Pink Balloons

I was going to write a letter to 2014.  I was going to write something along the lines of "I hope that you bring less disappointments" and "please take it easy on me this time around." I was going to tell 2014 that I am going to embrace it and see the joy in it.  I was going to...

...until the pink balloons.

Maggie and I had gone to Old Navy, where she was given a pink balloon.  The nice things about Old Navy balloons are that 1. They don't have helium in them, 2. You do not need to purchase something in the store in order to get one, 3. They are free, and 4. They make your living room beautiful and clutter-free.  Ok well, maybe just three things.  After we left the store, we stopped at the school where my mom works as a school nurse.  Her window is near the front door and I got the clever idea to knock on it to suprise her.  Maggie wanted to bring her balloon in to show Grandma and had asked me to hold it while we were outside.  As I leaned in to knock I did not take into consideration the bush that was below the window, proudly displaying its leafless, cold, and pointy little branches.  Yup.  Mom fail.  I popped the pink balloon and Maggie very much knew that I was the one that did it.

The next evening Kyle, who had heard about the pink balloon tragedy the night before, saved the day by bringing home a pink balloon (with white polka dots!) from his office.  (It was left from a baby shower.  We all know that an investment firm is nothing that exciting that it deserves balloons.) We were over at my parents for dinner that night and Maggie and I slept over.  The next morning we met friends for a play date, where I had kept the new pink balloon in the car.  As I was about to load Maggie into the car, I opened the wrong door on my key fob. When I did, the strong wind took it right out of the car.  Another pink balloon loss.  Another mom fail. (At least this time I blamed the wind and was off the hook.)

As you can imagine, Maggie's reaction after each balloon vanished was anything but happy.  There were lots of tears.  There were lots of sobs.  There were lots of "my booooooooooon!" All I could think about was how to replace it.  I wanted to send out an emergency text. "I need a pink balloon. STAT!" I didn't even require a pink balloon.  ANY balloon was fine in those moments.  I just wanted her to be happy again.  

The more I thought about it, I realized a few things.  My daughter will experience disappointments in life - a lot of them that cannot be fixed with "another balloon." All I will want to do is fix those disappointments for her.  Instead I must let her face them, learn how to work through them, and be her example.  Instead of asking 2014 to give me less disappointments, I must realize that they will come and I need to be strong and work through them. 

Oh and we went to Old Navy today, where she was given... a pink balloon.  

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Some of my favorite Maggie phrases lately:
"Have fun Mommy.  Drive carefully!"
"That's terrible" (complete with both hands over her face and eyes)
"What is that those? (she always adds "those" even though it's unnecessary)
While dancing at Super Cuts: "C'mon mommy.  Feel the beat!"

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I have been missing my Vermont friends a lot lately.  Actually, a lot doesn't even cover it.  My friendships with them are ones that are so precious and meaningful.  I have been longing for that.  I wish I could tell each of them how special they still are to me and how many tears I've shed wishing for their company.  While I still stand by the words in my very first post, that I will not give myself a timeline for adjusting to life in Rochester, I am eager to cultivate new friendships. We went to a new church this week that we think is "the one."  I am hopeful that it will be fruitful to us in many ways and will bring me some friendships similar to the ones back "home."  

And speaking of Vermont...

I was breaking graham crackers apart for Maggie and ended up with this guy. 

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As far as asking 2014 to take it easy on me, I think it already has.  If you haven't seen on my Facebook page, we bought a house! (I will be posting pics of it shortly.)  It happened super fast but is definitely the house for us.  We close one month from today on February 28 and could not be happier.  It is everything we want and about a half mile from my parents.  Salem Road won't know what hit it once the Zess family moves in. :)

I asked our realtor if we could include "The weather shall always be as pleasant as it is in this picture" to our contract.  She thought it would be inappropriate.

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Just a note- When I refer to 2014, I am just doing that to be cute (as if I wasn't already ;) I am fully aware and believe that God is in control of everything that will and has happened.  To Him be the glory.