Tear out the pages from books I had written of things I said I never would do.

The plans of life have withered away;

The details of our present, blossoming beauties.

Good riddance to failures, shortcomings, and slip-ups. 

Before us lies a mountain of dreaming

With no extra weight allowed in our sack.

Impossibility may become our sustenance

For what is adventure without fear and awe.

Growing and stretching muscles of trying.

Conquering castles and foraging forests.

We're explorers whose excursions never are ending.

And dreamers who live for the day after next.

No More Bland.

Please allow me to share a few life-changing, deeply personal thoughts.

I love my child.

Getting things done is overrated. Recording and remembering the beautiful stages of growth in another human is absolutely amazing and of great value. Words really cannot describe. In my personal journal I began a list of the things Hanley does that I especially enjoy of late. The list didn't seem to be ending, so I summed it up thus:

Life before baby was so bland. Of course there were challenges and joys, but the challenges were polite and gentle, like a Sit & Be Fit workout, and then came Tae Bo. And the joys were like raisins that some children are told are a dessert, until they are introduced to chocolate peanut butter ice cream.  Incomparable. Sweet Hanley has made all of life so grand.

Such sweetness.