I think it annoys God if you walk by the color purple in a field and don't notice.
- ~Alice Walker From "The Color Purple

Today has been such a beautiful day [and it is only half over]......the glorious feeling I had from the moment I awoke to a delicious summer morning.....cool, sunny, breezy and just utterly perfect, was echoed again at church. Emma Sage radiates such joy at church, she truly feels the spirit. Today was a baptism, so this Momma's heart always swells with the overwhelming love that only a Mother can feel......a pure unconditional love for your child, every child.

Then our word of the lord today came from Luke 14:7......and it resonated with me.

I choose to be the humble quest, to open my heart, my life to everyone.........not only those who might serve my life some purpose. I choose pure unconditional love and friendship and fellowship.

and then this song came to mind............and I had to share. Being a Mother of a child with different needs has opened my heart and mind in ways I could have never imagined.

But the biggest realization has been that the gift of unconditional love and acceptance are truly the greatest gifts we have.....and ones that are freely bestowed upon us by GOD.

the ebb and flow of life......

~~~life has been very rich and full of late, and at times confusing and overwhelming. I find when I am being swept into the raging currents of the river, it is best for me to just hold on and enjoy the ride, keeping sight in the distance for smoother waters.......whereas that time I can relax a moment and sit and reflect and in the case of my photography and blog, sit and edit and post.

I have also come to find that the paradigm of Facebook, as made it easier for me to leave little snippets of life and the goings on of Emma Sage, her siblings and myself there......thus this blog, this passion of mine to share with the world the normalcy of difference gets neglected.

But, even though we have be moving through currents, they are not all that bad and overwhelming......in fact, most of it has been exhilarating and bursting with love and life.

Emma Sage has been having a glorious summer......she is so darn sweet and just the best adaptable child ever. It has been a full year since I had to leave the life I lived [and absolutely cherished] to return to the 'real' world to provide benefits [and income] for my family.

In this time, Emma Sage has accepted these radical changes [I had never, ever been away from her] with such grace and understanding. My days are long, I leave before 8 and return after 6 but this little girl has just gone with the flow.

We now have a new change in her routine about to set forth, as Otto [my little man] was the one who would watch her for me after school until I got home. Well, my little man is growing up and in high school now and a whole world of activities and life awaits him. He is playing football at Voorhees and has informed me that he is planning on running for Freshman Class President. So my wonderful built-in babysitter is no longer available [I was a spoiled and lucky Momma to have such a great son who did this job without pay and without complaint] [although I did surprise him often with Xbox games and Itune cards.....]

I have decided to use the after school program for Emma Sage's care which is run by Camp Bernie YMCA. It is a funny coincidence because this is the same camp where Emma Sage's Daddy worked at in summers during high school and it had been owned at that time by friends of mine.

Momma's heart is heavy at putting her in aftercare, as I was the Mother who all the children whose parents had to work came to after school and I watched for them......allowing them the deliciousness of being in a loving home, with fresh baked goodies and the ability to just 'unwind' after school.........so I am sad.

On the other-hand, Emma Sage seems to be quite excited about the prospect of aftercare, so I have been finding the silver-lining in this new adventure.

I am editing photographs this afternoon and it is my hope of hopes to get back into my routine of updating here......sharing all my little imp is up too.

I will sign-off on one funny.

This is Emma Sage's new puppy [more on Rasta to follow]......well, Emma Sage absolutely adores this puppy. They are inseparable. Greta decided to take Rasta to college for a week. The first night Emma Sage cried a bit for her puppy but got over her 'missing her' quickly. The next evening I tell Emma Sage that Greta had called and that Rasta had pee'd on the chair.



Emma Sage laughs and then says "Great, my plan is working"

so I look at her and say "your plan"

and she said "yes, my plan. If Rasta is bad Greta won't want her anymore"

lol......

She seriously thought that the puppy peeing was part of her great master plan [not just because she is a young puppy and not 100% trained]

lol