{this moment} on two continents! 29 November 2013

Each week my South African friend Vanessa and I post {this moment} on two continents! as a ritual to celebrate our friendship and the bond we share as we raise our boys "together" on opposite sides of the globe.

 

This week my baby turned two, and his big brother helped blow out his candles. - United States

Aidan giving his teddy 'Snowy' a hug and reading a cake recipe book to him... I heard him say 'ook - wowsers' (look - flowers) - South Africa

Aidan also snapped these awesome portraits of his parents using his mother's phone! He is quite the photographer.

Inspired by Soulemama - {this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo few photos - no words - some words :-) capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

{this moment} on two continents! 22 November 2013

Each week my South African friend Vanessa and I post {this moment} on two continents! as a ritual to celebrate our friendship and the bond we share as we raise our boys "together" on opposite sides of the globe.

Two years ago we were baking a cake and waiting for these babies to be born. What a journey it has been!  This week Ruben tried his push cycle with the neighborhood kids!  My baby is getting so big!

 Almost two - on a two wheeler!

 

This was one night this week when the boys "helped" in the kitchen as I prepared dinner. They were just doing a little hammering while I cooked. (Their energy and ability never ceases to amaze me!) - United States

On the other side of the globe little Aidan celebrated his birthday with a safari trek - and an elephant sighting!!

And then with some cake and a teddy bear tea party with family and friends! - South Africa

Inspired by Soulemama - {this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo few photos - no words - some words :-) capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

{this moment} on two continents! 15 November 2013

Each week my South African friend Vanessa and I post {this moment} on two continents! as a ritual to celebrate our friendship and the bond we share as we raise our boys "together" on opposite sides of the globe.

This week Vanessa and I  are both sharing pictures of our boys and their fathers.  I must say I think there is something magical about watching the man you love with your children. And it has occurred to me as we work together to raise our boys, that I found the most amazing role model for them in their father.  I love to step back at times and watch the adventures they enjoy together ~ my boys. <3

This weeks events included moving both our boys into the same bedroom (upon their request) and it has been quite a successful venture! Because the evening light is waning so early we usually get into our pajamas right after dinner and dive into books for our adventures. Here are my boys reading together in their new "big boy room." - Unites States

 

Aidan and his Dada crossing a stream after an adventure spent splashing and playing outside! Sean is proving that parenting can be quite the balancing act at times :-) - South Africa

Inspired by Soulemama - {this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo few photos - no words - some words :-) capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

{this moment} on two continents! 8 November 2013

Each week my South African friend Vanessa and I post {this moment} on two continents! as a ritual to celebrate our friendship and the bond we share as we raise our boys "together" on opposite sides of the globe.
Sacred days:

Celebrating the simple blessings of everyday life - United States

Our day was sacred in the way that everyday is sacred when you are alive.  It was a simple morning spent gathering firewood and kindling for the cold days ahead. The boys played (relatively) peacefully around me as I worked and gathered sticks and stones and "salad" in the form of mulberry leaves. 


Far away our friends revisited the The Dell at Kirstenbosch where Aidan had his blessing ceremony.

When he was a month old Sally wrote his name in blue corn that Aunty Alicia had sent us from Santa Fe for our wedding. Everyone put a heart shaped leaf around it to decorate the rock. The minister who married us in Cape Town performed a beautiful blessing ceremony for Aidan as we all sat along the stream from the spring.

When we arrived there yesterday, there was a hadeda ibis a few rocks away, preening. It wasn't bothered by our arrival and stayed for a long time before walking in the water, catching prey.
Aidan had a great time splashing and throwing mud about!


Inspired by Soulemama - {this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo few photos - no words - some words :-) capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

{this moment} on two continents! 1 November 2013

Each week my South African friend Vanessa and I post {this moment} on two continents! as a ritual to celebrate our friendship and the bond we share as we raise our boys "together" on opposite sides of the globe.

As fate may have it - Vanessa and I both took photos that were eerily similar in their subject matter this week - but the part that seemed even more symbiotic was the fact that this particular sunset held a very special place in my heart.  I went for a much needed walking meditation last Saturday; after a few long and arduous days waiting to hear the fate of a friend, and the outcome of the early birth of her precious daughter, I really needed some fresh air.  It was with great thanks, and a heart full of gratitude that I watched the sunset paint the sky pink on my walk.  As I wandered and cleared my head I found I was thinking about the fact that this little being just took her first breath, and was "looking to her first day," and that this was her first sunset of her first day in this life.  I feel so incredibly blessed to be part of her tribe and to have the opportunity to help teach her the wonders of the world we live in.  It was especially telling when the picture came through and I saw that Vanessa was also celebrating the sunset on the same day - somewhere far away - but so close in the same human experience, on this Earth and this gift we call life.
 

Pink sunset for baby Stella - United States

 Beautiful Kommetjie sunset - South Africa

Inspired by Soulemama - {this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo few photos - no words - some words :-) capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.