How can I take this picture of feet and turn it into a post about marriage?

It's a funny thing really, sometimes when I want to write a post I don't always know what I might say. I just feel an urge to write. It will help me sometimes to look at my photos and suddenly one will stand out. I may not know even then what I will write about. I just know this picture is the right one and it is a mystery where the image will lead me. Other times the picture will immediately produce a topic and that is why I choose it. And of course sometimes the reverse is true, I know what I want to write about and then search for an image that feels relevant.

So................

 believe it or not this photo of Scott and Lilly's feet made me think about my marriage.
Weird, I know.

It is a wild and twisty place in that brain of mine.

I wish I could organize my mind as easily as I can organize a closet or cupboard.

I digress......

so for reasons I don't understand this picture made me think about one of the reasons I love being married.

Ready?

Here it is:

I love that there is one other person in the world who loves my children as much as me and that I am married to that person. This makes me extraordiarily happy. Let's face it, marriage is not always easy. We have our ups and downs like everyone does. And during some of the down times all it takes for me to remember the love is to watch a loving  exchange between one of the kids and Scott. My heart beats a little faster and I can feel myself falling deeper in love with the same man who sometimes makes me want to poke my eyes out with sharp sticks.

It's true, I sometimes feel this way.

It's my blog and I'll tell the truth if I want to. :)

This photo was on vacation this summer when we took Lilly to her first official reunion with her Chinese "sisters", the girls she use to live with at the orphanage. Scott and Lilly were  taking a leisurely stroll and I was walking just a bit ahead. I had been inspired by my friend Michelle to take a picture of feet so that is how this picture came to be.

It makes me smile.

Her little feet just beginning her journey and his approaching the half way mark in life.

Simple and sweet.

A little girl and the Daddy she loves and trusts so much.

Sharing this love for our children is one of the great joys of not only marriage, but life itself.

So that my friends, is how I can take a picture of feet and turn it into a story about marriage.

"Even after all this time,

the Sun never says

to the Earth:

"You owe me."

Look what happens with

 a love like that:

It lights up the whole Sky."

from The Gift by Hafiz

Guess What?

Yes, I did something creative. It was Sunday morning to be exact. I had a million things to do but I sat down and painted two little canvases. And it felt soooooo good. I forget how happy that makes me. Sadly, my camera is not feeling well so I can't show you right now. As soon as she is better I will take pictures of my little canvases so you can see. It was a great way to spend an hour and I need to do it more often.

Is there something you love to do but neglect to actually do it?

Give yourself the gift of doing what you love to do simply for the joy of it.

You will be better for it.

We all will.

This makes me feel happy. I was at the park with Heidi and Lilly (my girls) and sat on a rock by the lake contemplating life and I found the driftwood "y" which prompted the idea to spell out her whole name. I love to do creative things....paint, collage, decorate.....and I often neglect that part of myself. I don't know exactly why and I'm not up for self-examination so I will simply say this: The next time I post it will be with a photo of something creative that I have done. Maybe later today, maybe later this weekend. I know if I say this to all of you then I will feel a little pressure which is actually a good thing.

So I will be back sooner rather than later to share my creation.

Why don't you do the same thing and tell me about it, that way we can inspire each other!

I just love to see what other people create.

Let's get busy!

WORD OF THE DAY

GRATEFUL. I had a hard day yesterday, just feeling out of sorts, kind of depressed, kind of ambivalent, kind of blue...........but I woke up this morning to a fresh start. I just scrolled through the photos that I have posted on this blog from the begining and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Lilly was on my lap and without saying a word she would point to a photo of herself from December of 2007 and then point to herself, then she would point to a photo of me and then touch my arm....as if to say .....

"There is me, there is you and here we are now. Together.
As it was always meant to be."
Thank you God.

I love these two things................

Sharlyn gave me this journal a few months ago (a package of two to be exact - the other one is orange - and I LOVE the color orange) and can I tell you that I love, love, love this journal!!! Sharlyn bought them at Barnes and Noble but you can go directly to the artist's website and buy them too - http://www.jillbliss.com/.

Just the right size for my purse and the perfect place to record random thoughts, ideas, books to buy, music to listen to, quotes I love, to-do lists, grocery lists............pretty much anything. The paper inside is teeny tiny graph paper and I love how it keeps my writing looking so tidy and organized. And the pen, oh the pen....or should I say marker. I love ZIG markers, they are archival quality and come in a zillion colors. One end is a fine tip and the other is thick like a sharpie, but more rounded then the sharpie tip. I have used this brand of markers for years and absolutely love them. I don't just use them for art projects. At any given time you will find several colors of these great markers floating around in my house, purse and car. I balance my checkbook with them, write notes and of course fill the pages of my jill bliss journals. I buy them at Michael's craft store as well as AC Moore and sometimes even Target.

I can see some of you grabbing your keys and purse right now, hollering to the kids and hubby....

"I'll be right back."

You're gonna love 'em!

What

would

 you

 attempt

 to

 do

 if

you

 knew

 you

 could

 not

fail?