I believe in...

being honest. It's a value that I like to say that I weave through my everyday life. I haven't always been honest. Not with myself, not with those in my life. I have lost some really good friends and loved ones because honesty was not a value that I was emotionally mature enough at the time to embrace. I have made some choices that ended up creating pain because I wasn't being honest when I made them. I try to be honest now whenever possible. I have gained more by being honest than I have lost so this value means so much to the integrity of my "self" than ever. It seems like such an easy thing to do, right? I think it can be easy. I think it can be terribly difficult. Sometimes I can be too honest. I also speak bluntly, which can be abrasive to the person that I am speaking to. I know that about myself. It's a fault, a weakness, a challenge for me. It's something I strive to be conscious of when I relate to others. I would like to believe that sometimes this "speaking my mind" trait is also good for those that appreciate getting to the point. Ha! I try to withhold my honesty if I think it will be better for the other person. When I'm aware that I'm being too honest, I try a bit harder to phrase what I am expressing for the other person so that my response is a bit more diplomatic than I really feel. Sometimes I wish more were honest toward me so I can continue to improve on my honesty skills. I'm a work in progress and like to think I get better with age. Wisdom, maturity, and reflection really do prove to be infinitely helpful, I say. I'll be so great at honesty if I age into my 80's, right?! Sometimes I wonder if I'm being honest enough. With my doubts, my fears, my successes, and my triumphs. A looking glass can be scary honest so choosing to not be that honest with myself is a self-preservation masher. How do I get past the slump I've been in? Well, by being honest with why I've digressed from my intended path. I've had to do some soul searching and self-evaluation to honestly see what I needed to see. I am ready to self-medicate. Being honest with myself is the best medicine. So today, as I am re-writing my goals and focusing on the path I want to be on, I believe honesty will lead the way.
What do you believe in?

Girly Sleepover

The fashion show finale from left to right - Aubrie, Jadyn, Lorren, Michaela, Megan, Emily, & Bella. Not pictured was Felicia.

Opening goodie bags & gifts. Fun stuff!

Megan is happy to be six and to have friends & family to enjoy celebrating with.

They also played charades & simon says. The kids were too cute.

Well, we made it through. Megan's first sleepover party. We had 8 girls altogether and it was a smashing success. We almost had to have one girl get picked up but we were able to convince her to be brave and stick it out. They ate brownies & ice cream with sprinkles, opened gifts and goodie bags, sashayed down the Diva-in-Jammies runway, struck awesome fashion poses, watched high school musical until past midnight, and woke up bright and early at 7 AM to eat bagels. We are tired today but are thankful that after having to cancel the original date that we had a full turnout. What a fun birthday memory to have. :)

Routine, not mundane. ;)

Yes, some routines are very mundane. As I scrapped over the weekend about my routine from the photos I took while doing the WITL project, I realized that parts of my everyday routine are comfortable, welcome, and on some days, a cherished act. Mine is showering. I love to take showers. I'm not a sit and soak in the bathtub kinda girl. Nope, I love the feel of the warm hot water pouring over my head and curling around me. I love the smell of the shampoo and soap, and best of all is when it's time to turn off the water and I bury my face in a clean, fluffy towel. Aaaahhh the spoils of the day. When something happens and you don't get to take a shower - like a power outage or if you've been sick for a day or two or you have a newborn - that routine thing can mean so much. Sometimes my best thoughts come to me while I'm shaving my legs. Sometimes I am singing and sometimes I am interrupted by family that need something at that particular moment. That's ok and they know I will forgive their interruption. Sometimes I'm gathering the courage to put on a great presentation at work. Sometimes, I get an extra five minutes to languish. So today I am quietly celebrating my shower taking haveeverythingplacedonthesinkwaitingforitsturnhopethedayisasrefreshingasIfeelrightnowkindaday routine. What do you enjoy during the regular steps of your day that refresh your soul?

Happy Monday

Scrappy weekend! I stayed up WAY too late last night. I sooo wasn't ready to give up my weekend. I scrapped so much. I completed the 4 - 8 x 8 pages below and also did these 5 - 12 x 12 pages. I had so much fun and the ladies on The Scrap-Room boards were awesome to play/online crop with. They really "got my creativity on". :)

Michaela gets her first pair of glasses today. Yep, I knew one of them would at least. She needs them to help her see the boards at school a bit better so she'll only wear them when they do that kind of work in class. I'll post a picture later!

I'm signing up for Jessica Sprague's FREE (yes, free!) online class. Registration starts today and the class is unlimited in size. Join me!

What's going on in your world today?

Week in the Life project

Results! Ok, I'm so happy to be making progress on this. My photos came in the mail yesterday (thanks snappy Snapfish!) and I got started today. I am making an 8 x 8 album that has 28 pages. That's 4 pages for each day of the week. I did take a lot of ictures. Like 86 or something like that. Wow! Ok, so here's me sharing the first day - Sunday. :)

For My Mom

When I was pregnant with Michaela, I felt a strong connection to my Mother - an unfamiliar bond as it was different than the one we'd had thus far. Sure we had had our differences, our conflicts, our joy, our pain over the years. But this new journey I was taking began a whole new layer in the Mother/Daughter dynamic. How can you not relate the feelings that you are experiencing with those that have also experienced the same thing? It made me realize how much my Mom must have loved me, still loves me. It was hard to not be with my Mom as I was in California and she was in Michigan. We called each other A LOT. Michaela arrived and I never thought I would ever feel that way about another person. The intense emotion that I now felt toward my daughter is often referred to 'unconditional love'. WOW is that the most complex feeling. Can it ever be translated? It clarified the close bond I felt in my heart for my Mom. Our relationship added another layer to it. I now could relate what I was feeling to how my Mom felt about me and I began a new layer of respect for the journey she has taken with me because I was on my own motherhood journey. Only I was to find out a few months later that we were to begin to add yet another layer to our relationship. We were just getting used to being Mother & Grandmother!

My Mom was diagnosed with cancer. Breast cancer. I was hurt, devastated by the fear, sad, mad, and those were only my feelings. What must my Mom be going through? It was hard not to be with my Mom. I wanted to listen, cry, laugh, sit by her hospital bed while she had surgery. We called each other A LOT. We saw each other in Colorado that Christmas and I was happy to see her on the road to recovery. She had an early detection & diagnosis - her cancer was the kind that was operable. Eventually we would learn that the surgery was successful in removing it all. That was eleven years ago. WOW did I experience the most complex feelings I've ever felt during that time. How could I even begin to translate what she was experiencing? Today I feel joy and gratitude. I can still call my Mom, who is in Colorado, and I am in Michigan. I will always have that layer - one of respect for the journey she has taken.

Her journey was one that she is able to talk about, share, and bring to other women in hopes that they respect their bodies enough to go to the doctor, regularly, and take care of their health. Let's look within ourselves and reflect on the unconditional love we share with other women. Make that appointment - that yearly check-up. If you've had one - kudos to you. Add layers to your relationships by sharing your experience and encouraging other women to do the same. The complexity of truly how hard this was for my Mother I hope I never find out for myself. I hope I never share that bond with my Mom. I hope I never have to add that layer to my own relationship with my two daughters. It's a journey I hope never to embark. If for some reason I do, I will reflect on my Mom, and know that I will be able to reach out and in the many layers, in those bonds of unconditional love, a most intense connection will be waiting there for me.

What encouragement or journey can you share today?

Full Moon Tuesday

Megan with her Dad last year. This is one of my favorite pics.
Megan and her beloved Melissa. That Sea Otter is so loved!
Megan at 12 months. It was fun to rewind and do a page of her as a baby.
Here's the Moon pic above the neighbor across the street. Not as big as it looked with my eyes but I do like the big reddish orange tree. The colors around town are at their peak this week. So pretty!

Hi! The weekend turned out to be uneventful. We had to cancel Megan's party. Hopefully the kids can make it again in two weeks. She's still not eating much and resting a lot. It's a good thing she has a Dr. appt. tomorrow. I just want to make sure things are alright. For a well visit, she'll be checked for weight, etc. so I know she'll be underweight, especially since she's eaten so little since last Wednesday. Good grief. Surprised anyone? ;) She's so teeny!

I did get some scrappin' done over the weekend. (Pics above) Michaela made a page in her book, too. It was fun! I ordered over 60 photos for the 'Week in the Life' project that should arrive any day now. I can't wait to start working on it!

There is a big full moon today and last night I took a photo of how it hung just above the house across the street. Of course my little camera didn't take anything of what I saw with my own eyes but I thought I'd post the pic anyway.

Take care today - that full moon is in Aries, which means impatience, impulsiveness, and overall aggressive moods for most. Hopefully it will give you a kick to start something new. What are you itching to begin but keep putting off?

More Birthday love

Today is my younger sister's Birthday and so I want to share a little love - Happy Birthday Stephanie!! AKA Teffy

I love my sis and will be calling to hear her voice later. She's making big plans for this year and I hope the best is around the corner for her! She has the best sarcastic humor of anyone I know. You rock, sister!

In addition to birthday, it's also barfday at my house. Megan awoke at 2:49 AM, came in to my room crying, "My belly hurts!" and clutching her stomach. Ok, so all the moms out there know what to expect next. Nothing like having to jump out of bed and react to the pending doom of vomit that is about to occur any second. Yep, and it has been just lovely ever since. Thankfully I have the best husband in the world and he's home with her today. I had to come in to the office - client meeting today! I just hope the queasy uneasy I am feeling is nervousness and power of suggestion. Hope you all are feeling good today! What's the best remedy for belly aches that you use with your family? How do you comfort your little ones?

Birthdays!

Megan turned 6 yesterday. Wow. Was all that really 6 years ago already? I am always amazed at how fast that happens. *blink* Ok, whew, she's still six.

We bought her a fish tank. Surprised anyone that that would be what she wanted? I thought not. ;) She brought brownies to share with her classmates and decided on Applebee's for dinner. We had the wait staff sing to her and she was so shy about it! LOL She ordered a chocolate sundae for dessert to discover that it wasn't chocolate. It was vanilla ice ream with chocolate sauce. She was so incredibly disappointed. Ok, my baby CANNOT be disappointed on her birthday. So, we went to DQ and got a chocolate ice cream cone with rainbow sprinkles. She was renewed in delight. Ahhh the birthday spoils are good, aren't they? She is having a sleepover party with friends on Sat. I'll take some cute pics and share then.

Kevin turns 37 today. Wow, is he not liking his birthdays. I surprised him with an MP3 player. (Of course I gave it to him early, silly!) I wanted to get him something he wanted but would never buy for himself. :) It'll be no big fuss for him since it's also dance class night. Ah well, this is the disappointing part about birthdays when you get older. The responsibilities never cease just because the calendar shows that you're a year older. I will make my first bundt cake tonight, though, for him. Only because, well, my baby CANNOT be disappointed on his birthday! Marble cake with chocolate drizzle. Yum.

I need to post also about the Week in the Life project. I am pulling together my notes/journaling since I was not good at writing at all. I took about 200 pics though throughout the week. I am planning on completing an 8 x 8 album to document all of this and hopefully can do this again next year. I miss my camera this week...I thought I'd share a few more photos and then I'll begin to share the progress of pulling it all together. I'm hoping Ali's blog today will be filled with inspiration. I just know it will.

Photos are: Friday- waving as we do every morning from the door at child care before school. Me at my desk at work. Saturday- Fish tank is ready for fish. Megan is just captivated. Me getting ready to go out with friends. Sunday - laundry. Bah.

What are you up to this week? Any thoughts on what activities are good for young ladies at a sleepover?

TGIF

I am completely engrossed in the Week in the Life project. I am just in awe at all the possibility that this project has implied so far. I have learned more about how I take in my surroundings and how self-assessment is playing a big role in my thoughts. Some of the struggles I face in my daily routine require some changes but in a good way - to make my life easier & more efficient. The looking glass is scary but I also am learning to be ok with the imperfection and share it. :) I also like capturing the big and the small things. Big things happen - it's part of life and to see it unfold while I'm going through my routine is just an awesome perpsective. I am so thankful for the inspiration. I think as I begin to pull the actual photos, words, stuff onto paper I will end up being inspired to bleed over onto other styles of pages. I'm glad to be doing this project this week!

Welcome to the world, Bryson! Michaela's brother arrived today at 12:20 PM and weighed a healthy 8 lbs. 3 oz. He's 20 inches tall and has dark hair like his Sister and Dad. Isn't he cute? Bryson Lawrence is definitely going to be spoiled by his entire family - especially his 3 sisters.
Michaela got to be in the delivery room and is very happy to spread her joy. I'm sure it will be a moment she will never forget. What a special day!

Welcome, October!

Oh how I love October. It's tied neck & neck with May. Both months have birthdays for my darlings but besides that, the weather is perfection. No central air or heat necessary and it's awesome to be outside! I am looking forward to both Megan's & Kevin's birthdays, Harvest Happenings at Hess-Hathaway park, Diehl's Cider Mill, Halloween and anything in between. I've packed my capris and flip flops and have brought out the sweaters and ahhh, boots. Not the big winter weather yucks, but the fancy black knee high ones and the high heel shorties to wear under pants. I'm ready October!

Today is mid-week for my week in the life project and I feel terrible that the journaling isn't going as well as I'd planned. I am determined to get caught up with my notes today. The pages will be nothing without it! I do have a bazillion pictures. I took my camera to work yesterday and took lots of photos. From the top, this is my morning routine. Coffee (one at home, one to go), ironing something to wear, a view of my shoes surrounded by already falling leaves, myself in the car driving, and Zone 2 is the view from my parking space when I arrived at work. Dontcha love the barbed wire? It's the part of my job that I dislike and try to overlook. Many days though I will admit, it doesn't blend in as well as it should. Not sure how many of the ugly Highland Park pics I'll add to this project, but I took a few yesterday and should do a layout with my thoughts on how seeing such an environment on a daily basis affects me.

On a lighter note, don't forget to check your new October forecast on http://www.astrologyzone.com/ as Susan Miller is the best there is. It's like unwrapping a gift every month. Ok, a bit dramatic, I know, but it's true for me. ;) I do so like to peek ahead and this is my little dose of what to expect.

Take a good look around today and soak in all that it is. ~ Emily