What I'm working on...

In celebration of Melissa's new house (or condo as the case may be), I decided to create a mini-album for her to fill with pictures as she moves in.

I picked up this Melissa Frances album at my local scrapbook store on clearance, dug out this paper from my stash to use as the cover, and got to work.

I didn't want to complete all the interior pages until I take some "moving-in" pictures tomorrow so I have a better feeling for how much room to leave where.

Since I have a hard time keeping secrets, I showed it to her the other day and she loved it. It's been a long time since I've scrapbooked just for her and it's great to know it still means a lot to her.

enjoy taking time to brighten someone's day!

-d.

A Nest Near Empty...

Every Mother faces it.

Some Mothers dread it. Some Mothers rejoice in it.

I stand somewhere in the middle.

My youngest daughter is moving out on her own this week. While I am happy for her and excited to see her excitement, I cannot say that it comes without great sadness.

I will miss her daily ritual of popping into my office each morning to say hello. Her whimsical ways and bouncy nature filling the house. Her smile lighting up each day. Her endless chatter. Her help whenever I need it. Her laughter. Her presence.

But I know she won't be far away and she'll still call...a lot. And she'll come by for food...a lot. And we'll still do our lunches and pedicures and shopping trips. It will just need to be a little more planned out.

I realize after she's gone her presence will still linger in many ways. Her fuschia bedroom walls will remain that color with some of the decor left in place; her award winning photo will stay behind; her mementos of high school, competitive cheer and growing up will remain in my studio waiting to be scrapbooked; Her spot in the driveway will still have those pesky oil spots. So much of her will be here even when she is not. Little things to remind me of all the incredible joy she has brought me over the years. Little reminders of the way life used to be before this new chapter arrived.

I often find myself tearing up, wanting to push back the hands of time and go slower. I want another chance to do all the little things I didn't make time for or do well enough, to soak in every second that I may have wasted thinking I had more time.

And then I remember how it felt when I moved out. Feeling so grown up; like I was suddenly in charge of my own destiny. How excited I was to decorate my first place and make my own rules. And I smile at the memories and realize this is the moment she'll look back upon.

It is scary to think of the steps that will follow....a wedding, babies. But then I realize how much joy those future steps will bring. That we must make this step in order to reach those. And I am excited.

The hands of time will not spin backwards; they will move forward at rapid fire pace. We must remember to savor each second. Take time to live in each moment. To be grateful for each joy we encounter in this new chapter.

enjoy the new chapters in your life,
-dw

Reflections of the past 18 years...

Today is another Milestone day

in my life.
It is my youngest daughter's 18th birthday!

As I sit here in this quiet house I find myself reflecting. Looking back on 18 years of change, growth, happiness and tears. My mind is flooded with memories. All the moments her quirky, upbeat attitude made me smile, all the times I burst with pride at her accomplishments,
and of all the moments I found her teaching me the lessons in life.

I see that pudgy-cheeked, baby girl who I was sure was going to be a boy.
I hear that big hearty laugh that always made me laugh as well.

I see her hand reaching out for mine.

I see her on her second birthday, with cake on her nose.

I see her sleeping, cuddled up in bed with the dog.

I see the terror in her eyes on that very first day of school.

I see her excitement as she makes the cheer squad.

I see her strong athletic ability as she leaps into the air

for another cheer maneuver.

I see the pain on her face when she loses her first love.

I see her celebrating her talents and successes.

I see her working on her own car.

I see her pride as she accepts her high school diploma.

I see the smile that never ceases to brighten my world.

I see her taking big steps toward independence.

I see her true beauty shining on the inside and out.

Everywhere I look, I see her.

At 1:45 pm, eighteen years ago, the nurse handed me a precious bundle wrapped

tightly in a little, pink blanket and my world was once again changed.

I was now a mother of two. I was doubly blessed.

I have discovered many things along the way in the past eighteen years...

but her gracious heart and generous smile have brought a warmth to my world

I could not fully comprehend or foresee all those many years ago.

Children truly are a gift from God.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!!!!! I love you!

enjoy your moments of reflection...

-d.

Joy, Pride...and Tears.

Yeah, I cried. I cried when I first saw her standing there, dressed in graduation garb, with that music playing. I cried when she made her long walk to collect her diploma, as memories of her younger days flashed through my mind...That first scary day of kindergarten, running in her first track meet, standing on that very same track cheering on the football team. I cried because I was sooooo proud of her. I cried because she has grown into such an amazing young woman. I cried because I can't believe my baby girl isn't a baby anymore.

enjoy every minute!

-dw

The Countdown is on...

Graduation is just two days away; the party I'm hosting is tomorrow and I am attending another graduation this evening with my daughter at her previous school...and what am I doing today in preparation?!
Not much of anything!!
Pacing, stalling, and shuffling, with a few heavy sighs thrown in for good measure! I cannot seem to get engaged this morning.
I overdid it a bit yesterday and now I'm paying the price for it. I am on the home stretch for getting the Studio completely organized, as well as 2 bedrooms (of children who have already flown the coop), the laundry room and the hall/game closet!
Why did I suddenly don the Super Organizer cape and fly into action, you ask? Because it was WAY overdue! When we moved into this house a year ago, we merged two complete households...we had a LOT of stuff! There was so much to move that I didn't have the desire to look through another box of anything by the time we got the all basics unpacked. I have puttered here and there purging out doubles, tossing the obsolete and trying to make more space, but there was only so much time and motivation! Now, however, with people arriving for the party (and soon after for out-of-state visits), I figured NOW is the time!!
So I've been purging, sorting, moving, and re-organizing everything I can get my hands on. And now my hands (as well as my feet, back and arms) are sore! They are shutting down; protesting their overuse and abuse. (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I've been weeding outside too. Ugh.)
This modern day June Cleaver needs a vacation! Or maybe just Mrs. Cleaver's REAL schedule: working to be the perfect mom and wife for only 30 minutes a day! LOL!
Oh well, so we can't all be June Cleaver, or Carol Brady. (Darn it! Alice sure would come in handy right about now!!!). We do the best we can, and in the end nobody really cares that the floors weren't perfectly mopped or the pantry wasn't quite up to par...it's really all about celebrating Melissa and her accomplishments. And if I'm lucky, and hang the decorations just right, maybe the guests won't notice that I never found the window washer's phone number! ;)







enjoy the weekend!
-dw
Update: Here are a couple pics of Melissa with her graduating friends at her previous high school.

...and then they danced.

Friday night was Melissa's senior prom. A night truly worthy of a princess.

They donned their formal wear. They posed for hundreds of pictures. They boarded a Hummer limo. They dined overlooking the Puget Sound and then sailed away on a Argosy Boat.

The next day I asked Melissa what was the best part about their fairytale night. She visibly pondered for a moment but didn't reply. After an hour had passed she said, "We danced!" Of course by now the conversation had moved in many different directions and I was momentarily confused, "Huh?!"

She said, "You asked what the best part of prom was....it's that we actually danced!"

After she reminded me that her boyfriend never dances, I began to understand. He had stepped out of his box for her. He did something for no other reason than to make her happy. And he had succeeded in making her night unforgettable.

Cost of limo/couple............$120.00

Cost of nails.......................$50.00

Cost of shoes.....................$15.00

Cost of dancing together............

................................priceless!!!!

The fact that she had spent so much time weighing out her answer, meant a lot to me. She obviously had a lot of great memories to choose from. And after all the attention that is focused on this one, big night....that is all a parent wants. A child home safe, selecting from a bounty of beautiful moments, struggling to narrow it down to just one, favorite thing.

My world is good.

enjoy your fairytale moments!

-dw

Milestone Tears

Today is simply Thursday to most of you, but here in my house, it is officially the day before Senior prom! That means it is the calm before the pre-prom preparation storm! We have the dress, the shoes, the jewelry, and the pedicure; the hair and nail appointments are scheduled...everything seems to be right on track. So why am I so nervous? Almost near tears!? Because tomorrow is not just any formal dance, it isn't even just any senior prom. It is my youngest daughter's senior prom. The final time I get to help prepare one of my daughters in princess-style fashion to set off for a magical adventure. The final time that is before one of their wedding days. While that (we hope) is miles down the road, it is a weird feeling knowing the next time you see one of your daughters dolled up like a princess, she'll be walking down the aisle; ready to start her own family. That is {gulp} BIG stuff. And I can't help but shed a tear of two along the way.

Senior Prom, however, is merely a stepping stone to the next teary event...Graduation Day. Knowing how choked up I got last year when my oldest daughter graduated, Lord knows, it will be a Kleenex kind of day! But those tears will be happy tears. They are milestone tears. I am so proud of her and how far she has come in the past few years. She has always been a strong athlete and her competitive cheer achievements came as no surprise, but now she has really focused in on school and done incredibly well. She has earned great grades and even recognition as a blossoming photographer. She has grown in so many ways. As a student, as an artist, and as a person. She amazes me daily with her new found, mature outlook on life.

So as I approach these new milestone moments, a part of me can't help but miss that chubby, baby hand grasping on to my finger; holding tight for security. There is a time in life when they must let go and brave the world on their own. We all know the day is coming, but somehow when it arrives it seems to have come so quickly. Almost too quickly. But we let go of their hand, move to the sidelines, and continue cheering them on from there. Still close by if they need to reach out for our hand. Only now, as we look down...we realize the hand reaching out...is the size of our own.

enjoy the milestones and grab the Kleenex!

-dw

Weekend in Review...

It was a busy weekend, but a relaxing one! I was blessed with both fun times with friends as well as some quiet time at home! A perfect blend of both worlds. So here are the top ten things I did this holiday weekend (in order of occurrence)...

1) Spent a relaxing Friday evening at home with my hubby!!!
2) Rode my Sea Doo for the first time this year.
3) Re-gained a little of my quickly fading Caribbean tan!!

4) Enjoyed a tropical potluck with friends at the cabin - enjoyed steamed oysters on the bar-b-que, Coronas, and tons of fabulous food!

5) Made biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Haven't done that in forever!!

6) Watched the first half of the Indy 500, rooting for Danica Patrick! Darn rain!

7) Attended Bob's 60th birthday party!

8) Ate Copper River Salmon for the first time while celebrating Amy's 40th at Ray's Boathouse!

9) Discovered the best chocolate cake on the planet (Mike's Amazing Cakes!!!!). The cake looked like a pile of scrapbook supplies! Amazing both in looks and taste!

10) Made Melissa's grad party invitations...finally!

Here is the poem I wrote for the invitations....

It's been thirteen years of homework and tests,

Now she's finally done and ready to rest!

She cheered for the team; her photos won praise!

She made the most of her high school days!

This fall will bring college and a whole new scene,

So let's celebrate today the journey it's been!

enjoy the simple things,
-dw

Race photo from Yahoo News

What happened to Tuesday?

Some days just go by in a flash! While it was supposed to be my first "Tackle It" Tuesday, life kind of got in the way. I did get things done...just not the BIG, waiting to be tackled, things! We can organize and plan only so much of our day before the greater plan throws us a curve ball. And it is in that second our character is defined.

When a friend needs you, you try your best to help out. When your child needs you, however, you go anywhere, do anything, stop everything...to make their world better. So when the call came, I re-routed my day and went to lunch with my daughter. Now lunch may not seem like a big deal. I mean I had to eat anyway right?! But when teenage love goes awry, potstickers and soup are just the ticket to pour out one's heartache over. She's a senior with (may I brag for just a second?!!!) a 3.8 gpa so I let her take an extra long lunch and vent.
I love my time with her. She is growing up so fast and I am trying to take in as much as I can before things change. She will start college in the fall, and even though it is local, it is only a matter of time before she spreads her wings and moves out on her own. I am consoled though by her lack of cooking experience...pretty much a guarantee she will be around at dinnertime! LOL!
As graduation day approaches I realize more and more that tackling the BIG projects can wait another day. For in a second children are grown, and the project will still be the very same size. So I failed at my first Tackle It challenge, but I succeeded as a Mom and nothing counts more than that!

enjoy the moments life's plan throws your way....
-dw

This picture is one of her senoir portraits by Yen Lui Studios. Don't ya love those eyes?!!!

We learn what we live...

I believe that is how the quote goes.
And how true it is.

I had two very prominent examples of how important picture taking was as I grew up. I still, at 41, have strong memories of my grandmother 's endless mission to capture the people and travels of her life. Always toting around at least one full packet of newly developed pictures to share with the world. And even as a child, as I tired of holding the poses for what seemed like an eternity, a lesson was being absorbed. Take it now; share it later. Let this moment live on. My dad's captivating shots of nature have always been an inspiration to me as well, and I have tons of childhood photos because he was always snapping pictures. Mostly of me, but hey, I'm an only child!

Now it is my turn to pass the torch. And pass it I have, even without realizing it. My daughter decided to take a photography class again this year. She had tried once before, but found the teacher a little too in the box for creative artistic expression (okay, that was my definition, but I was just putting a name to her frustration! LOL!) But this year's teacher has the right idea. Assign a project and give the students freedom to be creative. Now not only is she racking up magnificent grades in the class, but her work is headed for the local art show and a community display soon!

I am soooo proud. I love that she has such a great eye and natural talent. I love that she is following the path of her parent, grandparent and great-grandparent! I love that we all have this passion in common. I love that she set out to do well and is exceeding all our expectations. And I love that when she borrowed my camera for today's photo shoot, it was returned in perfect condition! LOL!

It is so funny how we set examples that we are not even aware of. I naturally loved photography because it was always around me. Now she loves it too because it was always around her. So to celebrate her, I thought I'd share a few of the pictures she shot today at Seattle's Pike Place Market....
enjoy life as it comes full circle,
-dw