Napping alone!

Yes, that is right. I just left our bedroom where Alida is all swaddled up taking a nap on our bed. While she fell asleep I found myself reading through these early June days in 2008 on our Cascades of Light (http://myersbenner.blogspot.com/) blog. I may have drifted off to sleep there beside Alida if I didn't desperately need a tissue by the end of my reading. Life feels so good and full and beautiful right now. I don't often know how to hold together the absolute delight we take in Alida's growth and development with the deep feelings of loss of something so precious when I read about the days of letting go around the time of Nora's death. I was so grateful this week for a little orange butterfly that I came upon sitting on my shoe as I entered the house. It flew around the porch area long enough for me to take its picture. Orange butterflies have been a sweet reminder of Nora's spirit set free.

It sometimes seems that Alida and Nora don't have all that much in common, even though they have more than what comes immediately to mind, especially if we think outside of the realm of normal baby looks and developmental milestones. The main one I'm thinking of right now is that they both adore Kali. She was and is the sweetest big sister!! I'm so glad that Nora had her and that Alida has her to experience life with!!

We keep thinking that Alida couldn't possibly get any cuter, and then she does. She is "talking" a lot now and she has a lot to say sometimes. Jason is in Pulaski, VA this week working at some rebuilding after the recent tornadoes. He is going to note so many changes in her just after four days (and I should note that I would NOT be doing this blog entry if it were not for my mom who has been here helping this week and is currently cleaning my house while I type!!).

And before it becomes ancient history, one picture of our first brood of chicks successfully hatched from a broody hen. She is such a good mamma hen and watching the chicks "learn the ropes" from her has been really fun. They hatched on Jason's dad's birthday and the second brood started their hatch on my dad's birthday. We'll have an easier time than normal remembering those dates!!

More later but for now I'd like to be able to say that I did this entire blog entry during Alida's nap. :)