Thursday, July 30, 2009

Singin' in the Rain



Late Wednesday afternoon, Evie danced in the rain.

We had just returned home from my mom's last scheduled cancer treatment. The sky darkened and the wind picked up. And a cleansing rain blew in. I don't normally do this (I never have, in fact,) but I asked Evie if she wanted to play outside in the rain.

My mom and I stood in the garage, and outside Evie began to sing and dance and run. She yelled "I LOVE this rain!" She opened her mouth to catch the drops on her tongue. Her hair dripped and her face was shiny from the water.

The storm took away the thick humidity that had been hanging around. It brought a sweet, cool breeze. This rainy day didn't bring me down; it cleared out my soul as I breathed in this new air. My mom's last cancer treatment.

At the hospital, everyone told me what an amazing woman my mom is. They were impressed by her positive attitude, by her thankful outlook on the treatment. I talked to my mom about this as we drove away from the cancer center, and she said "I knew I was lucky. I knew I wasn't going to die." Her face broke into a grateful smile.

We stood outside for a long time watching Evie. And I joined in when my mom started singing:

I'm singin' in the rain
Just singin' in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

Recently, Chris told me he had to bring something for a potluck the next day. It was hot, and you all know how I feel about cooking in this weather. And, of course, I didn't know about it until the last minute. Since I am a "homemaker" now, I felt like I had to send him with something more than a bag of chips...

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
1 package cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix together all ingredients. It may seem lumpy at first, but keep stirring! Serve with fresh sliced apples, pineapple cubes, and strawberries.

I wish I had some of this now! Enjoy!

Lisa hosts Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays over at Blessed with Grace. Visit her for more yummy recipes!

Monday, July 27, 2009

Thirty Months

Sweet Evie,

Obviously, I've missed a few letters. And I almost let this one slip by, too. I feel like I have to write this so well that I make up for the other two. It puts a lot of pressure on me to be a great writer, when really I'm just a tired mom. But here I go...

You have grown so much! You were stretched out in our bed the other night (yep, you're back in our bed) and we just stared at you. You looked so long! You're still slender and petite, but getting tall. And you've definitely had a growth spurt recently. You were in your bikini, and I noticed a tiny belly pooching out.

But it's not just your size that's changed. You're growing up in other ways. Your speech continues to amaze me. Today you said "I don't want to wear that cover-up. Put it in your swim bag and I can wear it after I swim, if I want." Such a complicated thought and sentence for a little girl your age! You tattled on Aunt Rachel yesterday. "Aunt Rachel took me on our date, and we forgot to close the garage. So we had to go back and close it." You also correct us "Don't say you hate it, say you don't care for it." We really can't get anything by you!

You still love candy, but I think pickles are your favorite food. You also like pizza, and routinely ask Daddy to take us out for sushi. Mostly, you insist I give you something "tasty and delicious." Which is hard, because you don't really elaborate. I ask "How about pancakes? Bacon? Scrambled eggs?" You answer "No, something tasty!"

Right now, I hear you begging Daddy to play a game. You love to play games - your favorites are Hi Ho Cherry Oh, Candy Land, and Disney Bingo. You could play Bingo for hours. You even watch our cards, to make sure we're not missing anything.

Oh, and you want to get married! First, you insisted you were going to marry me. Then Daddy. Then Uncle Zac. After we explained you had to marry a boy (who was not a relative) you decided to marry Nick. You tell us that you are going to marry Nick, and Andrew will stand behind you, and then you will marry Andrew. And these boys are going to give you a ring on the Eiffel Tower, just like Daddy did with me.

Another big thing that's happened is you are now potty trained! When GaGa was in the hospital, Heather came to visit and we had a short conversation about potty training. Basically, I said you weren't really interested, but I wasn't concerned because you are so young. The next day, you announced "I'm potty training!" We bought new big-girl underwear and you've gone more than six weeks without a single accident. So I am going to be a lucky mom who manages to escape having two kids in diapers at the same time. Thank you, Sweetie!

Since we've spent so much time at the hospital with GaGa, you've decided to become a doctor. You know about radiation and chemo and whether we're in the Cancer Center or the Heart Hospital. You've accumulated scrubs and a doctor's kit, and you love to pretend to help GaGa. You take her temperature and listen to her heart and give her bandages and pretend shots. Sometimes the nurses let you help for real, and more than once, you've insisted that you can start her IV. Maybe in twenty years or so...

You are going to be such a great big sister. You want to feed your brother, and change his diapers and hold him. Sometimes you tell us he wants to come out so you can "cuddle him up!" I know you will love him, and will be a big help to me when he comes.

For now, I'm enjoying having this time together, just us. In a few months, our family will be bigger. I know I'll love it, but I really treasure this time alone with my precious girl. Our conversations and cuddles and playtime...

You continue to amaze me every single day, and I just thank God for you. I love you with all my heart.

Love, Mommy