the ground. Oops.

Now, I don’t know if you have ever tried to take a delicious chocolate-coated cookie from the pudgy hands of a very determined sweet-tooth baby. A baby that has already tasted said cookie. A baby that has it gripped in her paw so tight, it is already melting.

Well, let me just say…don’t even try…

Give that baby a high-chair until you can distract her with baby food and a banana.

And next time you give a baby a cookie.

Make sure it is delicious!

12 Years a Companion

On September 16, 2014September 16, 2014 By AngeliaIn In my heart forever & ever31 Comments

Twelve years is a long time. Many things can happen; three moves,a divorce,a re-marriage, two bonus girls, and a grandchild. So much life in those 12 years. So much joy, pain, and celebrations.

Every year, I think, this could be it.

Her last one.

The one in which I say good-bye to my old friend. The one in which I am ready. Am I ready? I think so. I don’t want to see her hurt and in pain. Each year her hips get a little more stiff. Her breathing a little more labored. And her naps a little more deep and long.

I tell myself when she is not interested in eating anymore, then I will know it is time.

But that hasn’t happened.

I am not sure it will happen. This girl lives by her stomach.

And so we celebrate #12! We give her pats and frosted dog cookies. We sing happy birthday.

We celebrate our most faithful companion.

And watch for signs…that those old bones won’t go another day.

Of course, your friends are here. To keep your spirits high.

And your newest friend, in which, there are many mixed feelings about.

Probably because, she steals the show. And she is quite a pest (Mya the Terrible).

At least it is not your tail she declared World War III on (yet).

Old Dog

Why do you stay so near?
Go lie in the sun and drowse.
You needn’t follow my every step,
And jump up when I appear.
Your joints are stiff;
You’ve earned a rest;
Lived your life well;
Passed every test.
And now you’re very dear.

Old dog.
Why do you stay so near?
You lie close to my side
Each time I pause,
Head in my lap, alert to hear
Every nuance of my voice. You long ago made your choice
And never once looked to the rear.

Old dog.
Why do you stay so near?
What is it that you hear?
A far-off call, coming closer,
That I, too, know is there?
With each day our time together
Draws nearer to its end.
Please stay a while, old friend

by David the Dogman