little specks of hope

the weekend was good to us! bringing in freezing temperatures and snow but also scooping us up in her hands as she said "be quiet, be still, make yourself cozy, revel in the magic of your little family."

we did just that.

(yes, my weekends speak to me and are female most of the time. aren't yours?)

friday night was a dreamy visit to look at a house. it was an older home and filled with charm. the freshly fallen snow cast a soft christmas feel over everything. it was cozy and exciting to imagine our little family living out our days there! while it wasn't the house for us, i love that burst of passion that soars through my heart when rory tells me he found a good one. who knows if we will find a house before the end of the year. our house hunting has been an extremely long journey, filled with detours, potholes, and dirt roads...but oh what an adventure! this house had so much character and reignited that desire in me to find a place i can fill with whimsy for sookie. it also reminded me the smallest little speck of hope can turn into a roaring unstoppable force within minutes. i need to remember that for all facets of my life!

saturday we were lazy and filled the day with cuddles, snuggles, family tickle wars and sweet kisses. i ventured outside with sook where she decided to have a snow ...and MUD party! perfect.

i adore seeing her love for nature contrasted sharply up against her intense love of girly clothing. i envy this kiddo's wardrobe, i kid you not! ha. i love that she isn't afraid to get dirty exploring her surroundings. i love that she wants to know every little thing about this wonderful world. i love that she views all bugs as instant best friends and doesn't bat an eyelash when she sees a snake, but whips her lightning quick hands into action to catch a new buddy. (she caught about four snakes this summer in our front yard!)

we went on an adventure to the children's museum on sunday. that place flames my inner child and endless curiosity. i had as much fun as sook did and I believe rory, and my mom and dad did too! you can't help but let go and indulge in the wonder of play when you are surrounded with prompts and props! when my dad started organizing the giant play kitchen, i burst into a fit of giggles.

this week has been more blood tests to stay on top of things, to be very cautious and make sure i don't have lymphoma, to check my inflammation markers, to run liver functions. all that happy stuff! tuesday i was struggling to get along with reality, so finally i simply dropped everything and went to a movie with sookie and my momma. that little escape turned out to be exactly what i needed to get my big picture focus back. i like it when i listen to my inner authentic self, she never has an evil ulterior motive. she wants happiness, pure and simple; and for me to keep my eyes and energy focused on the prizes.

we are holding on to little slivers of hope today; that my car will be fixed so i can have it when i head back up to the hospital (a 45 minute drive) on monday morning. that we can pinpoint all this chest and abdominal pain i've been having lately. that my labs come back all within normal range. i'm also being a little greedy and wishing that i will get into a study at the NIH in bethesda, maryland, for an experimental treatment for muscle wasting in people with cystinosis. 

crossed fingers today and keeping our focus on the big picture!
what are YOU hoping for today?