Flashback Friday

It's been about four thousand months since I did a Flashback Friday post, but we are dreaming of warm weather here and some down time.  V.A.C.A.T.I.O.N. is on our mind.

The little blonde cocoa bean in this photo turned four on this 2008 summer trip to Hawaii.  She just got braces on Wednesday and is turning nine this summer.  And time marches on . . .

 

 

Vacation: a period of travel and relaxation when you take twice the clothes and half the money you need. 

~Author Unknown

For my treasures

When I tell you that you're a gift to me, I mean it. Deep down, all the way through, I know that God had a plan for me that is still beyond my comprehension. When each of you came to Daddy and me I wasn't anxiously wishing for you. I've seen the despair and hurt that comes when there is a Mama with no baby and that wasn't me. I didn't even know that I needed you to become the person that God intended for me to be. I thought I was fine. But then everything changed.

My gratitude for you was immediate and intense. The gift of your life was, and never is, lost on me. I understand fully that I am better because of you. Every day. Every time I pray, I say thank you FOR you. But maybe not enough TO you.

My precious babies, thank you. Thank you for loving me so fully even when I fail you. Thank you for loving each other with a ferocity that only siblings can share. Thank you for your giant smiles, sharp minds and your love of dogs and sunshine. Thank you for taking out the trash, hanging up your back packs and being great readers. Thank you for being your unique and extraordinary selves.

My sensitive and gentle son, I thank you for the lesson that not every action must be so intense that it fractures the intended outcome. Thank you for your humility, your dark curly eyelashes and your giant heart. Thank you for treating your Dad like a hero and me like a Princess. Thank you for listening carefully when I am struggling to be good enough for you and can't articulate exactly what I want for you. Thank you for trying so hard to make me feel like I am not destroying your spirit when I am clumsy and cruel in my words to you.

My spirited and brilliant girl, thank you for your mischief and your wonder of the world. Thank you for reminding me that energy and curiosity need positive outlets and for never allowing me to be lazy about our time together. Thank you for giving me a dose of own medicine sometimes but then forgiving easily when I bare my soul and apologize for my lack of patience. Thank you for your sparkly blue eyes that see straight through me and your fierce hugs and wild laughter.

You are my treasures. You are a gift. Every bouquet of flowers, every card and breakfast on a tray is appreciated, but there is nothing that I want more than happiness and wellness for the two of you. Mother's Day is my honor.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Rarely Right

Southern California in the 21st century is a tough place to raise a family with peaceful hearts.  There really is just not a lot of time or space to breathe deeply, sigh and say "all is right with the world".

The highs are very high.

Mind blowing sunsets

Red carpet nights out

World class everything

It just rarely seems right.

Shopping at the right stores for the right food to give the kids the right fuel.  And, of course, they need the right fuel to give them an advantage in the right school with the right kids making the right choices.

The power and the stamina to make it through the days always feels like a gift, but I'm just never certain that it's right.

This morning, though is a different story.  It's so quiet.  So peaceful.

My girl and I were the first to rise and we made a recipe for breakfast cookies from Pinterest.  We did it right and they're good.

My guy is playing with Legos in the floor of the family room that is cleaner than usual.

Both dogs are lying in the slivers of morning sunshine on the floor.

The washing machine is running and the giant bouquet of stock that I bought at Costco is unbelievably fragrant and lovely.

Tomorrow morning will be an entirely different story, but today's it right.  It is a rare and beautiful treasure.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Phillipians 4:8

Ten Things to Smile About

January was fast and frantic and ended up with The Athlete suffering through the flu for a week. The perfect way to recap and remember the goodness is the very first Ten Things to Smile About for 2013. 

Ten Things to Smile About: January 2013


A weekend getaway to the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

 

 

 

Bedtime prayers with my sweet, sweet boy

 

 

 

Cleaning and refreshing our long neglected home.  2013 is a brand new year!

 

 Ziplining for the first time.  Amazing.

 

 

 

Costa Rica

 

 

 

 

Keeping up with the kids via email and FaceTime while i was out of the country.  There is definitely some upside to technology.

 

The zaniness that is of Bob

(formerly known as The Princess)

 

 

 

 

Basketball season

 

 

 

 The exteme beauty of where we live

 

 

My wee little cookie machine

 

 

 

The reminder to recall my Ten Things come from Emmy Mom. She always makes me smile, too.

  

  

Chasing Chances

Without intentionally planning to I spend a lot of time looking at this face. 

I love this face so, so much.  The face is so precious and only second to her sense of humor, her generous heart and her spunk.  Spending time with her is no problem for me.

But there's also this face that I deeply adore.

 

This face brightened my world first, but I don't get to see it nearly as much as I'd like to.  I see the uniform flashing down the court or the backpack exiting the car, but not the face that is turning 11 in less than a month.  And I miss it.  I miss his eyelashes and the soft curve of his chin.  I miss his megawatt smile and the light spot above his eyebrow.  I am chasing chances to be with him and see him.  Really see him.

 

My latest infatuation is Instagram (@kfmontoya) and I am committing myself to a photo a day of him (#365daysofmymax). Business travel doesn't help with the photo a day campaign, but his sister takes photos of him and sends them to me from her iPod or I get sweet self portraits before school. Those warm my heart the most maybe.

 

 

The intentional act of being sure I get a photo of him helps me be sure I am SEEING him. Not watching him or hearing him, but seeing him. Seeing it all while I still have the chance.

Ten Things to Smile About: December 2012

The end of anything always makes me sad. I am not good at goodbyes. December and 2012 being over is hard to take, but my feelings of gratitude for good health and a happy family to move into the new year offset any sadness. We have big things in store this year. Mark my words.

Ten Things to Smile About: December 2012

That rascally elf, Arthur, returning to our home to give us some laughs and heighten the happy anticipation of Santa's arrival.

How everything just seems jollier in December. Reindeer antlers intended for the dogs cracked up all of us one afternoon for a long time.

Noel Night at our church. The Princess sang with the Cherubs Choir and it was angelic. I never take these moments for granted.

The return of basketball season. Go Aztecs!!!

How dang excited the kids were to welcome Nana and Pat for their holiday stay. This little boy was trying so hard to be patient. He could NOT wait to greet our guests!

  Christmas cards. We love Christmas cards and the Princess put her own unique spin on our display . . . {ahem} this year

The most precious friendly beast in the school Christmas pageant.  

 

Simplifying our giving a little and still having way more than enough to go around. Thanks to Emily at JDC we had great tags to accompany our four gifts for each child.

This dog on a bench in front of us during an outdoor organ concert in Balboa Park. I'm not sure that ever in my life can I look at this photo and not smile. He was just the coolest dude around that day.



May January give you millions of reasons to smile and hope for the year ahead.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Peaceful hearts

The Christmas season always fills my heart with a joy that is different than any other time of year.  There is a certain joy associated with the celebrations and giving from the heart and the opportunities to spend more time than usual than people that matter the most to me.  Those things always fill me with true warmth and happiness.  But this year feels even more significant.  I have not been centered lately on what's the most important and, always, God calls me back to remind me that everything that matters is right in front of me.

My angel boy is training to be an altar server at school as part of his fifth grade religious education curriculum.  I moved some meetings last week stay for a mass where he was serving.  I sat in the sanctuary for 45 minutes between the time he had to be there for preparation and when mass started.  I was just THERE in the house of the Lord with my son and his friends moving around to prepare for mass and it was lovely.  A quiet, stolen sliver of time in a sacred place during the busiest time of year was such a blessing for me.  And seeing the pride of my son serving the Lord . . . no words.  The framework of his service during advent just magnifies the sacredness of all of it.

Tomorrow night the Princess will sing at Noel Night with the other tiny songbirds in the Cherubs Choir.  I anticipate it fully and wholly and treasure that she is so excited to sing the songs of Christmas.  I do know that she is excited too to wear a choir robe and I find that absolutely charming.

The halls are decked.  I mean fully decked by my little sweet peas.  We can't eat at the dining room table because it is fully covered with our holiday village and faux snow.  Every single ornament we own is on the tree below the five foot mark and in the front.  And this year I am forcing myself to be totally OK with it.  The joy of my children and the gift of their love is worth more than every beautiful thing I can imagine.

Time here is never guaranteed and Santa will be a distant memory soon enough.  I will cherish every poorly placed ball and ceramic figure skater for much longer than I will remember wishing the mantle were perfectly adorned.

 

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

2 Corinthians 9:15

Ten Things to Smile About: November 2012

November was a great month.  The act of taking the time every single day to name something to be thankful for is it's own kind of gift.  And being able to do it without a second thought for 30 days is truly a blessing.  I don't ever need to be reminded of how blessed I am but I did love counting the blessings one by one in November.  Here are ten of my favorites.
Racing the sunset while the Princess took photos with my phone all the way to the water.  We had a chance to do this two or three times and we were never disappointed.

 

The first days of red cups at Starbucks and peppermint mochas.  Call me shallow.  It's OK.  They make me smile every.single.time.

 

The Princess aka Bob being recognized as the speediest Ninja at the end of season soccer party.

 

 

Celebrating twelve years of happily ever after with Mr. Montoya ~xoxo

 

Several peaceful, easy mornings at home.

 

Watching my baby boy turn into something other than a baby and loving him even more as he grows.  He is so very responsible and such a kind soul.  It is such a pleasure to see him taking on new challenges in the world AND helping his Dad with yard work.

 

 

A fun day with our cousins.  I call them the Fearless Five.

 

A five day weekend to relax, decorate and get a head start on the holidays.It is a blessing to be READY for Christmas before Christmas.

 

Ordering, receiving, addressing and stamping our Christmas cards.  Woo hoo!

 

. . . and having helpers was a treat, too!

 

 

Many blessings to you and your family in the season of love and giving.  We are so thankful for the month that just passed and wait with joyful anticipation to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

 

EmmyMom