Little Blessings (Pt. 23)

February 14, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

It’s ok to count them two days in a row, right? 😉

:) Extra cuddles from a certain little girl who didn’t want to sleep tonight.

:) A card and not having to do dishes or clean up the kitchen tonight.

:) Prayers and words of encouragement from a friend.

:) Lunch dates.

:) Chocolate. Today, specifically, dark chocolate and sea salt caramel.

:) Moments to reflect.

:) A random memory that made me burst into laughter. It’s good to laugh.

:) A spunky, fireball-of-a-girl who makes grocery shopping an adventure instead of a mundane, hated chore. (Well, I still don’t love it, but she does make it interesting.)

:) Fuzzy slippers. My. Feet. Are. Cold. Love my slippers.

:) The new mercies I am given each and every day. I need them.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, just life

Little Blessings (Pt. 22)

February 13, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

:) Zumba. Chalkin’ up another new experience. I am not a dancer…and that’s ok. There was a lot of laughter, and that is definitely a blessing. 😉

:) Valentine’s Day…though we’re actually celebrating Friday. (I think!)

:) Realizing what a mistake it is to take Maelie into a book store…and being thankful that I had enough cash in my wallet to pay for the damage. Yikes. Blessing? Choosing to see it that way…

:) Seeing a friend, on above outing, and her UH-dorable baby boy.

:) Seeing God answer a specific prayer today.

:) Anne of Green Gables. (DON’T laugh. I’m completely addicted. You should be, too.)

:) Singing in the shower.

:) Going to a new destination (in another city) withOUT using the GPS.

:) Running five miles yesterday. (I coulda gone more…really. But my knee decided to “dislocate” for a second. Really. Supposedly what happens with runner’s knee. Yeah, it was good times. Choosing to focus on the I-ran-five-miles part. ;))

:) Two crazy golden retrievers who love me to pieces.

You know what? I love them to pieces, too.

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, dogs, friends, just life, Maelie, running

A Letter to My Girl: Lessons from the Playground

February 9, 2012 by · 1 Comment

February 9, 2012

To my Mae…

Today I watched you play at the new playground at the mall by our house. Oh, we were exc ited to check

it out! They closed it for a few weeks to make it better, and today was finally the day that we could go with some friends! You had so much fun!

What you aren’t fully aware of yet…is how much I observe you while you bop around, exploring anything and everything that piques your interest even a little. Today, while I observed you, I noticed something.

That I could learn a lot from my 5-days-shy-of-being-20-months-old daughter.

You reminded me of JOY. Daily I choose to see the joy in a day, but watching you play brought out more in my heart than I could have imagined was possible. You were completely LOVING every moment (well…most of them, there were a few tears) as you explored and interacted…and smiled. You’re just a smiley kiddo…and everything these days brings out that beautiful smile. Sometimes I forget that JOY can be found in simple things, but you have already learned that.

You keep trying. You know what? It’s easy for your mommy to give up on things sometimes. Today I watched you climb the “wrong” side of the new tree slide, not knowing that it was the wrong side. You’d try and fall…over and over. Instead of getting frustrated, you’d find something else to do and still smile. And when you discovered that there were steps on the OTHER side? JOY! You were so happy to climb up them for a chance to try out the slide. Over and over. :) It may seem small, but you reminded me to persevere, even when things seem difficult.

You handled mean kids with grace. They didn’t mean to be mean…but they were. A couple girls who wouldn’t let you go down the slide. You’d come to me and cry…and that’s ok. I cry sometimes, too. Once a few tears were shed, you were ready to go back and try getting past them. Eventually someone told those girls to stop, and the slide was open again. And you just played again…with so much JOY. No hard feelings.

My daughter, you’re going to meet people like that in life. And when you do, my prayer is that you will exhibit a spirit of forgiveness and willingness to move forward, just like you did today. Your mommy is still working on that one!

I had a wonderful day with you. And though there were definitely tears when we left to go home for a nap, it’s the simple moments like these that I treasure the most. The chance to be out with you, just living life with the daughter I’d always dreamed of having.

You are a dream come true.

And I love you to the moon and back…plus infinity.

Love,
Mommy

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, friends, just life, Maelie

Late Night Coffee

February 7, 2012 by · 2 Comments

It’s been far too long since I’ve sat down with a cup of actual coffee while I write.

Tonight, at a quarter to ten, I’m gonna pour myself some and spill my heart…for at least as long as it takes me to drink it. 😉

I’ll let you know tomorrow how late it kept me up…though I’m tired enough that I’m not sure it will make too much of a difference.

Really random…but you know what I looooove? When coffee is at that just-perfect temperature and it kinda burns your throat as it goes down. Yeah, that’s awesome. 😀 (And I think I just solidified in all of your minds that I am a total dork. But, really, that’s ok. If you haven’t at least thought that by now, then you probably don’t know me well enough yet. But you’ll think it soon enough.) 😉

So I know I talk about Mae a lot on this blog…she is the majority of my life, after all. 😉 But it’s been amazing to watch her the last few weeks. Words are turning to sentences, she understands and follows directions, she’s able to tell me when she needs or wants something. It’s all kinds of crazy…and all kinds of happy. I just love her and the little person she is.

Sunday was an especially sweet day of Maelie memories. When I was singing on praise team that morning, I looked out and saw her pointing at me, saying, Mommy! Mommy! Oh, how part of me wanted to run to her and grab her and bring her back up on stage with me! After church, when I finally got to see her, I was walking around with her, and she was passing out hugs to everyone. It was the cutest thing. Then, that night, we went to watch the Super Bowl with some friends, and she was just so full of love and cutie patooty-ness. Really, that’s her every day, but I can brag on her, right?! I just love my girl!

So, barring an actual training program, I started training for my ten mile in May. That translates to hopping on the treadmill and running until I can’t anymore, or in the case of today, running until I’m out of time and have to do something else. I managed to pull a little over four miles, and I was happy with that. Now I need to work on my pace, which can’t be done with our treadmill.

I have finally separated a good treadmill from a not-so-good one…besides price. The good ones actually go faster than 10:00 pace. So I will have to wait til it warms up a little and I can run outside. But it does feel good to keep my running up through the winter. Not sure I’ve ever done that before.

And possibly the best news is that my runner’s knee doesn’t seem to be flaring up as much. I’m trying to keep my distance running to every other day and mix cardio and strength on the other days. That and ibuprofin seem to be helping a lot. Praise God.

By the way, who’s running with me? I’ve got a couple friends…I need a few more. And those of you who don’t run with me

? Should come be my cheerleaders ’cause I’m gonna need ’em!

Ok, I’ve devoted far too much of this to working out…on to new topics.

I’ve been in crazy, I-miss-Indo mode. The other day a friend who is still there told a story on facebook of driving her motorbike, hitting a bump, and her bags of groceries flew off the bike and landed in the river. And a nice, old, Indonesian grandpa-fisherman helped her get them out.

You all laugh…I smile.

And that story actually makes me MISS it.

Almost like I wish it had happened to me!

And all this missing Indo reminds me of home and all that it is. Just a year ago, we weren’t sure what home would look like for us. God was so good…and we got to stay.

We love it here. We are blessed times a million. But when I think of home, I remember that my heart will always have two earthly homes.

There is no way that Indonesia will ever leave my heart. I can rejoice all I want that my house is cockroach-free (HALLELUJAH!!!!) and that I don’t have little lizards popping out of my toaster.

That traffic is, for the most part, orderly, and I can usually get to my destination without stopping to wait for longer than a minute or two. That my grocery store has every possible food I could ever want…and the idea of getting by without brown sugar or Lucky Charms? Is no more.

And yet, the lessons I took away from Indonesia are still there. They have changed me…and are now part of who I am.

And so I guess the word home is relative…no matter if I own my house or not.

The good news? We own our house, and we’re really happy here. :)

Just a random tangent. :)

I’m thankful.

It hasn’t been an easy few weeks. Like I said, I’m learning to appreciate winter and the hidden growth that it brings. But at the same time, my heart is heavy and my eyes are puffy and red.

I’m learning that thing I mentioned yesterday. Trust.

I know He is GOOD. And I know that I can trust Him.

And when my heart aches, I can give it to Him, knowing He will hold it and heal it.

That amazes me sometimes.

No, it amazes me all the time.

Well, my coffee cup is empty, and I really should crash for the night.

Thanks for stopping by. You bless me. :)

Sig

Filed Under: being mommy, blessings, church, coffee, friends, Indonesia, just life, Maelie, where I am

Little Blessings (Pt. 21)

February 5, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

:) My daughter’s newest phrase…belly “butt”. Golly, we laugh hard. Every. Single. Time.

:) Music. Praising God with people I love.

:) Random lunch dates that leave me encouraged.

:) Awkwardly wonderful conversations that I’m sure will make me smile for days.

:) Seasons. I am learning to appreciate winter…in more than one way.

:) Super Bowl fun…the friends were the best part.

And the food. Then the football. Not so much the halftime show…

:) A reason to look forward to Mondays. Got a few of them, actually.

:) My Father, Who is enough for every thirst and every need.

:) His precious promises.

:) Not being able to give up the blog-every-day thing yet…because I needed to count my blessings first.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, football, friends, just life, Maelie, where I am

Little Blessings (Pt. 20)

January 27, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

:) Cuddle time with my favorite little girl. And giggles…lots of giggles.

:) Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips.

Oh. My. Goodness. They need to sell them in smaller bags.

:) A ten-mile race in May to train for.

Choosing to see this one as a blessing.

😉

:) Reminders this week that God is faithful.

:) Prayer and what a blessing it can be to pray for people I love.

:) Watching my daughter’s vocabulary continue to explode… new words this week

? Cello (I know!), pinecone, puzzle. (All while pointing to pictures of them. It’s so fun to watch!)

:) Missing Indonesia a lot today and thinking of so many reasons why I loved it.

:) Good coffee, good chats, good friends.

:) Eight hours of sleep…straight.

:) American Idol auditions…fun to watch and bring back some amazing memories.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, just life, Maelie, remembering

A Year

January 24, 2012 by · 6 Comments

Ok, so I literally typed the title of this post, and that’s how long it took for the tears to start streaming down my cheeks.

I have no idea why I’m crying.

No…actually, I think I have a little one.

A year.

A YEAR.

Golly, that’s a long time.

A year ago, I sat down and stared at a blank text box wondering how to start this new adventure. I decided to tell you the basics…why I do what I do.

I really had no idea at the time what barefootmel.com might turn into. Possibly, a place to share my heart on those days when God was speaking loud and clear. Or a place to share pictures of the new things my sweet, then-baby, girl was doing. Or a place to tell my funny culture-reentry stories. Or a place to cry. Or laugh. Or be crazy, adventurous, often-emotional me.

Mel.

Just being me on any given day, in any given mood.

You, my friends, have been such a part of this journey. You make me smile when you comment…and sometimes you make me cry, too. You make my heart happy when you talk about something I wrote.

Well, most of the time…there are always those posts that make us all wonder (myself included) what exactly Mel was thinking.

And then we just laugh, and that’s good, too.

I don’t often talk about how scary it was to move “home” to the States, though I tell plenty of the funny stories.

A year ago, I was still in scared-and-shocked mode. I was still figuring out this how-to-function-in-America thing.

And when I sat down to write that first day, I didn’t know that this would be where I threw all of that out there.

For you to read, offer advice, sometimes laugh (or roll your eyes!), and just be there.

Just the fact that you were here for me this year…means so much.

I think the tears came today, partly because I realized that I no longer have an obligation to my blog every day. I won’t be intentionally finding time every day to write, though I still plan on three times a week.

Or more.

It feels strange, almost sad…like a death. And I honestly don’t know how I’m going to tear myself away from the blog…because eventually there’s going to be a day when I don’t write.

But that’s a good thing…I think.

Words are such a gift…one for which I’m incredibly thankful. I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t write…couldn’t share my heart. I can’t always do that when I’m speaking, but when I write, it just works. For me, it works.

But maybe the tears also came today because I have a lot to be thankful for. Including you. Thanks to each of you…for being a friend. For reading. For laughing. For loving me.

It’s been a life-ch

anging year.

And, most likely, I’ll be back tomorrow.

:) Love you all.

Sig

Filed Under: adventures, blessings, remembering, where I am, writing

A Thankful Moment

January 22, 2012 by · 2 Comments

I had a little moment tonight.

It was sweet, it was sad, it was tear-jerking…it made me thankful.

I had to run to my (insert sarcasm) favorite grocery store to pick up a few things. Thankfully my list was short, but still…not my favorite activity to do ever.

But that’s ok…I’ll suffer so we can eat. 😉

I was trying to make it as quick of a trip as possible, and for the most part, it was.

But as I got to the checkout, I realized I’d forgotten coffee creamer…which is definitely not a good thing in our house.

So I reluctantly turned my cart around and headed back to get it.

It was then that I heard her

laugh…it was loud.

Joyful. That kind of laugh that makes you look because you want to see the child making such a happy sound just so he/she can brighten your day.

When I saw her, my heart skipped a beat. I smiled, but I had to fight back tears.

This little girl had some pretty severe burns/scars on her face.

It was sad for me to see…but I noticed something.

She was just oozing JOY.

Completely. Maybe it was because she was allowed to stay out past her bedtime to go to the grocery store

? :) As a kid, that would have made me happy!

It was one of those moments that made me smile and cry at the same time. And one that made me wish I had my sweet girl in my arms…just so I could love on her. Hold her close and be reminded that each moment is precious…

Part of me wondered this girl’s story, but I knew it wasn’t my place to ask. So I just smiled, moved on…

…and let that moment soak in while I silently gave thanks…over and over…as I finished my shopping and paid the cashier.

Sometimes I forget to say thank you for the things that seem so simple…a healthy daughter. The freedom to run and laugh. The ability to walk through the grocery store.

May I never forget to be thankful for those things.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, just life, where I am

Little Blessings (Pt. 19)

January 21, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

:) A video camera to record moments like Mae’s first sledding “trip” and her piano “playing”. Love memories.

:) A daughter who “sings” at the piano and a husband who doesn’t. (Tobin said that…really. :))

:) A breakfast date with

my good friend and sweet girl.

:) The fact that I didn’t burn ALL the bac on

on above date.

:) A first snowboarding lesson, and, other than a sore bum, my body is still intact.

Whew.

:) Watching my doggies romp in the powdery snow…and come inside with it on their noses. Too cute.

:) Dropping my phone about six times this week on the marble floor..and, amazingly, it still works.

:) $5 purse. (Yes, pursE…only onE. ;))

:) Hugs and kisses from a certain little girl.

Pretty sure there’s nothing better.

:) Dark chocolate and a friend to share it w

ith.

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, friends, just life, Maelie

Blog Reflection, #3: Encouragement

January 19, 2012 by · 2 Comments

So when I hop over to one

of my favorite blogs, I go for one of two reasons…

…the writer encourages me, challenges

me, or makes me think.

…the author has the ability to make me laugh and brighten my day.

I hope that’s true of my blog, at least most of the time.

Some days I share from the depths of my heart; other days, I tell you how much coffee I’ve had or what I ate for breakfast. Some days I’ve been laughing and smiling all day, others I cry

through my entire post.

Regardless of those things, I want barefootmel to be an encouragement and a place to smile, laugh, and cry.

Well, aside from the really, really weird days I have. Those could potentially be the days that you begin to read, roll

your eyes, and leave. 😉 (That’s ok…trust me.)

I seriously can’t believe I have five days (after today) left before my year is up. It kinda feels like a death, though I can assure you I’ll still be writing multiple times a week.

But honestly, it will feel really strange to have the choice of whether or not to blog each day. Yikes. Decisions…

I’m thankful for the chance to share some encouragement here and

there over

the last year.

And thankful for the encourgement I’ve gotten from others, too.

Nothing too profound, but definitely worth reflecting on.

G’nite. :)

Sig

Filed Under: blessings, encouragement, where I am, writing
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