Oh, Joy!

Liam:

Since I don't keep a journal, I have decided to become better at blogging here to preserve some of the wonderful moments in time I get to have with the little people.  I've already missed writing about soo many of them, but currently at 2 and 1/2 years, Liam's vocabulary has passed mine.  Some of his favorite things to say right now are,

"I'm so embarrassing"
"It appears to be summer"
"Gammy, you're a great chef"
"My bangs are not very handsome"
"We want Mitt Romney to be the next president"
"Are those trees deciduous, Dadda?"
"There's a motorcycle.  He doesn't have a helmet, he only has a head.  That's very dangerous"
"Hmmm.. Interesting.."

The one that melts us the most, and I hope that this never goes away, is that he currently is telling us, "I love you Mamma" or "I love you Dadda", without being coaxed or prodded to do so.  It just kills me when he does this! What a beautiful boy we have, and what lucky parents we are to have his joy with us all the time.

Aiden:

One of my favorite quotes is from famous Lebanese philosopher Kahlil Gibran:

"Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, "Joy is greater thar sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits, alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed."

Aiden had a rough birth, and I believe that it is because of the pain and difficulties he has borne so early, that this one is capable of so much joy, so early.  He started smiling at us at 2 weeks, and now smiles so often that it's not hard to know when he's in his happy place.  He's even started laughing.

I tried to capture a happy moment on my phone, but alas, got there too late.  Pay no attention to the high-pitch crooning, that's some old lady who thought she could make him laugh again.

Guest Blogger,
Wes