Tag Archives: smile

happy ice to-go.

2 Sep

 

Happy weekend, friends. I needed a mid-three-day-week-end-pick-me-up, so here are a few more shots from Jamaica.

And they couldn’t be more appropriate. Because our household has been on 24/7 Jer watch since he sustained a pretty terrible leg beating this past week. After one night in the ER (no brakes, fractures or clots) our minds were cleared of the worst- but he has an entire leg hematoma. And crutches. And stuck on the couch instead of the sunshine. We are keeping fingers crossed that he will be feeling a *bit* better soon, since school starts this coming week.

I saved you from some pretty rough photos and am spreading the love, instead, with smiles and sunshine and happy ice to-go.

 

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the ocean.

30 Jul

12 days away with your man and your kids does something good for your soul.

It fills you up and reminds you of the good.

The very. very. good. stuff goin’ on all around me.

Somehow the weather was perfect. The entire time. And if you know the Oregon Coast you know that is a tricky thing to serve up. But it held.

The blue skies held us and the soft sand held us and the smiles we shared held us

up.

So high.

And we flew the kites that had been tucked away for a long time. Tucked away in our hearts. Because sometimes you need a little time with the people most dear to feel Brave enough to fly them high.

And I did.

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hopscotch dreamer.

20 Jun

Although I am a mother throughout I am finally beginning to figure myself out.

And thankfully I am liking the person I am discovering, uncovering.

This girl who is finding dreams and it is a bit like hopscotch.

This dream making. Because you toss a bag dream in the air. Hoping it will land at the right space place and sometimes it does, but sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes the bag dream lands in the wrong space place and you start over again.

But always, always, remember to throw that bag dream out there again.

And jump. Jump over whatever you must to reach it it. And then pick it, that dream you just threw, and hold it for a moment before you let it go.

Cause you gotta give your dream another shot, you have another jump to take. Another dream to make.

Gotta keep dreaming and jumping and seeing yourself as the perfectly imperfect person that you are. The hopscotch dreamer, that was maybe lost for a bit but has found their way back.

You are here, after all.

Lucky me.

 

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friday 5 spot!

15 Jun

Happy Friday friends! I am feeling extra cheery today and I think it may have a little something to do with the sunshine! It feels good to slip on sandals and keep the back door open. I admit the week feels pretty sweet already, after finishing my major goal yesterday, and I bought a bottle of champagne to toast that tonight on my weekly date-night-at-home.I apologize if any of you have seen these photos via instagram. I just love that little app. It’s like a mini-dose of facebook, but much prettier. It is social media I am down with. And I figure if you did see any of these photos there, it was like a preview to a movie. Not that this 5 spot is a feature film, but you know what I mean:)

1. Moses is rereading, for the third time, Harry Potter 1-4. He is gearing up to read #5, which is his ‘ending 2nd grade’ present. I was a little leery of letting him read the later books in the series, but he has proven himself knowledgable in all things wizard-ly. His prompt in his writing journal yesterday was a list of all the characters with a sentence of what they were like, “Hagrid: half giant, Care for Magical Animals teacher in Harry’s third year.” I figure he can go for it.

2. Birch Box #2 Arrived! It was as fun as the first. Check out those amazing band-aids! Love! Also, my friend and I were discussing other subscription services. There are so many awesome ones! I want to sign up for the m all! Here is an awesome post someone created linking a bunch of club of the month options. Which ones are you drooling over?

3. I am still apart of a monthly writing group that meets in my county. I found it through meetup.com. This week before the meeting I had a chance to sit down and work on some critiques for the group. It is such an honor to be a part of that process. I see that I am growing as a writer because I am surrounding myself with other writers. I challenge anyone reading this that if there is some area you want to grow in, seek out people who are like minded and learn from them. It is an amazing thing to be in a room with other individuals who are trying to carve out time in their lives to fuel their soul just like you. It is powerful and fun and will make you smile more, I promise.

4. Here is a snapshot of my living room. This is for you Amy:)

5. I also wanted to show you friends the papers taped to the wall above my computer. They are little images I see each time I walk by that make me happier. The words inspire. I want some version of these words for my next tattoo.

Okay. I need to go clean my kitchen. You can be happy I spared you from a snap shot of that catastrophe.

Go have a happy weekend.

xoxo, anya

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sunshine makes the hard *stuff* more bearable.

11 May


Kids have this ability to take things that seem really complicated,

you know,

like,

Life,

and making it

simple.

Like sunshine

and swings in the tree

and shouts of,

Mom, watch this!

Mom see this!

Do you hear them? They are saying’ I want you to be proud of me.’

I hear you, son.

I hear you daughter.

I am proud.

You make those complicated bits of life,

the parts that seem too big

too big to bear-

much more bearable.

So thank you.

Thank you for asking me to come outside.

To see your swing and your sunshine.

You are sunshine.

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where i get all sentimental.

10 May

The kids school had a ‘Muffins for Mom’ hour yesterday, in honor of Mother’s Day. Upon arriving at Moses’ classroom he gave me gift, one that would make any mom-heart melt. He had finished sentences about *me* and then compiled them in a book with drawings. I thought I would share some of my favorite ones here, for the sake of preserving a moment.

*My mom is happy when I give her a kiss and a hug.

*My mom is funny when she tricks me.

*When we are together my mom and I like to talk to each other.

*I really love it when my mom gives me a new book to read.

*My mom always tells me to use my words.

*The best thing she does is let me read.

*It makes her happy when I use my words.

*The best thing she cooks is lentil soup.

*My moms favorite household chore is cooking. 

*If she could go on a trip she would go to Italy.

One day, sweet goose, we will go to Italy together, and it will be *magic*.

 

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bela’s birthday

24 Feb

Isabela turned 11 this week. It seems so impossible when I think about the little girl I met 4 years ago, and how now she is this young lady. It is beautiful and tear inducing and ridiculous because life. goes. to. fast. dangit.

This year Isabela decided to forgo a party and asked to go out on a date with Dad and Mom to The Melting Pot! This girl has taste.

Going out with her for a whole day was a very special thing. I know we take our kids out for dates, but it is always one parent /one child. To have both of us spend a day with just one child was something we will defiantly remember for a long time (and the way we are planning to celebrate birthdays for the next year!). A special thanks to Gram and Gramps!

We started the day by going to an independent theater and seeing The Secret World of Arriety. 4 Stars! It was so sweet and precious and beautiful and one we will own.

Then we headed to Toys R Us for the birthday gift! Isabela has been riding the same bike for 4 years and had outgrown it. She was pretty zero-ed in on an old school Cruiser style, and it had to have a basket- which I think are just to cool. So she found one made for her (it says Maui Miss on the side and that is her DREAM vacation!)

Then we made our way to  The Melting Pot! We soaked up the experience and were there for 2 1/2 hours eating every morsel of cheese and chocolate in the pot. It was so fun and so special. And just like any 11 year old should be on their birthday, she became a little sugar high silly. Well, it may have been the 4 strawberry lemonades she drank as well!

{my favorite photo of Bela this year, in Eastern Wa}

I just want to say, here, publicly, how incredible proud I am of my Isabela. We have struggles, we have hard days and things that trigger big emotions. But the thing I want everyone to know about my daughter is that she is working so hard everyday to overcome obstacles that are easier for other children her age. She is a survivor and a fighter and some days her strength amazes me. It is so hard to trust others when you have a wounded heart, it is so hard to be vulnerable when your brain tells you to be scared. But Bela is working through it with a generous spirit, a hilarious sense of humor and the prettiest smile, well, anywhere.

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collage art.

16 Feb

Moses and Isabela both recently made some art in their classrooms during free time on Valentine’s Day. It was a good visual of where each one has their heart on this special day:

Maybe Moses needs a music mentor, you know, so he chooses someone besides Katy Perry to be his Valentine?

 

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all is new, all is bright.

3 Jan

The new year was ushered in with Raclette, friends, and Aviation Martini’s. It was grand. As most things including melted cheese are.

The pictures got all wonky, and that is okay. I am feeling wonky today too. The kids are back in school for one and for two I did my first ever P90X work out. Enough said. I did another thing also, but I will save that for tomorrow because it is the first way I am kicking off using my 2012 WORD OF THE YEAR! But it will have to wait.

For now, I am going to keep staring at these pictures because they make me smile. Fireworks at Midnight with new neighbor friends (hello Dick!). Preparing food for people I love and enjoying it with them! A family that makes me grin, really grin- not the grin and bear it sort. The I Am Grinning Because Life Is Precious And We Get To Share It Together Sort.

I was not ready for Christmas Break to end. I wanted to hold on longer, deeper. I just had 2 of the very best weeks of my life. No joke. And yes, I remember going to Maui last summer with my man {and no kids!}. What I am saying is, it was good people, real good. And I know how very lucky I am.

In other {happy!} news, my dear brother Andre is going to be wed! And that means I am extra lucky to have a new sister in law in my family who is just so wonderful.

Are you grinning now too? I hope so, life is short. Live it well.

xoxo.

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new found.

21 Nov

I have a feeling I am going to be that over the top  annoying happy person this holiday season. See, I have a heart that is bursting with happiness right now, and the reason is as unexplainable  simple as just waking up and seeing life through  a different lens. Somehow the fog that I have been hovering in for the last long while is gone and I have this heart, this little heart, that is just hopeful and peaceful and joyful right now.

And I know that it is here because I have just been feeling good, feeling alive. I had forgotten what that was for a bit. You know, when things seem so heavy for so long, when you are buried in feelings of loss you just can’t seem to crawl out from under it?  You are not alone in that. Those feelings are real, that sadness is real. And somehow, by some miracle of the galaxies, I feel like I have this big giant beam of light by my side as I am leaving that cavernous cave. I am holding this flashlight, close to my chest, but I want to shine it on everyone else too. I want them to feel it too. I want you to feel it.

And the timing is beautiful, friends, because the holidays can so easily take us to dark places inside. When we are missing the loss of people who have a piece of us. And I am just overwhelmed with gratitude to not be climbing deeper into that cave right now. I am stepping out and it feels so good. So good.  I can’t explain it, but it looks a little bit like driving in the car with toddlers in tow and looking in the rearview mirror and seeing them and knowing that if it weren’t for the rain on the windshield your eyes would be covered with tears because the sense of weepy-ness is close. But I am talking about the good weeping. The tears of happy kinda weepy. The kind we all want more of, I’ve got it right now. And I know if I want a little bit more of it all I have to do is look in that rearview mirror.

And I am remembering to live. And that means the mid-morning stop at Starbucks for cake pops and hot chocolate {because I am feeling alive peeps} was full of crappy pictures. But I wasn’t gonna wait to take more, because I didn’t want to miss out on the game of ‘I Spy’ and the smiles and the laughter, not for one second more. So I didn’t, and you know what? I’m glad.

And maybe right now you aren’t feeling like me. Maybe you are bummed out and feel like you’ve missed out or want out, and friend- I get it. I get you. This is hard. Life is hard. And I don’t know what happened inside me but I have been listening to old school Sara Groves in my car on auto repeat and one line says ‘Something changed inside me, I feel broken and all spilled out.’ And that touches me, I feel those words. I feel all spilled out, but in that happy-kinda-weepy way, and I like it.

 

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