anniversary nuggets

hump day nuggets: little bits of the season in photos and words about the last week.  Encouraged to steal this idea from Dig This Chick because she is awesome blossom. 

I'm coming live to you from Anniversary High.  A location I almost missed due to the minuscule emphasis my husband and I put on "special" days.  


It's always been this way, beginning with a mutual dislike for Valentine's Day and an agreement to always boycott it. Somehow all other holidays sort of fell into a semi boycott category by default.  Never in regard to the kiddos...just each other. 


Maybe it's simply laziness, an excuse to not have to remember and therefore acknowledge these personal holidays.  The truth is most of our 9 years together we have been too broke to make much out of any day.  And of course this intentional ignoring of these small special days does fly in the face of our whole "VIVA LA FAMILIA!" vibe.  But I'm comfortable with that because it frees me from expectations.  I can deliver a random memorable day...grown organically from spontaneous goodness.  I kind of suck at delivering a planned and well executed "special day" for someone.  Not a point of pride, but a fact.


So... consistent with the previous 3 years, we forgot our wedding anniversary.   Had we not gotten a card addressed to both of us (which sent us into a tailspin of pondering) we would probably not have remembered this...the exact date of our wedding.  Even after opening the card we couldn't quite pin down the exact date, or how many years.  We agreed on 3, but the card said "On your 4th Anniversary".  We stand corrected. 


But.. we did get the card (thank you Grandma Karen!!!) and that spontaneous realization of what day this was, created a memorable night.  Unplanned and unorchestrated, we went on a date. I told Autumn mom and dad needed her to watch the baby while we celebrated something we didn't know 24 hours ago.  She loved it.  She helped me curl my hair and do my makeup.  She let me borrow her dress and brought me my boots.


The energy of the moment, mom running in barking orders about pizzas, dishes, baby bathes and dogs while peeling off work clothes. The excitment of two daughters realizing that their parents were going to DO SOMETHING TOGETHER!!!

Annika ran in the bathroom with a tarnished rhinestone butterfly necklace Great Grandma Wattier gave to her: 

"Here mom...you can wear this tonight."  

I did.


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The Nuggets are slim pickings this week because all I've been doing is this:



I'm not complaining, it's all good in the hood. I'm just saying the energy surrounding this project has reached a fever pitch and it is eating us all alive.  I am too excited.




I don't post pictures of myself often because...why would I? Behind the lens is the place to be. I'm making an exception to illustrate my excitement for my new iPhone 4S. 


Who loves their new phone the most?

this chick

Anniversary food porn.  But not much because I promised my husband I would focus.  So I got the beginning:
  


And the end:



And finally, my favorite nugget of the week.  My little baby nugget in the hat that may be forever on his head.   He loves this hat like nothing else...ever.  Thank God it's adorable. 


I've been wanting to start a side blog.  A photo a day for a year blog.  In memory of my Aunt Maria.  I can't explain why, except to say that it is just in me and needs to get out.  


I'm not promising groundbreaking photography.  Just things that I see everyday and want to share with her.  


I'm hoping this expedites the healing process.  


And honors her legacy.  

"love really does make all the difference"

If you are interested you can find it at:

http://wingsformaria.blogspot.com/

Happy Anniversary baby. 

late night mcnuggets

I'm slipping them in right under the wire, but it's still HUMP day, so these are still...

hump day nuggets: little bits of the season in photos and words about the last week.  Encouraged to steal this idea from Dig This Chick because she is awesome blossom. 

 Yup cutting it soo close and eyes sliding shut every time I pause to put a  thought together.  It's not that I have so much to say tonight or that the little I have to say is so mind blowing it can't wait.  But the the baby is asleep, the tweenager's homework is done and the teenager doesn't have any.  It's rare I have a moment like this at 9:45pm, no one tugging at my arm needing something.   

This precious free hour or two has many "have tos" competing for priority.   I could do a couple loads of laundry. Or clean the slobbery Calvin faces off my glass front doors.  I could pack for our trip this weekend or clip the dog's nails.  Or finally put away the clean clothes laying around my bedroom.

As it is, the only other thing I almost did, was go over to the couch to cuddle with Annika while she watches one of my favorites...Big Fish.  If you've not seen this movie, please try to.  If you have parents, or loved the stories your grandparents told you, or love the story of your own life...love this movie.  It's one of my favorites.

In the last 12 months, in the midst of life changing loss and oh so many moments to reflect on what I was supposed to learn from it, I made the very deliberate decision to stop doing tasks when life gave surprise "free time".  I have stopped killing those fleeting moments with pointless chores, focusing instead on filling those bits of time with life.  Sweet, peaceful, lovely life.

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late night mcnuggets

I got behind camera this weekend to spend a few hours with the most beautiful little family on their farm. I jumped at the chance to put on some boots and meander around their homestead at sunset. I felt a little rusty as I have not done a shoot in months, but inspired by the familiar sites and sounds of the country and the easy way this little family's love came through my camera.








I even got to take a bit of the farm home with me:)



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Hump day nuggets is losing the battle for this precious free time. My favorite scene is coming up...the one where everyone from the fantastical stories come to his funeral and his son suddenly knows his father. 


My husband is reading in bed, I'd be crazy not to snuggle in next to him and fall asleep listening to his deep voice tell me about what he is reading. I love my time here with words and photos. I could stay, and try, but...I'd rather go snuggle.


And...these are meant to simply be "nuggets":)


Good night.


XOXOXOXOXOXO