INDEPENDENCE DAY

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First off, I hope all of you have a wonderful Fourth of July celebration with family and friends.

Independence Day....picnics, watermelon, sparkers, fireworks, friends and family.

It also makes me stop to think of what that means to me as a mother of young children. I look at my kids and see how much they've grown up over the last year and yet they are still my babies. At 10 my daughter is quickly becoming a lovely, considerate young woman, a best friend and confidante. I love our moments chatting or just sitting together in the studio working on stuff together. And my identical twins! It seems like it was just yesterday that I had to color code their little socks to tell them apart quickly after they were first born.

Some days as a mother with young children, a business owner, a Waldorf handworks instructor and teacher-in-training taking classes, a house cleaner, a cook, a chauffeur, a gardener and a wife to my loving husband, I sometimes can feel a bit overwhelmed. Independence to take a peaceful nap seems a long lost luxury.

Yet, today as I sit reflect, I feel so blessed. I know that time goes by fast and soon my children will want their own independence, will want to fly the coop like our chickens here in the backyard. For now, I want to just sit quietly for a moment and cherish the freedom I have to love and be loved, the joys of sharing Dancing Rain Dolls with all of you around the world, the happiness of my life right now.

And just to help me remember these special days, I have a Mother's Memory book you can pick up used on Amazon for a penny (plus shipping)! Below is a nice page from it.

Many blessings,

Amy

PRIVATE THOUGHTS

Here is my recipe for a happy life; the ingredients are simple. First know yourself; you'll always know what to do next when difficulties arise. Second, live in the present; savor every minute because time is what we have least of. Third, never stop learning. One of the surprises of growing older is that the mind doesn't. Fourth, stay as wonderful as you are.

MY DREAMS FOR YOU:

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HOW YOU HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE:

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WHAT YOU'VE TAUGHT ME:

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WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM LIFE:

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