A Day/Year in the Life

Hey Ya'll...here it is the end of March!  Back in January I asked my daughter Nicole if she would like to guest blog during her birthday month and without hesitation she said yes.  I felt bad asking her...she is the busiest young woman  her age that I know (so I am a bit biased)!!  But I am always so amazed by her...and wanted to share her with all of you.  Of course her days are full of everything from teaching AP English to planning prom (this school's proms are like combination debutante balls and wedding receptions), to readying students for a scholars bowl competition, to helping with or attending a singles ministry function (headed by her husband), to making Claire a dress for a special occasion, to attending her book club meeting, and to hanging out with her two favorite people...David and Claire.   

She has happened onto one of life's great mysteries and truths...time passes quickly...whether we fill our days with a dozen things or just two.  Moments become memories and curls grow and lives change.  Be sure that each day you stop "grading your papers" and play... just a little bit. 

So, I (Kim's daughter, Nicole) am the guest blogger for March.  And guess what?! I made my deadline!  One hour before April!

My days are so busy it's hard to find time to sit and reflect, but chained to my computer to write this blog, I'm thinking a lot about how rapid the pace of life is.  Before-school prom meetings, a full-day of work, home to play with Claire and David and ignore the paper grading, church and ministry stuff, and then some Ugly Betty on Netflix so I don't try to make to do lists in my head all night.

I think the pace of life sped up just as Claire did!  So, this is a reflection in pictures and video of how fast life grows/goes!

This picture is from a year ago--my 28th birthday.

We would spend our afternoons lounging in the sun or napping on the couch.

Camera in hand, I would wait for the moment she would crack a half smile, burp, or move a finger.  Each one was miraculous.  Like this one:

Or this one:

The real life changer began with this progression:

And now we are on to full-fledged running, tripping, and dancing.  The talking is new too.  There were always giggles and coos, but these days they sound like sentences, but I just can't understand the words.  The words I do hear regularly are "cat," "banana," "layla," and "woof."  Mama and Dada are words reserved for major times of need. This video is of Claire and me just hanging out: watching Wonder Pets, playing with the animals, dancing, and learning about farm animals.  She's a little wonder who seems to have gone from infant to toddler in the blink of an eye!

Every day she changes.  Her curls are a bit longer or she makes more sounds or her diapers are bigger :)  And that's probably why life seems so fast.  Every second is something new and we are enjoying the ride.

So, in the spirit of my mom: this is my life!

I hope you enjoyed it

Nicole