Do I HAVE to put up with you?

Shesh. Do I? I mean really... Of all the friggin places you could end up in life? You decide to hook your hip to mine like a partner in crime? Shesh is right.

It couldn't be the countless times we bounded over the fact that we're adjusting to this whole "mom" thing... We can laugh at the moments that have brought life this path, and certainly I do believe there have been many tears together too. Or maybe the compulsion our husbands have to do great things like this cartoon?

Oh wait... There is more. It could be we have some cute kids who are destine to marry each other if they ever work out that ones Mormon and one isn't. Or the fact countless times one of our bunch is always the "baby" and that baby is beat up by the non-baby. OR it's the fact that one of us is forever waiting on the one who is going to be late to their own grave?

It could be the witnessing each other welcome our newest additions to our family into the world, or the fact that some how the messy gene has now hit my own children and it displeases me so and I finally get it! It's the absolute truth when we read this next one that we both realize in the past 6 years we have both developed hair ADHD.

OR - it could be the midnight movies with kids stashed in every room of the house with blaring white noise machines. It might be we disagree most people could use therapy and the fact that we have no idea what homeschooling is but we really both hope we don't fuck it up! Further more, we might consider we both understand life has nothing to do with being right or wrong - just together and doing absolutely the best we can with what we know, understand and have tools to do so with.

OH OH OH - It could be THIS is what bounds us.... And to think, we're nuts enough to do it over and over again!

Hmmm.... some how I don't think we're the besties that do this though...

At least......... we haven't yet. Ahhhaahaha. Just kidding :)

So, dear friend of mine, Do I have to put up with you? Absolutely fucking not. In case you were wondering - since you thanked me this morning for putting up with you - I'll say its been a delightful 5+ years, and you are absolutely not allowed to say that again. Cheer up my darling, you are the best friend I could ever imagine

Besides, who else can I lean on when I am in need of a serious folding party? And who taught you the greatness of things like knitting?

Hope you get a great chuckle and with laughter comes relaxation! I'm thinkin of ya!

Coffee, Busy work and Mountains.

My love affair with this coal black liquid is long standing. It's not just the coffee, its the ritual. The moments that I've spent sitting with my husband sharing a cup. The times we walked down Broadway in Seattle to soak up the atmosphere just before stepping into heavenly Tullys nestled in that beautiful old building. It's the cup you grab before you are fully awake or the one to keep you on your feet for 50 hours at a birth. Its the smell in the morning that pulls you fully awake before your first drink and it has been the gathering places for some of the best women I have come to call friends. It's the joke of 'ruining it' with my husband and the intimacy that comes from sharing with him anyways!

Though I have a love hate relationship with this lovely drink while I'm pregnant - I cannot deny the pull to the cup is not an addiction of the body, but the ritual of peace and serenity of enjoying a few sips of warmth before tackling a day. It's amazing how many things in our lives are not about the obvious, but about the emotion the surrounds the soul.

Coffee can lead to work.......... and work is a big topic! Wooooweee are we busy. Now, I've been poor enough to never curse the work. I've also watched people around me sell out their marriages for career egos and keeping up with the Joneses. Balance is a one of the few things you realize you'll need to accomplish in all areas of life and work is one of those things! As the weeks and months since the 'start' of the season have rushed by at a nearly frantic pace, sometimes its easy to forget why your doing this. As I sit here and pour a piece of my mind into this blog, my love is working, hard. Dumb is the wife who never shares her sincere gratitude for the work being accomplished.

I have the best husband in the world. A part of me wonders what drives him to accomplish so much. When you look at his past and reflect your own understandings into it - I see so much. The balance he so steadily attains to make sure our children know that he chooses his family over punching a clock. The ability he seems to graciously have to accept mountains of work and yet look at them as mole hills in the path to his dreams. He is steady and calm, while never lazy nor frantic. It is truly amazing to stand side by side this husband of mine.

Work is busy, yet when the still of the moments come - the under lying truth is steady and real - Together we're strong, connected and working together for our goals. What an amazing sight.

With all this work though......... I'm leaving.

Here we come beloved peaceful mountains. 

Random mumbling of happy children!

Messy Fingers

© Debra S. Higginbotham

Sticky fingers, tangled hair,

scattered crayons, everywhere.

Fancy artwork on the wall 

drawn by midgets three feet tall.

Tell me why  and tell me how '

that was mine  I want it NOW!

Fix my bike. Buy me gum.

If you have it, I want some.

Dirty faces, grass-stained knees,

learning words  like pretty please.

Endless hugs & goofy wet kisses,

learning respect with 'Mr.' & 'Mrs.'

Scraped-up hands, from falling down.

Tender tugs - - on my night gown.

Need more paper  for Santa's letter?

I wasn't so bad but I've been better.

Watching a movie  again and again 

Mommy, please put the tape back in.

Messy fingers hair gone wild 

all in the life of a precious child !!

Ahhh.... the joyous moments of life all around us. June has been productive, flying by so quick, and yet at a pace that is so sweet and enjoyable! We have stopped to admire baby ducks in the ponds, we've went to the Zoo, had picnics, and all the while, I have not had my camera!! That is a SERIOUS mishap!

But I did capture some moments!

WHY must my silly son think that sitting ON the table is an acceptable practice? Oh yes... because his lovely dad left his chocolate milk on the table. Declan was silent and chugging it as fast as he could when I captured this moment. Silly kid!

Did you know, I can almost never snap photos of just one of my girls? Its almost as if they are one child in two bodies. I'll try to snap a quick photo of Aurora and Daunika will quickly sit down in the photo. So precious!! 

Ahhh.... look at those EYES? Big brown eyes that make you a sucker for him all the time. He is really getting to look like a bigger kid too. 

Daunika and Aurora are definitely girls. Glamour dresses to play in the dirt outside? Absolutely. Don't forget the lip gloss..... Sigh. They grow so fast!

Speaking of growing.... I am indeed growing out of all my normal clothes now! at 15 weeks along in this pregnancy, this is by far the soonest to be out of my normal jeans. We had our prenatal appt and yet again we couldn't find a heart beat. Damon was there this time and was so positive and calm about our hidden baby. Both of us felt very confident that our baby was perfect and healthy but just hiding! I had to come back later in the day to get blood drawn and my favorite midwife at this practice came in and asked if I wanted her to try to find a heart beat.... sure enough, there was that beautiful little thump thump thump in there! What a beautiful sound. I wish Damon could have been there, but instead, our kids were there and excited about it!




These next pictures from yesterday were fantastic!! Did I mention I love zoom on my camera? I loved watching Moose really really try to keep up with Aurora. She obviously has the ability and agility to enjoy more features of this park than him, but you'd never suggest he wasn't having the time of his life following her!

 I mean, he was REALLY determined! So cute.

And during this time... Where did my big girl go? On her own quest.

 Somewhere between last year and this year, she has learned to LOVE swinging. Independence is a beautiful thing for Daunika. She enjoys the ability to control life!

 It amazes me that she never gets discouraged by the task of starting. These are not little swings. These are very tall, very big swings that she tackles with a determination that is clearly self motivation to enjoy them!

And what can I do but sit back and pray when shes flying that high! Though this picture doesn't show the wonder, thrill and accomplishment in her face, it would do her a disservice to hover. She worked hard to accomplish her goal of swinging high and I am so proud of her (and a tad nervous!)

Life is fabulous!