2009's List

Well I did it.  I came up with my list for 2009.  Now it's a little long but I have the whole year to accomplish these things.

2009's List

1. Have 1 family dinner at my house every other month.
2. Make at least 2 new friends.  (Real life friends that are a part of my world.  So virtual friends won't count on this one.)
3. Read 3 books outside the monthly bookclub assignments.
4. Plant flowers in the spring.
5. Start writing that book.
6. Paint the kitchen cabinets and walls.
7. Install new shower/tub combo.
8. Pay an extra $50 on the principle of my mortgage each month.
9. Hug my kiddos everyday!
10. Play board games once a week.
11. Gain ten pounds. (Ok if you know me in real life - you know this is a legitimate goal for me!)
12. Eliminate another disposable product from our consumption.  (Last year I stopped buying water bottles and become consistent with using the Brita Pitcher for purified water.)  I need to find something else to stop buying and stop filling up the landfills.
13. Start now trying to win a laptop since I told Jas I would get him one when he started high school, which is... this fall!
14. Only visit Walmart when absolutely necessary.  (Why do I hate Walmart?)
15. Get a tan (For Luc and any other concerned reader:  I will do this in a safe, cautious, slow and gradual method. I promise!)
16. Become disciplined in practicing low impact exercise two - three times a week, like yoga.

Wow I have a lot to do in 2009.  It will take all year to complete the list.  Now I am excited and need to get started.  Where do I begin?  Well first I have to add my 16 things to my "list website" www.43things.com.  So I can check them off, of course, and keep track of completing them. 

Oh yes, Brooks, beware the house projects above - I will be calling on you!  (Except the shower/tub combo install; I plan to have that one done professionally.)

Ok and my Christmas gift to me was to purchase a one-year membership to the tanning salon in January.  I love a tan and I promise to be careful.  It takes a month for you to even notice a difference in my skin tone!

What's on your list for 2009?

Find yourself... keeping it real.

Photo Credit:  GettyImages.com

Technorati Tags: new year,lists,new year resolutions,family time,friendships,finances,environment,exercise,tanning

Top 10 BIGGEST little things of 2008

I love lists, and if you know me at all or read my blogs regularly you already know this.  Remember my list of Life Long Goals?  Well as the year comes to a close for 2008 I also wanted to make a second annual list of the top ten biggest LITTLE things of this past year.  Remember they are in no specific order by rank or anything.  Since I have been blogging more... you should already know about these.  Oh and if you don't, I have placed links in each for you to pull up the blog that references that particular little thing. 

 

 

TOP 10 Biggest LITTLE things of 2008

1. Sitting in Church side by side with my brother (I went with him a few times in 2008).
2. The special date night with my personal "McDreamy"
3. Our simple Thanksgiving at home following Jas' surgery.
4. Winning the iPod nano.
5. Having a guy from my teenage years who was out of my league then to pursue me on a dating website.
6. Reading the book, The Kite Runner... see my review, here.
7. Kass' Hero essay or "Er-log".
8. Finding a new refrigerator for just the amount of money I told God I had to spend on it.
9. Being approached for an interview by SingleEdition.com.
10. Bob Ross Painting Class with my sis, for her birthday.

Find yourself... keeping it real.

Photo Credit:  JENS KOEHLER/AFP/Getty Images, keyword fireworks -

Technorati Tags: New year,lists,dating,The Kite Runner,refrigerators,interviews,painting,Bob Ross,church,teenage years,iPod,nano,blogging

Me-Time 101 For the Holidays

Me-Time 101

 

 

With extra me-time while I am currently off for two weeks over the holidays I have had to pull out my list of things I "get to do" during my me-time. 

So far while the kids have been spending some of their Christmas vacation time with their dad I have been spending my ME-TIME like this:

The List

1. Started and finished reading The Shack by Wm. P. Young and started on another Donald Miller book.
2. Created a blog for Kass' Girl Scout Troop 277.  (Since I volunteered to do this, I took advantage of some free time to put it together.  Also note it's still in the basic stage till we get permission from the other girls' parents to post their pictures on the site.)
3. Added a few little things to my blog and changed some items in the side bar.
4. Wrote a few blog posts.
5. Downloaded pictures from the digital camera.
6. Caught up on laundry!
7. Cleaned my house. (Well Kass was home when we did the major cleaning for the family party the day before Christmas Eve.)
8. Slept in.
9. Went to see Four Christmases with Heather from www.desperatelyseekingsanity.com.  And it was the funniest Christmas movie, ever!
10. Made plans to get a real manicure before the kiddos come home.

Ok no real outlandish crazy parties or anything like that to mention over the last few me-time days (unless you count the after-party we had the last night of our choir performance... naaaah).   Even though I have enjoyed the free time;  I am looking forward to the kiddos return Tuesday.  Woo hoo!

Find yourself... keeping it real.

Photo Credit:  GettyImages.com

Technorati Tags: Girl Scouts,house projects,laundry,me-time,Four Christmases,movies,manicures,blogs,sleep

Post Christmas... blues? Naaah.

5:00 AM

Christmas was wonderful, as you know.  I hope yours was as well.... my kids had a wonderful time with their Santa gifts Christmas AM... at 5:00 AM to be exact.  We have had Santa time at my brother's house ever since the kiddos were babies.  Spending the night Christmas Eve at his house has become a tradition and they (Matt and V) enjoy being a part of my kiddos Santa time (even getting up at 5AM!) At least I think they do.

Jas loved his PSP system, games and movies and Kass loved her electric scooter, once she found it in the garage.  Santa left a note for her to ask Uncle Matt about it since he had to help Santa put it together. (And now her brother wants one.)

Once we were through with the hoopla at 5AM... we got a little more sleep before heading home where the kiddos got ready to go and celebrate all over again with their dad and his family.

But for me at that point Christmas was over.  I did go to my sister's house later in the afternoon that day to enjoy a ham lunch and see all the great things her girls got from Santa.  But after that it was all over for another year. 

Goals for 2009

Now with Christmas behind us, we need to focus on what we are going to do for new year's and what the coming year's goals will be.  So I am going to be working on my list of goals for 2009 and share those with you soon. 

Any ideas about what should be on that list for a single parent? 

Leave a comment and help me put together a functional list, won't you?

Find yourself... keeping it real.

Photo Credits:  Me :)

Technorati Tags: Christmas gifts,goals,2009,Santa,children,single parents

McDreamy Woos Me; He Woos Me Not

He Woos Me... He Woos Me Not

I wanted him to woo me… but he couldn’t.

“I’m not ready to be a boyfriend.” He finally said it. He finally verbalized what I had known in my heart since the first date, that magical night. (Read more about that first date by going to the link here.) My personal McDreamy, as he became known here on my blog, finally was coming to terms with the fact that he was not emotionally ready to be in a serious relationship, nor did he have time for it while he was in the middle of finalizing a divorce and settling the custody battle. But for closure both of us needed him to make this statement.

We had just finished dinner at my office Christmas banquet and we were in the parking lot at the office where we had met up earlier that night so he could now get back to his vehicle. I had not brought up the subject of “us” all night with intentionality. I wanted  the night to be a good time, even though in the back of my mind I knew what the end result would be.

Emotional Distance Was More Evident

Over the past weeks he became more and more distant with fewer phone calls, less text messages and I took the hint and backed away as well. I had even given him an ‘out’ a week before the banquet explaining that if he couldn’t join me for this, I would understand. He had committed to going with me when we had talked about it weeks before, but I was prepared for him to bail on me with the gradual withdrawal I was sensing from him.

“No, I want to go. It sounds like fun and I’m not going to bail out on you.” These were his words when he was given every opportunity to find an excuse or simply say he wasn’t comfortable going. We weren’t a true couple so I knew it could be awkward even if we were getting serious… So especially with the recent distance I knew it could be awkward. But with his insistence to respectfully fulfill this commitment and his not even addressing the distance issue… I let him. It only proved to me once again, I was right about his integrity and character as a person.

Here we were, finally discussing it later that night after dinner. Dinner went well and he made a great guest amongst all my colleagues who welcomed him with open arms and kept him involved with dialogue in the group all night. It was fun. But the ending was far from it.

I handled the conversation well. No tears, no temper tantrums, no stomping and demanding he buck up and be what I wanted him to be… no, I just let him share... finally, from his heart. He was sincere and I could sense he hated to tell me he wasn’t ready. I don’t think it’s someone else and he actually reiterated that in his words that evening, but it didn’t make it much easier.

Moving On

“I will leave it in your court then.” I replied as we finished the conversation before our goodbyes. “But I want you to call me sometime,” he said as he explained his hectic schedule between fifty hour workweeks and taking care of his own 50-acre farm kept him from stopping long enough to stay in touch. “I will,” I said. Then he kissed me: one last soft and gentle goodbye kiss.

It’s over and I knew it when it began… but now that I have faced the music, I can move on.

Find yourself… keeping it real.

Photo Credit:  Life:  keyword Romance.

Technorati Tags: life,romance,relationships,Christmas banquets,dating,breaking up,goodbyes

Christmas Present

Christmas PRESENT

Well I was right.  Life didn't keep Christmas from coming.  It's HERE!  Today is Christmas Eve and our Christmas has already been wonderful with more to come.

Sing Joy

 

The combined choir of three different churches had three performances of our cantata "SING JOY" over the weekend that was received with standing ovations.  The last 3 months have been hard work, but it was worth it.

Family Christmas

Last night, because things have changed over the years, my brother, sister and I decided we would get our families together to celebrate and exchange gifts the night before Christmas Eve.  We have become too rushed early Christmas morning to continue with that tradition, and so this was much more relaxed.  We celebrated at my house.

I made dinner which consisted of a big pot of red potatoes, shrimp, corn on the cob and spices along with croissants and pigs in a blanket for the kids.  Mary brought seven layer salad and V brought cake,  fudge, and cheese ball.  The food was great and we had a wonderful time. 

While we were in the mass chaos of opening presents my niece kept singing "Happy Birthday".  I thought she may have been confusing all the presents with a birthday party so I told her "Merry Christmas"  and then I said, "Whose birthday are we celebrating, Faith?"  "Jesus," she answered.  She knew what we were doing.... celebrating Jesus birth.   (Silly aunt Kathy.)

Oh and my brother got me this:

His passion is cars and I love to decorate my kitchen with Coke items.  He got this set of Nascar collector's Coke bottles at an auction.  But my greatest gift my brother and his wife V gave me was earlier this year when they became so connected with their new found local church.  My brother stopped going as a teenager so it thrilled me when he started going to a Wesleyan church just a few blocks from my house.  They are very involved and already a vital part of the group there.

  

It's truly here... and we still have two more celebrations to go.  Tonight we celebrate with our aunts,uncles, and cousins.  Then tomorrow I will be at my brother's house as we share in Santa time with my kiddos. 

Merry Christmas everyone.

Find yourself... keeping it real.

Technorati Tags: Christmas,Coke,church,faith,Jesus birth,celebrating,celebrations,choir,singing

Life Doesn't Stop for Christmas

After a week like my last week, I found myself not "so Merry" at times.  But it also taught me something about Christmas.  Before I get ahead of  myself, let me share a "glimpse" of my diary of the last several days:

Life Doesn't Stop for Christmas... it keeps going

Dec. 10

6:30 AM - Happy gets out of the fence and runs away before we could track him in the dark.

8:30 AM - Email received, my Aunt Jo is in ICU following her second stroke this year.

4:00 PM - Arriving home - Happy is sitting on our back porch after we did much searching earlier, he came home on his own.

6:00 PM - Office Christmas Banquet is a success, fun, upbeat and I had McDreamy attend with me.

9:30 PM - McDreamy and I end our short-term dating relationship as we said our goodbyes. (More later, I promise...)

Dec. 11

8:30 AM - Second email claims my Aunt Jo is still in ICU and can't have visitors but they expect she will be in a regular room by Friday morning.

Noon - Our office staff served at the retired ministers luncheon at work.  The mature seniors make me smile as we serve them and celebrate with them.

Dec. 12

7:30 AM - Phone rings - it's my sister.  Aunt Jo passed away during the night.

Dec. 13

8:30 AM - In 28 degree weather Kass and I are on our way to a Girl Scout duck watch.  We get to see several species of ducks and geese as we try to not think about the cold.

1:00 PM - Kass and I enjoy wonderful cups of hot chocolate with lunch as we view the pictures from our trip.

3:00 PM - Kass and I do some Christmas shopping.  It's crowded but we have a good time.

7:00 PM - I meet for a sectional choir practice to prepare for our Christmas cantata in one week.

Dec. 14

Noon - My sister, her Emmy, Jas, Kass, and I have a quick lunch while Jas shared what he enjoyed from the sermon that morning.  We have to be at the family viewing by 1:00 PM - we make it around 1:30 PM where we greed dad's family and reminisce about Jo.

4:05 PM - I'm late to choir practice after working on Jas' project at the office in between visitation.

6:00 PM - Visitation resumes at the funeral home for family and friends.

Dec. 15

2:00 PM - Aunt Jo's funeral followed by a meal with all the family including cousins, and my dad's brother Paul.  As we continue to reminisce, we promise each other we will stay in touch.

6:00 PM - Kass and I go Christmas caroling with the Girls Scouts at the Alzheimer's unit in Friendship Manner.  Singing lifts my spirits and then I realize one of the residents we are singing to is my good friend's mom.

Midnight - I wake up - sicker than I've been in years.  A stomach virus wipes me out, takes my lunch and dinner, and leaves me feeling like I was beaten with bricks.

ENOUGH!

Ok after contacting my sister and sister in law, I get some comfort and assistance.  My sister-in-law offered to take Kass to school on that Tuesday morning (I couldn't move off the couch, leave alone drive) and brought me some ginger ale and a cup of ice to get me hydrated.  And now Thursday, I am doing much much better. 

But Life Doesn't Stop Christmas From Coming!

Well,  life doesn't stop for Christmas.  Life is still just life.  But Christmas gives us a diversion in the midst of the storm.  If you let it, it gives you moments of merriness amongst the hard moments we must still endure.

But life also didn't stop Christmas from coming either - it's still here!  It's up to us to embrace it and let it fill us up with some joy even when we think there is no time or place for joy with all the hard stuff going on around us.

Embrace Christmas - let it fill you with JOY.  I did!

Technorati Tags: ducks,Christmas,death,funerals,sickness,dating,banquets,life

Age Smartly for Christmas

Fighting it EVERY Step

As the year draws closer to an end, I realize in only three short months I will be turning another year older, another year mature, another year… young?! Well I am still in my thirties but I am fighting aging every step of the way. One way I do it is through skin care. There are a few products I have come to depend on and appreciate the way they treat my skin. But recently I found some new products and volunteered to try them and write a review. Which ones did I chose? Well the “age smartly” products, of course.

SkinCare Rx

Skin Care Rx sent me some samples and I have been trying them; most of them were nightly treatments. I had more than one that fights aging in your sleep and I am a firm believer (no pun intended) that one usually has more success with these kinds of products when you consistently use them over time so you can see results. Overnight success stories have yet to come my way when it comes to reducing fine lines and a few wrinkles. (Hey, I don’t have that many!)

• One night I tried NEOVA Retinal ME with vitamin A. This one has become my favorite. Again, it’s not because I can tell much success so early in using the product, but because of the way it makes my skin feel when I put it on. It doesn’t leave a greasy residue on the skin AND my face was noticeably softer soon after application. This one is recommended to be used once or twice a week…. And I plan to continue using it.
• Another night I used M2 HP Skin Refinish. This one left a very slight tingling sensation upon application. Now I am sure that actually means it is working, so I wasn’t alarmed, but it also left a sticky feeling to the touch of my face. Perhaps I just used too much. Less is more is a good rule of thumb to also remember when applying creams to your face.
• One more product I tried was their Dermalogica (Age Smart) dynamic skin recovery spf 30 as a morning moisturizer under my makeup. I was so impressed. I usually have to add an oil mattifier from Mary Kay to my routine just before applying makeup so that my shiny nose and forehead don’t show off by the end of my workday. But when using this moisturizer, I tried eliminating my mattifier and was pleasantly surprised to find that this moisturizer kept the shine away all by itself.

Well there you go: my recent exploration of some new anti-aging products. All in all time will tell, but I was impressed with this Neova Retinal and the Age Smart moisturizer even upon my initial trial.

FREE STUFF

If you are interested in at least trying some of their stuff, please accept this Free $20 Gift Certificate toward your purchase.  Once you press the link here,  you will be asked for your first name, last name and email address. When the details are submitted, an email will be sent with a unique gift certificate code. This email will come from the address 'promo.sk@skincarerx.com' with a subject line 'SkinCareRx.com Free $20 Gift Certificate'.  This gift certificate will allow you to purchase products from any of  their three websites:   (SkinCareRx.com, Apothica.com and SkinBotanica.com). 

Merry Christmas!

Don’t forget your own stocking when playing Santa this year!

Find yourself… keeping it real.

Technorati Tags: skincare,skin products,anti-aging,mattifiers,moisturizer,retinal,age smart,aging,free gift certificate,night treatments

The Family Christmas Pic

When I had our Christmas cards printed this year... this is one of the pictures I used.   Thanks to my boss, Dr. Baker for taking the shot (one of many tries!)...

Merry Christmas from our family as we send hugs your way this season.

Parenting in a recession

Tight Times

As a single parent, I know what it means to live within a tight budget, to sacrifice and become rigid in what is considered a need over what is considered a want. Now as times get tough and money gets tighter; many single parents find themselves in dire times. Since the United States lost over a half million jobs in November alone this year, I am sure many of those included were single parents (just like Gary from yesterday’s guest post). So it is no secret that we are in a recession.

What We Can Do During a Recession

As we face these tough times, what can we do as single parents?

1. Start now putting yourself on a budget. I try to live on a budget and have been able to get out of debt completely over the last couple years with that goal in mind (other than a mortgage). I had set that goal before this recession but I do think with sacrificial disciplined living and determination, it can be done. There is a great budget guideline found on Real Simple.
2. Take advantage of resources:
   • One that has just recently come available for single parents is the new website, http://current.pic.tv, part of the Public Internet Channel network which is specifically dedicated to helping you make sense of current issues and events.
   • Another resource for helpful information on finances and dealing with 'singlehood' is www.singleedition.com.
3. Track your spending. This goes along with getting on a budget but I think it is worth reiterating that as singles, we don’t have a spouse keeping us in check regularly about what we ‘want’ and what we ‘need.’ So to be able to handle tight times financially, we have to be our own “eyes of a hawk” and look at the checkbook or bank statement at the end of the month and take a minute to notice where the “bulk” of our money is going.
4. Decide what expenses you can cut.  If we take time to evaluate our true needs there may be some areas that we can cut back on or cut out entirely... just to get through these next 6 to 12 months, especially.
5. Share babysitting by partnering with another single parent and switching out watching each other’s children to save on this expense for a night out.
6. Make a list of items your children “need” to give to aunts, uncles and grandparents so they can assist with some of the necessary items your children need when purchasing gifts for Christmas instead of giving duplicate toys or more “stuff” for the sake of another gift.

Please Add Your Tips in Comments

These are just a few tips and I sure hope you will leave a comment below to help me out with a few more I am missing that will help us single parents or even parents in general as we deal with the current recession we are facing. 

Find yourself... keeping it real.

Technorati Tags: finances,recession,single parents,babysitting,expenses,budgets,spending,economy,gifts,resources,parenting

Holding on to Hope and Faith in Uncertain Times

 

One of my newfound Blogger friends, Gary Cope from My Life on the Z List and SWVA Bloggers has recently hit some "hard" times not unlike many others in the current economic downturn.  I asked him to share a guest post because he has impressed me so much with his great attitude about the "bigger picture."  Below is Gary's guest blogpost (Thanks, Gary, for being so transparent.):

 

 

Holding on to Hope and Faith in Uncertain Times

By Gary Cope

"Times are tough. We have to let you go... today."
Those were the words of an executive at my company last Thursday morning. After 2-1/2 years on the job as a communications specialist with Luna Innovations, I was being let go along with 20 of my coworkers. I had suddenly become one of the "others." You know, as in, "that kind of thing only happens to 'other people'." Not any more ... at least not for me.
My world was rocked to its core. I lost my income, my self esteem and more importantly my health insurance that also covered my 3-year-old son. Not to mention my pride. Suddenly I was having to file for unemployment. I felt like part of me had been stolen away. I felt like less of a man, less of a father and less of a human being. I can honestly say that last Thursday was easily one of the three worst days of my life. Thank God for my family, friends and most of all, my son Nic. Thankfully, I got to see him that night at a Christmas parade and it was such an amazing feeling to see his face light up when he saw me. To feel his little arms around my neck, not knowing or caring that his dad lost his job. It was all I could do to fight back the tears.
As soon as I left the office I called my family and I shed my tears, not so much for me, but for the feeling like I had let down my son and my family. I knew that I hadn't done anything to deserve losing my job, but logic seems conspicuously absent during times like these. I admitted my fears, vented my frustrations and listened to the encouraging words of support from my parents and my friends. And then, I prayed. I prayed long and hard.
After I got home and settled down, I logged onto my computer and went right to work. I filed for unemployment online. It took about 15 minutes and was actually pretty painless and simple. Then, I turned to my social media network and started posting. First to Twitter, then to Facebook and finally to my personal blog. The first post, to Twitter, was at 9:42 a.m., Thursday morning. At 10:44 a.m., I got an e-mail from a reporter at the Associated Press who saw my Twitter post and wanted to interview me about the record job losses during the last month. Being a former journalist, I said, "Sure." She called about 15 minutes later and we talked for 15-20 minutes.
Less than four hours later, I started receiving random e-mails from people who said they saw my story on the front page of the Yahoo News Web site. Then it was Forbes, Newsweek, Fox News, MSNBC, NPR, The Huffington Post - the article was everywhere. E-mails with stories from other people who had lost their jobs and felt the same things I was feeling, but had since found new work and life was getting back to normal. Other stories of loss like a guy whose girlfriend was killed in a car accident and then lost his job when tried to take time off to mourn her loss. The Facebook messages, comments and wall posts were filled with condolences and words of encouragement and support. My Twitter followers (and even some non-followers) also showed support and even offers to help me find a job. I was overwhelmed by, and grateful for the support I received in the days following the loss of my job.
I spent all day Thursday and Friday brushing up my resume and applying for several jobs. Finally, Friday evening I needed a break from the marathon job hunting grind. I stepped back from the computer and turned on the TV. Of course, the news was all about the economy and how dismal things looked. Then I saw a story about three people killed in a car accident here in Blacksburg. That's when it began to sink in. All I lost the day before was a job. Three people lost their lives that night. Three families and countless friends lost someone they loved very much, at least you would think so. And here I was a wreck about losing a job. I began to feel a little guilty for the massive pity party I threw myself the morning I got fired.
Sunday evening, while on Facebook, I saw people posting the usual Sunday night "I'm not ready to go back to work tomorrow" status updates. I used to post those, too. I didn't respond to anyone in particular ... instead, I wrote a simple message that gently reminded people to be thankful that they at least had a job to go to on Monday. It wasn't a criticism or anything of the sort. I simply wanted to remind people to take a moment and be thankful for the blessings they have in life. And in this economic crisis, having a job is truly a blessing.
My friends and family have been great - checking in on me to see how I'm doing. My family especially. They reassured me that they would not let me drown, so to speak. That's what family is for, right? I will make every effort possible to get through this on my own with no help, but it is nice to know that if I get to that point where I need it, I know that I can ask for it and it will be there. Another blessing that many people may not have.
Before I was laid off, I had planned to volunteer with some friends and coworkers at The Montgomery County Christmas Store in Christiansburg on Tuesday, Dec. 9. I debated whether or not to go, but I when I thought about the reasons for not going, they were selfish. This wasn't about me or having to face my coworkers, this was about helping others who are less fortunate than me. So, I swallowed my pride - surprisingly I didn't choke on it - and went to volunteer. The experience was nothing less than humbling. The entire evening put things into perspective for me. Though I lost my job, things could be a whole lot worse. Even with my situation, I am still unbelievably blessed. I see a light at the end of my tunnel, but for many of the people who come to the Christmas Store, they may not see that light.
I talked with one of the lead organizers of the Christmas Store and he said he seems many of the same families come through every year and they just can't seem to get on the right path in life. Why is that? I'm sure there are many reasons and every family has their own set of circumstances, but I realized that evening that I have so much for which to be thankful, even in what I perceive to be some of my darkest days.
Perception and relativity; two words that can wreak havoc on the emotions. I was chatting with a friend who was having a tough day but didn't want to really tell me about it because in her mind, her problems weren't nearly as bad relative to mine. It was at that point that I told her it was okay to tell me about her bad day. And that's where the perception comes in to play. In our own little worlds we perceive our problems to be important to the point we let them bring us down, thus our "tough days." Relatively speaking, no, maybe your problems aren't nearly as bad as someone else's, but that doesn't make your feelings and emotions any less real or important. We still need to vent, no matter how big or small our problems are - perceived or actual; relative or not.
If you are still reading this, then more power to you. I hope that you have gotten something out of my ramblings. That being said, I'd like to close with part of a conversation I had with my friend who commented on my seemingly positive attitude given my situation. I told her the following:
"The Lord has never let me down, even when I was as low as I could possibly go, He brought me back, so even though I've shed my share of tears and felt insecurities the last few days, I know that He has a better plan - it just might involve me taking a few lumps to get there."
It's my faith in God, my family and my friends that will get me through this. That doesn't mean I'm done shedding tears or that I do not have "tough days." It simply means that with my faith and my family, me and my son will get through this. It might not be easy and it might not be quick, but when it is over, we will be stronger ... our faith will be stronger.

Photo Credit:  http://www.adweek.com/adweek/photos/stylus/33243-recession.jpg

Technorati Tags: economic downturn,losing jobs,unemployment,faith

Secret Christmas Wish

I don't want a lot for Christmas….  seriously, other than from my sister and my brother and a few small things from friends at work I don’t expect "a bunch of" Christmas presents. If my kiddos manage to save any of their allowance, I encourage them to buy for their dad or for his mom… and they will occasionally get me a little something too. But other than that, I enjoy Christmas for a lot of other reasons.

There's just one thing I need ….and I blog about it often; although I also state regularly it's not a need… but it is a desire.

I don't care about the presents... Underneath the Christmas tree …… because there is more to it, you know?  But if you were to ask my secret Christmas wish… it’s not hard to figure out:

I just want (you/him) for my own …. Yeah you know where this is headed… and I can’t say I can even tell you one specific "him" or that I have one guy picked out… but every time I hear this song…

More than you could ever know …. is where I begin to sing along, so if you have any strings to pull with Santa this year, there’s one more thing you could do:

Make my wish come true: All I want for Christmas... is... You….

Could this be the Christmas my secret Christmas wish comes true?

Oh he just may be Standing right outside my door...

Or maybe not… but at least I keep trying with my new "Flirt-a-day" challenge for the month of December from Dadshouseblog.com.

Hope you enjoy my fave Christmas song.... adapted for this blogpost.

Find yourself… keeping it real.

Photo Credit:  http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t120/zeuszoltan/music-notes1_jpg3a9330ca-9cce-4552-.jpg

Technorati Tags: Christmas,presents,wishes,flirting,dating,relationships,Santa,Christmas song

Happy B-Day, Mom

Today is Mom's birthday.  She will be celebrating in heaven again this year.  This is her second birthday in heaven. 

I do miss her.  I think about her everyday and even though I am not living in my past or depressed with missing her; I do glean from what she taught me every day of my life.  I post this today in her memory.

Happy Birthday, Mom.  We speak of you often to help the grandkids remember you.  You were the best Grandmom they could ever have and I know our kids were the apple of your eye in the grandest definition of the phrase. 

Thanks, Mom, for everything you taught us and for showing me how to be a strong woman.  We love and miss you on this YOUR Special DAY!

Find Yourself... keeping it real.

Less is More for Christmas

Less is More

I am a fan of the phrase, “less is more”. While living in 1100 square feet, I think you can rationalize why. So before Christmas each year, my directive to the kiddos is to clean out their rooms and clear any items, toys, gadgets, etc. (for donation of course) that they no longer use or play with and I take them to goodwill. I try to make a trip there regularly throughout the year actually, so this job as the holidays approach isn’t too overwhelming.

My personal rule of thumb is that when I purchase new items, clothing or coats for myself, I have to get rid of one old item for each new one. This helps me keep my own closet maintained and cleared out of anything I won’t wear anymore. I often tell my sis, “I value the space the stuff is using more than the “stuff” itself!” So I try to encourage my kiddos to do the same.

Can you relate as we get prepared for the holidays and expect even more goodies (especially toys) to be coming our way and into our house?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at our house

What do you do to prepare for the holidays?

Find yourself… keeping it real.

Photo Credit:  Just me and my pics!

Special Birthdays and Dirty Windows

Happy Birthday Kass!

Today is Kass' birthday.  We won't celebrate until Friday but this is still the special day.  She's ten.  It is so hard for me to believe she is getting to the pre-teen years. 

This means it's been a whole decade since I was sitting in the delivery room, having been induced and ready to push, when I heard all those voices.  I remember I looked over to the big window where the drapes were open and there they were:  It was an entire scaffold of window washers!  I guess they wanted to welcome Kass into the world as well.

Yes, to this day, I use this as my "most embarrassing moment" story.  Guess those guys got their "eyes full" that day on the job.  But one thing is for sure, I always laugh when I recall the glorious day my daughter came into my life.  I already knew she was going to be a special baby, just didn't realize that meant she required an audience at her birth.

Kass, my baby girl, Happy Birthday!!

Find yourself... keeping it real.

Technorati Tags: birthdays,pre-teens,decade,window washers,delivery room,10 years old,childbirth,birth,daughter

Photo Credit: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/107/299802008_a5fb2c9029.jpg and http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2073/2375439389_47c4e2a754.jpg?v=0