Celebrating with a Full Heart.

Parenting is the biggest blessing I have ever received. 

But that doesn't mean it's always easy. 

Being a single parent is definitely on the top of my list of 'Things I Never EVER EVER want to experiment.' 

You single mommas out there are heroes dressed in regular clothes. 

I feel so beyond blessed to have a good life partner by my side who always aspires to be the best daddy he can. 

And he is amazing. 

This past weekend we celebrated this special man in our lives with a few presents...

With lots of hugs and kisses, and some good 'ol quality time spent with the fam. 

They are the best of pals. 

The love they have for each other is so pure and unconditional and it makes my heart burst with joy. 

Pure ecstasy.  

And that kind of feeling can't ever really be explained...

It can only be experienced. 

That's what good, life long dreams are made of. 

And thanks to him, I'm living them.  

In my absence I lived a little

Can I just start out by saying how much I love and appreciate each one of you for all your support and kind words on Friday's post? 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 

You really know how to make a girl feel loved. 

Second of all...

I haven't picked up a real camera in what seems like a decade...

Instagram is my best pal nowadays. 

I love it and keep up with a bunch of you that way. 

I just love getting to see little glimpses of your lives throughout the day. 

You can find me at 'tatianal11' and we can stalk each other that way.  

This post is kind of a modge-podge of what you've missed when I was away. 

Truly important stuff. 

Like my first pair of online shoes. 

We've spent many a fun bright hours together since then. 

And first and second ice-cream cones. 

And really horrible, awful, borderline unforgivable mommy mistakes. 

But to be fair, SHE DID MOVE! 

Like my good pal Emily pointed out, she may resemble Lloyd from "Dumb and Dumber."

Mercy.  

What a good pal that Emily is. 

Thanks Em. That's like getting a kick in the female genitalia after giving birth. 

I kid. I kid. 

But there ain't nothin' that a little hairspray can't fix. 

She's good as new, yeah? 

The leading man and I also decided for the bizzilionth time in the last 5yrs of marriage that we need more date nights. And time alone.  

 So we did that a time or two.  

Giada and I have been spending a lot of time at the park since this weather decided to bless us with more warm sunny days. 

 Girlfriend has a blast every single time. 

Yesterday we even made it to the water park for the first time this year and she went nuts. 

I'm a dark chocolate lover for life! 

That being said, kinder gets me every time. 

Those little babies are heifer-sizing my thighs. 

They are addicting!  

I've been saying lately that I need to put a little more effort into dressing up and not looking like a total homeless person. 

Mostly bc I feel better about myself when I do, but also because I'm tired of pretending that I don't recognize people in stores whom I work or go to church with every week. 

It's been that bad. 

Enjoy your middle of the week day friends! 

Linking up with this fab lady here

18 Months

Around this time of her childhood she's more fun than a barrel of monkeys. 

This girl has my heart for life. 

The reason behind the absence...

Hello there world. 

I've missed you. 

There. I said it. 

I've been gone a lot the last couple of months. 

You see, it's because they've been... ummm... tough. 

A little bit physically, a little bit spiritually, a whole lot of bit emotionally. 

Once in a while I find myself in the eye of that storm and it's hard to get out of it. 

Especially when that's all I could think and wanted to talk and write about...

But couldn't. 

Mostly because I don't like 'real life' nosy people knowing my business. 

Catch what I'm saying? 

But hope to be able to fill in the blanks for ya soon.  

Just be patient with me. 

I promise it will be worth it. 

Maybe. 

Still, I've missed ya. 

The whole social media gig that I've backed out on for a little while. 

That being said, I do believe that I needed this little solitude time for myself and my thoughts.

I had to step back and look at the big picture.. 

Take a deep breath in and let God take care of things. 

And he did.

Because He's awesome like that!

I never doubted that He would come through one way or another; 

However I was concerned about the way he was going to do it and when. 

Because somehow, his will and timing don't always correspond with mine. 

Imagine that. 

When will I ever learn to fully surrender my problems to him? 

When I'm old and gray? After the second coming? 

I pray it's sooner than that. 

So yeah, I did get my panties in a wad for a while there. 

But I'm better now.

Thanks to Him, and a handful of friends and family who've been by my side through this hard time. 

You know who you are.

 And I hope you know how grateful I am to have you in my life.   

Also, it is easier to talk about it now that I'm mostly out of the eye of the storm.  

So I hope to share more with ya soon. 

 And with that, I want to thank all my readers who are still willing to stick with me after my long absence. 

You make my heart so happy! 

Truly, you do. 

Happy weekend!