Dear Easton....

I am just sitting in work mindlessly looking at facebook and there I see it. Brandy is going to have baby in 30 minutes. I immediately gasp and let out a similar sound to Meep. I run around the office telling everyone my new nephew is about to be born!!!!! Then I get the message from my mom. Baby Easton is born, eight pounds and eleven ounces. I ofcourse have to update everyone, then it all of a sudden hit me. I will not be able to see him until June. I was actually mid telling someone Easton's weight and I felt it coming. No no not here not now please dont, but when tears wanna come you just can't fight them. This is when times get hard and it hits home, or shall I say my heart. Missing out on these little precious moments. David will tell you I don't let on alot how much I miss home or when I am homesick. I unfortunately have over time built in my mind that one mustnt show weakness. Why or how I came to this conclusion beats me. So when I do get a moment of where I can't hide it, I don't know what to do or how to handle it. We shall just leave that at that and not get too personal.


Now I thought since I am missing out on these little moments. A card would only get put away with other cards in a corner forgotten or like me sometimes by accident thrown away, a text message can only be saved for so long, but the world wide web is pretty much forever. It's a footprint.

So on this day I'd like my virtual footprint to be this...

Dear Easton,

Welcome to this world. It seems surreal that you are here as when I last saw your mommy you were not even in the making yet. Your big brother Braxton was still crawling on the floor. Now he's not only walking but talking too. He phones me at work because he secretly misses me more than he likes to admit. I'm sure if he could he would tell you. :) You have two very amazing parents who have raised your big brother to already be the most intelligent two year old I know( and that's not me just being biased). They will raise you to be southern gentleman. Who knows whether you will support the Sooners or if Grandpa's influence on you rubs off and you become a Razorback, maybe you won't even support either. At the end of the day it won't matter who you support, if you play football like your dad or you play baseball like your mother played softball or neither, they will love and take care of you. Your mother not only has amazing mother capabilities but she is an amazing teacher who cares so much about little students so I know how extra special you will be to her; just like Braxton. I missed your first little entrance and I probably will miss a lot of the little firsts. I can't tell you how much this breaks my heart I am missing you and Braxton growing when the growing counts the most. I can guarantee you I'll always be here though and I'm always thinking about you and your brother. I can't wait to meet you in a few months, although by then you'll be a big boy. Please try and stay small and try not to do too much while I'm away :). I remember how much Braxton grew just in a weeks time. I am so happy you made it here safely and momma didn't have any problems either. I don't tell her enough how much I miss her. Please let her know for me. I know we haven't met but I can tell you I love you to bits already.

- Auntie Tanja.


Day 321 of 365:

Fact I cannot resist butter, brown sugar, flour and whatever else could go with it for more than probably 2 days. I love baking too much. As I literally have just typed that I smelt something. BURNT cookies. 

I usually hover in the kitchen checking the oven every 5 or so minutes. This time I walked away to blog and now I have charcoal for cookies. That indeed has never happened before. Rookie mistake. Guess my mind is elsewhere. 

As much as I love the mixing bowls and food processors; I am a sucker for handheld mixers. I'll tell you why. When I was a little girl I used to love baking with  my mom. Mixing was usually my job and I used to love watching the patterns that it made between the two paddles. Also when the speed needed to be turned up I used to try and impress my mom with my skills by holding the mixer with one hand. Which as you can imagine doesn't always lead to perfecttion; more like disaster. None the less my mom would always revive whatever we were making and it turned out delicious. This I think is why my mom has been so surprised at how much I bake and play in the kitchen. 

Take care everyone.