These are the days I'll look back on and wish my kids never grew too old for fairytales. Maybe they never will.

We had a visitor under the big top this weekend.  And she brought crafts!  Aunt Wa came by with everything you need to make sock puppets.  After some deliberation the girls decided on a butterfly, ladybug, flamingo, and a dog.  Aunt Wa helped to make them and got to enjoy their puppet show after the glue dried. 

 Oh, Lucy's faces. 

 Ruby is so creative.

 Hugs and love

 These pictures are exposed incorrectly, but I feel such emotion from them.  

Sometime wrong is just so right.

If you look closely you can see the gears moving in their minds.  Creating their own worlds full of nature and wonder and life.  And FLYING. 

Doesn't every child want to fly? 

Ruby is a bird soaring majestically in the open sky looking down at me with arms and eyes wide .  She is open, loving, kind, uncomplicated. 

Lucy is a bee.  Colorful, full of life, making honey and all things sweet, affectionate, busy and social.  She can sting if you bother her.  She knows herself, stands her ground and will get nectar from any flower if she sets her mind to it. 

Finley is a flying super hero,  defying death to bring peace and love to the world. 

I wish I could fly.  Even if it was just to be a fly on the wall of their lives watching them grow, stretching their beautiful wings and freeing themselves to become who they were meant to be.   

Free spirits.  

                                 Amazing. Full of heart. Full as they make me.

My cup runneth over.   

Kristin

Several blog posts ago I proclaimed that I was going to feature some of the amazing women in my life here.  But now I realize that I never take pictures of them anymore, only their children (they're cuter sorry).  So these are Kristin's boys. 

Kristin and I met in college. She is a trip.

She is funny, soft-hearted, real, ballsy, and smart.  She can drink beer with the boys and get pedicure with the girls and treat everyone like they are brothers and sisters.  Maybe it's coming from a big family with three girls and a boy (all of whom are smart, funny, strong, and good-look'n) but everyone around her feels like family.  There is a comfort about her that draws everyone closer, makes you take your shoes off, let your hair down, and tease the kid next to you.  

We have seen the world together.  Literally and metaphorically.  We traveled through Europe by foot and traveled through time by friendship.  That trip changed my life.  Every stage of life we seemed to share; college, grad school, true love, marriage, children.  Ever-sentimental, I once gave her a bottle with the word time trapped inside.  There are no words for the kind of connection and sisterhood she and I share.  The kind of ~drop everything to celebrate or console~ kind of love.  I am enamored with her intelligence and bravery and sit and bask in the glowing comfort of her open hearted personality.  She is easy to be around and has been an easy friend in my journey.  May she always find the perfect road for her "trip" through life.  And these beautiful boys are the fruit of that journey. 

May I always be "aunt B"...

 These are snapshots from our play date last week. 

 "I like puzzles and drawing."

 Peek-a-boo

 Standing takes intense concentration.

 I'll walk before you know it.

 "I love star wars.  Yoda is a superhero."

 I'm so pretty sometimes people think I'm a girl, but these eyelashes are gonna make me a real ladies man someday.

Love you Barlo Mrs. Lange.  And Ryan and Evan too.  Thanks for being my lifelong friend. 

Our eyes

I have been playing all morning in Fairyland.  Watercolor paintings and soft voices giggling.  I glanced at my daughter and noticed her eyes.  I saw myself.

It was like a magic looking glass.  The green in our eyes is like the Silver Pennies book itself.   

Sweet Serendipity.

 

A prayer for the world

The world is on fire.  Watching the world news last night I can't help but look around my house.  My warm, clean house with a floor (not mud) and a roof and comfort.  I feel grateful.  My kids (each in their very own room) in soft beds with warm blankets and full tummies.  Sometimes I am deeply struck by how lucky I was just to be born here.  I mean, I am an American woman and just that alone makes me one of the luckiest women on Earth.  I have never in my life been without food, shelter, or water.  I have felt loss, but never hopelessness and never felt the terror that is going on in some parts of the world right now.  I am deeply moved by the character of the Japanese people the spirit of the Haitians, and hope for some peace in the rest of the world.

Peace begins in the heart of each individual.  Let divine love radiate out from you to your family and friends,  generating peace around you. When you extend your thoughts of love and peace to your community, your country, and then to nations and people everywhere, you create an atmosphere of peace that embraces the world.

The spirit of love unites every heart, blessing the planet with peace.
With hearts united. 

With gratitude.

Today was a sweet day.  A great day with a great friend.  I spent the day playing in a gingerbread cottage.  Well, a new home of  a friend that has a hint of gingerbread architecture at least.  Our five kids played together as we caught up and laughed as they were silly together.  A wonderful reminder of how grateful I am to be able to stay at home with my kids and let them wear pajamas to a play date.  Sweet smiles, sweet melon, sweet like candy oozing out of our toddlers.  I just want to eat them up their so cute.  (why do we say that?)  It's true, it was a wonder*full day.  Luscious, scrumcious, delight*full.  I hope yours was too. 
Love ya, see you soon in fairyland...

Graditude

I feel full.  I feel joy and gratitude seeping out my pores, tears down my cheeks, can't stop smiling kind of happy.  I just spent half an hour soaking in my very own website.  I can't believe I have a website. 

I can't believe how scared I am to put myself out there, trying to convince myself I am legit...I feel my inner critic and self doubt creeping in but I push them out.  I am determined to stay focused as my aim is to say thank you to someone and inspire the rest you to be a better friend. 
 
You see, I have this glowing new website and this wonder*full feeling because of a friend.  
She is marvelous.  When I met her I saw glimpses of perfection and felt intimidated until she spoke.  Her voice, warm and welcoming drew me in.  Her laugh, oh I've seen her husband's eyes literally twinkle when she laughs.   

Melissa.  

Melissa has never failed to be the first birthday card I receive each year.  The first phone call to wish me luck for an interview, to check on my grandmothers health, to congratulate me on a success.  She remembers the details of friendship.  Flowers when my then fiance and I bought our first home.  Her phone calls are therapy and it doesn't hurt that therapy is something we have in common.  We became friends in graduate school for social work and learned together about counseling and open~hearted listening.  And no one is better. 
But she has topped herself.  Not only words of encouragement and support of my dreams of photography but real actual involvement.

She and her amazing husband offered, out of no where, for no reason but love and belief to create a website for me. To push me into doing what I feel most driven, purposeful, and passionate about. 

  (check it out www.silverpenniesphotography.com)

I am overwhelmed with gratitude.  You make me want to be a better friend, friend.  Thank you, I am forever grateful.  

Consider this a public thank you note or girlfriend love letter, either way thanks and I sure do love ya.

~the chick with the silver penny.

The Bunny

Not long ago I took some photographs of Eylie and her family.  Some were with her beloved bunny.  Recently that bunny has passed away. 

This post is for you.  My love to you, friends.

who needs sleep

It's 8:25a.m. and I can hear the second pot of coffee percolating.  Okay it's just brewing but percolating created a better mental photograph.  I slept with Fin who is teething.  I found out in the night that I have been remiss in clipping his fingernails too.  It was like sleeping with an angry squirrel.  So...I have spent the morning so far ignoring my children as they discover The Wiggles for the first time. (I banned them from our home immediately upon having children as there is absolutely nothing on television more annoying) I have been reading blogs.  One mentioned a theory that struck me. 

In life we are all searching for Adventure, Beauty, and Intimacy.

What do you think?  What do you find yourself searching for?

I am seeking beauty today.  

I feel like friendship and intimacy has rained down on me like an abundance of silver pennies.  I have the most amazing girlfriends and husband.  

Adventure sounds a little scary with no sleep. 

So today it is beauty. 

I'll photograph it and share it with you as I find it.  

Comment and tell me your thoughts too. 

Wishing you a splendid day.

Motherhood

When I first looked at my baby's face

I thought I heard the angels sing, 

Their music seemed to flood the air,

And in my heart it seemed to ring.

For a moment I was lifted 

Far above all earthly things.

and a grateful prayer I murmured

For the joy a baby brings.

                        -Hilda Ford Sherman

 My cheeks hurt.  On Saturday I smiled all afternoon.  I spent the day with Evangeline Grace.  Aren't these chubby legs too cute for words...

 

And Evey likes to channel Ethel Merman.  

 Oh my those eyes take me to a happy place.  I see her sitting quietly in a meadow in springtime, butterflies and tulips abound.

 Intensity. 

 Curiosity.

 Joy.

Color.

 Soft.

 Mommy really wanted a picture of her new tooth, check it out above. 

 HELLO.  EYELASHES.

"Mother" describes not only what we do but also who we are.  From the moment children were first introduced into our lives, we became new people-women with greater purpose, responsibility, and significance.  Congratulations on six months of motherhood, Lisa.  
This girl sure made me smile.  I hope you smile too.