Live to Give!

Part 1 ... In 2001, I attended my first Catholic HEART Workcamp in St. Louis, MO and in that week of service, praise & worship, and prayer, God placed its mission on my heart. Many of my dearest friends are in some roundabout way connected to me because of CHWC and I believe so strongly in its empowerment of youth and its ability to bring teens closer to Christ. Since 2001 I've attended, worked, and managed many camps but I just finished the most special week to me yet. Last fall Steve Walker, one of the founders of CHWC, called me to ask if I'd consider managing a camp in Farmington. Without much hesitation I agreed. I knew I'd been trained by the best, Ms. Maggie McGowan, and with my mom at my side (she agreed immediately to help - bless her), it was truly an answered prayer to have CHWC on my home turf. My parents took Pat and I downtown to do service from the time we were very little and it allowed me to see Detroit as a place in need of care, time and energy instead of the scary place others from the suburbs believed it to be. The teens who attended camp last week brought their joyful and servant hearts to the D in such a beautiful way. From the get-go it was important to me that the campers serve a variety and multitude of agencies and individuals so they saw the vast range of ways people are committed to the revitalization of Detroit. They spanned from Pontiac to Southfield, Clawson to Detroit and a whole bunch of places in between. They served at soup kitchens, painted the halls of the oldest Catholic schools in the city, planted in urban gardens, sorted excess medical supplies for global distribution, danced with disabled adults, spoke in halting Spanish to day-care kids, built fences from Home Depot cast-offs and sledgehammered old buildings in the Brightmoor area ... to list just a few. Watching the slideshow each night and on Thursday night hearing the agency reps, incredibly committed Detroit folks, share their experiences with these teens brought joyful tears to my eyes --- God is GOOD. Camp blessedly went off without a hitch thanks to my dad's tireless efforts perfecting directions, my mom's puzzle-solving mind, adults with common sense, and the staff of Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School and Parish. CHWC's theme this year is ZERO IN, asking us to figure out on what God wants us to focus and ultimately, it's about living our lives as Jesus wants us to .. unfortunately that mentality gets lost in the shuffle of my every day life a little too often but the refocus as summer actually begins will hopefully stay with me as I slide into the relaxation and rejuvenation these short weeks allow me. The character this year at camp (which changes each year and serves to get the kids excited about their service) is a hippie chick, enacted with hula-hooping, peace-sign giving, and flower-throwing encouraged the teens to chant with her, "peace. love. live to give". In a time when hipsters are all the rage but the hearts of the true hippies aren't necessary modeled, the chant resonated with the notion of zeroing in. The 255 camper who left Detroit on Friday leave with renewed hippie hearts and the motivation to LIVE TO GIVE. Amen - for real.

"Where you invest your love,
you invest your life" 

-Mumford and Sons

 

Part 2 ... I'd be remiss if I didn't share a few of my favorite pics from the start of summer 2012. The best way I know how to invest my love is by spending time with my friends and family who make me live my life to the fullest. Enjoy these snapshots of smiles among the people I love most in the world.

My two besties at Amici's .. perfect evening!

Nance and Dad at CHWC Farmington .. how blessed am I?!? 

IA picnic with one of our favorite little men, Booker Hedges

When my love Adam opened the show with my favorite CC song, I knew it was going to be a good night .. 

"And Anna begins to change my mind.
And every time she sneezes I believe it's love and,
Oh lord, I'm not ready for this sort of thing."

.. and despite the fact that we were the only Michiganders in the crowd, we know how to party. Or was it BECAUSE we were the Michiganders?

Kate & Cate .. lucky for me, they appreciate my dorkiness and we shared a glorious night rocking out the Beach Boys. And yes, those 'boys' still got it after 50 years. Highlight? KOKOMO as the encore!

"I wish that this weather would never leave"

One way or another, it always comes back to the Counting Crows: the title of my first post in months tributing the fantastic Pure Michigan weather we're having, Kate & Dennis' wedding and my upcoming roadtrip to kickoff the summer concert season with .. you guessed it, Counting Crows!

I thought about recapping the last months' events and decided it might take all day. Despite the fact that the seniors are gone and I actually do have some time to breathe, this overview might not be a good use of any of our time. I'll instead stick to the two exciting Spring events : the Fernandez-Lee wedding and my pond's resurrection.

"Lend me your hand and we'll conquer them all" - Mumford & Sons

 What a joy to celebrate the love of two friends! Kate's the first close friend with whom I've experienced wedding planning from start to finish and boy did I have fun as the psuedo-MOH. From dress-shopping to invite-choosing to bachelorette/shower planning and welcome-basket creating, I loved every second of helping make Kate and Dennis' day the personal tribute to their love for one another -- and their friends. I've never been to a wedding at which the couple said to their guests, "This is really for you so enjoy it." Enjoy it, we did! Something I've grown to love about weddings is the inter-mingling of friend groups from various life stages and this one was no exception; getting out on the dance floor with the assortment of friends and family I've gained within my friendship with Kate was a highlight! While the party on Saturday had all the elements of a great wedding, Friday's ceremony truly embodied the gifts of love, friendship, and commitment Dennis and Kate gave one another along with those sparkly rings. A small group of family and friends gathered to witness this intimate exchange of vows, complete with touching readings and a Pete Fernandez original song. Blown. Away. As I've said many times since .. it is an honor to be this couple's friend and I wish them such happiness as they begin their lives as a married couple. In the slideshow Dennis created for the reception, Adam Duritz sang, "What's life without an occasional surprise" - what a life these two have in store for them! 





In a true celebration of the Easter season, my good friends at Christa's Ponds and Gardens drained, gutted, cleaned and refilled my pond in late April. The waterfall runs beautifully and through the skylights in my bedroom I can hear the gentle gurgle as I drift off. Needless to say, as the school year wanes, it's becoming increasingly difficult to get out of bed in the morning with such a tranquil sleeping arrangement. This weekend, Kate and I named ten goldfish and added them to the pond (see video below), my dad helped me hang lights and believe it or not, I've become even MORE obsessed with my backyard. My 8 year old neighbor Parker refers to me as the Secret Garden Lady, which is in my mind is WAY better than a cat lady. A few more weekends of weeding and I might actually get it under control; as Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote, “She made herself stronger by fighting with the wind.” I can't wait to welcome Amanda, Christy, and Stephano, just to name a few, into the garden this summer .. don't worry, ladies, the vino is already chilling.


"Nothing in the world is quite as adorably lovely as a robin when he shows off
and they are nearly always doing it.” (FHB)



“There's naught as nice as th' smell o' good clean earth,
except th' smell o' fresh growin' things when th' rain falls on 'em.” (FHB)

“And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.” (FHB)

As I mentioned, in a few weeks Kate, Tiff and I are roadtrippin' to check out one of our favorite bands of all time. On a grassy hill in Sylvania, Ohio I will dance, sing and laugh with two of my favorite girls on the planet and once again, it comes back to the Counting Crows: "You don't want to waste your life / I walk along these hillsides/  In the summer 'neath the sunshine / I am feathered by the moonlight falling down on me / Change, change, change"

Here's to Summer 2012.

PS. Here's the fish video .. it really needs to come with a 'Sarah is Crazy' disclaimer.

Pura Vida!

Happy New Year! Emerson said, Be silly. Be honest. Be kind. With a renewed sense of bettering ourselves to more peacefully live together, I'd say he about had to right. But I don't want to get ahead of myself .... first .....

Mom, Dad, and I ended 2011 in the World's Happiest Country :) Costa Rica's motto is 'Pura Vida' which means 'Living the Pure Life' (loosely) and nearly everyone (aside from a cabbie or two!) adopted the motto wholeheartedly to ensure our trip's smoothness and enjoyability. Overall, it was AWESOME.

We embraced much of what the country offers from traditional food to animal watching to wave frolicking to zip-lining and much, much more. I've included the link to a *very* parred down photo album (if you have a few hours, I can show you the un-edited version) and created a Letterman-like Top Ten list to briefly share our travels with you. Here are the photos :  https://plus.google.com/photos/108293021437519304084/albums/5699092658201928385?authkey=CLqK-eC10OHT2AE

Coffee plant & plantain tree

Snack - Two foods tied on this one .. some of you might be very surprised to learn I LOVE plantains (despite my utter aversion for bananas) especially when they are in chip form and flavored with salt & lemon. Plantains are a very typical 'Tico' (Costa Rican) side dish and while I appreciate local flavors, I ate multiple bags of these crunchy treats. However, my love for chocolate and coffee merged in the form of tri-chocolate-covered expresso beans, which we purchased from a local coffee plantation. We met the owner on the bus to Arenal and we stopped in his store in La Fortuna. We snacked on them through the country and their quick sugar / caffeine rush picked us up on more than one occasion.

Our rainforest bungalow's patio

Hotel - Can I tell you that I'm only on #2 on my own list and already struggling to come up with only one answer to each question? I'm trying to keep this brief .. I really loved the unique hotel at which we stayed in the rainforest. 1001 Places to See Before You Die named The Chachagua Rainforest Hotel a must due to its "simple but spacious bungalows" and "potential for bird and wildlife viewing." The trek up the side of the mountain added to the adventure of it all! Here we took a walk through the rainforest and marveled at the wonders of the leaf cutter ants as well as took in the beauty of a surprise waterfall. Our front porch served its function well with a hammock for napping, small table for dice throwing, and broad, open area for yoga! On the last morning, I jumped into the shower only to yell-whisper for my parents to check out the pair of toucans peering back at us! Great bird-watching indeed. Sleeping in the middle of the rainforest is as magical (and noisy!) as it sounds.

Rainforest shower! (Literally)

View of this attractive pair from the shower

Guide - Keilor, our guide through Doka Coffee Plantation, Poas Volcano, and La Paz waterfall,has perfected his 'spiel' to include the perfect amount of infomation and quiet time to observe our surroundings (other guides, most notably Chatty Cathy on the way to Arenal could learn a thing or two). He truly reveled in exploring his country with tourists, always willing to answer questions or trade witty comments. Keilor's positive attitude and patience is one to be admired -- especially because as you know I love to take pictures and nearly always fall behind. He goodnaturedly doubled back to find me on more than one occasion. The sights themselves created a perfect first day in Costa Rica. We learned a good bit about the economy (ask Dad the top five money-makers) as well as saw wildlife up close and observed the power of a whole lot of tourists as our chants managed to convince Siva the mythical vulture to move the clouds so we could see Poas Volcano. Given the cloud cover when we arrived, I'd call this glimpse a real miracle.

The view when we arrived

After Siva got involved ..

Keilor explaining coffee roasting

Magia Blanca Waterfall

Monteverde region arco iris

Moment - As we were leaving Santa Elena and headed towards Manuel Antonio, we came around a bend and beheld an arco iris (rainbow!). Absolutely beautiful and the irony of leaving our hotel, Arco Iris Lodge (sadly, I must admit) only to encounter an actual one moments later struck us powerfully. The blend of sun & rain in Costa Rica reminds me of how Noah and his family must've felt .. a good reminder of our faith!
This, along with our Eden-like experience at the hot springs, really captured for me God's love for us :)

Tabacon Hot Springs .. AKA Eden

Restaurant - I'm a fan of guidebooks and really depend on their information to lead me in the direction of good food. Lonely Planet did not steer us wrong when it suggested 'Sabor Espanol' just outside of Santa Elena in the Monteverde region. Run by a Spanish couple, its unique food and cozy atmosphere treated us to a delightful meal. One of the owners served us our meal and enjoyed refilling our glasses of sangria with the same exuberance her husband used when creating our delicious food - tuna stuffed avocados with homemade chips and pork and chicken served with a variety of sauces. On a rainy evening, it felt good to settle into the homey atmosphere for food beyond rice and beans (which I love).

The Clancys and the owners of Sabor Espanol

Selvatura Hanging Bridges, Monteverde

Me, coming in for the landing

Activity -I really loved the Monteverde region for a number of reasons but most people, including us, travel there for the experience of a cloudforest (shorter trees than a rainforest, essentially) as well as the renowned hanging bridges and ziplining experience. Ziplining was unlike anything I've ever done, and can I just tell you how proud I am of my 'afraid of heights' dad? He was awesome!! The longest zipline we did was approximately 700meters long and REALLY high up! Soaring through the air cabled is probably the closest I'll get to sky-diving and I'll die happy. :) I was cold, wet, and muddy (the mud is still a mystery, honestly) but man, did we have fun! Before we soared through the air, all three of us (Nance opted out of the ziplining because of her shoulder - sad face but the right choice, no doubt) wandered across a series of hanging bridges through the cloudforest. The sights were spectacular. We spotted a few types of monkeys as well as a number of birds including hummingbirds and to just look out over the trees at points was incredible.

That's Dad in the distance there .. he don't play when it comes to ziplines.

Cup of Coffee - After a full day of walking the hanging bridges and ziplining in the rain , we were cold and wet (as one should be in the rainforest, really). Before hot showers and tucking ourselves under cozy blankets for the remainder of the rainy afternoon, we found ourselves a small coffeebar. We treated ourselves to hot drinks which we slowly drank listening to the rain fall. Naps and book reading really make a quality vacation! We learned a lot about Costa Rican coffee from our planation tour and Mathias, our planation owner friend from the bus; I really love have come to love not only the taste and richness of this beverage but also the social ritual of drinking it with loved ones over good conversation. Thanks, Costa Rica, for keeping us energized, social, and in good company while grading the never ending stacks.

Perfect rainy afternoon!

Animal Sighting - We took an off-the-beaten-track detour to check out a final national park which features macaws, or 'lapas' sighting on a regular basis. Since I read The Great Kapok Tree in first grade, I find rainforests fascinating and I always thought I would own a tropical bird in adulthood. (I've since learned the clear error in thinking there but remained devoted to the beauty of these birds.) On our way out of the park, my dad spotted our third set of nesting macaws, which were in clear view of the path. I managed to get great photos but they were far enough away that we weren't disturbing them; they went out about their business while we looked on in awe.

Checking out their nest

Can't you just picture him saying, "Hello?"

And a sloth for good measure :)

"Clearly We're in a Developing Country" Moment - Nance arranged a taxi-boat-taxi ride to cut off hours of dangerous, mountain roads on our trip from Arenal to the Monteverde-area (brilliant!). The best-laid plans are actually best when they actually come to fruition and we were always grateful to see the driver when he arrived. This particular one was late due to a flat tire (he called the hotel to let us know) and we began to worry about missing our boat portion of the ride. However, as the ticos say, Pura vida! When the last of our belongings were loaded up, who should jump in to drive the sagging boat but our taxi driver! Obviously. The organization which goes into maintaining such an operation -- especially without any visible pen, paper, or computer is really astounding .. no one seems to get left behind and there are always exactly the right amount of seats. Amazing.

We're behind the bags .. Oh, and that red taxi? At thee bottom of the steep hill? It backed down. The only thing keeping it in place is that leeeeeetle, tiny boulder. Yep.

Drink - We like to think of Hotel Villa Lapas as our own private luxury resort (five rooms - we were one of two families there); we'll read about it on People.com in the next several years as the place so-and-so rented for their honeymoon. We'll be able to say, "Oh, we stayed there when it had only been open for six weeks!" (I probably slept in George's bed before he did but I digress.) Its elegant simplicity really allowed us to finish our vacation in the lap of luxury and Jorge the bartender (on his very first day of work) took good care of us on the drink front. I drank THE best margarita I've ever had (passion fruit) and Dad enjoyed a delicious housemade coconut concoction, made especially by his request. Mom sipped a delicious blackberry margarita; we all relished the relaxed atmosphere while peering over our infinity pool into the sunset. Sigh. As I look out on freshly fallen snow, I dream of transporting myself right back there.

Passion fruit margarita

Hotel Villa Lapas

Welcome drink made by Jorge

Sunset at Hotel Villa Lapas.

And there you have it .. if you're still reading, the last journal entry I wrote on 12/28 reads "Very.Long.Day" which about sums up a frustrating customs and airline experience in Newark but it was small details compared to the beautiful vacation we experienced. I'd highly encourage you to check out this country; I know I will again - and I hope for a longer period of time in the future. Hasta luego, Costa Rica!

Dashing through the (rain) ..

Friends, I cannot believe how quickly November and December flew by. What with planning for our grand Christmas adventure (more on that in January!) and moving into my new home, I guess I was busy!! Thank you for your well-wishes on my home purchase. I'm happily settled into Berkley, which might just be the best kept secret in Oakland County. It's just a lovely place to live and everyone is so friendly. (I attended a block party last night for the holidays and really enjoyed myself - and those who know me well, know how I feel about small talk ...) I feel blessed to be settled. Below is my link to the Before/After album per your requests. Thanks for your interest & excitement for me. The house, in its most current form, is a labor of love by some of the most important people in my life and I'm hugely grateful for their help ..... Mom, Dad, Pat (and Catelyn, in spirit & with cute zebra dishes), Kate, Bramanda, Michael Lauchlan, Aunt Fran and Jan. I couldn't have done the painting, choosing, plumbing/electric, moving, storing, waterproofing (especially with all this rain!!) etc, etc, etc without their help. Enjoy the pics!
Phillips Avenue

My living room all decked out for Christmas .. you'll notice touches of Grandma Parker. She LOVED Christmas and all that it celebrates (including all things shiny, glittery, and sparkling). I miss her especially this time of year.

Many Christmas blessings to you and your loved ones. Despite the lack of snow and abundance of rain we've had in Michigan this fall and beginning of winter, as I write it's beautifully sunny and I can't help but think that as 2011 closes, the sunshine is what's to come in 2012. I wish the same for you. And what better way to end a rainy fall than in the rainforest! COSTA RICA, here we come!!!!!!!!!!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

At long last, I purchased my first Michigan home two weeks ago. MAJOR props to my phenomenal real estate agent who worked her butt off to ensure my hunt and purchase remained as positive an experience as it could. If you're looking for a home anytime in the near future, I will happily pass along Kristine's info. She's dynamite! I will be residing in the beautiful city of Berkley (go Bears!) and enjoy the company of new, wonderful neighbors by Thanksgiving including some of my favorite co-workers. There IS a picture below but I'm waiting for the grand reveal of the inside when the cleaning, painting, and setting up house is completed - stay tuned. When Kate and Amanda Davies visited my bare boned home for the first time, Kate excitedly said to Amanda, "Won't it be so fun to hang out here?" which basically sums up my sentiments exactly. While it will be sad to move out of my parents' because we've really enjoyed the time spent together, I am super excited to curl up in front of my fireplace with a glass of vino and a good book in time for the holidays. Cheers to that!

Shortly after purchasing my new home, I traveled to St. Louis, MO for the third time this year (smooth trip home this time - yay!) to celebrate the nuptials of my dear friends Doug and Christy Porterfield. What a blessed affair it was and to stand beside this beautiful couple as they spoke their vows to one another honored me. The love in Holy Family Church as they celebrated their love for one another through this Sacrament reminds me how fortunate I am to believe in a God who loves us SO much he wants us to be THIS happy:

Those who witnessed their celebration of unity and those who did so in spirit joyfully embraced the happy couple as they begin their life together as married people. As I looked out into the congregation, I thought to myself, as I have so often when in the company of the Porterfields and their family and friends, how fortunate they are to have such a wide circle of people who love them and how lucky I am to now call these people friends as well. Their ceremony, and the ragin' party which followed, demonstrated the love Crist and Doug radiate from themselves as individuals and a couple; one can't help but be touched by such an outpouring.

Clearly the blondes outnumber we brunettes. I've gotten over it. Almost.

CK(P) gathers friends wherever she goes; we feel blessed to call one another friends because of her.

Oh, my girl. What a blessed friendship blossomed from that one night in Hot-lanta. Sigh. 

 Since I bought a house, I figured why not take one more plunge in a short period of time. After growing my hair for nearly three years, I cut just over 10 inches off this week for Locks of Love, an organization which makes wigs for pediatric cancer patients. Despite the fact that MY hair will go to kids, my heart is with all those who - or know someone who - struggles with and lost the battle to cancer, especially my sweet grandma Parker. My mom went with me and unintentionally shot a video of the actual chopping (the iPhone really is genius). I've included it below. Here's the final result:

Miss Krista did a killer job and I'm getting used to the lightness of head. We waged bets on how many 9th graders would ask me if I got my hair cut and proud to report only two did - imagine how many would've asked if I did it early in the year. #progress! One darling did say, "Wow, Ms. Clancy, you look different" with a tone of sheer incredulous. A conversation promptly ensued during which I shared with him the merits of delivery IF he hoped to have any success with the ladies in the future. Oh, what a gift it is to shape young minds .....

All in all, October was a good month and November's off to a good start, too! I'm off to paint the bathroom on Phillips Ave. Come visit soon :)

Oh, and here's that video - the music, which happened to be Krista's ringtone, timed itself perfectly.

These are a few of my favorite things ..

I'm fighting with the bank for the second time this year. The-Bank-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named is the most reckonable force I've faced and the problem is that the rules keep changing. It's hard to keep up, really, and not a super fair fight. Thus, I've been on an emotional roller-coaster which seems to be near the end and the end, my friends, is unfortunately not the result for which we've been praying. Instead, I'm focusing on the simple things in life - my favorites - that make the roller coaster (not something that I enjoy which much exuberance in general) a tad sweeter.

1. Giraffes : One never forgets the first giraffe she kisses. Mine was at the Giraffe Center in Nairobi, Kenya, and at that moment, I fell in love with this regal creature. Since then, I must confess, I've spent many hours with others. Those long lashes, that lengthy neck and miles of legs, the fantastic patterned coat .. Yowza, what a looker. However, I'm not a girl that falls in love on looks alone .. I appreciate their gentle spirit and wisdom of their approach to life. Giraffes languidly saunter through the day. They reach for the sky. There's a lot we could learn from giraffes.

Tiff asked JT if he built the giraffe puzzle for her; he replied, (quite vehemently, I'd imagine, if I know JT and his 'nos') "No, Sarah." The picture was taken and subseqently sent via iPhone.
made.my.night.

2. Rainbows : On my way to Brad and Amanda's my eye caught sight of an incredible rainbow .. we're not talking a double rainbow here, folks, we're talking TRIPLE-wide rainbow. The best part, though, was answering a call from Kate, interjecting my observation of the rainbow before she could even say hello back , and her response : "That's why I called you!! I didn't want you to miss it." That's a real friend right there.

As is virtually always the case, the picture doesn't do it justice.

3. Yoga : My cousin recently joked with me that my yoga classes were becoming like others' AA meetings or something .. I always need to know where the closest and next one is, STAT. Well, starting yesterday I need look no further than my very own place of work. A group of us will gather on Monday afternoons for the next few weeks (though I hope it will catch on!) to work with Tommy Mack, yoga instructor and personal trainer. I've practiced with him quite a few times now and love his encouraging and gentle style. I won't gloss over the fact that it regularly kicks my butt, something I'm told makes him really happy. Anyway, he said at the end of class yesterday, "Maybe this is the first time you've taken a deep breath today." For me, this actually was true; it was just a blah day. That hour on my mat when I could stretch out my body in tune with the breathing and smooth tunes made for a mood-changing experience. Doing it with my friends/co-workers made it all the more enjoyable.

4. JT : Very little in life puts me in a better mood than "SexyBack". I know, I know it's overplayed but it's just so damn catchy! Now that it's a rarity on the radio I appreciate it all the more. This recent moment of joy came between the rainbow sighting and my Declan-time, which makes it all the more swoon-worthy.

5. Cupcakes : I.love.cupcakes. I love eating them. I love receiving them. I love sharing them. I love watching people go to the Cupcake Wars over them. It's not an obsession. Or at least it wasn't until Tiffany and I decided to take a cupcake decorating class and then .. well, they've taken on a life of their own, really. I've eaten a number of them in the last week or so and let me just say : there is not much better than a plain ole Vanilla cupcake with vanilla bean frosting. Or a Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcake. Or an Almond Cupcake. Or a S'mores Cupcake. They're basically good for any occasion and they just make me smile. Do I need to defend myself further? Nah, I didn't think so ......

... and I saved the best for last ...

6. Engagements : My dear friend Kate became engaged this weekend to her love, Dennis, during the best/worst (depends for whom you root!) UM - ND match-up in years. You now know how much I love Kate that I reference football, of all things, in my blog. Even my dad commended these two Wolverines on the win once he congratulated them on their engagement. These two are a special couple and I look forward to spending many more hours in our future together playing Cranium and on the dance floor. What a gift they will be to one another - and to those around them . Cheers, Kate & Dennis!

~~~~~
Life is sweet, I just need little reminders sometimes. :)

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.