the thing about stuff is

that it's just that.....stuff.

For the past two and a half weeks, I wake up usually for a bathroom trip, but then when I'm trying to get comfy, that's when I start remembering the important things I can't get back.

For example:

Brenna's artwork (up until now, I pretty much had everything she ever made) from daycare and school. This just breaks my heart. The bright side is that she is only four and will have many more creative years ahead of her.

Brenna's little hospital shirt. You know, the really tiny ones they wear when they are newborns. I loved showing her the shirt and she loved to hear stories of how beautiful and tiny she was. I still have my pictures. HUGE miracle.

My first Mother's Day gift. It wasn't crazy expensive or lavish, it was a big sterling silver flower ring, and I loved it. I pretty wore this every day for the past three years. I picked it out at TJ Maxx on Mother's Day after we all went to breakfast at the diner. It was only like $14 but I loved it. And when Brenna was little she always loved to touch it and tried to put her entire mouth over it and that always made me laugh. Bless her heart. Here is a picture of me on my birthday (a week before the tree came down) wearing my notorious flower ring. (CLEARLY NOT A GOOD PICTURE OF ME)



Pictures that were on my mantle. Gone. On file somewhere, but they were favorites and I enjoyed seeing them everyday.

And then there are my creature comforts. Proof that I was a huge supporter of our economy. I loved to shop, more for bargains, I loved that score of getting something super cute or cool on sale. As a person who likes to gain a lesson from things like this, I know I won't be waisting money on stuff like that in the future. Knowing we have to start over, one room at a time is a daunting task, but I'm thinking I'll be buying from flea markets and consignment shops exclusively and keeping our new decor to a minimum. I had all this great stuff I hadn't even taken out of bags yet "waiting" for a time and a place. Well, I'll tell you - that time and place is now in a dumpster in my former front yard.

Another thing that I have reminded Jeno about are these William Sonoma stacking/nesting glass bowls we had. They were expensive, I think over a $100 but Jeno loved these bowls. There were like 12 of them. Jeno is the main cook and he likes his kitchen stuff organized and in tact. Over the last couple of months, those dang bowls were starting to get to heavy for me to lift when I had to put them away and a couple of times I just put what ever one I was putting away on top of the stack. (and it was usually the one we used time and time again so why bother right?)
For some reason, this would annoy Jeno to no end. A couple of arguments ensued over this stack of bowls too. The point of this story...........they were just bowls. They were here one second and gone the next. Not worth ever arguing about. He has promised to not sweat the small stuff ever again. I believe him.

Since it is now almost 6:00 I'm thinking I'll try and get back to sleep.

I'll be back with some cute pics of Brenna in the coming days.
Till then
xo
Chris