monday moment.

a few weeks back i had the chance to visit my grammy in oregon who was then in the process of being moved from her home of 30+ years to an assisted living home in salem oregon.

in short, the visit was wonderful.

i sat on her bed while she sat in her wheelchair and held her dainty, weathered hands while we chatted about memories that she had from when her and my papa met. she asked me how my love life was and i kindly reminded her that aaron and i got married almost two years ago and that i was happier than i have ever been in my life. i sat next to her while she ate dinner with three other elderly ladies from the home and watched as she wrote all of her children and grandchildren's names on her paper placemat in her infamous perfect cursive. i massaged her wrinkled hands while filing and painting each of her fingernails and laughed with her while we tried to decide on which nail to place the tiny, gold butterfly decal. i sat beside her while she and my mother and aunts sung old songs from their childhood and saw the light in her eyes as she remembered each word and note.

i love my grammy and although someday soon she may not even remember my name i am so grateful for the memories that i have made with her through the years and for the incredibly talented and supportive woman that i have to call my grammy.

image via flickr

monday moment.

i am lucky.

lucky to have good health (minus this dang cold, of course), endless support, warm home, healthy food, soft bed, great love, positive finances and a fabulous family to wake up to each morning. lucky to have a car with ac for the summer and a house with warm water for the winter.

i am lucky to remember everyday that no matter how bad i think my circumstances are that things could always be worse.

i watched 'extreme makeover: home edition' last night and got an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for our little basement apartment {gasp!}. i know that i always complain about it but i could not be more happy with where we are at. we don't have a dishwasher, but we have good enough health to stand and laugh and chat whilst we scrub our dirty dishes. we might not have very much space, but that just makes for more intimate moments with those that we love. our bathroom might be old, but we are free of mold and mildew and our drawers might get stuck every time we pull them open, but we have many happy memories and useful supplies to fill them up with. our oven might be half the size of a normal oven, but we have plenty of pots to cook in and plenty of food to cook with.

what makes you lucky?

monday moment.

i know. its not "technically" monday, but com'on it is where all of our minds still are right?

i really want to reinstate this little effort of mine and involve all of you who i admire and love. each monday i will feature a story from my own life or the life of one of you fabulous people that has made you feel blessed, privileged, humbled, elated, comforted and over-all warm and fuzzy. i know that we all have those days where the small things in life make all of the difference and we are able to take a step back and recognize just how magnificent the world around us is, so please dont be shy. share your story.

here is mine . . .

i mean lets be honest - every day we should be grateful for things that make us laugh and more importantly that the above style of photography is no longer in style.

for a pick me up any day, help yourself to THIS site.

monday moment

"A few weeks ago Easton and I were sitting in the living room playing together. At the time, I was unemployed, so I had a lot of time to spend with him (which was awesome), but needless to say I was sort of frustrated with things. Easton had reached the point where he could pull himself up and walk along the edge of the couch or the coffee table, but had not yet walked on his own. We were sitting about 10 feet apart, rolling a ball back and forth to each other. Suddenly, without warning, he rolled forward, stood up, and with a huge smile on his face and arms outstretched, he walked over to me. I can't describe the feeling I had at the moment, but it was spectacular. So much pride, so much love, and excitement at participating in this little milestone in his life. In that moment, all the frustration and worry about being unemployed disappeared and I remembered that what was most important in my life, was the wonderful wife and beautiful son I am lucky enough to have. The memory of that moment will be with me forever."

Dave Oldham - Global Vice President for The Arbinger Institute