oh the little things...

It's been the little things lately that make me smile and even shed a tear of joy these days. The tiny daily details that might be forgotten if they didn't make me smile so darn big and make enough of an impression on my heart that I feel compelled to write about it.

For example, Easton's routine of getting really excited and pounding on the table when he sees his breakfast coming in the morning makes me smile big.  Hearing Melanie explain to Easton, "no Eastie, not daddy, daddy working!" when she hears him say "dada?", Guapo being told to go nigh night, while being forced into his bed and covered with any blanket in sight in the middle of the day by both kids, the toilet randomly flushing because Easton has snuck into the bathroom AGAIN. It's these teeny tid bits of our days together that keep me going and it's these little memories that will be fun to share with them when they're older.

Today started something new.  A little jig Easton started dancing to make us laugh.  I caught it on video.  He does it whether there is music or not.  He does it because he is just plain happy! What if we all did that? Pretty sure we'd be laughing more and in better moods.  The first time he started his jig was in the bathroom, trying to entertain Melanie as she was going potty.  Really cute, super funny and I grabbed the camera just in time.  Take a gander...I'm sure you'll enjoy--happy weekend everyone!

Until...

There are some things that are unimaginable, unfathomable, and hard to wrap your mind and heart around, until you become a mother.  The oh so grand, keeps you awake at night, heart wrenching, lovely, type of love that comes with the birth of your children.  The type of love that is unmoved even when the kids are driving you up the wall and you think you can't take another minute of disciplining them.  The type of love that brings you to tears when you see a diaper commercial and realize one of your kids is too big for diapers and the other soon will be.  This kind of love is the biggest kind of love and I believe it to be the closest to the love that God has for us.
It is this love that has made me laugh, cry, swell with pride, learn to give everything I have to someone else, and many other things that have made me a better person.  It is also this same love that drives me.  It forces me to be aware at all times and to think of all scenarios so as to keep my children safe in all situations.  I would climb mountains, dive into the ocean, run in front of traffic, kill a person, if it meant keeping my children safe.  This is how crazy one becomes after becoming a mother.
I remember thinking my mom was crazy..turns out she was..crazy with a love for her kids.  And now I feel that same kind of craziness and I understand what my mom was thinking when I was younger.  As crazy as this love makes me feel, I really hope that I also learn to let go when the time is right.  There are stepping stones in every child's life where they need to be let go, little by little, until, when the all too soon day comes and they become adults and the mother has to give the final let go.  This is the heart wrenching part of the crazy mom love.  Letting go.  Letting go of the person you fed, changed, bathed, taught, and loved like no other.  Letting go and hoping they listened to your instruction along the way.  Letting go and hoping they remember the crazy love and appreciate it.  Letting go and letting God...

Date night...

There was a time when I thought I would be single forever.  I dated, but no one came close to being right.  I remember the Christmas after I turned 24, I joked with my family that I would probably be the one who was 40 and still single at all the holidays.  It was a joke, but I almost thought there was some truth to it.
Who would have thought God had something truly wonderful up His sleeve?  6 months later He introduced me to Mr. Right.  It was very unexpected.
I was leading Young Life for Emerald Ridge and ended up going to Malibu, Canada for the high school camp. So did my husband.  He wasn't my husband yet, but in 5 short days, and a few little conversations with him later, I knew he would be.
While at camp, I was told I should talk to him, so I did.  Our first conversation was awkward.  I could've sworn he was rolling his eyes at me (he says he wasn't), so I thought he wasn't interested.  But after some more quick hellos, and little chats, it was clear God had something planned.  I went home from that trip and texted my sister to tell her that I'd met my husband.
After getting back home to Puyallup, I realized there was a problem, my future hubby never got my number. So I didn't know what was going to happen.  Well, a couple days later I got a phone call from a number I didn't recognize and it was him!  He called around to some YL staff to get my number.  He asked me out over the phone and the rest was a whirlwind.
I say whirlwind because it all happened so fast.  Who tells someone "I love you" on the 5th date? We did.  Who gets engaged after 2 months of knowing each other? We did. And who gets married in Vegas after only 3 months of dating and one month engaged?? We did!  People think it's crazy and say you shouldn't move so fast, but when God lets you know something is right and illustrated by Him, why not jump in?  God doesn't lead us astray.
3 years and 3 months and almost 3 kids later, we're still married and still going on dates.  In fact we went on a date last night.  A first date of sorts, because we hadn't really been on one since our anniversary in November.  We had fun. We laughed, we held hands, we shared a dessert, we shopped...things that dating couples do. It's hard to keep dating after marriage, but we're trying.  It keeps our marriage strong.
That's our little love story...kind of fitting to share it on this Valentine's Day weekend.  Happy Valentine's Day to you and your loved ones!

Happy little post...

I haven't blogged in over a month, and I know why.  I've had a happy little secret tucked in my pocket that would explode if I gave myself a chance to sit and write.  I wasn't ready to tell it, so I refrained from writing because this joyous secret was all  I wanted to write about.
Babies, babies, babies....we're expecting one! Another one! And if you can't tell, I'm excited! Early September is the due date--our first appointment is on February 7th, so we'll know more about this little person then.  It was too hard to wait until after February to tell the baby news, plus the fact that my tummy is a growing machine.  There was no hiding it.
Out of all the unknowns there is one thing we do know, if we have a girl, she will be named Skyelynn Faith, if it's a boy...well, we're taking suggestions. :)
So there you have it, the secret threatening to break the seams of my pocket.  Now, the only seams threatening to break are the waists of my pants.
That's all for now...until I have more to say!

transitioning traditions...

This is the year of traditions---mainly new traditions that I make up as we go along.  I'll do something and then 10 minutes later I'll let Darrell know that it's our family tradition, like the fact that I made cinnamon rolls this morning.  Oh ya, it's tradition for us Cummins' to make cinnamon rolls on Christmas Eve morning, and it just started THIS morning.  But, it's still tradition.  It's something my kids will remember and possibly carry on to their families.  Here's a memory for the record:

Just so you know, the cinnamon rolls pictured have not yet been baked... ;) Freshly cut and sitting on the stove rising before baking.
Something else that just started this morning...Melanie and I delivered warm cinnamon rolls to our neighbors.  She even said Merry Christmas to them..in a tiny little voice.

Other traditions leaked into our family from things I grew up with.  For example, we are having enchilada casserole tonight.  My family would switch between that and lasagna every year for Christmas Eve dinner, and look at me, carrying it on! Yes, I'm already planning a possible lasagna next year. :o)

Traditions are fun, create memories, leave people happy and full.  I'm happy and full, full of sugar from our breakfast of cinnamon rolls and coffee.  (oh ya, and full of love! Eastie said love you, ok, "wub you" about 3 times to me this morning.)
Oh ya, and Guapo's new name is Bop Bop--Easton started that tradition yesterday.

My favorite things of 2010

In no particular order...

-cinna spin cookies

-fresh outta the bath babies

-clean kitchen before bed AND a clean toy room with a "lone" little girl playing in it right before bed :)

-Happy kids

-Easton saying "bye bye da da" and "uh oh mama" and "hola" with his huge, gappy, toothy smile

-This hair:

-Lazy mornings with coffee and a view of the Christmas tree, add kids playing and it's perfect

-Family pictures

-The way Melanie views everything in her world as a Daddy, Mommy, and baby--Two sets of snowmen have become Daddies and Mommies this Christmas to the same little ornament--lol

-The cowboy stuffed under our couch...lol

-My kids climbing on EVERYTHING~!

-Family trips to let the kids experience new things.

-Birthdays and my kids playing together..

-And this little dance number...be sure to turn up your volume :)

-These outfits and this drawing of a face that Melanie created:

-Finally, the fact that God provided for us consistently during one of our hardest years!

He's one and I'm stunned..

Stunned at how beautiful and heartbreaking motherhood can be.  Beautiful because you grow these miraculous little beings and care for them and watch them do things you never thought possible.  Heartbreaking because it goes so fast.  Heartbreaking because sometimes you watch them get hurt.  Heartbreaking because you watch them grow, then go...
My little boy turned one.  He's my baby.  He's now one.  He took two steps yesterday. Seriously, how is he already one??? He said "wuv you" to me last week.  He's one.  I can't get over that he's one.
A good friend took his one year pictures for me.  She did a wonderful job.  Her name is Kate.  You may already know her.  She works at the Oasis Cafe at the Sunrise Medical Clinic.  If  you don't know her, go meet her.  She's a good person to know and she takes great pictures!  Here's proof:

As I write this, I have a two year old little girl passed out sleeping next to me in my bed.  She is independent as ever, talkative, knows what she wants, and is loving getting attention (from everyone) more and more each day.  Scary.  My babies aren't babies.  They're learning to be grown up.  Time to savor everyday, slow down, and pay more attention, so that nothing is missed or lost and no regrets are to be had.
Good night--here's to finding the good stuff in life!