memorial weekend

one minivan full of:
a 5 year old girl
a 3 year old boy
a 38 year old man
a 33 year old woman
a 6 year old dog
a tent to house the above mentioned
2 child sleeping bags
4 pillows
2 queen sized blow up mattresses
2 comforters
4 blankets
a suitcase for all the clothes
a cooler filled with camping foods: marshmallows, chocolate, pickles, potato salad, macaroni salad, lemonade, tea, hot dogs, ice, beer, etc.
bags full of chips, plates, and other supplies
4 folding chairs and a folding side table
4 towels
i am sure i forgot many things...but this was all for ONE overnight camping adventure! is all the packing and unpacking really worth it?


...yep, i'd say it's worth it! :)

tree of life

Like religion, spirituality, education, etc., I tend to take what is meaningful to me and leave the rest. And so it goes with the tree of life. I love the phrase tree of life and the English major in me loves to analyze those words and images. What came about for me is pretty simple. Trees are full of symbolism. They are life, they produce life and sustenance. Like women, they are life givers, mothers. That resonates with me so I put the goddess in the tree to illustrate the feminine of my tree of life. She is next to Lyra & Leo because I gave birth to those lives. The tree has several branches that stem from the trunk but go in their own directions. The various parts of my life that add up to my whole self and aren’t defined alone or individually. I am not a mother only, or a wife only, etc. The leaves are red to humanize the tree – the blood of life. And more like some of the known descriptions of the tree of life, I am rooted in the earth but reach toward my spiritual self. So, that’s my tattoo. :)

This link gives brief descriptions of the tree of life in different cultures, religions, etc.
http://altreligion.about.com/library/weekly/aa102902a.htm

happy birthday to me!

Eric made my 33rd birthday so wonderful. Sometimes, I see these glimpses of that romance we had when we first met. I am a lucky lady!

He surprised me Saturday by taking me to dinner at this fabulous restaurant



When we got to the table, there was a red rose and a box with a ring from this gorgeous designer engraved to say: Eric loves Courtney
http://www.beckythatcherdesigns.com/vision/?PHPSESSID=90069a2d9d0dc8e6fb916b7512adcd96


After dinner, we got back in the van and there was a white rose with a card containing 2 tickets here:
http://www.oldtownplayhouse.com/

& perhaps the best part of the evening is that he arranged this overnight!

royal wedding

today i attended the royal wedding of princess liey (a stuffed lion) and prince honk honk (a stuffed dragon/dinosaur?)

boys vs girls

leo - boys pee and poop. girls only poop

me - girls pee, too.

leo - but girls don't have a penis

me - nope, they have vaginas.

leo - but when you get older you grow a penis and pee?

bleepin' cold!

oh, how i dread the common cold! this week of all weeks to get it, too! i started my internship yesterday (when this cold began); i had to cancel kindergarten round-up for lyra cause i couldn't stop sneezing (today). how do you swallow the guilt you feel when they look so disappointed?

tomorrow, i have to begin my weekly drive to grand rapids (5 hours round-trip) for my practicum where i begin counseling actual clients in front of a two-way mirror! arg. i hope my friend airborne can work this time!

what can i learn from this? i think sickness is a body's way of saying, "hey! pay attention to me! slow down and notice how you are feeling. enjoy the healthy times and take the sick times as an opportunity to be present in the moment."
illness is pretty adamant that you take notice of the present moment! :)