Be and be not afraid

Some new pictures posted in "Finn Month 6" - I have been terrible about taking pictures but I'm trying to get better! Finn started rolling in both directions and is just such a happy baby. Liam is "thisclose" to reading - he's recognizing and spelling words all over the place, especially when he's in his carseat and we're driving down the street. Someone at his school must have told him he's smart, because he keeps telling me how smart he is :-) Both kids are adjusting well to the new school. Liam will move up to a new classroom in September, with other kids who will start Kindergarten in 2008 (I am not sure whether I'll start Liam in Kindergarten in 2008 or 2009 yet).

I was in a car accident yesterday; I was rear-ended and wrenched my neck. It's very sore today but x-rays didn't show any problems. I will certainly be sore for awhile. The kids, thank goodness, were not in the car with me. My car will be in the shop for awhile and I have to get new carseats. I have a sweet rental minivan in the meantime.

We are headed up north for a week to visit the Tapio side of the family. I always look forward to the relaxation. This year the family will get to meet Finn, what a treat for all of us! I love it when people meet my kids for the first time... it's like watching them fall in love! I will take lots of pictures and post here after the trip.

Finn and Liam are so lucky to have TWO great-grandmas and all of their grandparents still in their lives. I'm truly grateful for that. I've been sad that B's 2 grandmas both passed away fairly recently and never got to meet Liam or Finn in person.

I look forward to the day when Finn can meet his family overseas... I suppose I won't be there when it happens, as B will most likely take them over. But I'll still be glad when it happens.

I'm sooooooo sore... my neck is killing me and various other bits are overused as well. Yay for vacations and relaxation!

****

I believe in mistakes and accidents
That the nature of life is chaos and confusion
That man's rules of law and order may not stand
I should be and be not afraid to reach for heaven

I may think that I know the true heart's needs
My pride may bring me low, unable to see
No closer than yesterday, but tomorrow I may stand
Be and be not afraid to reach for heaven

I'll see the black car cavalcade, lights on in the morn
I'll run fast and far away, I'll run without stopping
Till heart and feet fail or until I can stand
Be and be not afraid
Be and be not afraid
Be and be not afraid to reach for heaven
-- Tracy Chapman

***

Darling don't you understand, I feel so ill at ease
The room is full of silence and it's getting hard to breathe
Take this guilded cage of pain and set me free
Take this overcoat of shame, it never did belong to me

It never did belong to me...

I need to go outside, I need to leave the smoke
'Cause I can't go on living in this same sick joke
It seems our lives have taken on a different kind of twist
Now that you have given me the perfect gift

You have given me the gift...

And we have fallen from our shelves
To face the truth about ourselves
And we have tumbled from our trees
Tumbled from our trees...

And I can almost...
I can almost hear the rain falling
Don't you know it feels so good
It feels so good...
So let's go out into the rain again
Just like we said we always would
-- Annie Lennox