Thanksgiving Thursday & the Guiding Light

"Find comfort in knowing that God's ever brilliant light shines down upon you always to illuminate your way."

~Mama Hen

God has always been my guiding light. Since I was young I always knew to look up for the answers. As I get older I can feel the weight of daily challenges pulling me down more often than I would like. However, I continually feel the warm glow of God's loving rays leading me forward along a good path. It is this love and strength bestowed upon me that raises me above all the heavy bumps along this journey. I give thanks to God for illuminating the way.

Thanksgiving Thursday: 1.) Little Chick and my family 2.) My daughter's incredible ability to make the world smile! 3.) For the gift of hope and the light that guides the way. 4.) Furry family members! We love Lolli, Gigi, Belle and Cookie! 5.) The gift of family.

Choosing the Path Less Traveled

"Choosing the path less traveled can be a challenge, but the reward is worth every step along the way." ~Mama Hen

Today I got to thinking about the paths we can take. I am at the point in my life where I feel like I need to choose a new path. I am at the half way point in my journey and want to make sure that the direction I take is the best first and fore most for my child and then for me. The thing is that I have always chosen the path less traveled. On our way to the beach today my sister said, "Why don't you try and sit in the middle of all the people." I tend to choose the less crowded part of the beach for peace and tranquility. Before we got to the the beach we stopped at a store to pick up a couple of things. There were at least 100 parking spots open and when we came back to my car (which I always park farther away) there was a car right next to ours snug as could be. I looked around and wanted to understand that. It also made me realize that I do not want to follow the crowd. I guess that my inner need to travel the road less traveled, less crowded, and more peaceful has lead me to this very point. I know I will continue to choose that less traveled road, because it is there that I have found it to be the most rewarding. There is something so refreshing knowing that there are so many avenues to take. Now with a lot of prayers, some thinking and planning and a great amount of hope I take that first step forward.

Little Chick's Tree

"How magical it is to see one's imagination come to life!" ~Mama Hen

Little Chick bought a little bird in New Hampshire and asked if we could create our own tree and nest for the bird when we got home. I said that we could make something spectacular! We started by finding some marvelous branches from our yard. We put them together and secured them. Little Chick then started to make some leaves. This took a few days to do. We wanted a full tree and we even recruited Grandma Hen to help make some leaves. We then painted some bird houses for our feathered friends. Little Chick made adorable nests for her baby birds and the eggs. We had a bunch of fun creating our tree. It is so magical making ones imagination come to life.

Little Chick in the Big Apple

"Thank you dear Lord for the brilliance of each new day."

~Mama Hen

Today I surprised Little Chick with a trip to the Big Apple. She was so happy! We took the train in and had a ladies luncheon right when we got there. The waiter thought Little Chick was so cute and funny! He gave her an orange juice on the house. We then went to Rockefeller Center and to St. Patrick's Cathedral. Little Chick could not wait to light a candle for her Granddaddy. She also wanted to light one for Cuddles and Pudding. It was beautiful! On our way back we stopped at the American Girl Doll store where I told her she could pick one outfit for her doll. She picked a fancy dress and said she wanted her doll to wear it on her birthday. When we came home she immediately put the party dress on and made a big party with all the friends, Grandma Hen and me. It was a fun day!

We took a taxi ride for a few blocks, because Little Chick wanted a taxi ride. How cute!

Thanksgiving Thursday: 1.) Little Chick and my family 2.) Surprises and taking trips. 3.) Seeing Little Chick's smile each and every day! She lights up my world! 4.) Warm days and cool nights. 5.) Time spent with family.

Mother's Day

"If we take the time to open the gift of each new day we will find a wealth of treasures." ~Mama Hen

Our family celebrated Mother's Day at the beach! It was gorgeous outside and warm enough for the kids to go in the water. Little Chick made me a fantastic Mother's Day cake out of sand and shells! The best kind of cake ever! She then sang me a Happy Mother's Day song which, of course, I have on video. It was a magnificent day spent with my precious daughter, beautiful Grandma Hen and my lovely big sister and her family!

My delicious Mother's Day cake!

Thanksgiving Thursday & New Hampshire

"Each day give thanks for the endless blessings from God above." ~Mama Hen

Dear God,

You have blessed me with such abundant gifts. Each day I wake I am thankful for Your love, the blessing of a new day and my beautiful daughter. My heart overflows with joy simply when I see her radiant smile. We are thankful for all the glorious treasures you have given us all here on Earth. The song of the birds early in the morning, the cascading water that flows with such a magnificent energy, the sun shining through the trees, the peaceful quiet when sitting on the pond's edge, the wind rustling through the trees and the endless pleasure of sharing these gifts with my baby. I am so grateful for these presents and look forward to exploring this Earth's vast beauty.

Exploring life in the pond.

Hello salamander!

Thanksgiving Thursday: 1.) Little Chick and my family. 2.) Enjoying the peace and God's presence in nature. 3.) Seeing Little Chick learn new things about our great Earth and all of its treasures. 4.) Knowing that we can explore the beauty in nature whenever we want. It is simply right out the front door. 5.) Hiking with my daughter and my mom. How magnificent!

God's Abundant Presents

"Oh the joy of simply "being" in God's abundant presents!" ~Mama Hen

We have been thoroughly enjoying our journey to New Hampshire. There is so much to explore and take in. We had a surprise visit from my sister and her family for one night. We enjoyed visiting The Lost River. It was amazing! We climbed hundreds of stairs, watched waterfalls and explored caves. We then headed to the pool for a whole bunch of fun. The outdoor hot tub was so relaxing while overlooking the mountains. On Sunday Grandma Hen, Little Chick and I headed to The Flume. It was stunning! We walked along cascading water for two hours. It was absolutely incredible! We had fun swimming again and then ended the day with some yummy ice cream and sorbet. It has been so fantastic! It is such a blessing to be surrounded by God's heavenly presents.

Yummy roasted marshmallows.