Heaven

Last night I read the saddest children's book in the world ("I Love You Forever") to Gage before I put him to bed. I barely got through the last two pages. He looked at me with a what-on-earth-is-wrong-with-you expression as I choked on tears trying to say the last few words. If Scott had been home he would have heard me on the baby monitor, run upstairs, and ripped the book out of my hand to spare our son the agony of my emotional breakdown. In summary, a mother sings a song to her son in each stage of his life - baby, toddler, teenager, grown man, etc. and then at the end he sings the song back to her before she dies, rocking her like she once rocked him. DEPRESSING. I'd rather read about brown bears and fuzzy bees.

Sad things are inevitable though - our kids will grow up, our feelings will be hurt, people we love will get sick. I was reminded of that on Sunday when my Aunt Dell went to be with Jesus. I went for a long run after I found out, thinking that would help, and it did - for a little while. But then later, she was still gone, and it still hurt. I think we try to stuff the cavities in our hearts with stuff, or busyness, or music to fill the emptiness - but ultimately they won't be filled - not on this earth at least.

C.S. Lewis says it best in "Mere Christianity": "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."

I'm thankful I was made for another world - for heaven - and that all of the goodness of this world will be even better and all of the sadness will disappear.

I am happy here, really, really happy. My husband is the most incredible man on the planet. My heart has tripled in size at the love I have for my son. And there is no one on earth who cares for their dog as much as I cherish Bogie. But even my family, as happy as we are, will face hurt. And I'm thankful that we have some place to look forward to where the pieces will be whole again.

I Love the South

It's the dead center of winter and we're barefoot today. I love the South. It's almost 70 degrees outside so Gage and I soaked up the sun before naptime. Happy Weekend everyone!

More Pictures from the Holidays ...

Happy New Year!

I'm in the car now heading back home from the holidays. We've been all over the place since Christmas Eve ... Montgomery, Troy and we're coming back now from the cabin in NC. We had a great time with family, ate lots of food, opened millions of presents, celebrated my 30th and Gage's 6-month birthdays, played in the mountains, went on a date with my husband to the Biltmore in Asheville and brought in the new year. I'll post a few pictures below and leave you with a fun quote I found on the internet while doing some research for an article I'm writing.
"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." ~Benjamin Franklin
I'll post some more pictures this week ... Happy New Year!