How Do I Love You?

How do I love you?

Let me count the ways;

I love you on your very best

And very worst of days.

I love to see you laughing

And dancing in the rain;

And even if you make a mess,

I love you just the same.

I love to hear you sing,

I love to see you smile.

I love the way you take each day

In your own unhurried style.

I'm happy when you're happy.

I'm sorry when you're sad.

And even though it may not show,

I love you even when you're bad.

I love to watch you sleeping,

Tucked away in dreams.

I love to hear you whisper

All your future hopes and dreams.

I love to watch you play

And all your silly ways.

I'm sure you'll never know

How much I love you more each day. 

How do I love you?

It's impossible to say;

For if I had a million days

And time enough for all the praise

I couldn't tell you all the ways

I love you.

XOXOXO

1st Camping Adventure of 2011

It was a little damp, a little cold, a little eye-opening (we def need a new trailer ... one with a bathroom), but still lots & lots of fun on our first camping adventure of the season.  We stayed at the Porter's Lake Provincial Park in Nova Scotia for the long weekend with awesome friends.  

All in all, despite the weather & the fact that one family had to leave due to a medical issue, 

a great time was had by all.  Let's do it again soon!

Teeny Photos of a Teeny Race!

Well, I did it.  I competed in my first big race.  The Bluenose International Marathon 10K!  Well, 10.4K if you actually were clocking it - which I was.  Cause I can, thanks to my hubby buying me a Garmin for my birthday.  He rocks.

But I digress ...

  

10K of the race was completed "unofficially" in my personal best time of 59:40.  Of course, officially I completed the course in 1:01:40, which is still a good time -- for me.  I am 42 after all - LOL.  I ran hard, felt good, relied on my training and it was so rewarding!  

It was so much fun, I would do it again this weekend!  What, can't a girl dream of having crowds of people cheering on her running efforts every weekend?  Sheesh!

Now back to training for the half marathon in October.

Who said 40 doesn't make you crazy?  : D

(PS Pics are small 'cause I "stole" them from the marathon site ... Seriously, $16.00 for ONE 5x7?  I'm Dutch for crying out loud.  I'll just get out my binos!!!)

No limits to what a parent will do for their child : )

Thoughtful Thursday

‎"Excuses for failure, excuses about choices in life, excuses about not taking responsibility fuel dysfunctional thinking – and consequently, undesirable actions and behaviors. Making excuses instead of taking one hundred percent responsibility for your actions, your thoughts, and your goals is the hallmark of people who fail to succeed." ~ Susan M. Heathfield

Wow.  Isn't this brilliant?  We are so often worried about how others will view the choices we make for ourselves that we over-explain or make excuses.  I am also reminded of the quote, "Never explain yourself.  Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe it."  Sadly, excuses make us look like we're compensating for something.  Usually not in a truthful way!  Over-elaborating diminishes our stance on issues.  

Be strong in your decisions and take responsibility for your actions.  "Silence the negative voice in your head".  

Food for thought.

Momma's Little Easter Bunny

Maaike made a bunny mask at preschool yesterday.  

In fact, it was on a visit with her preschool class to Lakeview Manor where they entertain the "grammas and grampas" that they made the craft (while having juice and jam filled cookies, nonetheless).  She loves it and wants to wear it all the time, hopping around like a wonderful, silly little easter bunny.  : )

Cute but a bit scary, too? 

She even insisted on wearing her bunny mask to the park!

I certainly hope this innocent lack of self-consciousness continues ...

Wednesday's Words

"Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything." ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

I stole this from my 26-year-old cousin's blog.  She is currently in the process of kicking cancer to the curb ... in a drop kick with both feet kind of way, I might add.  This quote reminds her of what is important as she moves forward post-treatment.  

These words also tripped me up as I was moving along in the course of my seemingly uneventful life.  We are often too much of a "I want what I want when I want it" society.  How often do we sit back and just "experience everything"?  Life is soooo darn short and I think that makes a lot of us demand the "as soon as possibles".  But we're missing some of the true joys in life along the way: the thrill of the chase, the joy in the adventure, the appreciation of the process, and the glory in the accomplishment.  

Today I wish you all the patience to simply, and peacefully, experience the things that are going on in your life ... relish some breathing space, take the pressure off, and let life happen.