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?