Half Way There

I had a little pondering moment that worked its way all the way through my system and nestled like a little burn in my heart.  I was thinking about Nathan turning 9 in a couple of weeks.  Then I was thinking about Nathan and Michael finishing up school.  Then I was thinking about how time goes by so quickly (a frequent ponder of mine).  Then I drifted to the idea that Nathan would be just about to turn 18 when he would graduate from high school.  Then I did the simple math, and realized HE IS HALF WAY THERE!  Oh dear butter on a biscuit!  I want to hold him and keep him from growing those wings and flying.  I bet it will be just as painful to think about in 9 years as it is right now.  In the meantime, I will just continue loving him, guiding him, listening to him, talking to him, and enjoying every minute.

Mother's Day Thoughts

11 Mother's Days ago...
I had a sad, mourning, empty place in my heart and wondered if I would ever celebrate my own real Mother's Day. 

10 Mother's Days ago...
I had a sadder, more mournful, more empty place in my heart.  I think we were also moving.

9 Mother's Days ago...
I held my very large belly and celebrated that I would be a real mother in a matter of days.

7 Mother's Days ago...
Nick and I decided over a dinner date that we would move from Lubbock to Houston and he would go to dental school.  How that would all play out remained a big giant question mark.

6 Mother's Days ago...
I held my belly again and felt totally grateful that I was being blessed again with another son.  Oh, and I think we were moving again, too.

5 Mother's Days ago...
Was the first Mother's Day where our family was complete.  

1 Mother's Day ago...
We moved again, and we began a totally new chapter in our family's life. 

Today, I am excited to say that we are NOT moving. 
I spent the morning with my boys.  We drove by the old house to check on it.  We went up and then down the street where Michael learned how to walk before all of the new houses went up.  Now it's a full street.  I had crepes with my boys for breakfast at Coco's before heading back to Waco.  As we munched on our breakfast I couldn't help but picture Nathan helping Michael toddle around the fountain...a regular occurrence on Sunday mornings some years back.  My heart is full.  I have two healthy, mischievous, smart, curious, loving sons.  There are so many ladies out there who are praying, hoping, dreaming to be blessed with a child.  I know that pain far too well.  I am so humbled and thankful that I am able to hold my children, to love them, and to watch them grow and learn and play.

Spring Wedding

Nick's cousin Valerie married her sweetie Austin this weekend...in Austin! It was a gorgeous spring day for an outdoor event. Valerie looked simply stunning. I couldn't help but remember her from when I first came around to this family. If that was in 1995, Valerie must have been (quick, work those numbers...)...really...eight? Nathan is 8. Geez. And there she was, walking down the aisle as a sophisticated woman. It's hard to believe. Congratulations, Valerie and Austin! Your wedding was beautiful, and we look forward to seeing you experience life together as a couple!

The Best Day of the Best 30 Days of the Year

I'm lucky. I have an excuse to celebrate an entire month for my birthday. I've given myself that pleasure for years. Today did not disappoint. My mom and Nathan pulled off a surprise party for me--long distance, via a helpful FedEx guy--and I'm ecstatic that they put so much work into it! Nathan has been "hush hush" talking with my mom for a week or more and has just been beside himself keeping the secrets from me. This afternoon, he banished me to my room. Michael, his sidekick--his Sancho Panza--was in charge of holding me hostage and playing multiple games of card battle with me. Meanwhile, Nathan bustled about in the kitchen.
Nick got home, and my guys whisked me off to a nice surprise birthday dinner. We came home to the big reveal! Nathan had draped the kitchen in birthday decorations, and Nick had gotten an ice cream cake and smuggled it in somehow. Yum! Tablecloth, plates, streamers, blow horns, banner: it was really nice birthday flare! All choreographed by my sweet mom and my sweet son. Boy, I feel special. Thank you for all of the effort and planning. You can see Nathan was so excited that he was just bouncing up and down before we walked in.

Birthdays are great. Each one is a gift. The people I am surrounded by, each one of them is a gift. I'm such a lucky gal.

I love the picture of Michael watching me blow out my birthday candles. His eyes are filled with the excitement of what birthdays are all about. Through a child's eyes, he wonders what my wish was. My wish? It might have something to do with sharing many more moments like this with my family, but I'll never tell! His little mouth is shaped, ready to blow the candles out--in case there's a candle malfunction or something. Sweet Michael. Sweet Nathan. Sweet mom. My mom. Thank you for inspiring, coordinating, and remotely executing these birthday plans. Nice job! I feel very loved!

Mom & Dad's Remodel Before and After

Thinking about School

It has nearly been a year since I accepted an early retirement incentive from HISD, thus making my exit as a teacher inevitable. A whole year. I swear I've only blinked once or twice since then. Still, that exit is the perfect mix of bitter sweetness. Bitter because I miss being part of the school community. I had friendly, supportive, empathetic, and inspiring co-workers. The school families were great. The kids were great. I miss the friends I made along the way. But I DO NOT miss the mess. Messy people, messy politics, and messy policies. I remember early March being a turning point for me being an unhappy employee to being excited about what was yet to come. The sad part was packing up (and throwing away--that part was liberating) my classroom. Ten years of work. I hope I can always close my eyes and picture how inviting, colorful, and educationally stimulating it was. I love thinking about it. I worked hard on that room and I loved it. What I love also, bittersweetly, is being away from it.

Construction Projects Before & After

We welcome some new additions to the Cobb household! One sparkling, updated master bath, and a monster size cabinet! Construction is complete and everything is beautiful. The photos below are a bit out of order, but hopefully you can figure out the dingy and empty befores and shiny, pretty, updated afters.