Breath of Heaven - 1996

Amy Grant's

"Breath of Heaven" listen and watch by clicking here

Christmas season, 1995 was the first time I heard this song. I was about 6 months pregnant.
Dawned on me and humbled by the
Enormity of God's gift which arrived March 21, 1996, at exactly 2 pm.

"Face of love" by Jewel was another
Great song for me that year that I "let eternity begin"

Having kept journals of the joys and struggles of parenthood, 

I wrote a lot of details about things like meals and sleep and how everyone was cooing over you, and what a great traveler you are, but there is just no way you would EVER want to read all of that so... I processed and purged and created this blog that I've called: 

"Joy with New Eyes"

Life unfolded, unraveled, and revealed truths to me.

Manning Family reunion: July 27, 1996, Seattle Washington. On this day, you also sat up by yourself for the first time, and met your very soon to be 100 year old great Grandpa Manning.

Greg Manning Born Jul 30, 1896, Cincinnati.

His family moved to St. Louis in 1912,

and then Vancouver BC for 1-2 years and

then moved to and settled in Seattle, WA

where your father and grandfather were both born.

"Naps" your first visit  October 1996

 

ODU  9/6/96 Last day of daycare with Jean Carlton

On September 13^th my last day of work with A&T after 15 years and 3 months. Your father got a job offer in Cary, North Carolina, and our house on Glenview Drive sold, both while you and Daddy were home and I was at work. Hurricane Fran had hit the Raleigh area pretty hard, thereby delaying the offer he got from a company called Tangram. I had hoped we could all move together, but your Dad moved to Cary 3 days later, September 16, 1996. You and I stayed until we closed on the house, October 31^st . Then we drove the 3 hours to our new home on 201 Sarabande Drive. 
                October 7, 1996  "Pooh" outfit

October : we drove to New England just the 2 of us! This is when you met Uncle Johnny for the first time:

10/17/1996 Journal entry "I wish I could find the words to describe how wonderful it is to see you enjoy things. There have been so many this week. Today, for example, you so fully and purely enjoyed the beauty and smell and sound of a crackling fire at Grandpa's. You seemed enthralled by Grandpa's grin, his glasses, and his hands. I love the way you light up when you see him walk in the kitchen or even hear his walk as he comes up from the basement. What a difference from when I was a kid growing up in this house. There was so much we enjoyed, but there was a lot of fear too, always wondering which mood he would be in when we saw him. You have already come to know an entirely different side of the man who is my father. All of this is so good for me to re-learn. When Gram got home, she gave you Cheerios and "gram" crackers and lots of smiles.

10/18/1996 We had a really nice long walk in Stonington Borough with Grammy and a great mid-day nap. Thank you, for these wonderful, precious moments ❤️ 

Peace, and safe travel for all. We returned to 5973 Glen View Drive on October 21st Dad came up from NC on the 25th, and the movers took 3 days packing us up to move and Dad went back to NC. You and I handled the closing ourselves on the 29th and on the 30th said goodbye, tearfully to our neighborhood, and drove to our new neighborhood. The next day, yes, Halloween, we closed on our new house at 201 Sarabande Drive, and the very next day, met Mandy and Jessica, June and her twin boys, Jeff and Josh, and Jackie and Tanner, all of whom lived in this new neighborhood. yeah!!

 Quiet time. down time. 

 Robert James Law : I love this picture of you with your Godfather. Next to it in my journal I wrote: “You are a joy, my love, sweet dreams to you, tonight & always, I love you very much, Mommy”.

Sit and Smile, even while lots of family visiting for

Thanksgiving, and a trip to the western part of NC to see Aunt Pat with  

Uncle Ken, Gram, Grandpa, and your Dad.

We drove to Connecticut for your 1st Christmas and I'm so glad we did. I was feeling much too warm and isolated in North Carolina. During the month of August, we flew back from Seattle to Virginia Beach, then drove to Asheville, and then to Winston-Salem, NC for a house hunting trip. During that trip I wrote about how wonderfully adaptable and pleasant you were, even though it was 99 degrees or warmer every day. When we did move, it was to Cary, NC, leaving behind the fantastic friends we had made while in Virginia, and the ocean. That was difficult, but something I wrote in that journal remains true: "we are being guided every step of the way."

Writing for me was very therapeutic during that time, and there are some truths repeated throughout: “I want to always be able to provide you with what you need." 
Xo Mommy
You seem very happy to be back in our home and your own bed. Me too! I love you so much xoxo Sweet Dream. God Bless you. I love you xoxo 

Zzzzzzzzzz