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