Friday, March 27, 2015

Happy Birthday, Little Boy Blue!

I just want to gobble you up!  You have my heart strings tied around your little finger ~ and you're only two little years old! 

 
Can I say:  "Be still my beating heart!"? 

So, Happy Birthday to one of the most adorable little boy's on earth!
I love you to infinity and beyond!
 
Love,
Mom-Mom

Happy Birthday, Matt!

Oh my stars!  I'm in denial that you are grown.  In. Denial. 
But I'm so proud of you as a young man. Your choices have proven well for you! Just look at that Lovely Lady on your right arm!


 
 
This picture just makes me smile right back at you!  I can't help myself. 
 
I pray you have a wonderful birthday ~ that you stop and smell the roses along the way ~ that your memories fill your soul today ~ and life gives you the best in every way!
 
Much love,
Aunt Crickett
 
PS ~ I shamelessly creeped Amanda's FB to find this picture.  No need to thank me.  That's what Aunts do (don't they?).


Friday, March 20, 2015

Just A Piece of the Puzzle

I love to work puzzles (not crosswords so much) and as it turns out, most of my squirrely girlie's like puzzles too!  Itty Bitty could sit with puzzles all day long.  And I have to admit, I think about letting her!  It is wonderful watching her analyze, twist and turn and finally place a piece where it belongs.

Using the box lid as a guide I taught her to work the border first.  It would give her something to connect to, as it were. Then we would move inward.  The pieces would be encompassed ~ forced to find their place. Next she learned to look for like colors, shapes, patterns and connecting parts.  The similar things allowed the "picture" to start to take focus and excitement followed.  And even though it was far from done she could see progress.  And so the process continued ~ observation, trial and then success.  When all pieces were placed in the correct spot and she stood back to admire the work, there was pleasure.  Pleasure in her work, even though there was trial and error, and pleasure with the end result.  She is now able to see past the fact that it took forever to work that pattern on the tiger because it all looked very similar. Or all the pieces of the same color giving her grief.  Perhaps a piece went MIA ~ only to find she was sitting on it.  All the frustration was lost in the pride she felt with a job well done.  Looking back at the big picture was rewarding and the joy, frustration and the "I don't want to do this anymore." attitude was overshadowed by what lay in front of her. The pieces.  All together.  As they should be.

It reminds me that my life is  just pieces of a puzzle. It is just much larger and sometimes more complex.  In any given day I find myself, more often than not, looking for where I belong. How  I'm going to get the pieces of my "puzzle" to connect together and not damage or misplace any of the surrounding pieces.  Most times I try not to put too much thought in it and just let the pieces fall in place naturally.  But, alas, Easy is never the name of my puzzle. 

Fortunately my "border" is done. I am encompassed by the Almighty Hand.  I am forced to find my place.  I look for like personalities (colors), interests (patterns) and fellow believers (connecting parts).  When I find my similarities my puzzle begins to take form.  And my process continues ~ observation (reaching out), trial (bad, unpredictable days, short temper, frustration, on and on. . .) and then success ~ joyful, blissful days, making it through the rain, dealing with disappointment and coming out on the other side.

But, unlike working a board puzzle, the only thing I can look back on is the "work in progress".  I won't ever see the finished puzzle this side of Glory.  God holds that box with the picture on it for me. 

I will get it some day. I will be able to look back despite the joy, the frustrations and the "I don't want to do this anymore." attitude and be overwhelmed at what lays in front of me.  The pieces. All together.  As they were meant to be.

But, not today.  Not today.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Happy Birthday, Sarah Sponda! !

Sometimes in order to move forward we need to look back at ourselves.  Here's a little "look back" for you Sarah.
 
 A well rounded life:


You love baseball!



You tried your hand at "boxing"  ;)
 
 
You love Guards
 
 
You're just simply put ~ beautiful!
 
 
Ahh ~ can't forget swimming

 
You don't mind striking a pose now and then!
 
You have matured into such a wonderful woman.  You set standards and examples for people you don't even know are watching.  You never seem to compromise your faith or your morals.  Your goals are impressive.  Your love for family even more so.  And just as important ~ you make room for the fun things in life ~ seizing the moment!
I am so proud to be your Mom-Mom.
I love you with infinite measure.
 
Happy Birthday!
 
Love,
Mom-Mom

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i'm a wife, a mom, a mom-mom, a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a friend...i'm a child of God.... i love to read, scrap, and sew (all when time permits!)... i like trying new things, going to different places, even if only in my mind....i like simple, but life is complicated....i like spring days, snow storms, thunderstorms, and big puffy clouds you can make things out of....i like coffee, tea and iced chocolate milk you can sip thru a straw..........