The sands of time....

With 10 years between us,

it's easy to understand

how I could have felt motherly

towards him.

I remember him pulling up a chair

to the kitchen counter

and standing there watching me

make a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

A wide-eyed 8 year old boy

who took great delight

in my letting him crack an egg

or hold the mixer.

If I close my eyes

I can still see a

blonde haired little boy

with curious blue eyes

toddling around the house in

footed yellow pajamas.

These days I don't have to imagine too hard,

Jeremy's three year old son

looks so much like him

that those memories

are swimming around in my head

in happy circles

whenever Zane's eyes meet mine.

When I was a young mom,
setting up my first house,
Jeremy and sometimes Jason too
along with my mother
would come to spend Christmas
at my house in southeast Georgia.

I think we spent 7 Christmas seasons together
from the time I was 22 until I was 28.
Those were such precious times to me.
I looked forward to those visits
like life lines.
During that time in my life
David was deploying alot
and I had three little ones underfoot.

Many of those Christmas's would have been
spent alone with just me and the kids
if Jeremy, Jason and mom had not made the
effort to come to my house.
Jeremy was such a fun Uncle.
He'd throw my boys around endlessly
and allow them to completely dominate his
time and energy.

I knew then that he'd be an awesome dad.




I still remember the first time I met Ashley.

Jeremy brought her by my house
on the way back from a trip
they had taken in Northern Georgia.
I thought she was so beautiful
and Jeremy was clearly smitten.

I recall telling my mom that
I had met her and the only word
I could find to describe her was
"Fresh".

What I meant was that she was
like Spring.
So young and bright and full of color.
Her smile was genuine and her personality
was so bubbly.

I liked her immediately.




I was there at my mom's house
when Jeremy called to
say that he had asked Ashley to marry him.

They were young, like David and I were
when we started our lives together,
so I was quick to point out all of the benefits of
starting out young.

It's work, but it's well worth it.


It killed me to miss their wedding.
We had just moved to Southern California
the month before.
David had a special operations job
with the Navy
and simply could not take leave.

I couldn't afford the flight back for myself
plus three little ones,
so I sent my wishes in spirit.
I think I cried most of that day.






I still remember sitting out in my
driveway in Southern California
balling my eyes out
because I had just received
a phone call from Jeremy
telling me that I was going to be an Aunt!

I was so excited!!

Brendell was going to be about 2.5 years old
when Zane would be born,
so thoughts of her having a little buddy
was just so wonderful.






But, the Navy doesn't always allow
for your dreams to come true.
Unfortunately, Bren has never met Zane
that she can recall.
She was just too young
during our previous visits.

She knows who he is from photos
and we talk about him alot,
but as far as being buddies at this point
in their lives,
it just isn't feasible.

I did get to send my boys
down to Florida to visit
for a month last Summer.
They were able to form some
bonds with Zane
and they fell in love with him
on day one.

He's such a smart, fun little boy.
It's hard not to be totally intrigued
by him from the moment you meet him.

At three years old
Zane knows all of the names
of any type of fish we saw
while I was there.

We went to a seafood restaurant
where they had photos of
fish that had been caught
and sculptures of fish all around.

Jeremy asked Zane what one of them was.
Zane said, "A billfish!"
Jeremy told him to look closer
and he said, "Oh-Oh, that's a blue Maahh-lin!"
I asked him about another
and he said, "That's a Bali-hoooooo!"
And he was right!

Daddy is in the industry
so Zane gets it honestly.


And then along came Easton

and Zane became a big brother!




Two little boys!
Just like I had.
It is so easy for me to see myself
as a young mom
in Ashley.
She's so good with both her boys
and has all the same worries
I had with mine.
She feels like she's nursing 24/7
and is constantly exhausted
but in the same breath knows
she's doing what is best
and that keeps her going.
She's just incredible!
Ashley is a nurse/lactation consultant
and is going to school
so she can eventually teach nursing.
Like I said,
incredible!


My mom thinks that Easton
looks very much like my Zachary.
I can see it too.
It's amazing how
things like
eye shape and color,
the curve of an ear,
cheek structure and
the fullness of lips
can run through families
pretty strongly.


He's such a sweet baby.
He seems mellow and content
except when he's in a stationary car seat.
I hardly ever heard him cry just to cry.



Except maybe while he was
being forced to lay butt naked
on a chair outside of our beach house
just so Aunt Becky
could get
"The shot"!
Sorry little guy.
But look at that shot.
Your wife is gonna love it!



Just like I thought way back when
Jeremy would wrestle on the floor
with my boys for hours,
Jeremy is an amazing father.
He takes care of both boys and Ashley
with ease,
or what looks like ease.
He's always been a very caring, giving person
and he's the kind of guy
who just wants everyone else
to be comfortable.
I'm constantly amazed by him.



I was thrilled to be able
to capture some photographs
for them.
That is something that my heart continually longs for.
Being so far away makes it
impossible for me to
capture their lives through my lens
so while I was there,
I made sure to shoot as much as I could.


See what I mean about Ashley's smile?
It's just so bright and pretty.

My mom has made mention that she
hoped that Ashley's and Jeremy's kids would
have Ashley's mouth/smile.
I think Zane is close and
we'll see how Easton's little face changes as he grows.




For a very long time
Ashley and Jeremy knew that they
liked Easton for a first name,
but they just could not decide on
a middle name.
We threw everything at them.
Kai
Ryan
Zion (my mom's choice)
Samuel
Nathaniel



"Daniel" was in the running
for a little while.
Danielle is Ashley's middle name
so it kinda fit.
But for some reason,
it just never sounded right to them.


I think it was our brother Jason
who brought up "Fisher"
as a middle name.
It was an instant fit!
Jeremy is a fishing boat captain
and works in the industry as a rep
so it made perfect sense
that "Fisher" would be the middle name.
Easton Fisher.
I just love it!


And so Ashley and Jeremy's sweet story of
being a multi-child family
begins.
It will be quite a ride
full of lots of ups and downs.
Many joy-filled days await them
as well as days of doubt and fear,
but there is nothing like being a parent.
Nothing like holding a precious blend of creation
in your arms.
Nothing like investing your entire being into
another soul.



Nothing like being a mom.

Nothing like being a dad.





Nothing like being a big brother.




Nothing like being a family,
and......



Nothing like being an Aunt.
Two times over!!

**

(Scott....I put Buble back on top for you!

Muuuaahh! )

**