RIP Grandma Becky

Sadly on Monday, September 28, 2009 we lost a special family member. It was the great grandmother to my daughters on their dad's side of the family. I was a part of that family for many years, so I still considered her like a grandma to me as well. Her health had started to decline over the past couple of years, but let me say she was a tough cookie. She was hanging on even at the very end of her life. I went to visit her in the hospital last week. I never knew a week later I would be attending her funeral. I remember as I left the room, the last thing I said to her was "see you soon." I just did not know how soon, nor did I know she would be at peace the next time I saw her. She had 6 children so that alone explains what a remarkable person she was. As it was recently said to me, she was the rock that held the family together. And she certainly was. She will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved her. I am grateful I got to be a part of her life for years. I am glad my girls were a part of her life. I was reading her obituary today and it reads that she was preceded in death by her husband and one great-grandchild. That great-grandchild was the daughter I lost that went to be with God and the angels 6 years ago. I did not know it would appear in the obituary and it brought all of those feelings back as if it was just yesterday. I am sure Mindy Grace was right there to meet Grandma Becky at Heaven's Gates with open arms. Although we miss both of them tremendously, they are watching over us in Heaven and are no longer in pain. They are at peace and flying with angels wings watching over us from Above. May God be with the family and friends of Grandma Becky as we say our final goodbyes this week. She was a remarkable woman and we will all miss her dearly.

Remember to hug your loved ones a little tighter tonight. You just never know when that day is coming so count your blessings, and be grateful for all of God's wonderful gifts you have been given on this day and everyday you are blessed here on earth. Live happy, laugh often and love much because life is certainly too short not to do all of the above!

RIP Grandma Becky. We Love and Miss You!

Thank You Bob & Wagonteamster!

Better late then never, right? I have been a bit busy and not taken time to write this blog yet, but it's been coming on for awhile now! About 2 1/2 months ago the girls and I had a really neat experience ~ one of those things we can say we did it at least one time in our lives. My girls and I had the opportunity to ride with Bob Skelding from Wagonteamster. It was a really cool experience that we all three will remember for a very long time!

For anyone who follows my blog, you know that I have followed Wagonteamster for close to a year now. This man from New Hampshire took off with a team of 4 horses and travelled many miles. Trip #1 sadly ended in February when he was struck by a tanker semi in Alabama. Then after a few months of recovery, he got back on the road and took off again with a new team of 2 horses, Bob and Bill (yes, there is a horse with the same name as the driver). I was in quite shock that Bob recovered so quicky and got back on the dangerous road where he had nearly been killed a few months before. I admire his will and ability to keep going because that's what we should all do in life. It's just easier said than done at times for many people.

His travels started in Indiana on Trip #2 in June. He would update his daily travel with the current city and how many miles travelled each day. I followed his blog each day to see where the road took him the previous day. I certainly was excited when I saw he was heading my way again on this trip. I had always wanted to meet Bob Skelding, but never knew if I would have the chance or not. So on one Friday night while trying to make plans for the evening, I got wind that he was camped out in my city for the night. So we all loaded up in the car and headed to that destination. Upon arrival of the destination, to my gleeful eyes I did see were two big brown horses and a white and green wagon parked in its spot. It was Bob from Wagonteamster and I was going to meet him whether he liked it or not after months of following this man on the internet!

There he sat on the wagon just reading a newspaper. We pulled up in the car and I introduced myself to Bob and told him I had been stalking following his blog for awhile now. It was quite an exciting site to see the horses in their temporary electric fence. He flipped the power off on their electric fence and welcomed the girls to pet the horses. How awesome! Not only were we talking to Bob Skelding, but we also got to pet the horses and get to know Bob and Bill a little bit. At this point I was just happy to get pictures of the wagon and the horses with my girls in the same scene! So after petting the horses for a few minutes, my nosy inquisitive little daughter moved on to the next animal ~ the little poodle dog named Clementine.

My daughter made herself at home in Bob's lawnchair and wanted to hold the dog. So she got to do just that ~ she put 18 year old fragile little Clementine in her lap and held her. The dog just laid there without a flinch but you could tell she wasn't totally used to my overactive daughter wanting to love all over her. So after a few minutes of that, Clementine resumed her home in the wagon so she could get some much needed rest.

After a thousand a few questions I had for Bob, I was content with the fact we met him, the horses and had gotten some information about Wagonteamster. Bob was discussing his next day's route and I made the comment that I lived on a road that intersected that main highway he was going to be travelling on. The next thing that came out of Bob's mouth shocked me tremendously! I heard the words "well, if you girls want to ride in the wagon tomorrow, be at the end of your road around 9:00 or so in the morning and you can jump on the wagon for awhile." WOAH, back up, did I just hear that right?!?!?!?! Bob was offering the girls and I a ride in THE wagon called Wagonteamster. After cleaning my ears out and soaking in the information, I tried to control my excitement and calmly said "well that sounds like fun. Sure we can do that." Inside I was screaming OMG I get to ride on this wagon that has covered many miles across the US and has thousands of fans across the United States. No big deal, just another day on earth. Only this would be a moment in history the girls and I would always remember. So it was set ~ we would be passenegers on Wagonteamster the next day!

Now normally I would take advantage of sleeping in on a Saturday. But nope, not that day! I was up at the ass crack of dawn first gleam of sunlight getting ready for the big day. The girls were raring and excited to go as well. Bob called my cell phone (yes he actually called me!) to tell me his whereabouts and approximately what time he would be going by our area. Well I think the impatience wore over me because we all loaded up in the car and travelled down the highway til we found Bob. Then the girls and I bailed out of the car and hopped into the wagon and off we rolled down the highway!

I have to admit I was a bit nervous when we first got in the wagon. After all, this man was hit on a road in the previous wagon and lost two horses out of the tragedy. But as I always tell everyone, we never know when our time to leave this earth is. We cannot stop when that day will come, and if it was my time to go by riding in Wagonteamster, then I had to live with it. I admit it felt a little dangerous, but the longer we were in the wagon on the ride, the more comfortable it felt and the more at ease I became. Then the next thing I know, I was handed the driving reins and Bob told me to take over! Holy crap, I had never driven a horse in a wagon and I had no clue what I was doing but I figured it out real quick. That lasted a few minutes and when I couldn't take any more of that high stress situation, I handed the reins back over and let him take control again. The statistic in my head playing over and over was I didn't want to be responsible for an accident while I was in charge of driving Wagonteamster, nope no way!

I think total time we were on the wagon was probably 3 hours or so. We had to stop every couple of miles and let the horses have a break and rest for a moment. Bob was even generous to offer the girls and I breakfast and lunch. So not only were we getting a free ride in the wagon, he was playing host and trying to feed us as well. Well, my oldest daughter and I kindly declined the offer but my little one who has no fear took him right up on that offer! She ate whatever he gave her and didn't think twice about it. My non shy daughter was happy as a lark getting to ride in the wagon and eat snacks along the way. That was cool stuff now!

The longest break we took was when we stopped for lunch along the road. Bob and Bill got unhitched from the wagon and tied to the side of the wagon to enjoy some oats and a hay snack. Well, the inside of the wagon is not very big and by the time you get 2 kids, 2 adults and a dog on the inside, there isn't much room to move around. The best part about stopping for lunch was the "earthquake" we all felt. Bill would take his head and run it against the side of the wagon and rub it against as if he was going to push it over. It was pretty cool to be standing in the wagon and feel the earthquake shaking it from side to side! Bob would yell at the horse to stop and my girls picked up on that real quick. They were trying to discipline the horse before the day was over!

I thought the wagon ride was awesome and I'm glad I had the opportunity to take that couple hour trip on Wagonteamster. Bob definitely has a different lifestyle than the average person. That wagon is his home; he literally lives in his wagon almost 24/7. He does have kind folks who offer him a meal or place to stay along the way, but he is truly on his own with those two horses. However, after talking to Bob, I learned alot of things. He absolutely loves that lifestyle and wouldn't have it any other way. He loves the freedom to go where he wants, whenever he wants, and often times does not even have a certain destination in mind. In fact my daughter asked him a couple of times "are we there yet?" and his response was "Where are we going?" That was a classic and perfect answer to her question coming from Bob. He has certain places he wants to visit or see, but no timeline to arrive somewhere, and really no agenda when he gets there. He just rolls with life as it comes and lives day to day. That is exactly what I do in my life every single day!

I still admire Bob for his accomplishments and lifestyle he has chosen. I thought the first couple hours were neat on the wagon, but I personally could not live off of a wagon all the time. It wouldn't hold all the necessary things I would need to survive! He is on a trip of a lifetime and Lord only knows where he will end up. Do I think he is a very interesting person? Yes. Do I think he is a little crazy for travelling on the road after his accident? Yes, but that is his passion. And I commend him for living his dream and going after what makes him happy. Not many people have enough guts to fully pursue their dreams, but Bob Skelding is living proof that it can happen, even regardless of the setbacks he has had along the journey. He had some hard times along the first trip, (gee, he was almost killed, that would be enough for me!), but he got right back up, dusted himself off, and took off doing what he loves to do. I think it's awesome he had the courage to do that. I do hope and pray he has a safe journey while he travels on the road.

The latest update on Bob is he went to Michigan, and then back to his home base. He is writing a couple of books and plans on having them published within the next few weeks. Then he will be back in the wagon and headed south again. I pray for his safe journey when he sets out on the road again. He is pretty gutsy enduring some of the dangers along the way that he does; but that is the life he loves. Thank you Bob for the ride in Wagonteamster and for the excellent conversation! It was well worth the time the girls and I got to spend on the wagon getting to know Bob and the horses as well. Please keep Bob in your prayers when he ventures back on the road. For God only knows I never want to have to write another Wagonteamster tragedy story. Good luck to Bob and Bob and Bill ~ and remember "Hoss Make Tracks" as he always tells his horses those very words to make them move forward. May God watch over you all and keep you safe in your journey on the road of life!

The girls getting to meet the horses

My little one trying to climb in the wagon

Bob & Bill during lunch break

Me & the girls riding in the wagon



The view from the wagon on the road

At the Backing Down Point

"Backing down doesn’t always mean that you’re giving up but you know when enough is enough."

This quote was e-mailed to me today. The sender is referring to a certain situation that has been going on long enough. A situation that has created so much drama and gossip and hard feelings that so many people are ready to throw their hands up and just walk away from the situation. There are so many good people involved, so many smart people who if they would just put their heads together instead of work against each other would gain so much ground and solve the problems that have grown over a period of time. I do believe there it a solution to the problem, but all involved must be willing to look ahead and forgive others for past mistakes and let the hurt feelings go. Basically, everyone would have to focus on the future, leave the past in the past, and work together to create a better solution then the current one.

I love the blog I wrote a few weeks ago about how we are the only ones that know when enough is enough. That blog was not written about one particular thing, but the point is only you, I, and every individual person in this world can make the decision that enough is enough. It could be about anything in life ~ relationships, a job, a friendship, a marriage, anything material we are not happy with, problems we have, issues we don't want to deal with, anything really.

Sometimes we deal with something so long, or we are so caught up in a certain situation or a certain person that it begins to consume our every thought. We do not want it to, but it happens if we allow it to. We have two different options when this happens: 1) we sit back and do nothing and allow the problem or situation to grow into a bigger monster or 2) we take control of the situation and figure out a solution to the problem or thing we cannot get off our mind.

Often times people are so wrapped up in the situation they want to win, win, win. Too many people in today's world think they are right and won't accept the fact that not everyone else agrees with their opinion. When you get a group of people like this together, it's not usually a pretty picture. Too many strong headed people trying to do things their own way will eventually come to a crash landing. There must be compromise when working with other people to get the best end result. This is also true in relationships with other people; it is a give and take situation. You may not always agree with everyone else, but remember this ~ they may not agree with you either. That is when you put your ideas together and come up with one big happy medium that everyone can live with. This is obviously much easier said than done, but it is obtainable.

It is obtainable if you want it to be. This involves people getting off their high horse and coming down off their pedestals they believe they should be perched highly on. It involves caving just a little bit to obtain a reasonable solution. This in no way giving up what you believe in or sacrificing your beliefs and morals. But if you stand your ground like a concrete statue, you will be the one that loses out in the long run. People like this eventually lose close friends, lose acquaintances, and genuinely make themselves look like a standing idiot after so much time passes. Once the damage has been done, there is no going back and trying to undo the damage. There is only looking ahead and making the best of the situation and trying to find some kind of repair and solution to the problem.

So if you have a situation in life that you would like resolved, you have to decide what actions you are willing to take to make it better. And maybe you aren't willing to compromise and work towards a solution. And if you are at that point, then that is when enough is enough, and it's time to walk away from it. Sometimes we beat a dead horse on trying to solve a problem or come up with some kind of a solution. But the same old stubborn people won't compromise or some people say one thing while doing another which obviously complicates the situation more. This happens entirely too much in this world. This is why relationships break apart, people lose friends, and people grow to hate one another.

Life is too short for drama, fighting, and having hate for another person or people. If something is not worth the trouble it causes in your life, then maybe it's time to throw in the towel and walk away. Or maybe it's time to stand up and fight for what you believe is right. If you know that the something or someone you have issues with is worth fighting for, then do it. But if you decide that enough is enough and you are tired of the drama, then get rid of the bad stuff in your life. Often times if people work together, they can come up with a solution and a compromise of some kind to benefit all involved. But then other times, people cannot back down from their pride enough to find the answers. I do not have all the answers all the time; I'll be the first to admit it. But I do know right from wrong, and when something isn't in perfect harmony. There have been some things worth saving in my life, and others things I have had to let go. And some things I have let go of were hard to release from my grasp, but it was for the best. As I always say, life is what we make of it. We can sit back and watch it roll by or we can jump on and enjoy the ride. Regardless, make the most of everyday! Don't let other people run your life, but don't be so stubborn you miss out on life either. Life is about compromise and without that, we cannot live life to the fullest.

So remember don't lose sight of lessons in life, but also don't let things run your life into the ground. Know when enough is enough and stand your ground for the sake of yourself and others. You will be much happier when you know you have done all you can, and that you have done the right thing. And if you have tried backing down and compromising to no avail, maybe it's time to walk away. Know when enough is enough, and how much you are willing to tolerate. Then take action one way or another. Good luck in all tough situations on your journey of life; they sure come too often in the world today!

Farewell to Guiding Light (GL)

I received an interesting email earlier in the week. It was from cbs.com and it talked about how the light was fading this week. I don't always read these emails but this one caught my eye and I opened it to find out that my absolute favorite soap opera Guiding Light will air its final episode on Friday, September 18. I admit I used to be addicted to this soap opera. I think I got hooked on it when I was 11 years old. I would get off the bus at 3:15 and have to kill time until my mother got home from work so TV was my relaxation station! I quickly learned the characters names, the plots, the storylines, who was related to who, the whole nine yards. Maybe that sounds like a young age to get addicted to a soap, but hey, it can happen. Then when I graduated from high school and went to college and then started working a full time job, some days I had to MISS it. That was just devastating to me! But luckily I had the internet to read the daily updates and my handy dandy old VCR to tape it so I could watch it at night.

Let me tell ya'll ~ that was the best thing ever. An hour at the end of the day to sit down and watch my soap and catch up on the daily drama and gossip of the fake world of Guiding Light. My ex husband hated the fact I watched that every single day, but that was something he had no say so in. My soap was my friend and I was going to watch it no matter if I had to stay up til midnight to do so! With all that stated, let me say that whole scenario took place in the olden days. Wow, olden days makes me sound so OLD. I am not old yet, but I start to feel my age more and more as time goes on and I watch my kids grow!

So fast forward to current life scenario... I have not actually sat down and watched an entire full episode of Guiding Light in probably 3 years. Maybe it's the fact I had more than one child and couldn't just trust both of them to be good for an hour. Or maybe it's the fact I had less time in my day because I was working longer hours and getting home later. Or maybe it was the fact I weaned myself from that addiction and realized my whole life would not crumble if I didn't watch my soap for a day. Eventually over time, I found myself watching the show less and less. And thank heavens for the internet because I could still catch the daily grind on the daily update. But then again, that was a normal habit even when I was religiously watching my GL on a daily basis. I would read the daily update the morning after just to make sure I didn't miss anything while watching it! Sounds silly, but yes, that would be me that did that.

Even though I haven't kept completely up to date on the latest drama and gossip of GL these past few years, it highly saddens me to see the light fade off the air. Often times women get so wrapped up in their soaps, but that is our way of escaping reality for a bit. It's like following someone else's life, even if the show is fiction and the characters are paid to act on the show. We all have certain shows that we like to watch or can become addicted to if we are not careful. Some people are television junkies, or movie addicts. No matter what type of show it is, we all have our favorite show we can watch and escape from our busy lives for a few moments to see what happens next. And maybe it's not even a TV show we watch. I have a couple blogs I love to follow for my daily entertainment. So whether you have a favorite tv show you watch all the time, a movie you watch over and over, or a blog your read periodically, imagine if that was deleted out of your life. It would be sad, but you would have to get over it!

And that is what I am working on ~ getting over the fact my soap is being murdered pulled off the television airwaves permanently. After 72 years of being on the radio and television, hundreds of actors that filled various character slots over the years, countless hours of hard work, and friendships that will remain a lifetime, Guiding Light has seen its final days. I am growing to accept this news, and it helps that I haven't watched it on a daily basis for the past couple of years. Even though this is just a tv show or a soap to some people, there are others who will take this news to heart and be extremely hurt or upset over the ending of this show. Some women get their daily fix on watching this show everyday. I have even known some men that were addicted to this show! Yes it is just a show, but remember everyone has their passion and to someone out there, GL is their passion.

God never closes one door without opening another. Even though the doors are being closed on GL, I have faith that life will go on for all actors, everyone involved with producing the show, and all of the GL fans out there. Life will go on and changes occur because that is what happens. GL fans will have to find another soap to be addicted to, or some will kick TV to the curb for good from some of the fans' comments I have read. Life can't always be a bowl of cherries all the time, we have to encounter things we don't like. I will end this by saying I will be sad to see GL go, but when it's time, it's time. And obviously it was time for GL to come to a conclusion. Good luck to all the actors and all involved with Guiding Light. Thank you for the many memories, the happy moments, the moments that made me cry, the shocking moments, the scary moments, and so on. I pray that each of these characters finds a new and inspiring place in life, and that they fly to places they have never been. Guiding Light will be missed by all; but when it's time to let go, we must let go and move on. Thanks again for the memories; and may the light shine forever...

Self Esteem is So Important

Let's talk about self esteem today. Self esteem is the way one looks at himself or herself; in other words how much confidence a person has about oneself. Self esteem seems to be a problem with many people in today's society. We all have hard times in which we allow our self esteem to be lowered to the ground. And we also have those grand and spectacular moments that build our self esteem through the roof. Many people are hard on themselves when things do not roll in their favor. They blame themselves for problems in their life, regardless of whether they created them, or if they were formed by an uncontrollable source.

It is extremely important to have a sense of good self esteem in today's world. Let's face it ~ this life and this world is hard sometimes. Especially with the economy the way it is today; life just gets rough at times. But if we are confident enough in ourselves, we will make it through whatever life throws at us. We have to remember we all the option to choose how we look at situations and things that come into our life. And if we can maintain a high level of self esteem, we will move forward without a flinch and deal with life's hardships head on. And we should never build our self esteem on what is happening in our life. We need to have confidence and trust in ourselves that we can get through even the most gloomiest situations.

Self esteem comes from knowing our self worth. I will say that some people think way too highly of themselves. You all know someone who falls into this category. They think their sh** doesn't stink and they are better than you and everyone else they know. Aw, yes, the overly confident, arrogant pricks we all LOVE to deal with. I have dealt with these kinds of people at work, in a store full of strangers, and even relationships I have had. They make life such a joy and everyone around them jumps at the chance to talk to them. Gotta love these arrogant jerks!

Then on the other end of the spectrum comes the people who don't have any self esteem or very little confidence in themselves. You all also know someone like this as well. No matter what you say or do to the person, they are always down, moping around and depressed about life alot of times. These people want to bring everyone else down with them and usually have a damper on your mood, even if you try not to allow it. Not to sound harsh, but I have no room for these types of people in my life! If someone can't have enough self confidence to know they are important in this world, then they have issues. And I would immediately pray for them and ask the Lord to lift them out of their hole they have buried themselves in. I would always try to help someone in this position if I could, however, I would not allow that person to drag me down with them.

Then there is the average crowd who has confidence in themselves, just not as much as they should at times. Each and every person should know that God created them for a reason and they do have a purpose. We do not always know that purpose but with prayer and guidance, we will find out our purpose when the time is right. When we understand the fact we need to have good self esteem about ourselves, we will live a happier and healthier life. We will begin to see things in a new light, and we will begin to see the overall picture about how we were created, and that we were created for a reason that only the Lord knows. God never makes a mistake when he creates a human being, but it's up to that human being to figure out what he or she is meant to do in this lifetime.

There are many things that can kick our self esteem to the curb. Some things that come to mind our divorce, death of a loved one, loss of a job, loss of a house, financial troubles, there are many things that have a negative impact on our life. BUT with that said, we must not let those bad things of life beat us down and keep us there. We all have struggles and hardships in life, but in order to overcome those hard times and build ourselves back up, we must walk through the storm and move on. And if we can do that, be assured you are doing exactly what God wants you to do. Have enough confidence in yourself and tell yourself that you can get through the rough times; that, ladies and gentleman, is living life to the fullest and learning along the road of life!

If you are struggling with difficult times in your life, or a hard situation that happened it the past, my advice to you is to let it go. Read those 3 words again ~ Let It Go. Let go of it, give it to the Lord and He will help you overcome your hardship. God does not want us to be down; He wants to help lift us up in life. He wants us to be happy and floating in the clouds as much as we possibly can. Now this theory is not possible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but we can choose to look at the bright side of the situation. The Lord wants us to know our self worth so that we can stand our ground on things that are important to us, and to stand up for what we believe in. People, things and situations can bring us down if we let them. But if we can stand our ground and tell ourselves we will be confident and trust in the Lord at all times, we will have high self esteem!

My challenge to you is this ~ if you are feeling sad or lonely or upset about something, know that those feelings are ok. However, DO NOT let those feelings overtake your life and turn you into someone you are not. My heart breaks for those who do not have much self confidence and try to overcompensate for it. If you have little or no self esteem, pretty soon you will become a person that you do not want to be, a person you do not even know, and a person that no one else wants to associate with either. You potentially lose good friendships or lose out on the opportunity to discover new people, places and things in life because you are so caught up in your self pity and low self esteem. Again, if you find yourself feeling down about something, do what it takes to get rid of those feelings until you feel good about yourself again. Confide in friends or family that you can trust, keep those negative people out of your life that want to keep you down, see a counselor, seek new friends who can relate to your situation, do something to help yourself. Because you are the only who can decide when you need a confidence boost or want to drag yourself out of the rut you have let yourself crawl into. I pray for anyone who has low self esteem today, that they would learn that they are worth alot in this world. That they are loved by people on this earth and by the Lord. That each person has a purpose on this earth and a reason to live. Sometimes even the most kindest hearted wonderful people fall into this category and become someone no one wants to be around after time passes. It's truly sad, but it happens. So remember to pray for the Lord to give you confidence, help others when you can, and be a good role model for others. You will appreciate the fact you did when you know you have positive self worth at the end of the day!

Preschool is Here Folks!

Wednesday, September 9 marked a big day in our household. The "baby" of the household has decided to grow up on me and enter the big world of... oh give me a minute... pp... pre.... presc... preschool! There I said it and be proud of me, I'm not even bawling my eyes out! Yes, my little one is not really a baby anymore. And I am growing to accept that, day by day...

We have been talking about preschool for months since she was registered back in the spring. She was SOO excited about going until about 2 weeks before. Then all of a sudden she informed me that she was not going to go to preschool. I said oh, by golly, yes you are my little darling! Even up til the night before, she was determined she did not have to go to preschool on her big day. So after a good night's sleep, we all rose up with the sun to get going for the day. All of a sudden she was excited and nervous all at the same time. Now of course the first day of school is always a big deal around our house ~ the first day of school pic, the first day of school jitters, etc. And since this was really the FIRST day of any kind of school for my little one, it was a really special day. So after rolling out of bed, we fought like cats and dogs over what she would wear picked out her clothes for the day. She wanted to wear her Harley Davidson shirt and I wanted her to wear a really pretty stylish fashionable shirt that I got her for Christmas last year. She started screaming that the shirt made her itch and it wasn't comfortable, and she wasn't wearing that to school. So after some compromise, she agreed to wear the shirt to school and could change when she got home. Nothing against Harleys, but I wasn't about to have the first day ever school pic contain the Harley Davidson symbol in the snapshot!

So after we decided on the clothes, next came the hair. She has a thing lately about wanting to leave her hair down. all. the. time. That's just not quite up my alley since the hair that she wants down. all. the. time. is in her face. all. the. time. Get my drift? Uh not happening in my house! No hair in the eyes, nope no thank you. Especially on the first day of preschool! So she finally let me braid the top part of it after explaining to her a million times that a headband would not do the trick that day after discussing different hairdos we could try. So all was well with the clothes and the hair, we were ready to get some breakfast. Then after all that was done, it was time for the big moment... First Day Pics! Oh what a joy! My girls just absolutely hate the fact their mom is a big camera freak love the fact I make them stand and smile each year for that photo. It's their favorite time of year, really!

So out to the front yard we went to get that pretty pic. It was a chilly morning and trying to explain to my 4 year old to smile while standing there in her shorts and short sleeve shirt was a bit challenging, but I did manage to get a few grins out of her! All went well with the pics and I was actually pleased at how some of them turned out. Then it was time to put sissy on the bus and leave for the big old preschool trip. And that's exactly what we did. Off to the car, a last minute run to Wally World for one thing we missed on the list, and wallah, we arrived at school early and ready to take on the preschool world.

We were greeted by a parking lot full of cars and a 10 mile long people line at the door waiting to get in. She jumped out of the car, backpack on her back, walking all high and mighty and proud and ready to get into that preschool. Then about 20 steps later, she stops and informs me her backpack is too heavy and she cannot carry it. So like the good mom that I am, I hiked it up on my shoulder and off again we rolled towards the line. Then we went through the line, got our pic taken again, and went in for an orientation meeting. Imagine a huge room full of people and half of that population consists of 3 & 4 year old children. Kinda hard to keep an attention span and the noise level down when that is the case. But we mustered through it and kept our ears wide open. Then it was downstairs to meet the classroom she would be spending the year in. All went fine and dandy and you know the biggest surprise of all? I didn't even cry! The baby of the family went to preschool, and I didn't even tear up?!?! All I can say I was told that morning not to cry by a couple friends and maybe it stuck with me LOL. I don't know, but I did better than I thought I would!

So far she is off to a great year and I am so proud of her. She marches right in like a trooper and is glad to see me or Granny when she gets picked up. She has this little star that whoever picks her up must have. I believe Granny's words the other day was she was going to forget the star and poor little one wouldn't be allowed to be picked up. Funny, funny, NOT! I know Granny wouldn't let that happen to cute little JB. However, it makes me wonder what things they are really teaching at preschool. Hence, the events of yesterday...

Little one woke up and the first thing out of her mouth was she was going to go to college when she grew up. Ok, that's great and I'm glad she is already thinking that at her age! Again, that was first thing in the morning. She must hear us talk about my brother going to college and that is sticking in her mind lately. Then as I am tucking her in bed last night, she asks me a question from out of the blue. It blew me out of the water tremendously. She looked at me in the most serious tone and asked me how babies were born. Then she asked if the tummy opened up and let the babies out. It took me a couple minutes to absorb the questions I was presented with. So I kind of agreed with it and then the next thing out of her mouth made me about pee my pants. She asked if I would hold her baby while she was in college. My only response was let's hope you don't have a baby by the time you're in college, but if you do, then yes, I will help you with it. So in less than a week of starting preschool, she is talking about college and having babies. Wow, I really have no words. Let's just hope her thoughts slow down as she ages. Seriously, what 4 year old thinks about college and having babies all in the same day?!?! Only my sweet little angel that says the most random things. My baby that is growing up before my eyes. The little gift from God that I was blessed with over 4 years ago...

Good luck to my little JB this year in preschool! I know you will do a great job. Mommy loves you baby girl!

Life's About Learning

I always say that life is a learning experience everyday. I believe we can learn something new every single day we are on this earth. Some days we learn alot and some days we don't learn much, but we can still increase our knowledge just a little each day. What is important about learning new things is how we apply those things to our life. Sometimes we learn about life's experiences, sometimes we learn how to do something new, sometimes we learn new information, there is always something we can learn if we allow ourselves that privilege. But we must take life's new knowledge and retain it and use it to our benefit in the future.

I am always learning new things in my job, new information from my kids, how things are processed, how this is different from that, and so on. I love to learn new information, whether it's something that can I can benefit from, or something I will use later down the road. I also love to learn about people; people are always interesting to learn about. Even our friends we have had for a lifetime can teach us things we never knew. And new people that we encounter along the road of life. I have truly been blessed to learn alot about people in the last year. It has been a people learning experience for me and I have loved every minute of it! I have also learned to read people pretty well. Sometimes I am not always right on target, and sometimes I have someone figured out to a T before I even really know them. Either way, I always make the learning experience a fun one because that's the way I choose to look at it!

Not only can we learn about people, but we are always learning to do something new. We can learn a new task each day if we put our minds to it. There are some days we learn how to do alot at one time. A first day on a new job is a good example. We enter unknown territory and learn as we roll through the day. And after we learn what is expected of us, then things get easier as time progresses. The same goes for new places and new territory. We can quickly learn what other places are like and gain some knowledge about how different operations work. We just have to take the initiative and make the effort to learn and our minds can be fulfilled with new knowledge!

Regardless of what goes on in our life on a daily basis, always remember there is something that can be learned and applied to your life every single day. Sometimes we receive new information we have waited a long time to hear. Other times we receive information that we are devastated to hear. Either way, take what information or new tasks you learn and do something with it. Apply new knowledge or info to your life in some way, shape or form. Learn from your experiences bad and good. Remember what you had to encounter to learn new things along the road of life. Always treasure the memories of good times in your life. And on the flip side, you cannot always take the bad memories of life, stuff them in a box and bury it. Eventually those bad memories or bad things that happened to you come back one way or another. Sometimes we go through something so bad that we want lock it away and throw away the key forever. If this happens to you, pray that God takes those burdens away from you and makes you a better person because of what you went through. Life is not always easy, but it can be if we make it. We can choose to learn something everyday through our life's experiences. But we must apply what we learn along the way to make our future brighter. We cannot change the past; therefore we must look ahead and move on. I still strongly believe in the living day by day theory, and that is EXACTLY what I do every day. I live my life for the here and now and appreciate life's little learning experiences along the way.

I always use a certain phrase and I recently saw this same phrase repeated so many times I couldn't count. It's a very simple statement ~ "Live Well. Love Happy. Laugh Often." Those six little words are very powerful if you read them and apply them to your life. Live well so that you can gain the most life while you are here on this earth. Love happy because love should always be cheerful and make you happy. And laugh often because laughter is good for the heart and soul. If you can do these three things, you will be much happier in life, and you will learn more along life's trail of living. So I pray this for each person ~ if you are not learning something new each day while living, then I pray that this changes. Learning is a wonderful experience, but we must open the door and invite the opportunity in so we allow ourselves to learn new things everyday. But just remember, learning is great and all, but applying that knowledge to your life is even better. And that's what the Lord wants us to do. Take what we know, and learn along the way and make the most of life's experiences and live to the fullest. I live that way everyday and how awesome my life has become! I have had many challenges along the way and I still do; we all do. But we must keep moving forward and learning something new everyday and we will move farther ahead in life. Do not shut out knowledge, for sometimes it can be the best thing that happens to you. Good or bad, happy or sad, learning is a good thing and the sooner you learn that, the sooner your life will be better. Try it today ~ allow yourself to be taught just one thing and apply it to your life. That is what God wants us to do and I pray that you are able to do just that! May God Bless and remember to learn something new today!

May God Bless Your Day!

Today is a good day because... I have chosen to make it a good day! We all need days where our spirits are lifted and nothing can ruin the day. We also all need a good laugh in our day. I just love humor! That's what keeps me going somedays. Have you ever had a good laugh about something? It's funny how when you laugh, you feel better afterwards. It's almost as if a laugh releases negative energy from your body. Or sometimes we can be having the worst day, or one of those days where nothing is going right. Usually when that happens to me, I start to laugh about all the mishaps because what else can you do, really? You can get more mad at the situation or you can laugh about it and make yourself feel better!

I can honestly say life is good. I love my life because I have been extremely blessed with so many things from the Lord ~ my children, my family, my friends, my home, my job, my little SUV that I love, and the list goes on and on! I think the reason I love life so much is because of the positive attitude I always carry. Not alot gets me down and when it does, I turn it all over to the Lord. That happened to me last week and I had to almost smack myself on the head and snap out of it. I immediately stopped pouting over whatever it was, and prayed that the Lord took all of the "stuff" I didn't want, all the burdens I was carrying, and you know what? He did. It was as if my worries were lifted right outside of my body and carried off into the clouds. It was an amazing feeling really. You should try it sometime!

I absolutely love writing on this blog. I started this a year ago and it has been great therapy for me at times. It has been a way to vent about whatever it is on my mind. It has been a way for me to come out of my shell even more. It has been a way for me to discover this buried writing talent I have always had and didn't know it. It has been a way for me to meet new friends, some that have turned into the bestest friends I have ever had. Overall, it has been a new way for me to share some humor, share inspirational thoughts, and whatever comes to my brain. But I have also discovered something funny over the past few days. Sometimes I get accused of writing a blog about a particular person and that person wants an explanation. I had a good laugh over that one recently! Actually more than once. Someone wants to take credit for inspiring something I have written. I always have a good laugh about that one every time. Because really what I write is not always about someone or something in particular, it is a combination of things I have been through or thoughts that brew in my head for months or years.

Would you believe that sometimes I get a title of a blog in my head and I write it down? I have no idea how the blog will be written, but I know God puts that on my heart to write a blog about something. I admit there are times something or someone will trigger a new blog, but that's not always the case. Sometimes I am just bored and sit down to type and God puts the words in my head that are transposed on to the computer screen. Sometimes I have no clue what I am going to write about, I just start with some thought in my head and roll with it! And I hope and pray that when I do write something, it can help at least one person who reads it. What I have found absolutely amazing is that I will write a blog and then re-read it a few months later, and it has a completely different meaning but yet it's the same words. Funny how that happens. Just like the pastor at church can give a message to the entire congregation and each person will take something from that message and apply it to their life. Hundreds of people hear the same words, but those words have a totally different meaning to you then the person sitting next to you. That's one of the amazing ways that God works in this life. He uses other people to send messages to us. Sometimes we are so caught up in our own little world, we miss the message He is trying to send us or we ignore it because we do not want to hear it.

This particular blog has no direct message. Just a reminder to always be grateful for the many blessings we are given in this world. Take time to stop and smell the roses and not live your life in fast forward motion. Because if we worry about the future, we miss out on the joys of today. We should always be open minded for whatever plan God has for our life. If we get in the habit of praying on a daily basis and asking Him for guidance, we will eventually learn when God is speaking to us. The trick is to listen to the Lord and follow through with what He instructs you to do. Sometimes it's not always what we want to do, or what we think we should do, but He will never steer us wrong if we praise Him and listen to His word. We are all tested each day and we must endure those tests to receive more pieces of the puzzle of our lives. Life is a big mystery; we never know what will happen from one day to the next. We never know when "the day" is coming and Jesus will come back for us. So live today to the fullest, plan for tomorrow, and be prepared to let the Lord guide your future. And if you can do that, you are doing exactly what He wants you to do. Stay strong, move ahead, look ahead and always remember He is there with you each and everyday if you just look for Him. Have a wonderful day and may God bless your path today!

When is Enough Enough?

When is enough enough? That's a good question that we don't always ask ourselves. I always hear people complain about problems in life, or issues about their relationships they have with their significant other, family or friends. If there is one thing that I remember out of everything my mother has ever told me, it would be this ~ "Only YOU can decide when enough is enough."

That is actually some extremely good advice I think we could all use in the present and future, and have probably used it in the past as well. It takes a very strong minded and strong willed person to finally stand up to someone and say "enough is enough" and follow through with their words and turn them into actions. Many people get comfortable in life's situations and don't want to rock the boat and venture into unknown territory. I have been there myself a time or two. But with prayer and God's guidance, I took action, stepped off the boat and walked away from things or situations I had known for years. And when I decided that "enough was enough," it was one of the scariest decisions I had ever made in life. But you know what? I came out stronger than ever, I am ok today, and it made me into a better person because I took initiative and made a change in my life for the better. My trials in life have made me stand on my own two feet when I refused to be influenced by anyone or any outside factors. I choose to live my life the way I believe God wants me to. I also live and do things that I believe is best for myself and my daughters. Because my decisions in life ultimately influence my children as much as they influence me.

Have you ever been with someone who you never thought you could live without? Have you ever met someone who you wanted to know so much about? Have you ever had such a strong connection with someone that you could not let it go no matter how hard you tried? If you can answer YES to any of these questions (and you should be able to answer yes to at least one of them), then you may have very well asked yourself the question of when is enough enough about that person. If you have been lucky enough to have found the "love of your life" (or so thought you did), life is great! Life is great for awhile anyways. Then lightning strikes and trouble rolls in! At some point in time or another, trouble is bound to strike; sometimes it takes months, sometimes it takes years, and sometimes it happens in a short time frame. Regardless of how happy you are with the person, it's going to happen. You cannot avoid it no matter how hard you try.
This situation can happen even if you are not "in love" with the person. It can happen with someone you are just getting to know or someone you want to know better. When you first meet someone, all is great and dandy and you are happily floating in the clouds. Then once you start to come off your happy high, you begin to see things that you are not totally content with, but you deal with them because you don't know that person all that well. You want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but sometimes you are skeptical. This all comes into entering the unknown territory or getting to know someone more over time. Sometimes it can be scary, but you have to try something new to see what will happen or where things will lead. It makes me think of this theory ~ You have to do something you have never did to get something you have never had.

No matter what the situation is, whether you meet a new friend, a new love interest, or have family members your whole life, or a friend you've known for years, or a significant other you have been with for awhile ~ this question pertains to all of those persons in your life. When someone does something to hurt or upset you, you have to deal with it. But when this behavior repeatedly happens, you eventually have to take a stand and ask yourself when enough is enough. How long do you want to put up the person who has hurt you without taking action and fighting back? Is this a relationship that is worth fighting for, is it better to move forward and let go of the relationship? These are all questions that arise when people do not agree about things, or when one is dominating over the other. Often times relationships break up or marriages end in divorce because one person has had enough of whatever they do not like about the other person. Friendships break up because good friends have a disagreement over something of such magnitude that it cannot be overcome; therefore they no longer speak to each other and they throw away the friendship they once had. It is sad, but it is reality and happens more often than it should.

I am all for saving friendships or relationships and making amends because I believe God wants us to forgive others no matter what they have done to hurt us. Holding grudges is a sin; look it up if you do not believe me. Having a grudge against someone isn't as bad as some other sins that people commit, but nonetheless, it is still a sin. But with all that in mind, there comes a time that sometimes a person has done so much damage to us, or has done something beyond what we can handle. We will eventually get tired of the same thing over and over and over again, and we will then decide enough is enough. It does not matter what the person has done, or what repeated negative behavior they are doing, but it always eventually comes to a boiling point. And then the volcano erupts and things change. We have to make things change; they will not change on their own.

Remember what the advice was at the beginning - Only YOU can decide when enough is enough. Not your friends, not your family, not the neighbors, not your cat or dog or mouse in the backyard, but YOU have to make those decisions in your life. If someone is constantly hurting you, or putting you down, or playing mind games, or making empty promises, it has to stop somewhere along the line. And it will only continue on as long as YOU let it. If you are not happy with a certain situation, or a certain person, or the way something is going in your life, take action now! Stop it before it's too late. Make your opinions and views known to the other person so that it can be resolved. For if something drags on to long in a negative form, it will eventually blow up in anger, and it's doomed to end sometime, someday, somehow. That is one reason the divorce rate is so high in the United Sates today. People don't talk about their problems, they keep them bottled up, and then when it's too late, the bottle rocket is lit and irreversible damage is done.

I offer you this challenge ~ if you find yourself in this situation where you are dealing with struggles, or putting up with something you know you should not be, or accepting the current situation as the way it is because that's all you know, STOP! Take a look at yourself, realize your self worth (which is actually alot higher than most people give themselves credit for), and think about the situation in present day, and what the situation could be like in the future if there was a change made. Never settle for less than you deserve because you only sell yourself short and you might be missing out on part of God's plan for your life is you settle. Do not stay in a situation that is unhealthy for you or others involved. Either get out or make it better with a change. If you are not happy with another person in life, whether it be a friend, family member, or significant other, new or old, take charge and change the situation. Voice your opinion and let it be known how you feel about something. It could be something major or it could be something minor, but regardless of what it is, if something bothers you or you are unsettled about something, speak up! Do not let things go because it will eventually come back to bite you in the rear end. Do not put up with something just because you think there is no way out. The unknown is scary sometimes, but the journey is fun if we make it fun. God never said life would be easy, but we can make the most out of our situations and try to live and love happy. So if you are asking yourself if enough is enough about something, then it probably is. Only YOU know how much you want to put up with and how much you are willing to tolerate from another person or situation in your life. So if you are not happy, tell yourself you are going to make a change and do something to fix it, or end it! Sometimes it takes someone doing the same thing over and over again before we decide we've had enough of whatever it is. But only WE can answer when that time comes. So think about it, pray about it and if you find yourself saying that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, take action and follow through so that you can live a happier and healthier life. We all deserve to be happy, and we all deserve to have the best in life, but it's only US that can make it happen. Good Luck and God Bless!

Let It Happen

I believe things will fall as they are supposed to happen with God's guidance and with our willingness to listen. What is extremely scary about this theory is that we often do not know what is going to happen, when things are going to happen, or where they will happen. They just do. Things happen all the time that are out of our control. Things also happen that are within our control, and we can make choices as to how things will fall in certain situations. But ultimately, looking at the overall big picture of your life, things happen in God's time. We have to continue to pray on a daily basis and ask for guidance as to what we should be doing in life and where we should be. But always remember, things will not always happen how we plan or how we think they are going to work out. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. Often times we are surprised along the journey of life with things that block our path, alter our path, or permanently change our path and send us a different direction. No matter what comes along our way, embrace it and be ready to grab on and enjoy the ride. Let things happen as they should fall and you will reach your destination in life sooner than later. Do not fight the tides of life, instead, find the positive side of whatever it is that you are going through, and roll with it. Let things happen as they will. For we cannot change what plans the Lord has for our life, we can only pray for Him to show us what those plans are and then follow His word. Remember things will all work out in the long run, and if something is meant to be, it will happen when the time is right!