Time to Slow Down and Just Be

Her house is filled with sounds. When I close my eyes and think of what it’s like to be there, I feel safe. Her house sounds like boots walking on her raised floors, laughter  interrupted by little kids screaming in the background…too many to keep track of at this point, buzzers sounding in the kitchen, and pots bang loudly in the sink.

The light pours in through the windows partially covered by her bluish green blinds. The TV’s on, and there’s always a fight for who gets to sit where Grand Daddy Owen used to. My dad won this time, only to fall asleep in the chair. And Mama Nita tells jokes.

The frozen cookies in the freezer, usually found by me, are right next to the homemade bread. After a lavish meal, no one rushes out. Everyone stays for coffee, which is really just an excuse to visit more. Her house is a safety zone, no matter how much time has gone by or how much has happened since the last we saw each other, her house is a place for us to come together again, to catch up, and enjoy time together as a family.

The best thing about a big family is big family gatherings. I’m just happy that Mama Nita had to raise all of the kids; especially after the stories they tell, she is going straight to heaven. 🙂 This is my Aunt Paula. I always begged my mom to let me live with her growing up. She’s still there for me all the time and even helped me in the hunt for my new office location.

Aunt Susan and Uncle Jimmy always have stories of adventure. I was secretly jealous of all the unique gifts they bought for David growing up. 😉 They’re the proud grandparents of my godchild, Tessie…(who I really wish lived closer.) And I love to see all of the amazing things that Uncle Jimmy builds. He’s a carpenter and extremely talented.

And above, is Mama Nita, she created this scene. And she’s still the Big Kahuna (she says). I talk more about her in this post, but words really just can’t quite describe how amazing of a woman she is.

The boots, well, they come with the territory. If you know me, then you know that I wear boots on a daily basis. You won’t find me at a shoot (other than a wedding) in anything else. I guess I picked it up from my Uncle Mike…or my dad…and I was SO proud when my cousin Aimee sent me a picture of my godchild Tessie in cowboy boots. 🙂

This is Aunt Becky. The third of the three sisters…she’s the oldest and ALWAYS has a story. Brad loves listening to her stories. He said so again at the end of this day. And it’s true, she definitely tells you like it is and keeps things interesting. Oh…and did I mention she’s hilarious.

When we were there for Sunday lunch, we drifted to the back of the house and I stumbled upon this closet. I really haven’t been back there in years and the closet seems SO much smaller than it used to. Because the way I envisioned it before was much bigger, and filled with toys. We would spend HOURS in the closet, playing make believe and pretending we had magic powers. I can still remember the rhymes that Julia and I came up with.

But the straw hat’s still there; and it hangs above the door just as it should. The closet still smells the same and brings back memories of books and time spent with my cousins.

This is Alice……

And this is Alice after a day at Mama Nita’s house…. 😉

I was SO happy that Brad came to visit with us. He really fits RIGHT in. And it makes me feel so good to know that.

He and Mama Nita get along quite well. 🙂

I love her and I love being around my family.

No matter how fast life gets sometimes, or how crazy it can seem, it’s always nice to take some time to slow down and just be.