Dr. Seuss once said, “You never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” What stunning and poignant words. I’m trying desperately to catch each one, and hold on to it just long enough for an imprint to stay behind. To grasp all of the beautiful and wretched like my favorite old polaroids which always remain in my head, and never fade with the passing of time. There’s been so much life swirling inside this living of mine, and all I’ve been begging of myself is to write it down and remember. For too long. So here goes!
Some long sentiments, some short. Some light, some dark. Some weightless as a feather and some heavy as a wrecking ball. But I’d like to preserve it all in this form. And look back on it when I need to, when I want to. To show my babies. And tell a few stories. I hope you will find a little something here to stir up your head and heart, with a splash of solace and a dollop of joy on the side...
Thank you for being here!
motherhood
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We are wide awake, 3 weeks shy of ONE. Listening to the sights and sounds of life with her other 3 siblings that sometimes pick her up by the leg like she’s a Thanksgiving turkey, but we still have our limbs somehow. She is everything curious and happy. She is healing balm to the physically and emotionally weary (usually me!). She laughed for the first time a few weeks ago and I felt like I might die of joy, I’ve never seen happiness worn like this on a baby. She is changing the world one heart at a time with her smile, that holds more joy inside of it than any other smile I’ve ever seen. Georgie went to the airport a few weeks ago, and was a total rockstar in the lines and crowds everywhere. I asked the Lord to show us who needed to see her giant healing smile and to please intersect us with them. We had to be there at 4am for a flight and watching the exhausted people’s eyes absolutely light up when she looked at them was truly a beautiful sight. She finds pure joy in every human living, and I could tell for some of them it may have been a long time since someone had looked at them like that with such unfailing love and curiosity, and a giggle on the side.
Arlo says “Mommy, Georgia Gwace is the gweatest gift that Jesus ever gave us”, I think he’s spot on…
Tis’ the season… Kindergarten, 2nd and 3rd! Arlo’s shoes make me giggle, of course we didn’t have time in the back to school shuffle to properly measure his feet so we guessed and bought without sizing. They resemble the length of bozo the clown (I miss that show!) so I am headed back to properly measure his feet like a put together mother would, of course, who isn’t racing against the clock to skip out on a 45 second foot measuring process. Oh well we got adorable flags from @chereeberrypaper!!! And to my neighbor who has the margin every year for the chalkboard essay of height, weight, fave foods, grown up dreams, etc-oh and then immediately finds the picture from last year to compare the adorable height growth-Jesus bless your organized soul (@mattiesmithbrown all eyes on you damnit 🤣) I’m jealous, extremely so, but I love you and shall soon recover. I have no idea how much the girls have grown in 12 months and I realllly want to know. But I was just so dang ecstatic for them to agree to pigtails (I approached it incredibly cool, calm and collected somehow it worked), and overjoyed when every last rear was in the seat-wheels in motion. That will have to suffice for now! I hope you are off to a smooth start if you find yourself in this season, no big turbulence just yet, close to hitting 10,000 feet with the seatbelt light turned off, that moment is headed towards each of us-right?!?! Please Lord. ❤️ Saddle up mamas, homework has begun and we have suddenly and shockingly been robbed of our summer afternoons… #thecolemantrio
The Summer of 6,7,8 (and now 9 month old Georgia Grace of course) ❤️ It moved at lightning speed, with a few of those completely languid June days and stormy pajamas-all-day-days sprinkled in. There were endless episodes of playtime, argue over the tv time, siblings being besties, siblings being worsties, applesauce packs being tossed across the room for sustenance, roadtrip days, supposedly bored at home days, and all of things that come along with this many littles!
Lillie Mae went to her first 3 night camp at Strong River which was absolute heaven, while Stella went to Kings Camp in my beloved Mer Rouge, Louisiana. It’s tucked way back in the cedar swamps down a looooooong backroad and it’s pure unadulterated magic, where everything feels simple again. She loved it!
We spent time in Natchez and slept and sweltered under the Mississippi heat, visited 3 dog shelters there which the children LOVED, we had baby church naps with a burp cloth for cover (pic 7 is my fave), did cheer and softball camp, spent time in Fairhope where the girls re-organized ALL the stuffed animals at Fantasy Island, and everyone grew a crazy amount in height. We learned a few classic 90’s country songs for the first time-“Chattahoochee” and “Where the Green Grass Grows” have been blasting out of the speakers on repeat, with them quickly memorizing every word. The car clean out was never-ending. Sand and French fries and mini markers in every crevice, ahhh…life at its fullest. Somehow Stella June morphed into a tween, at 8 years old, proof in last pic! Why do they grow so fast? Who does it change so fast? Why must we endure the ever changing tides of time, so quickly? Why can’t each season linger for just a little bit longer, in the books they want to read-in life-in motherhood. Time spent with family and our little cousins was the most important, the days with our older loved ones being the most sacred. Our summer was spent out of hospitals or treatment centers or funeral homes. It was spent with healthy children who are beginning to soar, how lucky. These are the golden days. The crazy days. The never get them back days. The exhausting days. The ones we will pine for, soon enough 💫
Loved our couple days at the southern classic @grandhotelresort, hope everyone had a peaceful and lovely 4th of July! ❤️
They are the luckiest ❤️ @colemantime happy happy Father’s Day, I don’t take this one for granted for one second. We love your big generous heart, your immense artistic talents, your soundtracks to our lives, the refuge you offer these littles, and the man you have become through such a long and winding road. We love you deeply, and dearly💫 #familyof6
An absolute Montgomery classic, she has been revived and restored showcasing her finest qualities! A 5 bed/3.5 bath inside 3,916 square feet on a rare 0.9 acre lot! This gem was dreamed up and brought to life in 1939, on one of the prettiest streets in the city! I found her on a random drive by, and those renovation idea wheels started spinning immediately. This was a LONG and sometimes grueling project as a complete overhaul was needed over 12 months! Massive foundation work, a back staircase removed, laundry and built in coffee area added, 2 new bedrooms, new full bath-and a dreamy master bath built into the existing footprint, also completely new plumbing/electrical/hvac and the finest kitchen appliances you ever did see! Including the black and brass stove that is my forever love language from @lacornueusa 🤩
She welcomes you with a stunning curved staircase upon entry, a gracious living room with original molding, toile wallpaper and curtains in the dining room, and a dreamy pine clad room off the main living, with doors, so you can escape the noise and relax in cozy style! A chic downstairs powder bath will wow your guests, then you can mosey down a hallway full of built ins headed to the superb laundry room, and the ultimate kitchen (love the Dutch door!) to round out the downstairs. I’m a green girl and this kitchen is my favorite one I’ve ever had my hands on! A huge Jenn-Air fridge, built in Wolf coffee maker, Kitchen Aid ice maker/dishwasher/ built in microwave/second oven, brass pot filler, spacious farm sink, and storage for days cabinetry round out this cooking and entertaining haven! Upstairs you will find 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths including a marble steam shower and lovely soaking tub 🛁
We also added whole house water filtration to get rid of those water toxins and a whole house generator so this house will shine her beautiful light even if the power goes out! A beautiful one acre flat lot connected behind house is available for sale! Just a couple minutes drive to my favorite restaurants @chucksfishmontgomery, @burritolounge, and @dinosmgm just to name a few! Call or text Phelps Reid for showings! 334-320-7188 💫
Last day, then first day! We had no idea what to expect but everyone @trinitywildcats made us feel so welcome and right at home. Thank you to all the precious souls and direct from heaven teachers in Montgomery who wrapped your loving arms around us this school year, you know who you are! Farewell pre-k, 1st and 2nd ❤️ It was truly lovely, and thank you for the teacher grace when I wrote “I literally can’t figure this out” on the 1st grade math worksheet 🤣🤣 I’m getting a tutor for myself next school year, possibly a therapist also to work through my anxiety when trying to keep “group me” text threads organized for 3 little chickens. Jesus take the wheel for allllllll the classroom apps. I’m the worst there ever was and have asked the room moms (who are also direct from heaven) for forgiveness 🙏🏼 For everyone out there with one more school year under your belt, YOU can do anything your pretty little heart desires! YOU have all the necessary skills to run the world mama!!!!!! Happy Summer y’all!!! #thecolemantrio #herecomessummer
He is 74 today!!!!! At 74, my first wish is to be here-fully alive and truly living. My kiddos will be 41,40,39 and 33 when that day comes. I pray that they will be thriving, and will have settled into their life and passions. I also pray that I will be able to lift my leg as high as ol’ Bocephus without ripping a hamstring (see second pic). His life as a musician started on tour at 8 years old, and brought him alllll the way to his most recent show-last Saturday night where he played another sold out show for 12,000 hungry fans. There have been 70 million albums and I can’t imagine how many concerts after 60 years of touring. He still knows how to wow a crowd playing his guitar, fiddle and piano at every tour stop then blowing everyone’s mind with his acoustic set. The band leaves, it’s just his guitar and crazy powerful voice with the timeless words and melodies. Most of the legends don’t sound like they did in the 80’s, thanks to time-the ultimate thief, but his voice remains unchanged somehow. If you only know the radio hits-also try “Blues Man” written for my mom when @hilwill was 3 days old, try “All in Alabama”, “Feelin’ Better”, “Dixie on My Mind”-there is a plethora of good stuff! He keeps himself healthy with constant nature-loves hunting & fishing more than anyone I’ve ever seen, and taught us, and now his grandchildren, such respect for these practices and the animals involved. His venison chili is unlike any other!!! He was the star of the show at grandparent’s day, and loves every t ball game he can get to! We walked the darkest days of our lives together, when my sister died in a car crash 3 years ago. I’ve seen him at the very bottom, at the very top, and he remains the strongest man in the world, to me. His daddy died when he was 3, then began a journey of finding himself in the face of everyone else’s opinion about who he should be and how he should sing. He found his way, even more after the 500 ft mountain fall in 1975 that barely kept him alive, then his music began to thrive more than ever. The children know him as “Bebop”, y’all wish him a happy birthday ya hear! @officialhankjr we love you very much, and we are so grateful you’re here ❤️
These are the days of our lives. The first out of bed, not-a-hairbrush in sight picture of Arlo waking up to the big 6! Which means the Coleman trio have hit 6,7,8 with Georgia Grace nearing 8 months 💫 WHAT! It’s messy, it’s magic, it’s motherhood. How so many of you have this time to be killing it on the ole’ gram here has me bewildered. I’m lucky at this point if I have 6 minutes of silence between getting the last little to bed, & falling asleep while on first paragraph of a desired book. I wish all parents were guaranteed minimum 30 minutes each night of pure energy when the baby chickens are sleeping. Ya know?? I also have always dreamt of sleep being buy 1 get 1 free. Like, Jesus, when we do our body right and go to bed on time, and actually get in a rare full nights rest without miniatures waking us for 178 varying reasons-why can’t that one glorious 8 hour night bring us enough to get us through the NEXT night. So we can do what we want all night long. I think about this all the time, especially in the newborn days. Am I the only one? Anyways, these 4 adore each other. Plenty of losing their minds/voices from arguing, but at the end of the day when the sky starts to dim and their little bones begin to melt into their blankies, that’s when their love begins to illuminate. And it’s the most precious thing in the whole entire universe. We are good over here, I’m at t minus 7 hours of school left. Started the countdown at 105 hours, 15 days, and it kept me on track of ALL the things for summer prep and school year wrap-up. I have been dropping clothes that no longer fit on friends doorsteps, pile driving every broken marker and solo plastic Barbie leg in the trash, wiping down Colgate tubes and organizing orange crayons like an actual psycho. Poor @colemantime is a tad confused, but I keep telling him we’re preparing for battle, right? Summer 2023 is mere days away people, and our big kid naps are over. We have some plans/ideas up our sleeve. PLEASE tell me what yours are?! I would LOVE to know everyone else’s survive and thrive plan! We are the luckiest, remember that. What an honor this mama life is, & always will be, every minute we get living inside it…
