Tag: son

Happy Sunday

julieannetaylor

The house is quiet – except for my parents stirring in the basement as they get ready for church. The sunlight is streaming through the front window almost hiding the chill in the morning air. My coffee sits close by in my favorite mug, and Malone is curled up near me on the rug.

I am making a list for my day while a Hallmark Christmas movie plays in the background. I don’t plan on leaving the house for anything today. It will just be Malone and me home together all day…and I’m planning on getting a lot of things crossed off my list. The first thing on the list is to carry up all the Christmas boxes and begin to transform the house for the most wonderful time of the year. I normally hold out until after Thanksgiving, but the season is shorter this year, and we have lots of gatherings on the calendar, so today is the day! I am excited about having the whole house to myself to take my time and decorate while a marathon of cheesy Christmas movies play (with a brief intermission to watch the Bengals game – unless it becomes too painful to watch – and then it’s back to Hallmark).

The other big item on my list is a labor of love! Caroline and I will be prepping a whole bunch of freezer meals for Zach and Katie! We want to make life easier for them as they adjust from being a family of three to a family of four! We should have a new baby in the family this week and we want Campbell’s parents to be able to rest and focus all of their attention on her and big brother. So we will be trying to make their lives a little easier by stocking their freezer full of meals! The bonus is that I get to spend the afternoon with my mini-me best friend!

As I type, I realize there is nothing really earth shattering about this post, or even my day…but maybe there is a little more than just a to do list. I don’t feel like my day is filled with tasks that I have to do, but rather things that I get to do- and that is a blessing to be sure. I am blessed to have a home to decorate for my family to enjoy. I am blessed that my home is the place where my entire family will gather for Thanksgiving and Christmas (and all the other gatherings throughout the year). I am excited to add my thrifting treasures to my Christmas collection this year, as each one conjures memories of the fun days spent with Katie and Carty searching for well loved treasures. I am beyond blessed to be able to prepare meals for my son and daughter in law as they bring my first granddaughter into the world! I am so excited for Parker to be a big brother and for Zach and Katie to complete their perfect little family! The mess and the meal making will be well worth the knowledge that we are taking one small thing off of their plates while they adjust to having a newborn along side a very active three year old.

So I guess that this post is about more than an update on my Sunday to do list. It’s more about perspective. I could look at my list and feel dread about the seventy eleven trips I will make up and down the stairs lugging boxes. Or be overwhelmed at the thought of hours of cooking and loads of dishes. But that’s not how I’m feeling this morning. I am filled with joy and gratitude that I get to spend the entire day at home, in my slippers doing things that will be a blessing to others…and to me. I am thankful for all of the items on my list and will find joy in each minute of the day!

Game Day

julieannetaylor

Last night we went to East’s football game. I love football season. I love the game so much. But I have to be honest, it’s hard for me to go to any football game where my #22 is not on the field. I still have not gone to an Edgewood high school football game since Zach’s last one – in October, 2015. It may sound silly, but I just can’t imagine sitting in the stands at Kumler field and not seeing my boy out there.

Both Paige and Meaghan are a part of Lakota East’s amazing marching band – and I love watching them do their thing on Friday nights! They amaze me with their hard work and talent. But watching the game – even the game that I love – is just, well, different.

I’ll never forget taking Zach to his first pee wee football practice. He didn’t start in Kindergarten as many of his friends did. Rather he waited until 4th grade to try out this sport that would forever change all of our lives. As we pulled up to the practice field, he was fighting tears. He changed his mind twice as we were getting out of the car. He held tightly to my hand (not cool for most boys that age) but fought off those fears and went out there to join his team. From that day on, Zach was obsessed with the sport. He practiced on his own in the backyard. He watched any and every football game on tv. He studied the playbook. He played imaginary games in his room long past bedtime. He became a football player.

Pee Wee 4th grade

His love of the game continued through junior high and high school. He was one of the most dedicated, passionate players I have ever seen (yes, I am biased…but it’s true). Zach was also a very talented baseball player, earning Player of the Year his sophomore season in high school, along with many other honors through high school. As college approached, he looked at several schools to play baseball, but also received some football offers. I truly thought all along he would choose baseball but when it came time for a decision, he went with his first true love. He said to me “Mom, there is just something about the hype leading up to a football game. I’m not ready to be finished.”

Zach went on to play four years at Otterbein University where we were able to make so many amazing memories. We tailgated weekly and made so many new friends through his journey. Saturdays in fall were my absolute favorite. Still are. Just a little different now.

As excited I am for another college football season, I still get emotional thinking about the fact that my favorite football player of all time will not be suiting up! I will watch all the games. I will cheer hard for the Buckeyes. But I will always be thinking of all of the cheers and tears that a lifetime of football with my only son brought me. Thank you #22!

The final season

The day has come

julieannetaylor

Sitting here in a quiet, empty house, finally taking a few minutes just to breathe. The start of the school year is normally crazy and hectic, but this year – year three of pandemic teaching – has been especially exhausting. On top of the long hours and late nights, I am in the last few weeks of my Master’s program, which means multiple projects and looming deadlines. I have not really been able to take time to process all the emotions that I am feeling about the upcoming weekend.

In just two days, my son will marry his one true love. My baby boy. My firstborn. The one who gave me the title of momma. I am beyond excited and proud of my son and all that he has worked for and achieved. I am thrilled that he has found his lovely bride and will stand before his family and friends on Saturday and vow to share his life with Katie.

I find myself flooded with so many memories as we prepare to celebrate this big day. I think back to the day that we brought Zach home from the hospital. I think about spending every minute of every day of his first months of life. I remember saying to my family that at that point in his life I remembered every day that he’d been in the world. I wanted it to be like that forever. When he began walking and talking he would say the cutest things that I swore I would never forget. When I was pouring his milk he would say “Too nough, mommy.” I have never forgotten that sweet little face sharing his own sweet words.

As he grew older, the days became too many to remember every minute. The busyness of childhood and adolescence felt never ending with the countless practices and homework and uniform washing. Looking back now though, it went by in a blink. I am so very thankful for all of the memories that my son has given me over the years. And while I can’t recall each and every day that I have been blessed to be his momma, I do have so many amazing memories of him growing up. I can so easily recall the summer days when he would play football out in the street with the neighborhood kids, race Big Green Machines up and down the cul-de-sac, and play flashlight tag in the backyard. I have amazing memories of cheering on my son from the stands as he played football with all of his heart. There were out of town baseball tournaments with families who became lifelong friends. And I can never forget all of the mischief that Zach and his best friend since birth, Tyler, found themselves in. Like the time they thought it would be fun to see what happened when they threw grapes (an entire bag) at the ceiling fan. Or the time they thought it would be funny to cut the neighbor’s swings?!? Although I cannot remember every day, I realize that I am blessed with so many memories of being his momma.In 48 hours, my son will start the next phase of his life with his wife! He will begin creating his own memories as they build their new life together. We will spend the weekend celebrating their love and I know that the memories that we create this weekend will be added to the long list of memories that I cherish. So for now, I am enjoying this quiet time of reflection, recalling all of the joy that Zach has brought into my life an eagerly anticipating the weekend because the day has come.

Enjoy the Joy

julieannetaylor

Yesterday morning I began planning my future daughter-in-law’s bridal shower. (I tried out the new stories feature on here and shared that tidbit). My son, Zach and Katie will be married in September of this year. Zach is my oldest and my only son. He has always been a momma’s boy…but now he’s about to outgrow that title and become a husband. A husband to an amazing woman. When he was little I began praying for the woman who would become his wife. I have prayed for this young lady for many, many years. God answered in a BIG way and brought Katie into our world.

As I went through my day yesterday, the plans for the shower were on my mind. Katie has a very keen sense of style, and I want to give her a beautiful shower that matches her style. So all day, I was thinking about ways to create this perfect party. More than once – okay at least a dozen times – I was overwhelmed with emotion and began crying. I would find a picture that inspired the flowers, and then I would cry. I would think about sharing this time with Katie and all of our family, and then I would cry. I envisioned all of the smiles and laughs and pictures of that day, and I would cry.

Initially I was confused about these emotions that were bubbling under the surface. Were they sadness from the feelings of “losing” my son? Were they happy tears at the thought of having this special family time to celebrate Katie as a new member of our family? Did these tears come from a place of worry and anxiety about planning the perfect party for my son’s bride? I thought deeply about these emotions (its just what I do), and sorted them out in my head and in my heart. I think that may some of those tears were from each of the things I had thought, but the overwhelming and overpowering emotion I was feeling was pure JOY.

Joy was what was bubbling up from my head and my heart. There is no other word for what I am feeling as we prepare for my son’s wedding. Joy for the joining not only of two people but of two families! Joy at the thought of my daddy being the one who will perform the ceremony for his grandson and bride. And here’s the thing, joy feels good.

I am sure that as the day approaches for the shower and the ceremony, there will be some times of stress and maybe even some not so joyful emotions. I know that worry and anxiety may set in, but none of that will steal the joy of this very special time for our family!