Golden Moment #13 Watching my boys at play!

Sunshine

laughter

chasing

tumbling

squealing

jumping

bumbling

racing

beating hearts

playful eyes

sheer 

delightful

joy,

to watch a daddy

play so gladly

with his little

boy.

Golden Moment #12 Dream House

Few things thrill me to my very core the way dreaming up "Cair Paravel" does. Cair Pravel is the name of the future Nickerson estate, or in other words, our dream home. The thing I love about dreaming, is that there are NO limits! It doesn't cost a dime, there is no labor involved, no building, or maintaining I can just dream it all up in every detail without a care in the world. I love to gather pictures from magazines and put them in my notebooks, or sketch out room layouts and designs. It's just FUN! I imagine the parties I'll host, the concerts in our grand foyer where I will sing, the wedding receptions for my children in the backyard, the play room for my kids and grandkids, the church activities I'll volunteer my home for, the guests I will entertain leaving them convinced they were vacationing at a four star hotel, not just spending the weekend with their sister. It is a constant delight, to build, revise, change, paint, decorate and add to this grand design. It is the perfect place to live for a creative, never in the same location more than 2 years, longing to live in her own home, military wife! Everywhere I go, I carry this home with me in my heart and imagination. I can almost smell the apple crisp baking in the oven, see the flickering candle light in my bathroom, feel the warmth of the fireplace in the master suite. It is a glorious, magnificent place to live, and I am so happy here. Tonight, I added a few new pages to my collection. Here they are, along with some old favorites.

Enjoy!

 One of tonights layouts

An older favorite, capturing the mood and romance for my master suite!

Materials for the master

What is your favorite thing to dream over, house, kitchen, vacations? Are you a magazine cutter upper too? Do you keep your collection of dreams in a folder, notebook, or imagination?

-Domestic Diva

Golden moment # 11 is in the stars....

Scotty watching Star Trek.

Tonight, to my utter surprise and (I admit it) delight, my son chose for his evening entertainment none other than STAR TREK, real honest to goodness William Shatner, Star Trek, or "Chit Chet" as Scotty pronounces it. Made me smile. Can't wait to tell his dad! Good heavens, this family loves some good old Star Trek!

Brings back memories of my family watching Next Generation every Wednesday night. I used to invite Josh over to join our family for Star Trek nights when it was Voyager! We'd make a batch of cookies, my dad would rub my mom's feet, and we'd all dance around to the music for the opening credits. And as much as I am loyal to the original, and my favorite captain will always be Jean Luke, and Seven of Nine absolutely made Voyager, that theme song to Enterprise is a blast to shout out full voice-and you just try and only sing "I've got" the right number of times! Bet you anything you'll throw in two extras! Didn't get into Deep Space Nine so much, but I'm just so grateful to Gene Roddenberry for dreaming up this fun world to entertain me for so many years.

"May the force be with you."
DD






That was a test,

And if that sign off made you go "HUH!?" Then you are among friends, for I am truly a trekkie too. (Minus conventions and weird costumes.)

Did your family have a favorite show to watch together growing up? Did you carry on the tradition into your own home?

"Live long and prosper."
DD

Golden Moment # 10 A moment with my mother

My little Scotty and my mommy, today.

I woke up this morning to the gentle caress of a hand on my face. I opened my eyes and saw a mirror reflection of my own eyes staring teary eyed back at me. They were my mothers eyes. For an instant I felt as though an image buried deep within my mind, lost to the many memories of my infancy resurfaced and I saw the gaze of wonder, and adoration that only a mother's eyes can express as she admires her newborn child. This morning my mother looked at me that way. But I am not a newborn, I am a mother myself now, yet as she looked at me in that instant I was her little "rosebud" again. And as I stared into that beautiful face, I felt as though I was memorizing her all over again, but I didn't have to, I know this woman and I will never forget her, she is my mother.

My mom has been staying with me the past week as we've been celebrating and helping my little sister welcome her first born into her home. Since Josh has been working most nights away from home, my mom has been sleeping with me. It's been a delight to have her in my home!  I don't know how she does it, she spends all day with my sister, then comes home and cooks and cleans over at my house. The angels must sing for joy when they watch this woman in action! She is love personified, selfless service, graciousness, love and generosity all swept up into one magnificent soul.

Me, at Scotty's age, and my mommy, yesterday.

And she, is my mother. How I came to be lucky enough to be born into a home filled with such incredible love I may never know, but I am thankful for it every single moment of every single day of my life.

Golden moment #9 My anniversary love letter

My beloved husband,

June 7, 2007, I woke up.

I saw white. 

I smelled roses.

I felt butterflies. 

The sun shone for us. 

The flowers bloomed for us. 

The birds sang for us. 

My heart beat for you. 

It was heaven on earth.

Four years later and the purity is still there, laced lovingly amidst our everlasting commitment and promise to each other. Beauty is everywhere we find ourselves together. In your smile, in your tumbling with our toddler, in a kiss, in a bouquet, in a little apartment we call our home. My heart still flutters each time I hear the door handle turn at the end of the day, and birds take flight where butterflies once fluttered when I get a phone call telling me you are 24 hours away from coming home after months of separation during a deployment. My life is filled with the light of your love. I long for nothing more than to become the best version of myself, so that you might be loved by that glorious woman within me. My heart is yours, I live to love you. There is no greater joy in my life than this. Each morning I wake and am grateful for a new day to love you. You, are my dream come true. This love, is heaven on earth. Thank you for loving me.

Eternally,

Your bride.

Golden moment #8

June 6th's Golden moment...A day late, but yesterday was the type of day I really hope I don't have to live through again, except, for THIS moment. This moment I'll take over and over again forever.

"Why don't you two go out to dinner together?" My mom's offer to watch our son so Josh and I could go out, couldn't have come at a more divine moment. I am physically and emotionally very tired. I hardly slept through my sister's long labor, and from the moment that sweet baby has arrived my days have been consumed with making sure my sister and her husband and their new little baby are being taken care of. My mom and I have been  helping out wherever we can with cleaning and cooking, and just supporting. But today, the new baby high started to ease off, and exhaustion set in. While all of this has been happening in my life, Josh has been totally consumed with work. Some nights he can't come home because he either has duty or he's working so late it's easier for him to just sleep on the boat. The fact that Josh was home before 8:00 tonight was lucky in and of itself. He already had overnight duty scheduled for our actual anniversary (June 7). So this opportunity to go enjoy a nice dinner without the toddler was an absolute miracle.

We chose our favorite restaurant, and deemed it our "Anniversary dinner". We parked far away so we could enjoy a walk to the destination it was a beautiful evening and we were seated to dine outside. The food was heavenly, and the time with my husband so desperately needed. 

The chef put a candle on our dessert for our anniversary, it was so thoughtful and made the evening even  more special. Then, just as I thought the night couldn't get any better, I returned home that night to a sparkling clean home and my three year old fast asleep in his bed. 

Thank you mom. Thank you for this golden moment.

Golden Moment # 7

Holding my beloved nephew for the first time.

Pure gold.