The Beaten Path

There is a song by Nora Jones called Long Way Home. The song itself has nothing to do with what it made me think of but the title struck a thought in my little head. Monday through Friday (and lately Saturday too) I wake up, get ready, and go to work. While driving to work I ALWAYS take the same route, and on the way home, same way too. WHY?? I just automatically make the same turns and stop at the same lights or signs when by simply going up or down just one block I could potentially see something completely different. So that is my goal this week. Instead of driving the same path I always drive, I'm going to take 'the long way home' and notice someones quaint front porch swing, or imagine what their garden looks like in spring, maybe I'll find a great new place I need to try for lunch. Or maybe I wont see any of those things, but its worth a try right....

Little Ones

There are two sweet little babies that are new to my life and i couldn't be more thrilled about them.

The first is Makinley Rose Streator. Born November 27, 2007 to my big brother Jared and his wonderful wife Kayleen. The funnest part about sweet little Kinley for me is that she has three wonderful uncles (Kevin, Kyle, and Brandon) but only one aunt (that's me!!)

The second little princess is named Harlee Cadence Collier. She is the daughter of my best friend Shay and her husband Jeremy. She was born December 30, 2007. Little Harlee is lucky enough to have three aunts on her mothers side (Cassie, Whitney, and Jamie) and i think three more on her fathers side (I'm not positive about that though, I don't know Jeremy's family as well as I know Shays) I am lucky enough though, to have been made an honorary aunt!

They are both beautiful little girls that are already full of sass and all sorts of personality and i love them both so much!!

Dandelion

There is a book I read once upon a time (actually it still sits on my shelf and I read bits and pieces of it occasionally) called Peace is Every Step, by Thich Nhat Hanh. In this great book he makes reference to a poem a friend of his wrote:

I have lost my smile,
but don't worry.
The dandelion has it.

He goes on to explain that if you have lost your smile but you are still capable of seeing that a dandelion is keeping it for you, the situation is not too bad. You still have enough mindfulness to see that the smile is still there.

For whatever reason, this hit me hard. (so hard, in fact, that I decided to get a dandelion tattooed to my leg) It is so simple. Even though things may suck right now they can’t, and they won't, stay that way forever. Just hang in there and keep in mind that a dandelion is guarding your smile and keeping it safe for whenever you’re ready to use it again.