2008 August | chatting at the sky

the heart of a hero

August 20, 2008

She wanted another son. She and her husband already had one baby but struggled to conceive another. They chose to adopt. And so she waited. She dreamed. Then, she waited some more. She fought hard against insurmountable odds that culminated to a dark and hopeless hour last week when it seemed they would never be allowed to bring him home.

Just when it seemed she might have to let him go, they received the email that changed everything. Contrary to all they thought would be true for them, they prepare to leave on Friday for a trip around the world to bring their little boy home.

Last night, I attended her baby shower. I sat in her sister’s living room and watched as she opened packages of hope and happiness disguised as tiny boy clothes. She was giddy and overwhelmed, helpless to hide her tears of relief.

I couldn’t keep my eyes from settling on the photo hanging behind her of the son she was preparing to meet. A dark haired boy with a wide, toothless grin. He is an orphan destined to remain so unless someone, somewhere fights for him.

Not because he earned it. Just because he is.

The heart of a mother reflects the heart of God like nothing I have ever seen. Her love is no less passionate or fierce whether that baby is growing inside her own body, born of a woman on the other side of the world or born only in her heart as she struggles to conceive. A mother loves her baby without condition or expectation. She will wait any amount of time, travel any distance, fight any battle.

A hero indeed.

Filed Under a friend, a mother 41 Comments

recipe for a good morning

August 19, 2008

One small vase of flowers.

One cardboard box.

One bowl of blueberries.

One princess vitamin.

One forty minute phone chat with my sister.

Finding joy in the simple things has come easy today.

Filed Under a girl 27 Comments

she’s looking for a name

August 17, 2008

All your ideas from my last post have me wishing I had a wet bar in every room of my house. Thanks for all your input and creative advice. I’ll update you when I decide which great idea I’m going to choose. For now, I have a lot on my mind, but not much to say. Nothing is wrong but things are not quite right, either.

I haven’t named my house yet. I thought it would come quickly once we moved in. But just like those boxes in the garage, she is slow to open herself up to us. It is taking more time to know her than I thought it would. And it has me grumpy.

We have ground bees in our yard. I know they have to go. The problem is, I just finished reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I know all about the bees. And I feel so guilty for killing them.

I saw Mama Mia! in the theater and it was awesome. I had to grip my seat to keep from skipping down the dimly lit aisle with my hands waving in the air, singing “See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen!”

These thoughts may seem disconnected to you. And in many ways, they are. But in my head, they all run together like a tri-colored ball of play-doh: Grumpy. Guilty. Glee.

My dad always tells me I need to lighten up. That sounds nice…to be light. I know he is right, that it is possible to live life lightly. These days, though, the layers of my existence are coming to the surface through little things like bees and songs in movies.

I’m sorry if this doesn’t makes sense. I’m sorry to be clouding up your sunny Monday with crazy chats that don’t connect. I’ll try to have more of a point next post. In the meantime, if you feel as though you’ve seen enough house photos on my blog to get a feel for the name of my house, let me know. This silent treatment she’s been giving me is getting old.

Filed Under a girl, a mess 48 Comments

sunroom woes

August 14, 2008

I need help. See that room through those doors? That is our sunroom. I’m a minimalist and don’t believe in furniture. Or this photo was taken the day before we moved in.
Here’s the deal: there is sort of a wet bar in the sun room. The wine thing is broken. The faucet is 1964. And well, we don’t really have a use for it, as we aren’t what you would call an alcohol family. Not that I know anyone I would call “an alcohol family”. You know what I mean.
I know there are tons of things to do with a wet bar besides serving alcohol from it. The problem is, I just can’t think of any of them.
So help me. What do I do with this space?
While you think, here’s a photo to prove we have furniture. The wet bar is there on the left, just out of the shot. Now help!

Filed Under a house-lover 77 Comments

using time unwisely

August 12, 2008

So, what do you do when the your baby naps, the twins are at a friends house and your dishes are sitting dirty in your sink?

81 words

Filed Under a mother 29 Comments

back again

August 10, 2008

I had fun this weekend as Alisa’s sidekick photographer for the beach wedding. I can’t show you any photos yet because it’s probably a good idea to wait until the bride sees them. I will say after shooting a wedding on the beach at sunset, I have a few new favorites in my portfolio. That would be even more awesome if I had a portfolio.
This is the happy couple a few weeks before the wedding. I definitely love the experience of being one of the primary photographers at a wedding, and these two were perfectly laid-back which helps make the whole thing less stressful. I don’t know if I’ll ever do it again in an official sort of way, but I’m sure glad I did it this time. I can’t wait to post more photos in the coming weeks. Don’t worry, I’ll only show you my very, very favorites. No danger of this becoming the portfolio that I don’t have.

Filed Under a photographer 13 Comments

moving on

August 8, 2008

To all you fellow fans of So You Think You Can Dance who don’t have dancing partners (aka. friends to watch the show with), I urge you to find some between now and next year. I had to watch the results show by myself last night. It was fabulous, but when judge Mary Murphy showed up on the dance floor in hot tamale red, I almost fell off the couch by myself and then continued to watch her dance through slightly parted fingers. All of that would have been much more exciting in a group.

In other news, I am headed to the beach in a few hours to help my friend Alisa photograph a wedding. A real wedding. We did her bridal portraits a few weeks ago. I look forward to the real thing.
How’s that for a teaser? When I return I’ll have to show you photos of her actual face, which is lovely. I sure hope this goes well.

Filed Under a girl, a photographer 15 Comments