Happy 5th birthday!

Dear Little P.

Today you turn 5. Where did the time go???? It seems like yesterday I was holding your little body in my arms and marveling over your soft breath, little feet and little fingers. I think you can tell I'm a little sad your babyhood is gone because you were trying to act like a baby today and said "It's ok Mee-Mee-Moo! (she calls me that) I'm still the same person I was when I was four! Now I'll just be able to do even MORE things. I'm just growing and that's what people do!" You're right sweetie; I'm proud of you for growing and becoming such a lovely young lady. You are sweet, kind, and fun. You are funny, silly, smart and creative. You are a very talented artist and have a world-class imagination.
I am so thankful to God for the gifts he's given you but MORE thankful to God for giving you to ME. You bless my life in different ways every single day. You make me smile, you make me laugh, you make me think, you make me WORK. :)
Being with you is such a joy and a treat and I'm the luckiest Mee-Mee-Moo around. I love you to the moon and back again to infinity.
Keep on being yourself, be kind, be loving, and be positive. You will go far toward your biggest dreams when you are those things.
I love you always and forever,
Mama (Mee-Mee-Moo)

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Treasured Moments

Last week we were all eating dinner together as we do every night. Toward the end of the meal, Paige looked up at us and the conversation went like this:

Paige: "Mommy, how old are you?"
Me: I'm 35
Paige: "Huh. Daddy, how old are you?"
Chris: "38"
Paige: ***pause*** "Wow guys.......those are some big numbers. Those are some biiiiiiiiig numbers!"

Sigh.
(remember when she had a speech delay?)

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Abstract Landscape of Motherhood

Hi friends!

Lately I've been working hard to juggle being an artist with being an at home mom. Boy, do I suck at it! LOL!
Trying to put your full attention on several things at once has been a recipe for disaster in terms of stress, frustration, anxiety and overall dis-ease. SIGH!!!!
Something always falls to the side...the kids, or my art, the household tasks, my relationship with my awesome husband, or my sanity. It's something I pray about all the time and have been experimenting with for the past 2 years.
I've sort of come to the conclusion that there's no easy way to do it all or do it all well. SO, I've made a deal with myself to just set my art career onto the back burner until I can devote more time to it. Once the kids are in school, I will have more time devote the proper attention to my goals. It's not fair for me or on anyone else that I try and push a square peg into a round hole. This means that I am going to paint and create when the mood strikes during free time as a hobby. I will be cooking up ideas on the side when there's room to spare. This will free me from my own personal constraints and pressures and get me back to focusing on what matters most to me...the well-being of my children, our home, and my mental health.
It's hard because I WANT to be able to do it all, but I need to have the strength to admit that I'm not able to do it right now. I have to give myself permission to wait and be ok with it. In that spirit, I did some painting on Saturday and these are what I came out with:

"Early Summer Countryside" 20 x 20 inches, acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas


"The Storm Lifts" 7x5 inches, acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas


Both are abstract; a style I am embracing with all its surprises. I love to show the mood of a scene through light and color. The landscape is always changing depending on the sky, the weather, and the time of year. That is the beauty of nature and it's just so fascinating.
I've come to know that I want all of the art I make to bring joy and peace to someone else. It's that simple. Through my prints, my paintings or my cards I have a way to share a thought or image that might lift someone else up in some way and that is a wonderful blessing.
I hope you are well!!!

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