perspective

Yesterday I was zoo-bound and listening to the radio on the way. I may have said it before but, my car is my chapel. Not my only chapel, but a good amount of worship happens in my car when I am driving alone. I mostly switch around between my three favorite stations, so I can stay in worship mode and not hear the ads and chatter, but once in a while, the conversation pulls me in. Yesterday... they were talking about giving the new year (and the old) some kind of perspective and offered this fill in the blank sentence: 2020 was _____ so in 2021 I'm ____. It made me think about how I would fill in those blanks.

2020 was productive, and in 2021 I want to keep up that momentum.

2020 was still, and in 2021 I want to be intentional of how I spend my time and not be in rush mode for no reason.

I'm looking forward, even though I'm documenting some of last year {for posterity}, but in reflection, I hope to bring along some of those lessons, some of those gifts. How would you fill in the blanks?

her twenty-third

Tuesday she turned twenty-three. We celebrated with a last minute cake baking session, pizza, and grandparents. Earlier in the day her Dad texted her a cute little jingle:

Happy birthday to you,

You work in a zoo!

The animals love you...

And we-e do too!

That was followed up by a text from Camden, just a day ad a half into his German class:

Herzlichen Gluckwunsch zum Geburtstag Laura!

(I'm thinking he's using an app for that!)

I didn't have a cute message, but since I was the first to wish her the happiest of days, I'm hoping that excused me!

She is a busy young lady... working three days at the zoo, three days at the Children's Museum, and occasionally volunteering at our botanical garden teaching origami, since they have an amazing origami exhibit going on right now! The museum job and her volunteer stint this past summer have opened her eyes to a broader life and she is looking forward to new experiences that just might take her on a whole different journey.

We are excited and hopeful to watch her new year unfold...

dreaming at twenty-two...

It is hard to believe she is twenty-two. Twenty-two.

I was twenty-two when I held her in my arms for the very first time, and with this birthday we celebrated, I can't help but compare our lives. Hers now, and mine then. Night and day... but we know that between the two, both are beautiful, neither right nor wrong. My dreams were wrapped up in love and being a Mom. I married at twenty, and bringing this sweet baby girl into the world two years later just felt right. She added to our dreams come true. Now, at forty-four, we continue to live our dream, but I wonder if I should still be dreaming. I'm not sure I am.

Laura is chasing her dreams, working hard to make them come true. She wants to be a zoo-keeper, and she is on the path to making it happen. I admire her. She dreamed a dream, and no matter the obstacles, she keeps on pushing through, enjoying the journey. I think it is utterly beautiful to watch her, but not necessarily easy! And once this dream goal is met? I know she others waiting behind it...

I loved celebrating our girl, her birthday, her dreams.
There were cupcakes, family and her best friend... lots of laughter and good conversation. And my birthday girl had stars in her eyes, full of joy.

Keep dreaming, my dear... your dreams make me happy, too.

not just standing still...

On our way to work I spotted two otters alongside the canal, one sunning, and the other diving in for a swim. I shouted out, and was happy that my girl actually saw them before we sped on. It made us both smile.

Laura loves her job at the zoo. Better than that? The zoo loves her right back.

Last month, while the zoo was going through their accreditation process, Laura had the opportunity to be interviewed on procedures and talk with some of the AZA people. She even shared her zoo school experience, and I admire her for it. For taking that weakness, and turning it around the best she can.

When she couldn't go back to the zoo program, I think we were all more than a little broken. But she continued to talk about it in a positive context, and I finally asked her why? She told me because I learned so much, and even though I didn't pass, being there was such a great experience.  Me? I would have taken that failure and buried it so deep I might not have thought about it again. Ever.

This girl of mine is so brave.

She has been working her heart out at the zoo for over a year... and maybe it seems like she is just standing still. But she isn't. She is learning all she can in her environment, making contacts, doing anything they ask her to, with a smile. She continues to dream, and hope that she will get her big chance. I admire her so much.

summer family fun... part two

We were driving home from work a few weeks ago, and Laura said I really want to go to the Miami Zoo... we've never been and people keep telling me how great their giraffe feeding station is! Well, she was right. We have lived less than two hours away for 19 years, and we had never been. This truth burst out at just the right time... because we had a second weekend of family fun to plan.

When we got home that day, I started researching, found a Groupon... and realized that our favorite food truck was going to be out the night before our planned zoo day. We had bounced around the idea of staying overnight, and that sealed the deal.  Last Saturday, we headed out across Alligator Alley for our second weekend of family fun...

We laughed as we splashed through the puddles and tried to decide if we were full or not. We watched a man offer to wrap his pythons around kids necks for $5, and Cam & I looked at each other with two thoughts: no way, and Laura wouldn't approve! And then we laughed again when Laura caught up to us and said you know, his handling of snakes is not very responsible! Oh how we love our zoo girl!

The zoo was HOT and beautiful. There was lots of shade and miles of walking.  We did enjoy it all, and it makes me sad we waited so long to see it! Most of my photos came out awful {I need to get back into picture-taking!} but these are my favorites...

 

Obviously, those first animals aren't even real! But then we finally made it to the giraffes... the reason she wanted to come. We each got a bowl full of kale and let the giraffes drool on our hands as we fed them. It was fun and fantastic, and it was exactly what we hoped it would be!

For that night between adventures, we stayed where there were warm chocolate chip cookies and a pull-out sofa. There was also a bar in the lobby, and as the four of us sat around a small table (one with a coca-cola) it just hit me hard that this is real life. The growing and the growing up. Conversation ranged from world issues to Crossy Road, and looking back, I realize those thirty minutes might be the most important of our whole weekend. We will always be four, even when life adds people to our numbers. It is a beautiful thing to know, and maybe just what family fun weekends are for.

while she waits...

The other day my girl got in the car after work and showed me her one year zoo pin. One year of working at the zoo, making her way towards her dream.  She was happy, and proud... and I am thankful (and also proud of her!) I know she is afraid she won't get to where she really wants to be, and all I can tell her is that I believe she can, and will. It takes time.  She works hard and loves her job, and I want the world for her... but oh the marking time is hard. On Fridays she gets dirty being a giraffe keeper aide... one day a week, unpaid, and she loves every minute of it.  We hope that someday this will be part of her paid job, but in the meantime, she does love her days at the giraffe feeding station, and she is gaining great experience. Waiting on God's timing can be overwhelming and frustrating, but it is such lesson for life...

God's plan from the startFor this world and your heart

Has been to show His glory and His grace

Forever revealing the depth and the beauty of His unfailing Love

And the story has only begun
And this is going to be a glorious unfolding

Just you wait and see and you will be amazed

We've just got to believe the story is so far from over

So hold on to every promise God has made to us
And watch this glorious unfolding

-from Steven Curtis Chapman's The Glorious Unfolding

when there are hardly words...

We have made mention of meeting up over the years (yes, years!)... How we hoped that there would be a time. How we would sit and sip chai lattes, and laugh and cry and how it was certainly only a when, not an if.  There really is only one state separating us - unless you count half of hers and practically ALL of Florida (which may as well be three states, because it is so long!)

When Camden got his letter to interview for a scholarship in South Carolina, I was excited... for more than one reason.  Yes, we would visit the school and attend the luncheon and interview... and we would carve out a time to meet Southern Gal and her Ethan. I knew I wouldn't be nervous... I truly believe we know each other by heart!  

I got a little teary eye-d thinking about meeting her. And when Cam & I were on our way to meet them at the zoo, those tears slipped back into my eyes.  This was really happening!  And then...

thank you, camden for being the photographer!

I could only laugh and smile... and we talked so fast I think we talked right over each other.

The day was beautiful, and I hardly have words to say how happy my heart was.  It was two friends picking right up from our endless emails with easy conversation... and although we should have held hands and skipped though the zoo, we resisted.  The boys were really great sports about this whole day, and skipping surely would have pushed them over the edge!

thanks, southern gal for letting me steal this collage!

We never did sit and sip chai lattes... but we walked and talked and laughed and talked some more.  It was such a fun day- and so hard to say goodbye!  But there will be a next time... I just know it.

and thank you, ethan, for this great shot!

the start...

Today she starts her new job...

stole this from her instagram!

It is almost her first job- the only time she has ever been officially paid for work was a couple weeks of her volunteer camp counselling job a few summers back.  She was a really great counselor, but it was very temporary. And this time?  It is the start of her zoo career.  Her dream.  She is very excited!

This morning I had the first-day butterflies for her. I didn't ask her if she had them, too... but I am betting she did. This business of mothering never ever ends...