A Ray Of Sunshine On A Cloudy Day

This summer has been filled to the brim with bright, sunny, and scorching hot days followed by thunderstorms, cloud cover and rain. Both literally and figuratively. Sometimes in life we are asked to look at the bigger picture, put things in perspective and learn to never take anything for granted.

As I write this, I wonder where to even start and how to catch up on the last few months. There have been many changes in the Meyer home. First and foremost, we moved homes. Yes, after doing my best to postpone packing everything in boxes and loading it all into a moving truck, my realtor of a husband tempted me with a shiny “new” house  in a picture perfect (well by Vegas standards) neighborhood and had me bidding farewell to 9523 Observer Street far sooner than I ever expected.

 

 

After almost 6 weeks in this upgrade of a house, to say the least, I am still trying to unpack boxes and settle in. Who would have thought packing and unpacking with an 18 month old running around would be a bit of a challenge. BUT I do have to admit, the new house is big and beautiful with plenty of room for Emery to run around and for us to grow into. OH AND within walking distance to an amazing, family friendly park complete with a splash pad which has been perfect for the Vegas summer heat.

 

We have certainly learned the importance of remembering to ALWAYS close the baby gate, almost as quickly as Emery has learned to scale the stairs, and the cushy new carpet has saved her many times already as she continues to push the limits and proves to be nothing shy of fearless.

She is still growing like a weed, busier by the day, and smarter by the minute ]no matter how much we try to convince her to stay little. She is really starting to pick up on words and sounds and has babble conversations all the time. Her newest phrase she picked up a few weeks ago is “bye-bye baby” and when I walked into the house the other day, she was eating lunch with daddy, she looked at me with complete elation and said “HI!” in this sweet, high pitched voice. Absolutely melted my heart. It’s truly amazing how a two letter word can just stop you in your tracks. Among others, she is also working on “shoes” (she says “shees” anytime she wants to go outside- which is always) and not to be confused with "cheese" which she says for pictures. Kitty (sometimes she calls just  “maow”), book, and birdie- which right now sounds more like “dow-dow” for some reason.  She is also working on “bear”, which she is getting pretty good at since Mr Bear is her favorite companion she takes with her to school.

 

 Yes, we started Emery in school. Another big change for us. Well, no-not really- but she does go to Miss Brenda’s house two days a week. She loves playing in the pink mini kitchen, creating her crafts like finger paintings and construction paper rainbows, and has met four new friends that all love her to pieces. Leaving her for the day was probably harder for mommy than it was Emery, but we are both adjusting and the much needed balance of work and play has been a blessing for everyone.

 

 

 

Her smiles, giggles, and even whines have all grown and each and every day I try to relish in her ever changing traits. Thinking back to this time last year, I am blown away at how fast it all has gone. I have been reminded recently just how short life really is, and that every minute we take for granted is a waste. Emery shows me every day how to see the little joys in life; how to forget about work, dishes and laundry for a second and truly enjoy the moment.  Every time she looks out her bedroom window her face lights up as if it is the first time she has seen the sunlight. A tiny plane in the sky spreads a wide eyed smile across her face as she points in wonder and awe. 

 

Tonight, as I tried to clean up the kitchen after dinner, she was crying and pulling on my legs. I don’t know why she was upset, I still don’t, but instead of getting frustrated, I sat down with her on the floor, and cuddled for a moment. She looked at me almost confused and then put her head on my arm. A couple minutes on the floor, and a few soft strokes on her back, she was ok. She looked up at me, still with tears in her eyes and smiled. She just needed a moment, and she reminded me that I did too.



There are so many things we take for granted every day. So many things we look past in our hurried, busy lives, that we miss many of the beautiful moments life is really about. I am so very thankful for this little ray of sunshine a midst a few gloomy weeks and the rainbow she has colored the last 18 months. She is my constant reminder to look up in the sky, take a moment, and see what we all look past much too often. She is my reminder that the dishes can wait, but a comforting moment, one we may never get back, can and will pass us right by if we let it.



Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about
learning to dance in the rain!