Footprints

This is my favorite poem of all time. It's no secret I've been through some tough times in my life. I have lost some very important inspirational people who I loved very much. Each time I had to say goodbye, I looked to this poem for guidance. At my mother's funeral. I quoted this poem. Looking back at my experience, I realize I have made my own footprints and learned from others who have left a mark in my path.

Writing is an outlet for me. Writing is something I love to do, and I have been inspired from the beautiful words of my mother and my grandmother. I remember being a little girl, and me meme taking me into work with her and teaching me how to type on a typewriter. I remember getting letters from my mom often, and I used to wonder why she would do this? Why is she writing me these letters and giving them to me when she is right here? Now, I couldn't be more blessed to have those letters to inspire me. I have gotten my gift of writing from two important and inspirational people in my life who I was blessed to be able to be loved by.

Now, I want to mark footprints for Landyn. I want to pave a path of greatness for him so he can look back and remember the first time I took him to do something that inspired something in his life. I want to write for him and give him beautiful words of inspiration and encouragement that I was given. He is my inspiration, and I want to be his.

My favorite quote in this poem is this

"The times when you have seen only one set footprints, is when I carried you."

I can pinpoint the exact times in my life when I needed to be carried. Then I can look back and appreciate all of the times when my mother carried me. When she was my strength and she formed me into the mother I am now. I look back and I am not only inspired by Landyn and what he is doing for me now, but I am also inspired by the amazing women who were in my life and the amounts of love and goodness they put into my heart. I am thankful for the strong women who were a part of my life and I am inspired to be that same kind of a woman now.

I have footprints, experiences in my past that I can look back on and be proud of. I had amazing people pave the way for me and create marks for who I would become, and I had to be carried through them at times to prove how strong I am and how much people love me. The footprints I am laying down now are the most important and most precious ones of my life; the footprints of motherhood. I will walk beside Landyn and pave the way for him just like it was paved for me, and I will forever be grateful and blessed for what I have been given.

Here are mine and Landyn's footprints in the sand....

Blessings,

The inspiration of MY inspiration!

Everyone always tells me how much they love Landyn's name (Landyn Carter.) Only a few people have asked me if I got it from where it came from.

I thought it would be more obvious that Landyn Carter came from "Landon Carter" in "A Walk to Remember." Nicholas Sparks has always been my favorite author. I knew I wanted strong names for my children, and I have dreamt about what name it would end up being ever since I was a little girl. I used to name my dolls and I would think for days "What is the best name?" Well, of course more thought is going to go into the real thing, right?

Landon was a name Kyle and I were instantly attracted to. But, I wanted to be different, so we went with Landyn with a "y." Done. No questions asked. His name would be "Landyn with a y" and I hoped that this would set him apart from the rest. We thought we had decided on a middle name. It's important for me for my kid's name to mean something; to come from somewhere. So we threw out some family names and for a long time his name was Landyn Lawrence. It flows, it sounds cute, but it wasn't right. I loved the idea of naming him after Kyle's dad and grandfather, but the fact that we kept reading baby books told me it wasn't the one.

One day in the car, I threw out Carter. This was a name I had considered for a long time and I loved, but I never thought Kyle would go  for it, because it came from a Nicholas Sparks book. To my surprise, he loved it! Landyn Carter Crowe. Perfect right? Landyn Carter coming from the character in Nicholas Sparks' "A Walk to Remember" and I couldn't be more excited about it!

No, it's not after a family member, or someone who changed the world, but it's after an author that has inspired me in more ways than one. Nicholas Sparks was my inspiration for the little person that has become MY inspiration.

When Landyn was just five months old, we had the opportunity to meet Nicholas Sparks a a book signing for "The Last Song!" I was so excited! I couldn't wait to meet this person who has inspired me and I admired so much. I couldn't wait to tell him Landyn's name and share this with him!

There we went, walking up to him and I was holding Landyn and I looked at Nicholas and said "And this is Landyn Carter with a Y." He looked up at me and smiled, then looked at Landyn and smiled, and held his hand. It was such a fun moment for me!

Now I can tell Landyn when he grows up he got to meet my inspiration for what has become the biggest inspiration in my life : Landyn Carter.

Check out "A Walk to Remember" here:
A Walk to Remember

A year of my sweet baby boy...

I realized I never Blogged this video I put together when LC turned 1. He's now 16 months old, and I wanted to share his first year with you all. There truly has never been a better year of my life!



With Love,

Floating around a sea of possibilities

We at the height are ready to decline.
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.

-William Shakespeare

As we grow up, we change with what happens in life. We become new people, people with morals, people with hopes and dreams, people with anticipations of the future. Everyday we encounter something new that shapes who we are whether it be something as small as letting someone cut you in the grocery line or something as life altering as the birth of a child. All of these opportunities becomes a part of us, who we are, but most of all, they are the stepping stones of who we will become.

Becoming a mother has changed me. It has changed me in ways I never thought I could be changed into. It has turned my heart into something outside of my body so strong, so rare, that I never even thought it would be possible to feel. Being a mother has changed me into a person I am proud of. A person I admire and better and stronger. A person who means so much more to one small human being than anything else. Being a mother is the best and most rewarding feeling in the world.

Everyday I wake up, and sometimes I wonder, "How did I get here?" I look at all of the obstacles I crossed, friends I met, tragedies I experienced and I asked myself "What did I ever do to deserve a life like this?" Then I look down to the smiling face tugging at my feet and I realize, everyone deserves to experience this. Everyone deserves to experice a miracle like this and a love so strong that you never know what you're missing until it's right in front of you and a part of who you are. Then I realize to myself how blessed I am to have changed. How truly lucky I am to have found myself in such an amazing place in my life. I realize that change isn't always a bad thing, and I am blessed to have made this change with an amazing husband and son who I adore.

I wouldn't have it any other way

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe

I believe people have to make mistakes. We have to be able to learn and evolve into our future. Everything happens for a reason... everything. People fail. People lie. People cheat. People love. People care. People believe. It's all a part of life. We go through life with different persectives. We start out putting our entire lives and trust into our mothers and our fathers. Then we become more independant, we want to learn things for ourselves. And as we get older, we become even more independant and make our decisions. Then we meet new people and they change us. They shape who we are. Our relationships make us into the people we will become. Then it's like it starts all over again, because you meet the person you love and all of a sudden, you're putting your life into someone else's hands again. You learn to trust, to forgive, to love.

Well knowing at the point in life where I am right now and I have this person putting his whole life, his future into my hands is the strongest thing I have ever felt. Being a parent puts a whole new perspective on things. New priorities come to the top of my list. It's not important anymore where my friends are or what they think. Nothing else is as important as my family, and knowing I have this person who counts on me gives me a strong sense of love and comfort that I have never known.

This is the time to live my life. To take advantage of the slowness instead of running through each day like tomorrow is another day, another chance. Now is the time to sit back and take advantage of all life's blessings God has given me. It's my time to live, to love, and to appreciate everything I have. I look back at the person I have grown into, the things I have experienced, and even though they were not all good experiences, I learned from them all and they have shaped me into the mother, the wife, and the person that I am today.... I can't wait to watch as Landyn goes through life with the same experiences and opportunities and turns them into the bright, rewarding future I hope to give him.

With Love,

Love Note

A mommy posted on Charlotte Mommies today about how her child's school asked all of the parents to write their children a love note to be read out loud to the kids at school in honor of Valentine's Day.

I automatically thought of all of the amazing handwritten letters I have from my mom and how much I miss her and cherish those words in my heart. I realized the purpose of this blog was to do that for Landyn and for myself, but I also realized how important it is for me to hand write letters to him so he has them when he gets older to cherish when I'm not around too. My favorite possession is my letters and photos from my mother so I can remember what an amazing person she was and how much she inspired me and has shaped the person and mother that I am today.

Landyn Carter, you are my joy. You make me smile on days when I feel like there's nothing to smile about. You make me laugh in the morning when I feel too tired to move. You make me proud of what your dad and I have become and what we have brought into this world; and you make me the happiest and luckiest mom in the world. Here is my love note to you...

Dear Landyn,
When I was a little girl my cousin Katie and I used to play "mommy." She always had a baby girl, and I always had a baby boy. I used to pretend change diapers, feed my baby with a bottle, and snuggle that baby to sleep. I had dreams of being a mommy even when I didn't know how much love a mommy could feel. You have made my dreams come true. You have made me feel those feelings of love, hope, joy, and pride. You have given me the most amazing gift, and I look at you; my son, and I cry tears or amazement at what your daddy and I have made. I see what my mom saw when she looked at me, and seeing that makes everything feel alive.

You make me feel alive Landyn Carter and for that I will be forever grateful to you. I look forward to every day with you, and I can't express to you enough how much fondness and love I hold for you in my heart.

Tomorrow may not be the same as today, and a year from now will be different too, but always know, I am always here for you and I will always support you and I hope you can look back on these words and cherish them like I do from my mom. I wish she were here with us today to see the life I have made for myself and to be able to give you the kisses and hugs she used to give to me, I can only hope I can give you the same sense of comfort she used to give to me.

I love you and someday, you will be able to understand and feel that love too.

Your first Valentines Day is like any other first in your life, and your daddy and I will cherish this first just like any other and the 2nds, 3rds, 4ths, 5ths and more to come.

I love you monkey, and that will never, ever change.




With Love,

Almost a year.... Really?

So.... before Landyn was even born, I PROMISED I would keep up with this Blog. Well, my New Years Resoltion is to actually follow through with that!

For the last few weeks, we have been planning Landyn's 1st Birthday Party! What!? Really!? My SON is going to be ONE!!!???? ... Yes,... Yes he is!

You know how it goes right?.. "Sunny Days, Clouds all day..." That's right! His party will be filled with Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Bert & Ernie.. the whole gang! And even a SURPRISE visit from ELMO HIMSELF!! But.. Shhhh! It's a suprise!!

Anyway, life has been filled with joys, laughs, sleepless nights, all the good and bad and tiresome of being a mommy, but this last ALMOST 1 year has been the best year of my life! And I promise to share those amazing moments with you more often!

Blessings,

My Wish for You

Growing up, my mother always wrote to me. She wrote poems and short stories. She left me notes in my backpack telling me how much she loved me. She wrote something sweet in each every one of my birthday cards, christmas cards, valentine's day cards, easter cards, and every holiday on the calendar. She wrote to me. My wish for you Landyn Carter is I will be able to carry on those inspirational words and write to you. My wish is you will be everything you are destined to be and you will follow your dreams. Let the sun shine on your face. Let the wind blow on those beautiful cheeks. Never look back and let the future be in the palm of your hands. My wish for you is that you will be loved no matter where you go or what you become. You will be loved.

"Make each day your masterpiece."

John Wooden

I hope you always know how much I love you. I hope you see the smile on my face everyday of my life, because you have been brought into my life. I hope you grow up to know you are God's gift to your daddy and me and neither one of us would ever want to imagine our lives without you. Everyday with you is a new adventure; a journey into an amazing life with you and I wouldn't have it any other way. I only wish for the best and I hope you always remember that.

Wish upon a twinkling star and let your dreams become alive. Dream about the crashing waves that make the sound of the ocean, the tickling sand beneath your toes, and the beautiful moonlight you see at night. Dream big my sweet baby boy, and mommy will always be there beside you to hold your hand and make those dreams come true.

I love you Landyn Carter.

Blessings,

The smile that keeps on giving

LC is by far, the best and most amazing thing to ever happen to my life. Each new day with him brings something new that I will cherish forever. I know this is something every mommy says, but what is better than seeing your smiling baby from day to day and knowing he is smiling, because of you?

The last 7 months of my life have proven to be the most successful of my life. I have brought a beautiful healthy boy into the world who is thriving in life and more importantly, teaching me the meaning of my own. HE is the reason I breathe and the reason I wake up in the morning.

I know I promised to keep this updated everyday, and I swear I will update the last 7 months with photos, words of inspiration, and amazing moments of this little man's life, but I have been way too busy starting as this amazing little person Kyle and I made and thinking about how amazing life is and how blessed I am to have the most precious gift God could give.

This is what life is all about....



With Love,

My life as a mom

Soo, I have seriously sucked at keeping up with this, but from now on I plan to write here often about Landyn and our amazing life with him! :).. PLAN is the operative word in that sentence. We are off to a playdate soon, but I will update with pictures from day 1 of Landyn's birth through now 5 months old! (See - I told you I sucked at keeping up!) The reality is, I have been too busy staring at this beautiful little person we made, and dreaming about the years to come. Kyle and I have no greater accomplishment to date than bringing Landyn into this world, and we are absolutely enjoying every moment he is bringing into our lives. From his first smile, to his laughter, to even the cries and late night feedings, he is hands down, the BEST thing to ever come into our lives!

I'll leave you with a touch of the best thing that ever happened to me....

Our first family photo!



Blessings,