Hibernate Blog

The hubbie, kids and I vacationed in Virginia (or more accurately: orchestrated a “shlep-fest”) for the holidays. Long car rides, that actually went remarkably well, led to crazy-fun time with family, huge doses of of Wii Rock Band, memories made with Gramma and Grandpa, playing with cousins, great food, a delightful win at Texas Hold-em ( I swear I’ve never played before), and warm weather.

Melissa with her new nephew, Alexander, enjoying 65 degrees

Hard-core Wii champs, Mark and Sara…tired but not stoppin’.

In addition to the holidays, my baby turned seven…Unbelievable! Like us moms say, “It seems just like yesterday she was a baby, where did the time go?” Now it’s High School Musical, the Jonas Brothers on CD and texting with her Nintendo DS to her friends. Wow.

And The Nater, who has definitely found comfort in his own skin and silly sense of humor, got his Kawasaki 4-Wheeler from Santa (although shown here with his cousin’s super-dooper new bike, thanks Hannah!) and is growing up so fast. He whizzes around the garage on the 4 wheeler like he’s been riding one for years. Must be a boy-thing.

Notice the tough-guy Pooh helmet

The ball has dropped in Times Square and the last of the holiday decorations are packed away. Although my kids love the holidays (I did too when I was little) I must admit it’s not my favorite time of year. Maybe it’s the cold of upstate New York, the frenzy of the parking lots, or the memories of losing my Mom on a cold December day. As I type the numbers 2.0.0.9 the past couple of days, I am very thankful to have a little time now to finally hit the pause button on my life, take a crystal-clear look back at ‘08, reminisce, and breathe a deep, well-deserved breath. We’ll see if I can catch it.

It can be startlingly easy to forget the blessings in one’s life, whether it’s due to the hustle and bustle of school pictures and business meetings, or leaf raking and laundry folding, it happens to the best of us. Here in the Adirondacks we live amidst some of the most beautiful terrain in the country. The local Chamber of Commerce uses the tag line, “Live like you’re on vacation.” Unfortunately if you are plowing through each day with your head down you miss it. It’s the same with parenting, the pursuit of 3 square meals, clean underwear and matched socks can make you careen off path.
Every once in a while something happens, sometimes it’s by design, other times it’s pure serendipity, but you get awakened.
A couple of weekends ago it was a sunny Saturday and a lark.

“Wanna go to Hick’s? We can take the kids and pick some apples.”

And the fog clears. A three year old in blue jeans and a hoodie, luminous eyes looking up at you, “We goin’ to pick apples?” followed by a sniff and a swipe at his little button nose with his shirt sleeve. A smile spreads across his face and butterflies alight in your tummy, like a crush, but better.

“Yeah, let’s go pick apples.”

Six and three grab your hands, “Mom, Dad? We love you.”

And so it is that instead of flitting between the laundry room and the kitchen, you find yourself between trees heavy with Macouns and Cortlands, breathing in the scent of your sweet baby’s head as your husband watches you with a smile that brings back early day memories to the soundtrack of your daughter’s laughter.

After a late night thunderstorm, the day started with a female Mallard duck strutting purposefully through our yard, for what purpose we never did determine.

Later, as I headed out to work, I spied a mama deer and her two babies taking breakfast just past my house.

Behind the family breakfast, an Adirondack waterfall.

This is my every day. Lucky days, indeed