Category Archives: Family

Sunday Evening News!

I got a call from my dad tonight! He was worried about me and wanted to make sure that I was doing well!! Well, I am so glad he called, because I feel soooo much better after talking to him!!! He has a way of putting everything into perspective!! My dad has become a very VERY important part of my life, and I am not sure what I would ever do without him!!! Thank you, Daddy!! I thank God for you!!! 😉

I have a busy week ahead, but I am optimistic that it will be a productive week!! I have my i-pod ready to rock out to during my work days, I have our dinner menus planned, my life simplifying tasks written out, and I am going into tomorrow with the idea that it will be a fresh new day, and all of life’s BEST are possible!!!

With that said, I am going to go upstairs and read a little bit before bed!!

I love you, Daddy!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS evening! 😉

A Productive Sunday!

Good morning!

NORMALLY, I have a hard a fast rule about not working on Sunday! However, today I have to make an exception. I am sooooo far behind in my work, at work. Our team of 4 has diminished to essentially 2, and I am waaaaaay behind in my portion of the work. Being salaried does have it’s perks, but getting paid to work overtime isn’t one of them. SO, I am going to be heads down for a while today, and just work work work to get some of my tasks completed, so I don’t have to try and squeeze them in while I am dealing with all of the interruptions, and other fires to put out, so to speak!

As for my sis moving back to AZ, I think I have come to terms with that. Ok, well, at least I am no longer bawling about it!!! Her bravery has given me cause to take a look at myself and see what things I have possibly been settling with, and what changes Jason and I can make to get closer to where we want to be. Little farm, here we come!!! 😉

As for my simplicity project, I made a HUGE dent in my magazine collection yesterday!!! I am not sure I am ready to deal with what the appeal of having so many magazines are, why can’t I just up and recycle ALL OF THEM??? but i think I decreased it’s size by 1/4th and I am hoping to be able to say that I have decreased it by another 1/4th by the end of the week!!! I find that it is easier to deal with the stacks, if I just take a few out every day, instead of trying to deal with it all at once.

Talking about dealing with it all at once, I am planning on putting a HUGE box together to go to Goodwill this morning!! I know, how am I supposed to get all of this done if I am working??? I don’t know, I will figure it out. All I know, is that I am SO determined to get rid of all of the THINGS that are taking up to much space in my life, both literal and mental!!! I have been selling a lot of stuff on eBay, but it has been time consuming dealing with so many questions for buyers, packaging purchases, dealing with the post office, then having to  bend over backwards to make sure everyone is happy, just so they won’t give you a back review score. I am trying to decide if all that is worth it. Maybe, maybe not!! I will let you know what I end up deciding!!!

Anyway, onward and upward!!! I am off to go get my day started – and a late start it is, at that!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS day!!! 😉

Saturday of Decisions

I am not sure what to blog today, and I am not sure how long my PC is going to cooperate with me (I think it is on it’s last leg!), and I am a little blue this afternoon.

But…I guess the best place to start is that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE my family! I live for them. Some of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE people are family members. I am learning that there is a time and a place for every thing and every thing and every place has a time. So when my sis came over and told me that she had made the decision to move back to AZ with her kiddos, I was really, REALLY torn. Happy and sad, both at the same time. I really want her to be happy. Really, REALLY HAPPY!!! Having her here has brought such joy, and optimism into my life. She is like home. I am sooo HAPPY that she is making the right decisions for herself – she is worth taking care of!! But, I must confess, I will miss her TERRIBLY!! It makes me want to move out of Salem too. I feel like this is a sad, lonely, and closed minded town. Maybe changes are coming for us too???

The show I am watching mentions decisions like this:

“People don’t seem happy where they are, they are looking for something better. The grass is always greener on the other side. ”

My thou ghts are, sometimes you may have to plant your own grass! 😉

It goes on to say:

“Frogs symbolize new life, new transformation. The journey from tadpole to frog. That is what any of our life’s decisions are all about, trying to make sure that we don’t die as a tadpole, we want to become full-fledged frogs!”

LOL!!! Thanks, I needed that!!! I may have to get out my book, Who Moved My Cheese?.

Oh, and hey – I LOVE YOU, ALEX!!!!

Have a FABULOUS evening!! 😉

Mamma Mia!!

Have you ever wanted to step foot right inside of a movie??? I watched Mamma Mia with my sis, Alex, and I have to tell you – that movie NEVER gets old!!! Every time I watch it I can’t help but want to join in all the fun!

I just LOVE all the bright colors in this movie!! I was wondering what my place would look like if I were to use this movie as my MUSE to decorate… this is what I came up with:

That was fun!

Have a FABULOUS evening! 😉

Project Simplify!

Good morning!!

My mind is racing a bit this morning – I have A LOT of stuff to get done!! I just have to stop in my tracks and decide what is important to the big picture and what isn’t! As you may know, I have been really trying to simplify my life/home/work etc. etc. etc. Some of it is working BEAUTIFULLY and some of it is proving to be a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. You see, I have a sponsor child in Mozambique. I have been sponsoring her for about 2 1/2 years now and I try to write at least one letter to her every month. She has basically nothing, and lives in a one-room hut with her entire family; so when I write to her I am not supposed to comment about what we have, or give too many details about anything that might make her feel bad about not having much herself. That really wasn’t leaving me with too much to talk about and I was really having a hard time not repeating myself to her letter after letter – how often can you talk about the weather???

Anyway, about 6 months ago, while trying to come up with topics for my little girl’s letter, I made the realization that my life had become more about things and possessions then it did about people and experiences – that is what started me on this journey. I wanted to, and am currently working on transforming myself into a people focused, experience loving person!!! I finally understood that when I die, none of these ‘things’ are going to go with me, why had a placed so much importance in them???? So, that is where I am and how this whole journey came about!!!!

There had been some basic housekeeping-type duties that were falling by the wayside, and it was really starting to depress me, so I started looking for ways that I could make those weekly duties much more simplified!! What I came with, so far, looks something like this:

  • Make the bed and empty the dishwasher every morning
  • If needed, cycle the laundry as soon as I get home from work and then fold the clothes in bedroom, so that they can get put away right on the spot
  • Every evening set out clothes the night before to make getting ready in the morning a breeze
  • Tuesdays is the dogs’ bath day
  • Saturday mornings are cleaning mornings, including sweeping/ mopping/vacuuming floors, thorough cleaning of  bathrooms, and changing bedding
  • Sunday is cooking day: pre-prepare foods/meals/lunches to help make preparing meals a little quicker and easier (for example: making a large pot of veggie soups in handy to-go containers so that you can just grab and go for lunches)

So far this has been going really well, and has made it possible to get a lot more important/fun things done during the week!!! Spending more time with family and friends, and more time getting out there and LIVING MY LIFE!!!! 😉

Other, bigger, simplifying things I have been doing have been:

  • Getting rid of unwanted book
  • Magazines
  • DVDs
  • Purging old/unnecessary paperwork in my office/craft room
  • Deciding what craft supplies to keep/donate
  • What clothes/accessories/jewelry I wear/don’t wear
  • Really taking stock of what is important in my life and what is not

So far, not everything has been easy, but it has been worth it! I can’t wait to see where I end up with all of this, but I really want to get off of the materialistic rat race that I had seemed to stuck on. I think that is where my idea of living on a small farm stemmed from, and the more I dream about it, the more excited I get about actually winding up there!!!

As for now, my morning chores are done, and I am heading off to work!!!

Have a FABULOUS morning!!! 😉

I Just LOVE Swim Night!!

Let me repeat…I just LOVE swim night!!!

Nette, and the kids just left for the evening! I had so much fun swimming with them tonight! I almost didn’t make it since I had a raging bout of …er…well…uhm… let’s just say I had a stomach ache! HEE! HEE! HEE! *BLUSHING!* ANYWAY, I finally pulled myself together, got my bathing suit on, showered and headed into the pool!!! FUN! FUN! FUN!! Those kids are why I MUST get into shape!!! They are getting older, and they are so energetic! I want to be able to join them in some of their fun memories!!! I want to be able to keep up with them – I want to keep my status as a FUN AUNTIE!!!

I am tired and ready for a GREAT night of sleep!!! 😉

Have a FABULOUS night!!! 😉

Getting a Move On!!!

Good morning!

I have found my pep again this morning! WHOO! HOO!! I can see a good day coming on!! YEAH!!! I didn’t go to sleep any earlier than I had been ( I drank too much caffeine yesterday to actually go to sleep early), but I did get in bed for an extra long reading session by 9:30 last night – that always seems to recharge my batteries, so to speak!!!

Another thing that I think really contributed to my feeling of get-up-and-go syndrome is that Jason and I tried something new last night before heading upstairs! NO! Not that!!! 😉 We did a guided meditation together last night. I was rather impressed with it, really! It took less than 10 minutes, and after we were done I felt more relaxed, but also rejuvenated at the same time! Does anyone else out there meditate? What are your experiences with meditation? I would love to hear your stories in the comment section above! 🙂 Anyways, I am so motivated by that one experience, that I am wanting to try it again tonight, and see if I get the same effect as last night!!!

Also, I had been telling you that dreaming has been something that I have done my whole life, and I have found that within the last 2 years I really haven’t dreamed too much – at least not that I can remember, but I dreamed seemingly all night last night!!! They were GOOD dreams too!!!  HELLO, PATRICK SWAYZE!!!! YUM!!! 😉 That was SAH-WHEET!!! 😉 I am wondering if I can attribute that to the meditation too, or possibly the fact that I ate several smaller meals yesterday verses 3 big ones??? I will have to test that again too!!! 😉

On another note, it is swim night tonight, I HOPE!! I can’t wait to see Nette and her family, it has been over 2 weeks since we have spent any quality-time together! They just got back from Hawaii, and I can’t wait to hear how everything went, but I will be able to know if it was a good trip just by seeing Megan’s face!! She is sometimes like an open book!! MAN, I LOVE THAT LITTLE GIRL!!! I MISS YOU, MISS MEGGY!!! 😉 I found this picture of her when she was younger, and I JUST CAN’T BELIEVE HOW FAST SHE IS GROWING!! She is 7 going and 22 – she just wants so much to be a grown-up!!!

Well, I have got some business to attend to this morning! I am working on simplifying my life, and right now that means selling loads of stuff on eBay!!! It takes a lot of work, but I am LOVING the extra money that is coming in because of it! Money has been tight, and right now, every little bit helps!!!

I will write again this evening, and keep an eye out for today’s quote – I will be posting that sometimes later today too!!!

Until then,

Have a FABULOUS day! 😉

Back to Work Monday!!

Good morning!

I am up, showered, dressed, and ready to go face this new day!!! It is back to work for me this week, which is good! I am thankful that I was able to take time off (11 days, matter of fact!! WHOO! HOO!), but I am ready to get back to the office and see my office-mates again!!! I have missed you, Chris!!! 😉

Anyway, as for my 60 Day Life Makeover plan, I did take time out last night to not only plan my weekly goals, but my daily ones for this week as well!!! I have a lot of work to do, but I am excited to see the new me – I KNOW SHE IS IN HERE, JUST RARING TO GET OUT!!! 😉

My biggies for this week are:

  • Lose at least 2 pounds
  • Walk at LEAST 30 minutes each day
  • Go to church this week
  • Put an extra $100 into savings this week
  • Read at least 1/2 a book
  • Finish cleaning, organizing, purging the office

WHEW!!! I can do this, I just have to stay dedicated and focused!!! All of my 60 day goals help support me in getting my little farm – at least in some small way!!! I just have to visualize myself walking the trails on our farm, laughing with our visiting friends and family, or reaping the harvest from my little vegetable garden, and it gets me motivated all over again!!! I am so excited to think that that little farm could be less than 5 years away!! Less, if it is in God’s Will!! 😉

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:13

On another note: I slept GREAT last night! I could have slept a little longer, but that is what happens when you don’t make your sleeping schedule a priority while on vacation.

Talking about vacation…my sis, Nette, and her family just got back from their honeymoon/vacation in Hawaii! I can’t wait to see them and hear all about it. I know that they had fun, they did send us some pics while they were gone!! The pics were of Megan dangling her newly tanned little self from a bamboo tree, and Morgan and the guys were all looking like they were having fun snorkling!! I can’t wait to see you guys!!! 😉

Anyway, I am going to finish up getting ready to head out for work today! I know that today is going to be a MARVELOUS DAY!!! I can just feel it in my bones!!

Have a FABULOUS day!!!

My Vision Board!

Here is that vision board I had told you that I was wanting to put together…

Sorry for the blurriness – I tried something new, that didn’t work out as expected!!! but the gist of this board for me is that I want a simpler life that I can share with my husband, with a small farm, a sweetly chic country home, a child (or 2), and a home furnishing/accessories business. I am loving the idea of long walks out in nature, planting my own gardens, lazy afternoons spent up in the orchard picking fruits for jamming, and pies, and such, and room for friends and family to come over, replenish themselves and make some fun memories together!!! Ok, so I may be dreaming of a slice of the Barefoot Contessa’s life, but I sure there will be enough room for everyone!!!

I can see my future as clear as a bell – the trick now will be figuring out how to make it come to fruition!!

Wish me luck!! 😉

Fun! Fun! Fun!

Whew! Today has been a pretty good day!!

My sweetie and I went out to Goodwill and I picked up 3 books! We headed over for lunch, and had fun being silly and giggly all through lunch! We then went to St. Vincent de Pauls, then spent a couple of fun hours over at Border’s. After returning home, I went and took a nap and woke up just in time to have my sis, Alex, and the kiddos come over for dinner, a couple of games of Uno, and then off to swim and play in the pool, volleyball anyone???

Having fun all day can be tiresome!! Can I confide in you? I am waaay to young to be feeling this old!!! I have got to get back into shape – yes, I am in shape, if you counted ROUND as a shape!! This is so important to me. I have so many people who count on me being around, not mention I count on me to be around – for as long as possible! I don’t want to become a sad statistic!! Ok, that is enough of my sad-song!!!

As for my to-do list from today:

  • Blog – Done!
  • Track food – I can do this on the go, on my Blackberry – Nope
  • Drink at least 2 liters of water – Done!
  • Read for at least 1/2 an hour – Done!
  • Sort bills – Done!
  • Dinner & Swimming with Alex & the kiddos!!! – Done!
  • and last, but not least, GO HAVE SOME FUN!!!! – Done

I spent the past half an hour watching some cool tutorial videos on fashion and beauty. It made me curious about how to create a video of my own. Hmmm…maybe I will have to research that!! Like maybe a video journal of my 60 day life makeover!!! Could be cool!!

While I think on how to do that…

Have a FABULOUS evening!