ps

happy birthday to

*e*

yay you!!!
xoxox
me

just a thought

"Your life is an occassion.
Rise to it."
~Mr. Magorium

umarmen und lieben
essie

change

today i mailed my absentee ballot back home to virginia.
i sent it, express mail...
i smiled afterward, as it crossed my mind, that in a funny way it was one last campaign contribution i was proud to make.

before the big mailing i let any, one, h'son kinder who wanted to watch-watch-as i placed my vote
respecting privacy is important...
the parenting and civic teachable moment, even more so and in the end,
one did.

she's an amazing child-i've known that always-forever and ever in fact.

"mom...that vote just might be the one vote that changes the world."

honey-for you, and all the children of the world, i truly hope it is.

umarmen und lieben, zeiskeite!
momma

fifteen is MY life

he's up there in that thing the germans call an amusement ride...
(it had 4 bars of seats, making a square, riders sat so they could see the terror on one another's faces...or the faces of their PARENTS who were safely on the ground.)

















and here, he's swinging DOWN, (I am not in the photo because I am having a heart attack and Team Leader, Doodle Bug and Benzilla are calming me down with wine...a big big glass of wine.)















holy mess.
someone get me my drink.
my big, tall drink...I love that part of German amusement parks.
umarmen und lieben
essie

paradigm shift

it's time to smile.

I've been posting A LOT of esther-mind-soul stuff.
the writing really helped me get through a tremendous personal loss.
It did.

I loved blogger for that-what huge shoulders, carrying the weight of my pain for me.
Then I started getting emails, facebook comments, so many people wanting to know who this wonderful child had been?

Suddenly, it wasn't just blogger picking me up and dusting me off, it was all of you.
There were moments, laughing until the tears ran down my face-
There were celebrations, joyful moments-
There were movie marathons, hysterical moments-
There were reasons to smile...

So, I'm smiling again.
Like Miranda said to Carrie:
"You'll laugh when something is funny."
There's been puhlenty of funny lately.

It's time to start each day embracing the smile...
Ending the day thankful for the smile...

umarmen und lieben to all my smileys out there-
(loving and missing you!)
essie

Naturally

In typical "me" fashion, my camera wont upload photos right now.

In typical "me" fashion, my camera DIED when I started to take photo of Pres, blowing our his candles. We will have to re-inact his bday event for posterity later.

Team Leader and I think he had a great birthday weekend...

Skate Park ALL day on Saturday. HOURS upon hours of skating...he has the bruises to show for it, he's trying to create some kind of skateboard trick that I can't do justice describing.

Hockenheim with his boys Saturday night...late night...3am before his head hit the pillow.

Back on post for Happy Cake, steaks on the grill, presents, cards, friends.
All for him!
Tonight, Team Leader and Hillbilly are taking Pres and the boys to a concert.
That's apparently what you do when you are 15.
That, and talk talk TALK about getting your learners permit when you go back to the states this summer.

sigh.
our boy is 15...

wow.

15

October 5, 1993 is the day.
My life stopped being my own, and new life became the center of my world...

Preston turned 15 today.
Team Leader and I keep turning to one another, arms open, needing a hug-
physical reassurance-
a touch-
our baby is 15.

I think we're both in shock.
It's hard not to be-we don't feel like time has blown by us...
but it has.

Happy Birthday sweetheart!
We love you!
Momma