Friday, January 30, 2009

I've decide I love gray. I love my life. I'm grateful. I just read something that made me embrace what is around me and be thankful for what I have.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Gray Times and Go Bridget!


Gray is all around us having the potential to make me feel gray. A few days ago I embraced it's beauty and their was a mistiness that was even warming. Dahlia was fussy and hadn't taken a decent nap all day so just before 4pm I got the kids ready (Dahlia in the snugly pack) and we walked to the park. I was determined to have her sleep and she did. Soren and I played like old times searching for the Grufalo home and exploring the gardens. We needed that time together and it's a sweet memory. Darkness comes early and sometimes with clearer skies we can see the moon all day. I often marvel at the fact that I'm here and sometimes I get frustrated and angry and dream of sunshine and living in Hawaii (like a 13 year old). But there's really no way of getting around the fact that I live in a gorgeously green country where moms have to bundle their babes up and be ready for rain. I'm going inward and see the beauty in a land that is opposite from the climate where I was raised. Kids aren't free to play outside in the sun all year. So. . . colorful scarves make me happy. Coffee shops are a refuge and good friends and family keep me sane. . . and looking out the window on the train at all the pastures and lochs-- stunning.

My sister Bridget just called to tell me she passed her first exam in law school at the university of Glasgow. She's been stressed to say the least and I'm so incredibly happy for her. In December she had a get-together at her house for her son Atlas' Birthday and invited a fellow student from her program. The girl was a truly nice person and told me how hard the program is. She said if she new how hard it was going to be she didn't think she would have gone into law school! . . which brings me to my sister, who is in this program, with 4 kids!! She's HARDCORE. She always has been. I love her. Go Bridget!!

Saturday, January 03, 2009

I haven't posted in a while and I have so much to bloggy blog about. First things first: Charla, Peter and Dries came to town for Christmas! Charla's family is so beautiful. Her little boy Dries is a dream and loves to cuddle. He's a friendly little chap and Soren loved being followed around by him. It made me happy to see them playing together because Dahlia will be crawling around in no time and now I know that Soren will play with her as well.




Unfortunately, we all got sick for the holidays. Jason started it out with bronchitis and then Soren got a cough and a fever for a few days. I held out until after Christmas and then came down with the flu and it was a bad one. These past two weeks were such a rough time for our family as we all tried to get rest but never really felt like we were getting enough. Luckily, Dahlia didn't get sick and stayed happy and healthy. We are all on the mend and I'm so grateful for health! Oh how I love to be healthy.

Here's my little dancing darling. (Matisse, if you see this, don't you just love that arm?)



I asked soren to put his shoes on so he could come with me to take out the trash and he took me literally and only put his shoes on. Then he started break dancing and it was pretty awesome.



This next photos are of Atlas with Dahlia. They are the oldest and youngest of the Ausman family grandchildren. Atlas is so handsome and he's such a good boy--so helpful and kind with all the kids.



And. . .drum roll please. . . Soren went to primary for the first time today! It hit me last week and I started to cry. Soren saw that I was crying and asked "sometimes moms cry when they're happy?" He's starting to understand his mum.

PS. I just finished Siddhartha by Herman Hesse and it was wonderful. It's going on my favorite books list and I was sad it ended. Since there is no way to read these days I listened to it as an audiobook. Friends and fellow countrywomen, it is an awesome book. It made me cry and learn and love. There were many themes and places introduced and then revisited with a fresh and enlightened clarity that I loved. It moved me and made appreciate our interconnectedness. Read it!! If you have already-- did you love it too?