Five Minute Friday: Brave

It's Friday!  Which means it time to write for five minutes with no worry about whether it's just right or not.  Please click over to The Gypsy Mama to join in!

Today's Prompt:  Brave

Go.

Two curious girls show me bravery every day. 

Paige's bravery shows up in her toddler world.  A world where there are so many words and names for things she does not know.  She fearlessly keeps trying to speak through the frustrations of knowing that I can only understand most of it.  Still, her curiosity never ebbs.  Constantly pointing at things to hear the words and trying to form them herself.  Her bravery comes in facing the unknowns like sharp winter grass on bare feet, bugs, and new foods. 

Zoe's bravery is different.  She knows more about the world, and picked up speech rather quickly.  She has trouble with change and the unknown.  Her courage is shown through facing her fears.  Trusting that she has the strength to crush that bug in her path that seems so scary.  She can run through the darkness of the yard without her hand in mine.  She can face the shadows in the night that look like monsters. 

My children teach me so much about how to trust yourself.  How to follow your heart.  How to know when it's just too much to face and you need to find a hand to hold.  How to know when to ask for help after you've tried and failed too many times.  How to face your fears.  How to deal with change.  How to walk into the unknown with bare feet and hope for the best.  How to be brave.

Stop.

What examples of bravery do you see in your life?  If you have kids, do you notice their courage?  What can you do to be fearless today?

Pack Your Bags!

We're going on a little trip! 

Today I have the privilege of guest posting for a blogger I highly respect.  Adrian's blog, Life Before the Bucket, has become a daily read for me.  He is a kind, charitable person who isn't afraid to take a stand and do what he can to improve himself and the problems in this world.  He writes thought-provoking posts on world issues, religion and how he tries to live a full life.

I am honored that he let me take over his space for a day to write about how I have tried to live life to the fullest.  (Thank you, Adrian!)  Please click over to his blog for today's post.  Feel free to leave a comment!!  While you're there, please take a moment to check out some of his posts.  You won't be disappointed!

For any of you that clicked over from Life Before the Bucket, welcome!  Thank you for taking the time out to find out a little more about me.  If you like what you read, please find a way to follow me using those buttons to the right.  I would love to hear from you!  Please feel free to leave a comment or email me.

Ready?  Let's go!

In the quiet...

...there's a storm brewing.  I've been away from this space for a week doing a very large DIY project on my main floor.  We're putting in all new flooring and painted the entire area.  It's been a lot of work full of mishaps, unplanned expenses, way too much time and even some really bad customer service that actually got us some great perks thanks to my husband.  After a week of ripping up carpet, flooring, tack strips, filling holes, painting, discovering we had to lay new sub floor in part of the area, purchasing NEW baseboards instead of being able to reuse the old ones because of poor installation by the builder, and painstakingly laying flooring board by board, we are exhausted and still have so much to do.  So!  I decided to share some pictures of our progress so far and I'll post another update when it's all done and I have time to write a real post.  Have a great weekend, friends!!

The state of my kitchen when we laid the new sub floor...

Living room with part of the new sub floor installed.

Like my new dining table?  Ha ha.

Progress of flooring after two nights of work...

Closer look at the flooring.  I love it!

What we have left.  So not looking forward to the kitchen!

It's been stressful, but to go from having stained carpet in the living and dining room to this beautiful floor will be well worth it.  Wish us luck that we'll complete it this weekend!!! 

Five Minute Friday: The Ache of Love

We took a break from Five Minute Friday for a bit, but now we're back.  Click over to The Gypsy Mama to join in and write unedited for five minutes.  Or just to read all the beautiful posts.

Today's Prompt: Ache

Go.

Heartstrings gently tugged.  Feet padding towards the doorstep, hands clasped.  Chance meetings become the promise of forever.

Black and white attire.  Rose petals and a cake.  Two symbolic rings.  Do you?

Rugged hands on soft skin.  Lips and limbs intertwined.  Rapid heartbeats.  The cusp of that sweet release.

Round and swollen.  Forehead beaded with sweat.  Breathing, breathing.  Crying.  Pushing and contracting.

Helpless. Tiny fingers and toes constantly growing. Immobile cries become sprinting sentences. Tugged between past memories and future promise.

Quiet, empty rooms once filled with laughter.  Experienced hands rediscover each other.  A new chapter.

Twisting, turning, tumbling internally. Heart pounding in deafening tones. Rivers falling from red eyes. Oceans formed on sweaters.

Lost and lonely. Heart squeezed between invisible hands. Hollow cavern in the stomach. Shallow breaths.

Aching to join him.

Stop.