Ordinarily Extraordinary

Are you amazed and grateful?

Warning: This one's a bit deeper than I normal.

I wasn't planning on blogging this weekend. After being out of town for a week and then the crazy week I've had with the van servicing, rescheduling photo sessions,  just trying to get back into the swing of things, etc..and preparing for a baby shower I'm hosting tomorrow, I had planned to wait until Sunday night or Monday to blog. I decided to read a little before bed and was so inspired I had to share.

I'm reading Donald Miller's latest book  A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. I'm only 59 pages in, but wow! Let me share a bit of what I just read tripped something in my mind.

"We get robbed of the glory of life because we aren't capable of remembering how we got here. When you are born, you wake slowly to everything. Your brain doesn't stop growing until you turn twenty-six, so from birth to twenty-six, God is slowly turning the lights on......The experience is so slow you could easily come to believe life isn't that big of a deal, that life isn't staggering. What I'm saying is I think life is staggering and we're just used to it.......

When Steve, Ben and I wrote our characters into the screenplay, I felt the way I hope God feels as he writes the world, sitting over the planets and placing tiny people in tiny wombs. If I have a hope, it's that God sat over the dark nothing and wrote you and me, specifically into the story, and put us in with the sunset and the rainstorm as though to say, Enjoy your place in my story. The beautify of it means you matter, and you can create within it even as I have created you......

I've wondered, though, if one of the reasons we fail to acknowledge the brilliance of life is because we don't want the responsibility inherent in the acknowledgement. We don't want to be characters in a story because characters have to move and breathe and face conflict with courage. And if life isn't remarkable, then we don't have to do any of that; we can be unwilling victims rather than grateful participants." -- exerted from pg. 58 -59 of A Millions Miles in a Thousand Years.

Does this speak to anyone else like it did me?

I admit I am spoiled. My needs are met and I have many of my wants. But over the past year or so God has been teaching me a couple of things. 

One of those things is to just to slow down and be in awe. I wonder if we don't miss some of the most awe inspiring things in life because we aren't looking. Because we're too busy to slow down and see all the incredible aspects of life. There are so many awe inspiring things right in front of our noses if we just pay attention. Experiences that seem so very ordinary yet if we let them will inspire us with awe, inspire us with just how extraordinary this life is.

A couple of nights ago I took dinner to friends who just had a baby. Their almost 3 year old comes running as I enter the door almost squealing "We have a baby! We have a baby!" Her excitement over her beautiful baby sister has made me smile so many times over the past 2 days.

A few other things that have had me standing in awe lately: the above newborn baby sister's smiling in her sleep, the blue of the Autumn sky, hugs from my kiddo, the streaked sky at sunset, the exploring of the precious 16 month old girl I photographed this week, the amazing granite rock boulders of Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia (photos to come very soon), and so many more.

God is teaching me to also just slow down and be grateful. This is a tough one for me. Not because I'm not grateful, but because life gets so busy as a wife, mom, etc that I have to consciously slow my mind down and remind myself to be grateful. When I do take the time it always brings me back to awe and amazement. Then there are moments that I'm just overwhelmed with gratefulness. I want to have a spirit of gratitude. I have a lot of work still left to do in that respect, but I'm trying.

What about you? Do you need to remind yourself to slow down and be in awe? Or slow down and be grateful? What has inspired awe for you lately? What has caused you to become overwhelmed with gratitude recently?

Color Profile

I found a link to this color profile quiz on How About Orange. These colors are definitely me. The decorating style maybe not, but definitely the colors. Click here to take the quiz.

Belong To Me by Marisa de los Santos

In Belong to Me, we are once again introduced to Cornelia Brown after the major life changes she experienced in Love Walked In. Having moved to the suburbs with her husband she quickly realizes how difficult it can be to make new friends in her new town. With overly judgemental neighbors and another new arrival who she finds shared interests with Cornelia learns to grow and look beneath the surface.

I enjoyed the easy twists and turns and laughed at Santos's portrayal of the neighborhood elite. While I still did not enjoy the mentions of classic movies I did like the book. It was a heartwarming tale of unexpected changes and what can happen when you take the time to look beneath a person's surface.

It's 6:20 p.m.....

as I type and I'm ready for a nice bubble bath and bed. Yes, I know it's only 6:20p.m., but let me explain.

First I must ask you to do the following. Please don't read this as I'm complaining. I'm not. How the day played out was a bit annoying, but all in all it's pretty darn funny in a Murphy's Law kind of way.

I have a Toyota minivan. I love my minivan. I know. Maybe not cool, but I really don't care if others think I'm cool or not. And in case you didn't fully understand. I. Love. My. Minivan. I have had it for 5 years and I hope to be driving it for another 5 or more years.

Hubs and I have a pretty strict policy that the vehicles are always serviced by a dealership with the exception of tires. (Prices of tires at a dealership are overpriced.) But other than the tires anything done to our vehicles is done at a dealership. I know some of you may think this is crazy, but usually the price isn't that much more and as my dad has found out sometimes it's best just to go there first or you end up spending even more money fixing what the other mechanic did wrong.

Now I know there are some great local mechanics in the world so I'm not dissing those amazing local mechanics and I wish them well.

Now back to my story. We do our best to do regular routine maintence on our vehicles and being 5 years old my van has a good many miles on it so it was time to replace the timing belt. Heaven knows I don't want to know what happens when a timing belt goes out and how much that might cost. So off I go to the dealership up near my parents which happens to be just over an hour away from me. (Yes, a downside to living in a small town is you are an hour from anything.) I called yesterday and they said it would be between 4 and 6 hours to do. I leave early and get there early enough so that it should be finished in time.

I take things with me to keep myself busy. I'm pretty patient and I don't mind waiting if I have something to do and I didn't want to have to call my mother to come and get me and then take me back. Especially not in the rain. And I needed to be home in time to pick up the Squirt from school and take to piano lessons.

After about an hour the service manager came to me and says "This is not what you're going to want to hear."  Just lovely. Turns out a lot has to be removed to get to the timing belt. One of the bolts on the motor will not budge. Won't turn, won't move, nothing, nada, zip. They are going to have to break it to get it off.

So I'm thinking okay, what's the catch? They don't have a replacement bolt. They can have one there first thing in the morning and it will cost another $50. But of course after the price you have to pay to replace the timing belt, what's another $50?

I ended up having to call my mom anyway. (There is a reason I have my van serviced at a dealership close to a relative.) The plan was for her to come pick me up and take me to her house where I would get my dad's vehicle and drive it back home. Then tomorrow I would drive back up after my photo session and have my mom take me back to the dealership to pick up my beloved minivan.

So I get the keys to my dad's car. Get in and nada. Dead battery. All this in the pouring rain. Which is fine since as I told my mother I'm not sweet enough to melt.

(Oh and daddy if you're reading this do not worry. We'll get it taken care of. I'm sure your nephew knows how to plug in a battery charger which is more than I can say for your eldest daughter - that would be me.)

So I'm now driving my mom's car. I'm not complaining. I am utterly grateful for a mom who would come get me and let me borrow her car and drive it an hour and a half home. I'm very thankful for 4 wheels and an engine.

If all goes according to plan my precious van will be ready early tomorrow afternoon and I will be back home in time to pick the kiddo up from school.

So all that to say, please have a laugh at my expense. I mean you have to laugh at the luck of it all. The best laid plans....

I'll be catching up with my photos a day and of course photos from my trip as soon as possible. In the meantime I'm contemplating (in my dreams) moving here although you might want to check that link out once morning comes so you can get a better idea.

So, tell me. How was your day?

Artworks

The following  is my post over on Alabama Bloggers today.

The Blount Cultural Park in Montgomery is a wonderful escape in the midst of a busy city. Home to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art, sprawling lawns with walking trails surround the park.

Today I want to introduce you to part of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art just for kids. It's called Artworks and it's always a favorite place for my son and I to visit. You may already know about it, but just in case let me share why we love it so much.

Artworks is the home to more than 40 interactive exhibits where children can explore art. There are computers featuring art software. The mezzanine level for small groups and families is filled with games, puzzles, puppets and books all about art.

One of my son's favorites is the race track. The kids use controls to race the cars around Talladega. There's a beanbag pillow balancing game, a trunk full of African masks, the design your own quilt wall and paintings brought to life. These are just a few of the fun interactive art activities in Artworks.

So if you happen to be near Montgomery don't miss the chance to take your children to Artworks.

The Creative Mama

I just discoveredThe Creative Mama blog a few weeks ago.  It's such a great site. You should definitely check it out, especially if you love photography. They have a great giveaway going on right now too.

Home again, home again....

jiggity jig. I don't know why that always come to mind when I return from a trip.

I didn't mention it much in the posts over the past week, but I was on a New England cruise with my mother and sister. We had a great time and I have tons of photos to share very soon. I had all the posts scheduled to post while I was away. I've been home for about 48 hours now and I'm finally getting back into the swing of things and am slowly starting to feel like I'm not on a gently rocking ship. I'm unpacked and with the exception of some sweaters and blouses air drying, all the laundry is caught up and ironed and put away.  Isn't that always a great feeling.

We went to the pumpkin patch today too. Photos to come soon. After church tomorrow I have to get back to editing photos. I'm looking forward to the several sessions I have scheduled this week. It's back to the real world now. I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

Sweet H

I've known this sweet girl since she was a toddler. She was so shy back then. She has grown into such a precious girl. Before her mom blinks she'll be a teenager.

And of course we had to get one with her beautiful mom.

And since there is very, very little pink in my own home I couldn't resist getting some of her in her very girly room.  Her pink beanbag has her name on it, but since I don't share I blurred all but her first letter out. It's one of my favorite photos from the session though.

Two Years Ago...

today I traveled with my sister to San Francisco. There's something about San Francisco. If you've never been I don't think I can describe it for you. The artsy, calming vibe of the city was so soothing to the soul.

I'm writing this several days before it will post and by the time you read it I will be returning from a cruise to the northeast U.S. with my mom and sister.

Something about San Francisco brought out the explorer in me. I want to explore it some more with the kiddo and hubby along this time. I'm ready to go back for another visit.

But since my trip to San Francisco that Fall I always get this longing to go back when Autumn comes our way. Soon I hope I will. I've probably shared them here before, but I thought I'd share some of them again.

Love Walked In by Marisa De Los Santos

You know the old saying, "You can't judge a book by its cover." ? I know it's true for books as well as people, but where books are concerned I think it helps.

Which would be why I noticed the sequel (which I'll be reviewing next week) to Love Walked In on a special display in Barnes & Noble one day.

Cornelia Brown doesn't realize how much life will change when a handsome stranger walks into the coffee shop she manages. What she thinks may be love at first sight soon brings incredible changes to her life.  And little does she realize how much life is about to change.

Love Walked In is about unlikely friendships that carry you through life with all its unpredicatability. Santos alludes to many classic movies throughout the book to highlight Cornelia's thoughts. All the mentions of classic movies is the only thing about the novel I did not enjoy. I'm just not much of a classic movie watcher so some of it was lost on me. This did not however keep my from enjoying the story.