Kids, kids, and more kids

I've spent a lot of time with kids in the last few weeks .. nothing like the innocence of a child to restore grace! First and foremost, my cousin Nora and her husband, Al, welcomed Frances Charlotte to the world on August 27th (Catelyn's birthday!) and I met her yesterday. What a sweet little peanut she is. As much as I loved cuddling with her, sweeter still was witnessing my grandma, 90 years Charlotte's elder, hold her. Life is such a blessing, isn't it?

Frances Charlotte, daughter of Frances Nora, granddaughter of Frances Josephine, and great-granddaughter of Frances Cronin Clancy

My boy, Declan, eating the banana - how could I resist this face??
It made him so HAPPY!



I've also been going back to my baby-sitting roots quite a bit lately. I miss Amanda's kiddos like crazy and can't wait to get my fix of them on my next visit but until then, I've spent quality time with Declan Davies and Booker Hedges, the two youngest men in my life these days. I enjoy Declan's company so much in fact he convinced me to let him eat a banana in my presence, the first person I've willingly allowed to indulge in that particular activity in, oh, 28 years. I like him that.much. and I'm grateful Brad and Amanda let me play with Mr. Declan. Marisa and Tim allow me to keep company with their little darling Booker occasionally. His vocabulary exploded in the last few months and he carries on quite a little conversation for someone his age; his current favorite topics include trains and puzzles, though he's a fan of reading books too. We rocked before bed last night and it warmed my heart. Lastly, the Davies, the Macks, Kate and I took a Sunday zoo trip which confirmed to me that as much as I love the zoo, it's more fun with kids. JT and Declan became fast friends and Harry snoozed through the whole trip. Sigh, to be 2 months again :)

Finally .. it's been nearly ten years since I lived at home but it didn't take me long to (a) take over at least double the amount of space I used to maintain while living there and (b) indulge in kid-like activities like ERMA's. For those of you reading unfamiliar with Erma's Frozen Custard, let me just say .. as long as Nance & Rick keep buying me the Flavor of the Week, I know they're not *too* annoyed by the fact my stuff is all.over.the.house (despite Nance's snide remarks about the guest room and how she looks as if she's embarassed to be seen in public with me).

PS. Declan's Fan Club: I would argue that wherever Declan goes in his future, this will be the excitement with which people in general greet him.



Back to school, back to school

In my best efforts to fully enjoy my summer, I chose not to be tied down to anything .. unfortunately that included my blog. Oops. Looking back on it, the summer was full of friends, relaxation, and virtually no travel for the first time in seriously ten years. Now that I'm already into week two of my SEVENTH teaching year, I'm grateful for the down time I look for myself.

The big event of this summer was our very own Clancy Royal Wedding - what a beautifully personal gathering of love Pat and Catelyn created for their big day. I felt honored to be a part of it and so blessed to gather with friends & family to celebrate their love. Cate sent me a text yesterday with a picture of her  official driver's license sporting her new last name - welcome officially to the fam-damily, Cate!

Her vision for the attendants and the reception hall was so creatively stunning and the bright colors of green, pink, and orange really complemented she and Pat's personalities perfectly. Of course, I was happy she chose green for me :) As my best friend Julia will tell you, we always hoped to wear lime green in a wedding one day.

The news which really pales in comparison to the wedding is that, for the time being, I'm living on Windsor Woad (spelling intended) again. My dear mother refers to me as the Mole given I've taken up residence in the basement AKA my brother's former 'suite'. I'm fortunate to (a) have a place to live while I await my closing date for the little house in Berkley and (b) enjoy my parents' company immensely. They are fun to be around and my mom cooks really well :) We've seen some movies, checked out the farmers' market in Rochester, and I've spent quality time in the hammock -- life is good.

What's really fantastic about life at the moment is that it's - for the first time in what seems like forever - totally calm .. little to no stress and just content with my friends, family, and appreciating the small things. Whew --- I'm a lucky girl.

Now that school has started I hope to be more regular about this posting bit .. keep me honest, people!

SUMMER!

Today is the kind of day which inspired that 'Pure Michigan' campaign .. and with it comes the excitement of SUMMER. The sun shines, a beautiful breeze blows, and I feel quite carefree. I have a whole week of nothingness and social engagements to enjoy before I fly to FL for CHWC prep with Mags. In the meantime, I am enjoying the sun, time with family and friends, and sleeping .. I've snuck in some quality not-for-school reading and indulged in my bad TV habits. All in all, a nice little summer break unfolds before .. grateful for friends, my family, and me-time. As the phrase goes, 'Life is Good'.

Tonight I'm taking in the spectacle known as the California Dreams Tour with my girls Tiffany, Kate, and Sallia .. can.not. wait for an assuredly hilarious evening. Let the good times roll .. I'm on my way to pick up a blue wig for the occasion. When in Rome ......... pictures to come!

New beginnings ..

I listened to the Mumford & Sons song a few times yesterday .. I kept forgetting to listen closely to the line about grace and yet, it's been on my mind the last few weeks as the Florida chapter of my life truly comes to a close with the house's sale in the coming weeks. Before I left two years ago, my dear friend Maggie gave me a framed needlepoint with this phrase on it : Every ending leads to a new beginning. I read it every morning while brushing my teeth and it's a good reminder to take in stride whatever the day may bring .. I'm not so good at that, most days. I easily get bogged down by the day-to-day nonsense and forget the small blessings of the restart I'm given each morning. The selling of the S. Lincoln Ave house closes a door of that life and allows me to move forward; it's from that place I'm inspired to write this blog .. the notion of rolling away the stone, finding grace, and restarting sounds pretty darn good after a few years of challenges. I don't mind a challenge now and again, but honestly, I'm ready for those new beginnings. Thus, let's roll away our stones ...

Peace --