Life Unscripted...

"To find the universal elements enough;

to find the air and the water exhilarating;

to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter...

to be thrilled by the stars at night;

to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring -

these are some of the rewards of the simple life."

~ John Burroughs

Ahhh....the sweet sound of children sleeping in......I am just blue skying right now....trust me, the countenance shows all!

After 4 1/2 weeks of juggling an active, potty training 2 year old while caring for a sick infant, whose head cold turned ear infection turned severe allergic reaction to penicillin turned damaged digestive tract from the penicillin turned sinus infection kept him awake night after night in utter torment, and after recovering from getting sick myself towards the end of that whole schpiel, we are BOTH restored to good health, and have finally begun to sleep again! Whew! Lord have mercy, no one could possibly begin to plan for a tempest like that!! 5 trips to the doctor in 3 weeks time.... to say that I was running on prayers and coffee would be to highly understate the situation, but thank God Almighty, this too has passed!

We were fortunate enough to steal a quick getaway *doctor approved* to a nearby lake with dear friends during a 2 day lapse when we thought Joshua was recovered from the allergic reaction with hopes that the fresh air and sunshine would do us all some good, and it truly did. The in-laws volunteered to come along to take care of the kids so we could sneak a few naps in, and take a few boat rides to let the soul breathe a bit.....

And so we drove until the city lights morphed into a star lit country sky through the winding roads of Abiquiu, NM....what an incredible place....I did not realize what splendorous grandeur lie secretly tucked away....waiting for my discovery....waiting to be acknowledged....it's no wonder why people like renowned artist Georgia O'Keefe escaped the madness of the world to make her permanent home there, and spent her remaining days being surrounded by such magnificent landscape and the views that they command. Purple, magenta, and three shades of blue set the backdrop for acres upon acres of lush valley land hidden amidst multi-colored rock that's been carved by the very finger of God.

Time spent on the water was therapeutic, the air had a sweet, fresh scent to it, and we spent each awe inspiring night relaxing around the campfire as a spectacular meteor shower took center stage.

We soaked in silence as the heavens danced before our eyes, and exchanged stories and much laughter with each intermission.

Little did we know at that time how much that lake trip would provide just the restoration we would need, and give us a bit of a 2nd wind, before the sinus infections would set in upon our return to bring 10 more days of hard knox to press through.

I'm so grateful for family who stepped in to take care of the kids and prepare a meal so I could get to a doctor myself. With each passing day and each pill swallowed I slowly came back to life, as did my precious Joshua. Just in time for him to start cutting teeth - ha!

But in all sincerity, even in the midst of such challenging weeks living life day by day, hour by hour, I felt so exceedingly blessed,

and seized every opportunity to treasure the simple pleasures.

We celebrated our life returning to some semblance of normalcy again by enjoying that lover's picnic we had been planning :)

Here's a little excerpt from some poetry that we savored that glorious afternoon:

"Take my heart,

I shall have it all the more;

Plucking the flowers,

we keep the plant in bloom.

Knowing you have in store

more heart to give than I find heart-room.

There is more to say:

Only believe that unto you my whole heart gives one cry,

and writing, writes down more than you receive;

Sending you kisses through my fingertips

Lady, O read my letter with your lips!"

~ Cyrano de Bergerac

*sigh*

sooooo happy to be continuing on this journey of simplifying....

of making more time for "time"

Right now, my beloved and my little lambies get my abundance, and everyone else gets the spillage!

ciao for now sweet bellas