My beautiful girl LOVES to laugh. Recently she's been making up words, pulling silly facial expressions and doing some crazy antics - generally everything she does is geared to make me laugh! And if I laugh, well she is just hysterical with laughter! I adore how she throws her head back and just lets it all out, all that joy.
A few of the things I prayed for in a child, is that she would be loving and kind and happy.
She is all three.
I am so blessed to be her Mama.
A laugh is a smile that bursts. ~Mary H. Waldrip
The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. ~E.E.Cummings
A good laugh is sunshine in the house. ~W.Makepeace
Some pursue happiness, others create it. ~Author Unknown
[ the flickr set is here ]
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{ see more black & white pictures at 'The Long Road to China {and back}' }
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Well, I went through all my pictures from last year and I don't know, but none of them are springing out and hitting me as 'The Perfect Christmas Card Photo'.
To be perfectly honest, I have something in my head and I don't even think it's possible to accomplish! It's like I want this one photo to show every single adorable little side of her, that I know and love. And well, that just doesn't happen in one photo. Maybe I should just send everyone a whole album of photos! Haha!
I pretty much gave myself a pep talk this morning, that I should just get over myself and use one of the ones I already have - stop being so darn fussy.
However, I didn't stick to my pep talk and ended up taking a few more shots this morning. Lilah even scored a massive lolly out of it, so I'm pretty sure she doesn't mind the endless stream of picture taking.
"The Gift"
Winter snow is falling down
Children laughing all around
Lights are turning on like a fairy tale come true
Sittin’ by the fire we made
You’re the answer when I prayed
I would find someone and baby I found you
All I want is to hold you forever
All I need is you more everyday
You saved my heart from being broken apart
You gave your love away
And I’m thankful everyday
Can’t find the words to say
Thank you for the gift
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{ see more black & white pictures at 'The Long Road to China' }
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Yesterday we went out for a little nature walk through our neighbourhood. We also brought along some bread to feed the ducks. Lilah could do this all day every day - she loves nature and adventure. It is really incredible to view it all through her eyes and hear about it from her innocent little mind. I posted about all the things we saw yesterday, but today I am posting some photos of my girl. Because just as much as I am struck with the beauty of nature and creation, I'm also struck regularly with her beauty. Not just externally, but internally. She is a beautiful girl.
I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. (George Washington Carver)
[ more pictures here ]
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{ see more black & white pictures at 'The Long Road to China' }
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It was my husband that came up with this term and action when we brought Lilah home from China. He'd cross his fingers and tell her 'We're tight!', or in other words 'We'll always be here for you'. We did it a lot back then, but it seems we haven't been doing it so much recently, probably because Lilah can say the words now. Anyway, that was until last week, while we were on our holidays in Cape Breton. We were sitting in a little café waiting for our food to arrive and I told Lilah I loved her, I didn't notice she'd just taken a mouthful of water at the time and couldn't speak, so she held her hands up at me and crossed her 'we're tight' fingers.
She melts my heart.
"When everything in our lives and experience is shaken that can be shaken, and only that which cannot be shaken remains, we are brought to see that God only is our rock and our foundation, and we learn to have our expectation from him alone." - Hannah Whitall Smith
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{ see more black & white pictures at 'The Long Road to China' }
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~ your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that ~
this face
it lights up my world
in ways i never thought possible
when it smiles, i smile
when it laughs, i laugh
i can't even express the love i have for my child
it is beyond expression
she kisses me on the leg or arm or hand, when she can't reach my face
i'm floating on air
there was a time, before i met this girl in person
i loved her
but i had no idea just how much
the more time we spend together
the more ridiculously in love i fall
i didn't think it was possible
to love her more than i already do
and
the more i ponder over these things
the more i appreciate THE COST of God the Father,
GIVING HIS Son, to die, for me
For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
HIS love, HE SO LOVED me
i'm speechless
but i whisper, thank you, for being MY SAVIOUR
i'm incredibly blessed
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{ see more black & white pictures at 'The Long Road to China' }
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On Monday we went out for an evening stroll in the neighbourhood - it was so beautiful and relaxing. Here's Lilah, engaged in three of her favourite play activities...
Triking - She's been triking for over a week now and she can't get enough of it. Trying to run me over when I'm crouched down trying to get a picture of her, is her new favourite thing to do!
Spinning - When she's in the baby swing I twist it around and around and around and let it go. She loves it, in fact she loves all kinds of 'dizzy' games - the dizzier the better!
Sandcastles - She could spend hours and hours shoveling sand and filling up her bucket. She's in her element when she's playing with sand and she equally loves playing with water.
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{ see more black & white pictures at 'The Long Road to China' }
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~ learning to live in the present moment is part of the path of joy ~
~ joy is not in things, it is in us ~
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{ see more black & white pictures at 'The Long Road to China' }
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The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched
- they must be felt with the heart.
Helen Keller
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{ see more black & white pictures at 'The Long Road to China' }
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I'd just finished fixing Lilah's hair this morning when I caught these pictures of her in the bathroom mirror. She loves to sit and look at herself and she makes all sorts of funny faces. I pretty much have to wash off the slob and sticky finger prints every single day! But it's worth it to see her silly and fun little personality!
I would just love two of this girl!
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{ see more black & white pictures at 'The Long Road to China' }
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Yesterday we went downtown on an errand to the passport office. Since we were there we decided to walk on over to Parliament Hill. Honestly, I thought this kind of thing would be boring for a child? Not Lilah. She kept saying to me, "Let's follow the peoples". Of course they were on a tour and I really didn't want to be on a tour and listen to all the history. I know, I'm bad like that. But we did look around and even made it up to the peace tower, which is right under the clock. It was my first visit and it was pretty neat.
One of the security guards asked Lilah how old she was and she totally pretended to be shy and wouldn't tell him. So I told him she was two. He said to her, "Oh, you're two, are you?". She looked at him with a little sass and said, "No, I'm two and free twarters!". Funny girl.
On our walk back to the car we stopped and had a street vendor hot dog. She looked at me with a big grin and said "We're having so much fun Mama!". We are so blessed to have such a positive happy girl.
I've added several black & white pictures below. The set (in colour) is here.
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{ see more black & white pictures at 'The Long Road to China' }
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