Happy Birthday Mama!!!!

Today, I am also immensely thankful for my mother! She is an awesome lady with enormous strength. She was diagnosed with Lupus in her early twenties and told she’s be dead in 6 years. Well, she definitely beat that!!! She went on to get married, have 2 children and now has 2 grandchildren. She's a great Mom!! She hasn’t had a easy life. Lupus is an autoimmune system that attacks a lot of your systems. She has had quadruple bypass surgery, arterial grafts, 5 hip replacements and 1 knee replacement and she’s still going at 68 years old today!

Happy Birthday Mama! I love you!!!

Thankfulness ~ November 12

More Thankfulness!! Gotta get caught back up!

November 8, I was thankful we found fuzzy crocs for the kids at the outlet store. Sara’s been asking for some since LAST year!

November 9, I was thankful the Boy Scouts meeting was cancelled because we were all too tired!

November 10, I was thankful we made it home safely from the doctor’s driving in the remnants of Ida…in the dark. Have I mentioned I can’t see well in the dark? And it’s worse in the rain?

November 11, I was thankful the kids and Hubby cleaned up the kitchen and living room while I was at work.

November 12, today I am thankful for the ability to delete some very inappropriate comments that have made their way into my blog. I am also thankful for the ability to moderate those comments to keep my blog a nice place to visit.

Thankfulness ~ November 7

Whew, busy week so I'm behind. Here are my Thankful thoughts for the week.



November 3, I was thankful I didn't have any obligations to attend to!

November 4, I was thankful Sara did so well at her dance class. The moves are really starting to click.

November 5, I was thankful a potentially serious concern at work was resolved meaning less work for me.

November 6, I was thankful for the extra time spent snuggling with Sara and gabbing about the day before she went to sleep.

November 7, I am thankful for a great day with Scott including hockey practice, scouts outing and a great hockey game where he did a great job on the ice and had a fabulous time!!!

Courage

Today, I attended a party for an awesome woman, Paulla. We had tons of great food, lots of wonderful gifts and beautiful music provided by most talented coworkers whom I had no idea could sing. I didn't want to go but I did and in the end I was glad I did because Paulla had a wonderful time.

You see, Paulla has cancer. She was diagnosed with breast cancer about 2 yrs ago. Breast cancer was prevalent in her family history so she opted for a double mastectomy and chemotherapy in the hopes it would keep her cancer-free. It did not. About a year later, cancer was found in other organs and she underwent more chemotherapy and once again she thought she had beaten the monster. But, once again, she had not.

Today, Paulla is fighting her toughest battle and most likely her last. Today, she spent a wonderful afternoon with great friends who love her and support her. Tomorrow, she goes to get a catheter inserted to deliver the chemotherapy directly to the cancer that lies in the lining of her brain. The prognosis for this type of cancer is generally about 6 months.

I have no idea what I would do in her shoes. But I DO know that Paulla has done. Paulla has embraced life. She continues to live her life to it's fullest. She and her daughter who is studying to be a nurse went to New Orleans last week. They walked all over the French Quarter. They learned to cook cajun dishes. Paulla told us she will continue to come in to work for 2hrs a day and work 4hrs at home throughout this ordeal. Paulla has not once felt sorry for herself. She is always positive. She's always smiling. She is one of the most courageous people I know.

Please keep Paulla and her daughter Annie in your thoughts and prayers.

Battlefields

Dear Teacher,

Yes, I am aware it was 45 degrees this morning. Yes, I am also aware that my son came to school this morning in shorts and short sleeves. Out of all the daily battles I am presented, THIS is one I choose not to fight.

Thank you for all you do,
Mom

Thankfulness ~ November 2

This month we celebrate Thanksgiving. In the spirit of the holiday I'm going to post something for which I am thankful for every day of the month. Okay, so it's November 2 and I'm already behind. So here's the deal, if I get behind, I'll catch up with the next Thankfulness (is tht a real word??) Post. Cool? So here goes:

For November 1, I was thankful for my brother who came to visit and spent loads of time with the children even keeping them on their Teacher Workday so Hubby and I didn't have to miss work. He spent the Halloween weekend with us and left on Nov 1. I was also thankful that he got home safe and sound.

Fov November 2, I am thankful for my son, Scott, who earned his very first Boy Scout badge tonight! He worked very hard to learn his Scout Motto and the Laws of the Pack. We are so proud of him!

Rays of Sunshine #3

This is my time to push the positive and ignore the negative in my life. Here are my recent Rays of Sunshine.


~~Scott is loving boy scouts! He is working hard to earn his Bobcat Badge at next week's meeting.

~~Sara is doing an awesome job in 4th grade. She'll make the Honor Roll for sure and maybe the Principal's List (all A's)!!!

~~Scott is playing hockey again!!!

~~My brother is coming for a visit this weekend!!! Haven't seen him since July.


YOUR turn!!

Make Suds.....Not War

If only it were this easy.

Fiction Friday!!

I know. I'm such a tease!!! I promised a new story LAST Friday and didn't deliver. And again this week, I'm behind the 8 ball with homelife and work and writing took a back seat. BUT.....I can give you a taste!

She awoke a little later than usual. The warm sunlight filtered through the lace curtains kissing her face while wonderful sounds drifted to her ears. Most mornings those wonderful sounds were the sweet songs of the chickadees getting their breakfast from the backyard feeders. But today, the songs were even sweeter—happy, laughing children’s voices rising up from the kitchen.

“Let’s put chocolate chips in them!!” “I want to make her one shaped like an “M”!!” Then the older voices chimed in. “Let’s keep the noise down or Mimi will know
what we’re doing!” “Oh, yeah, PaPa! It’s supposed to be a surprise!”

Time to Check the Girls!!

Mert over at Almost Somewhat Positive came up with this great idea to remind us to do our monthly self breast exams. If you can't seem to remember to do it, just pick a day, put it on your calendar, in your blackberry, post-it note on your mirror. What ever you have to do. Mert calls it Frisk the 15th because you do it the 15th. I LOVE it!!! So it's the 15th.......so go feel your boobies!!!

ETA: I messed up the cool graphic and it's late so I'll fix it later. :)

Freebie Coffee?? Count me in!!

Want a free sample of Dunkin Donuts coffee? I just got mine! Click above for yours but hurry they are going quickly!!!

41 is.....

Forty-one is :
· the 13th smallest prime number. It is also the sum of the first six prime numbers (2 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 11 + 13), and the sum of three primes (11 + 13 + 17).
· The atomic number of niobium.
· The New General Catalogue object NGC 41, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Pegasus.
· The number of the last symphony of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (note: '37' is not in the canon).
· "#41", a song by Dave Matthews Band.
· The number of times Paul McCartney sings the phrase "Let It Be" in the Beatles #1 hit Let It Be (song).
· Charlton Heston's designation as a galley slave in the film Ben-Hur.
· The victim number that appears on Dr. Lucy Lynskey's forehead in the Peter Jackson film The Frighteners.
· The precinct number that appears on the NYC police car in the film Ghostbusters during the earthquake moment of the film's climax.
· Worn by and retired for Brian Piccolo, running back for the Chicago Bears. Died June 16, 1970 of embryonal cell carcinoma.
· In Christianity, 41 represents the 39 lashes Jesus received before the crucifixion, plus one for the spear in his side, plus one for the crown of thorns.
· The international direct dialing (IDD) code for Switzerland.
· C-41 process is the film developing process for 35mm color negative film.
· George W. Bush's nickname for his father, George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States.
· Montana is the 41st state of the United States.
ME! I am 41 years young today!! Happy Birthday Me!!!

Fiction Friday

I've gotten the writing bug again and I want to share some of what I've done. I don't know what it is about autumn that seems to get my creative juices flowing! I'm going to do a "Fiction Friday" project. It probably won't be every Friday but I'll try to keep up with it. I mostly write short stories and personal essays. I don't know how good they are but I enjoy it.

I'm working on a story that I hope to have finished by next Friday. It's an "alternate" if you will of this story that I originally wrote in college and then refined 2 years ago. Stay tuned!!!

By the way, here's a story I wrote 8 years ago when my first born was a baby about nursing in public. I am honored that breastfeeding.com still has it on their website.

Friday Fill In!

1. Sweet dreams await me.

2. It's been a long week especially for me.

3. Silliness is infectious!

4. I'm going to be a creepy witch this Halloween.

5. Outstanding or not, it's done.

6. A nice soft pillow is what I want right now!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Canes' Hockey, tomorrow my plans include haircuts for the kids and costume shopping and Sunday, I want to rest!!

Thought for Today~~October 9, 2009

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

~~Albert Camus

Rays of Sunshine #2

Way back in February of this year, I started a project called "Rays of Sunshine". Well, started is probably being generous since I hadn't posted any more "rays" since then. BUT, I love the concept and I'm going to keep it up. It's my way of focusing on the positive. So here are my recent rays:

~~Both children absolutely LOVE their teachers!!

~~Sara has gotten two "Cool Moves" awards at school for exceptional performance in class!!

~~Scott is FINALLY reading chapter books, doing an awesome job and LOVING them!!

~~We have started building our patio again!

~~Scott is feeling better and coming out of his shell!

~~Sara is taking Hip Hop dance lessons and loving it! It's helping her become more confident!

Want to share your own rays???

Silpada Sale--Buy a Pair! Save a Pair!!

As this is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I wanted to share an opportunity. I have my own Silpada Designs sterling silver jewelry business and one of the things I love about my business is being able to use it to make a difference in someone else's life.

My goal is to sell 40 pairs of earrings in 10 days to raise money for SHINE FOR LIFE! Your purchase of ONE pair of earrings will help to save a pair...and a life! 100% of the proceeds from your purchase will be donated to the SHINE FOR LIFE campaign to benefit breast cancer research! Can you help???

My Sister in Silpada, Tara Paulitz is battling cancer....AGAIN!
Tara was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2006. Against all odds, Tara's fight brought about remission for two years.

In May this year her cancer returned and she is once again in Treatment. With her faith and spirit, positive attitude and help from God, we know that she will once again be blessed with remission!

I’m sure we ALL have at least one woman in our lives who has fought this same battle. I have several other friends who have beaten or are currently battling breast cancer. My mother in law also fought and beat breast cancer twice. Now I worry…about her, my sister in law, my own daughter and even my husband and son.

Tara began her SHINE FOR LIFE CAMPAIGN with a goal to raise $30,000. She has feared she set her goal too high and wasn't sure she could reach it.... But all things are possible and together we can help Tara reach this goal AND HELP FIND A CURE FOR THIS DEADLY DISEASE... ONE EARRING AT A TIME!

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?
Buy ONE pair of Silpada earrings & your 2nd pair is 30% off!!! Think...holiday gifts, birthdays, anniversaries.. or a treat for YOU!

START DATE: Thursday, October 8th - Sunday, October 18th!

VIEW the jewelry on my website

THEN: Leave me a comment or contact me through my website if you would like to order and I’ll contact you straight away!

Remember your support will help save a pair! Feel free to spread the word!

Together... We can make a difference!

Thought For Today~October 7, 2009

This is the best day the world has ever seen. Tomorrow will be better.

-R.A. Campbell

Let's Mingle!!

Alright then, I was looking around on the web for some inspiration and checking out some memes when I can across this wonderful project. Indigo at That's My Answer has started this "monthly mingle" so to speak and I think it's fantabulous!! It's a wonderful way to meet new bloggers!! All you have to do is sign up and put the lovely "mingle button" in your sidebar. Then each Thursday, visit the blogs of three fellow "minglers" and leave a nice note for them. It starts over each month and don't worry about being late, you can join in at any time! I'm so excited to meet new bloggy friends! Why don't you come mingle with me??

October Memories

The sun hangs just a little lower in the sky today. A cool wind whistles through the trees and around the corner of the little white house in the valley. The air is crisper, cleaner even, with just a hint of a bite to it as it swirls the leaves around me. But still the sun shines on adding just enough warmth to my body. Sweet inviting hickory smoke hangs in the air from the neighbor’s chimneys. I sit in the rocker on the porch watching colors drop from the trees until the wind grabs them dancing them across the sky—a whirling dervish of red, orange, gold and brown. Some engage in a slow waltz, others an almost frantic tribal dance. At the end of her long day, the sun dips behind the mountain top adding her own reds, oranges and golds to God’s canvas. The night’s chill starts to creep in as I wrap my sweater tightly around me, not yet willing give up on the day. Soon, familiar sounds of rattling dishes and irresistible smells of Mama’s beef stew beckon me. I thank God for this beautiful autumn day and join my blessed family. Tomorrow I’ll receive another beautiful gift from God.

Thought for Today~October 5, 2009

Don't borrow someone else's spectacles to view yourself with.

~~Simon Travaglia

Does this look okay to you?

If you happen by here, let me know how this looks. It looks fine on my IE 8 at home but I have IE6 at work and a lot of the elements (header and sidebar) don't show up. So let me know if you don't see everything and if not, what browser you use.

THANKS BUNCHES!!!

I'm going PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness!

OK, so pink really isn't a color I like BUT given it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought I'd give it a try and this beautiful template was as close I could go! :) Thank you Template Mama!! Look for more in support of breast cancer awareness throughout the month! Don't forget to Check the Girls!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!

At least to me, it is! I LOVE Autumn! The crisp clean air, the beautiful colors, the smell of wood smoke from the chimneys! I'm in heaven when the temps start to dip and the leaves start to fall! It comes later around here than where I grew up but it's coming! I can't wait! It signifies a change, a moving on if you will. I've not been around for some time. I've had a lot going on in my life. I miss this blog. Even tho I don't think anyone reads it, I still enjoy doing it. It's a opportunity for me to share my thoughts and feelings and perhaps touch someone along the way. So I'm making an effort to keep up with it better. If anyone happens to stop by on their travels around the net, please leave a quick note and let me know what you think.

Happy Easter!!

He skipped the Motocross? He MUST be sick!!

Scott is apparently still sick. He and Hubby went to hockey practice today and were to go on to a freestyle motocross show tonight--both events Scott was very excited about. Hubby called about 6pm to say that Scott was really sick again. I could hear him wailing in the background. Apparently, once he got dressed out for practice, he started feeling ill again and refused to even hit the ice. And then, he didn't want to go to the motocross event. OK, this boy is obviously sick--a 7yo would NOT miss a Motocross show unless something was REALLY wrong!!

So they are on their way home now. He still has yet to vomit. Ok, probably TMI but he DID have a huge BM but it didn't seem to help. He's fallen asleep and they should be home soon. He's had a history of mysterious stomach ailments but a lot of it has been related to constipation. This time he showed where he hurts and it is definitely his stomach area. Gastritis? I guess we'll be visiting the doctor very soon! Poor guy!

Friday Fill-In, Feb 27

And...here we go!

1. I'm tired, I'm hungry, I want to take a nap.

2. Why do I have the way and not the will.

3. How does this new DVR remote work, anyway?

4. Every morning, I put kisses on my children.

5. I consider myself lucky because I have a family, a home, and a job.

6. One day we’ll see astronauts on Mars.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to game night with my children, tomorrow my plans include Mommy/daughter time with Sara and Sunday, I want to cheer Scott on it his hockey tournament!

Rays of Sunshine--#1

In conjunction with my life changes, I'm going to start posting a series of positive things for the week. They will be called "Rays of Sunshine". It's a chance to focus of the good things that have happened for me and my family instead of the negative--to share the blessings my family has realized. So here is the first.

**Sara did a wonderful job helping me clean house on Sat. She did it willingly and kept asking for things to do. I'm so very proud of her.

**Scott earned a "Cool Moves" certificate at school for his improvements in reading and writing and for his wonderful "sandwich story". He's made such great improvements in school this year. I'm so very proud.

**Hubby and I had a wonderful date-night Saturday, first in a long time.

**The children's behaviour has improved this week--less fighting and more willing to work together.

**I've been wagging more. :)

**Sara passed her test for the 8's times table. She's moving on to the 9's!!! Way to go, Sweetie!!!


It's been quite a "sunny" week!

Return of "the Bug"

Stomach bug that is. Or is it? Scott's teacher called this morning to say he wasn't feeling well. He is not one to "fake" at school (although at home may be another story), but I will say that since he had the bug a few weeks ago, he's been a bit super sensitive to slight feelings of tummy unrest and seems to confuse nausea with the simple need to "go".

His teachers felt it best he come come home since we was very upset and kept running to the bathroom so here we are at home. We've been here for a while now and have yet to get sick, so I'm not so sure it's a real bug. But he does still seem out of sorts, not that typical "fake it till you get home and then miraculously recover". Guess we got an early start to our weekend!! Hope he feels better soon! And if it IS a bug, hope he doesn't SHARE!!!

Impromptu Date Night

Hubby and I found ourselves in the nice situation tonight. Sara went on a sleepover and the neighbor offerred to keep Scott for a few hours so we could go out dinner....alone! Oddly enough, we both passed on the offer at first. It's kinda nice to spend time with the kids one at a time. Scott is a totally different child when he doesn't feel the need to compete for attention. But he was also feeling sad and wanted a playdate since Sara got to spend time with friends so we took them up on it.

We decided to have an early dinner and enjoyed a great dinner at the Japanese steak house. We got a regular table rather than sitting at the grill. It was wonderful! I hadn't had this food in ages! But I ate WAY too much! We had a great time just talking. Normally when we go out, we don't really talk....just eat and stare around the room. But tonight it felt so comfortable. It's been a long time since I felt so connected. What a great day!!

Make Your Own Weather

I've been making changes in my life. I'm making a concerted effort to be more positive--focusing on the things over which I have control--basically ME. I have spent too long listening to the negative voices in my head and their impact on my life and the lives of my family is no longer acceptable. I had let my Faith fall and forgotten to hand it all up to God.

Stephen Covey says you must make your own weather. Each and every day, I have the choice to find the bright spots, the Sunny spots 0r to dwell on the dark things, the Clouds. I've seen how staying positive and in control of my emotions can influence how my day goes with my family, my friends and, well basically everything.

So to celebrate and commit to this new approach to my life where I strive to promote the positive and silence those negative voices, I am changing the name of my blog to Sunny, With a Chance... As we make our own weather, each day has the chance to be a great day and with God's help, it will be.

Oh What a Night!!!

But it wasn't Late December back in '63. It was last Friday night. You may well remember we have been fighting the tummy yuks here on the homefront. Sara had it 2 weeks ago and Scott had it last week. It's been a weird virus that hits hard with the nausea for a day then kinda hides behind a general bellyache and lack of appetite before swooping in for the kill 3 days later with the lower GI woes.

Well, Friday night, NO ONE in the house wanted me to sleep!! Sara woke up just as I got in bed about midnight. A drink of water and reassurances and she was back to sleep. I lay on the couch for a while to make sure she was down. After about a half hour, the Hyper Dog started to whine in the garage. Now this dog rarely makes a sound so this was odd. And if you remember, SHE was sick last week too!!! She continued to whine off and on until about 2AM so I got out of my nice warm bed to go outside in the cold with her. Poor thing pee'd a river but went right back to bed.

So now it is 2:30am and I hear, "Mommy!!" It was Scott, who also sleeps like a rock. "My tummy hurts really bad!!!" This is when the tummy bug delivered the finally blow with the lower GI flood. Poor guy!! Finally got him back into bed by 3:30 and I just collapsed on the couch for the rest of night. I don't think I slept more than a hour at a time that night! And I'm still exhausted!!! I hate this time of year!!

Deja vu

Ever get up, get showered, get ready for work............... and then wake up and realize you have to do it all over again???

Let's Party!!!!!

Sarah over at Real Life and the Wii Fit Mommies are having a Twitter Party--a Wiimoms ‘Lots of Love (Handles) to Give’ Twitter Bling Party to be exact and you could win some fabo stuff!!! The party is Friday, 2/13 from 8-10pm EST. Sarah has all the specifics on her blog so go check her out. And while you are there, sit and visit for a spell. She has lots of great info including money saving tips and awesome web designs!!

Hope to see you there!!!

Quarantine

I've hung the white sheet on my door. Added a sign "Quarantine--Do Not Enter". Believe me, you do NOT want to visit me now.

Sara started it last Monday night. Said she didn't feel well right before bed. Then it was painfully apparent. Thankfully, she was already in the bathroom. Better the next day but home from school. Fast forward to Friday morning. She came to my room at 7am. "Mom, there's something all over my bed and it smells really bad." UGHH!!! I had to take the comforter to a cleaner to try to save it!!!

And now, today. Scott was sick at after school care. We barely made it home before he was sick again. Poor thing!! And the icing on the cake? The dog is sick too!!! I'll spare you the gory details but let's just say she needs a new bed and we had the windows open in 30 degree weather!!!!

I have worn my hands to the nub washing them because I do NOT want to share this! Sure hope Hubby stays well, because you know how men are when they are sick!!

Aloha Friday

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. Kailani at An Island Life thought that on Fridays she would take it easy on posting, too so she started Aloha Friday posts on her blog where she asks a simple question to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just answer my question, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life. Don't forget to visit the other participants!

Today’s question is:

Do you make New Year's Resolutions?

I don't. I've tried and they are too hard to meet. But I did pledge to live a healthier happier life this year so I guess that kinda counts as one.