K is for...

Kisses...Our family gives lots of them. Our "smallest" family member probably gives (and receives) the most. Norah will kiss just about anyone/anything right now. And she loves making her toys kiss each other. She has little bathtub monkeys who can't make it through a single bath without a kissing session between them. She kisses her stuffed animals, and her little people. Even her books (that would be the notoriously curious "George" on the receiving end, pictured left). But best of all, she gives tons of kisses to Jason and me at random. I can't rightly describe the way these kisses make me feel--but I am deliriously happy every time she walks up and "plants one" on my leg. (and her kisses make the cutest "SMACK!" sound I've ever heard) Don't worry, Jason and I give Norah lots of kisses too (maybe that's part of why it comes so naturally to her)--who can help but kiss such a sweet, angelic face nearly every time you pass it? Oh, and of course, Jason and I kiss each other too...but I'll spare you the details.

Kites...Jason and I had some great pre-marriage dates that involved ditching our college Chemistry class to fly kites (Terrible role models, I know). I don't remember much kite flying in my childhood (something I hope to rectify with our own kids), but I loved it as a young adult, and think it will be something fun for us to do as a family...not to mention, relatively inexpensive...that is, as long as Daddy and Uncle Grant don't renew their love of "kite fighting", which has been known to destroy "lesser" kites, including my beloved "Winnie the Pooh" kite that I made the mistake of leaving at their house one sad afternoon during our courtship. It proved far too tempting an "opponent"for the guys to leave untouched, and unfortunately was in shambles by the time I came back to claim it.

Knitting...After a lifetime of saying I had no desire to learn, last summer, I did...and I actually like it! Granted, I'm definitely still a novice, but I love to be able to knit and donate items to our church's "Threads of Love" group, which provides knitted goods to orphanages in Romania and Ethiopia, as well as to our local "Hope Pregnancy Center". It's been a great way to improve my skills, while doing something good for someone else. It's also been fun helping others learn to knit (not that I'm qualified to teach much more than the basics) and people are always amazed at how they can go from being "completely lost" to "fairly comfortable" with knitting in such a short period of time.

J is for...

Jam Bandit...bet you didn't see that one coming. We have one in our house, and her name starts with an N. Ever since I started sharing my jam-laden breakfast toast with Norah , the jam disappears every time the refrigerator opens. I almost never see her take it, but thankfully, she always stashes it in the same place...by the fireplace. (She can't open it, but that doesn't seem to dash her hopes of keeping it all to herself in her "secret" hideout.) I think I may have discovered at least part of the "lure of the jam"--as I was taking this picture, I found Norah crouching down with the jam, carefully peeling the label as she said, "Grapes...grapes"...so maybe it was the sticker she wanted all along.

James...one of my favorite books in the Bible. Especially the first chapter. It has been so comforting (and humbling) to me in times of hardship, and also useful to share with others who I know are struggling. I can also see the truth in those words when I look back at how my faith has grown through difficult experiences.

Jason...my sweetheart, my husband, and my best friend. He is an amazing dad. It is unmistakable--the way that Norah looks at him, you know she thinks he hung the moon. He can come home completely worn out from a hard, laborious day, and he somehow manages to muster more energy to play with her like he's fresh out of bed. He is a thoughtful, loving husband. Often times mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, helping clear the table after dinner, and even getting Norah dressed for church on Sunday mornings so I can have a little extra time to primp, all without having to be asked. He is an excellent provider for our family, working a hard, labor-intensive job, so that I can stay home with Norah, and seldom complains about the "fairness" of it all. Most importantly, he is a man of God, and the spiritual leader of our family. I never have to beg him to go to church with us, and I am so proud every time I hear him lead a prayer (whether at our table, or in front of the church) or teach a Bible lesson. I am blessed beyond measure to have Jason as my husband and partner for life.

Jury Duty...I was never selected until after Norah was born, and as her "sole childcare provider" during the day, I am now exempt (if I choose to be). I actually get a little excited each time I'm summoned (maybe it's just curiosity about something I haven't tried yet?), but still can't justify leaving Norah all day to go through the selection process when I might not even be chosen, and if I am, leaving her for however many more days the case demands. Maybe someday, when the kids are a little older I'll get my chance to "live out" my court room fantasy.

I is for...

Ice cream...which in Texas, means Bluebell. Favorite flavors in Robinson County--Mint Chocolate Chip (that would be mine), Cookies & Cream (J), Moollennium Crunch (J, again), and Homemade Vanilla (all of us!). Of course, there is still something to be said for true, homemade ice cream, especially in the summer time.

Indecisive...Jason and I both fall into this category, which makes going out to eat almost more of a pain than staying home. ("Where do you want to go? " "I don't care...where do you want to go?")

Inky Pens...anyone who knows me well, knows that I'm a pen snob. My preferred writing instrument? The Pilot G-2 07. It's my trademark pen, and if given the choice I will use it over anything else. My handwriting just doesn't look quite the same without it.

"I you!"...translation: "I love you!"--my most favorite Norah-ism, to date. (Especially when she says it, unprompted...which lately, is a lot.)

H is for...

Hand-written...I love to receive hand-written "real" mail, and try to decipher who it's from before I check the return address. I treasure things that were written by the recognizable hands of my mom, dad, sister, brother, husband, grandparents...and the list goes on. It's especially fun for me to find a recipe written by the person who gave it to me. The familiarity and memories tied to each individual's handwriting is in a strange way comforting to me to look at when they aren't with me. I guess that is one of the reasons I am keeping a hand-written cookbook to pass on to Norah, and I love to send hand-written notes by mail...

High-heels..."Fashion Goddess" I am not. I own one pair of wedge heels (that are surprisingly comfortable), and two pair of "Kitten Heels" (as my sister calls them...in other words,heels on training wheels...not as high as most girls where). That's it. I guess its a good thing, because Jason walks fast and "I'm not wearing comfortable shoes" isn't a good excuse in his mind, for my not keeping up.

Homemade...Sort of like the handwriting thing....I treasure anything homemade. Granted, not all homemade things last forever (but you have to admit it's awfully fun to consume homemade ice cream and jam!), but the ones that do are like links to the past. Maybe the lure of these homemade marvels is just in knowing that someone took the time to do it the "hard way", and they had me especially in mind. I really learned the other side of this coin when I made Norah's quilt last spring. I feel like I learned a lot about the "love" that goes into hand quilting something for someone, and I hope one day she'll notice all those (sloppy) stitches and be comforted to know that I put my love for her into each one.

Hot Dogs, Etc....Local eating venue, and a random favorite of Jason's and mine (and the Gilmore clan). Don't knock it till you've tried it. Sure, it's a hole in the wall, but they have great hot dogs (and just happen to be right on the way to the ballpark, which is when I crave them more than any other time). I like mine topped with mustard, pickles and onions, with a side of their famous chili cheese fries and Jason goes for the 2 chili cheese dog combo, AKA "The #4 (and we've been going there for so long that they usually know what we'll order, before we tell them). I also love that even AA, who has all the fine eateries of Austin to chose from, still likes to dine at Hot Dogs, etc. when she comes back home for a visit.

Hydrangeas...if I could have my pick of anything to grow in my front flowerbed, this would be it, hands-down. Unfortunately, I've been told that between our soil and the sweltering heat, they don't do very well here. (and for the record, that's not Norah, so don't adjust your monitors--she hasn't aged 2 years overnight)

G is for...

Games...Ever since my first round of "Candy Land" as a kid, I've loved games. I really can't think of any that I don't like. From "42" to "Spades", "Monopoly", "Scrabble", and "Scattergories"...you name it, I'll play it. I always like to get at least one new game at Christmas for the family to play together, and win or lose, it's always fun. Some of our more recent games: "Loaded Questions", "Imaginiff", and "In a Pickle".

Gilmore...my maiden name. "Happy Gilmore" and "The Gilmore Girls" made it an even more fun name. 3 of my "Gilmore" cousins and I have even been known to sing in a quartet from time to time using the stage name, "Gilmore Girls".

Gifts...I love giving gifts! I would almost go to the extent to say that I enjoy giving them more than receiving them (but then I might not get any more). I always put a great deal of thought into every gift I give. (I'm pretty sure that's my "Love Language" if you've read the book) I love watching the faces of the recipients of my carefully selected presents, and knowing that I chose wisely.

F is for...

Fall...yes, my husband was, at one time locally famous for his mastery of this particular act of feigned clumsiness (which did, in fact, exhibit itself mid-stage at our high school graduation). But the Fall, to which I refer, is the season, which happens to be my personal favorite. I love the "Fall" months, when the heat of summer finally desists, and the unmistakable smell of cinnamon and cloves found all throughout the mall reminds me that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner(anyone else tie those scents to the holidays?). I love that the weather is finally mild enough to plant my precious violas in the front flower bed, and knowing that they will bring a smile to my face every, single time I pull into our driveway through the month of May, when the heat returns. I love that first "cold" snap when everyone breaks out their first sweater of the year (in spite of the fact that it may only be 70 degrees outside), and "Trunk or Treat" in the church parking lot (which means an excuse to invent some unique, original costume for Norah to wear!). I love the rich browns, oranges, reds, and yellows that signify the Fall season. It's a cozy season. A family season. Which reminds me of another F...

Family...We are blessed to have a very large (and very close) family, most of which lives here in our home town. Both sets of our parents, as well as all of our grandparents live right here. We also have 2 brothers, 1 sister-in-law, 3 sets of aunts and uncles, and 8 cousins, all living in the same town with us. Granted, we don't see all of them on a regular basis, but its nice to know they're here, and we always have a great turn-out for the holidays. It does make it a bit of a challenge when deciding where to go when for the holidays...but it's also so nice to have someplace to go, and people we love so much to spend them with...without the long drive.

Flipping...No, I'm not referring to a euphemism for that other F-word (that we will never tolerate Robinson County). I'm talking about the fun kind. Norah loves to flip, and she'll pester Grandma to help her "fip-fip!" every time she comes to visit--and once is seldom enough. (Thankfully, Grandma is always happy to comply).

Furniture...so much of ours is homemade and handcrafted by my talented husband. To date, he has built a china cupboard, a changing dresser, a bookcase for Norah, another massive bookcase for our guest room, a dvd tower, and he's currently working on a new entertainment cabinet (to house our television, dvd player, etc). I'm always amazed at how talented he is. I can show him a picture from Pottery Barn, or anywhere else I fancy, and he whips it up, just like that!

E is for...

"Eh-bow"...One of Norah's favorite words of late. Anytime she sees a bent elbow, Norah feels the need to approach it's owner and give it a gentle tap, while she enthusiastically explains to them what it is called (sometimes 5-6 times before relenting, just to make sure they "got it"). She's an equal-opportunity educator, too. She's more than happy to impart this knowledge to perfect strangers in the grocery store, post office, or parking lot of wherever else we happen to be.

Efficiency...Something I strive for, but generally fall short of attaining. I always plan errands in a way so as to use the least gas. I love it when we eat all of the left-overs in the fridge (rather than forget about them and throw them out after it's too late). And I definitely squeeze every last drop of toothpaste out of the tube before succumbing to opening a new one.

Embroidery...Growing up I never cared too much for handwork. I abhorred counted cross stitch (after one half-hearted attempt to learn it), and for that reason, I never attempted to branch out to any other embroidery mediums...That is until a few years ago when I made an heirloom quilt for Jason's mom, with the favorite scriptures of each of our family members embroidered into it. Through that experience, I discovered that I love to embroider! Since then, I have used my newfound "skill" on Gramps & Granddad's 50th Anniversary Quilt, Norah's Quilt, and numerous other gifts ranging from pillows to onesies. One other plus of embroidery...it is the best pastime I've found for a long car trip!