Mr. Producers list of 5 things woman need to know!

I have hijacked farmer girls page! Don't tell her...shhh

I want to thank her for her insight into women...whether you're married or not yet, those were all helpful thoughts.

Now it's my turn. I'd like to give you woman the 5 things you need to know about us. This is my rebuttle on behalf of all men!

1. We CAN watch tv AND listen all at the same time...we just may not remember everything that was said....this applies to everything...we can do anything or nothing and still not remember everything that was said!

2. Dont critize us! No matter how many times we load the dishwasher, fold the laundry, go shopping....we will do it wrong! We don't mean to, we are really trying to help. Think of it as endearing and love us for it!

3,4,5... well, really there is no 3,4,5....just a 1 and 2. Yep, we really are that simple.

We are like a puppy...pat us on the head, throw us a treat (perhaps a bone ;) now and then (much more now than then, we could live on treats alone), let us do our business and we will in turn provide you with unconditional love...we may even wag our tag and slobber on you if your lucky :)

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M.E.N.....5 things you need to know!

So, tonight at the gym, on the treadmills next to me, two girls are in a very animated conversation. Being the nosy girl I am (please tell me this isn't a revelation to any of you), I pause my ipod (still one of the best inventions and gifts ever) to listen.
To sum up their conversation, they were complaining about the men in their lives (really, us women don't do that so I was just as shocked as you are)! I listened for a few (okay maybe a lot of) minutes to their complaints, ranging from not understanding us, to not helping with the house work, to a "need" that men seem to have more than women and I got to thinking.

I turned my music back on and in true ADD fashion changed songs many times. But, when I found my favorite song to run to, the one with a perfect beat, I began to zone out and think some more....hey a girl has to do something to make it to the 4 mile mark, right?

Okay men....pay attention! Here is the truth you have been dying to hear about us women........

WE  ARE  NOT  COMPLICATED  PEOPLE!

Really, we aren't!!

We have 5 basic needs...yep, just 5...and this is all woman, the strong, the quiet, the self sufficient, the needy....even if we say we don't.....and in no particular order, they are:

1. We need you to listen, not just hear! There is a BIG difference!

2. We need you to love us the way we are...don't point out our flaws, trust me....we know them!

3. We need you to help out with the housework, chores, kids...not because we tell you to, not because we ask....just do it!

4. We need romance...ok so flowers everyday is a bit much, but a rose once in a while just for us will go a long way (more on that later ;)....so will a deep kiss or a compliment.

5. We need you to respect and appreciate us...ok so maybe they could be separate categories, but it's my blog and i said 5!

So to break it down for you....


1. Listen....pause the TV, (no whats on isn't important to us) stop what your doing, be in the same room as us, look us in the eyes, LISTEN!

2. Really I shouldn't need to expand further. Whether we have put on a few pounds or we wear sweats all the time or we have a chin hair that needs plucked or we are absentminded.... TRUST ME we know this! Begin to think of these qualities as endearing and love us in spite of or for them!

3. This goes without saying...but.....help us danggit....even when we say we don't need it or want it...even when we say no problem,we'll do it....silently we are hoping you'll help just because you love us (see #2)

4. There are 3 types of men in this world. A...the natural romantic, this comes easy and freely from you. B...the you know how to be romantic and wants to but, well you don't know why, you just don't (again trust me, it doesn't make you less manly to be romantic...only more so) C...the you don't have a clue....what is romance (there is hope for you though, grab a girl and ask her how)?

5. It doesn't matter what our professional job is or isn't...what we do or don't do around the house...we need you to notice, appreciate and respect us for it!

I did not grow up in the 60's...I did not vote for equality in all area's of women's lib....I am a girl and need you to be my big- strong- yet- gentle- romantic- helping- listening man!

Whats in it for you is everything!!!! Any need you have, any request you want, in any room of the house, any time of the day, will with certainty be met!

You spend the morning doing laundry and I'm yours.
You buy me a rose on the way home from work, I'm yours.
You kiss me as though you have to in order to survive, I'm yours. You hold the door for me, write me a love note, make my coffee every morning, clean the bathroom, carry on a conversation unpreoccupied for 5 min, wash the kids face, put gas in my car, tell me thanks for working or working out or cleaning the house, tell me my chin hair is cute, sing me a song, scrub the dishes, dance with me, call me just to say I love you, help cook dinner or clean up the living room or run errands with me......I AM ALL YOURS and truthfully, I will probably not be able to wait until the kids are in bed before I make you all mine!

Yep, these are the secrets to what turns us on, to what makes us tick, to what we need and want.

And for my money conscious friends....notice these idea's are all either free or really really cheap :)

Sorry ladies that I gave away our secrets....but if your man actually reads this and does these things....show him how much you love him and appreciate him and make him yours....wink...wink...wink...its what they respond too (yes they really only have that 1 physical need ;).

DISCLAIMER...I am not responsible for any by-products 9 months later from you making each other yours.....

Now go love, listen, respect & appreciate, help and romance her! Men you have nothing to lose but a whole lot to gain!!!

***Husband and wife tested, approved, implemented and resulted in the Fab 4 :) ***

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Happy Birthday Buddy

9?! Wait, what??? You can't possibly be 9!!! How did that happen??

This is your last year in the single digits! WOW!!!!!!


I am watching and listening to you play with your younger brother and sister right now and all I can say is...Adam if you are half as good with your own kids someday as you are with your brother and sisters, then you are going to be one heck of a dad!!!

I am not sure you are aware of just how proud I am to be your mom!

Yes, I am proud of you for being on student council, for excelling at football, for being a cub scout, for being involved in the church play, for getting good grades.

I am even more proud of the character you have. You are loving, patient, helpful, kind, funny, compassionate.

I do not know who you will grow up to be, what you will do as a profession, how many kids you may have or where you will live. I know you will not be perfect, you will as we all have, make mistakes...

But I hope you know....I will always be proud of you!!!!

I love you very much and am honored, proud and blessed to be your mom!!!

4 letter word

I feel a 4 letter word coming on.....

Got your attention? :)

We often think of bad, inappropriate words when someone uses the phrase 4 letter words!

I have been known to once or twice use one of these such words myself, shocking I know!

But, today I am here on behalf of my friend the 4 letter word, to redeem its name!

There are many wonderful 4 letter words, more so in fact than there are not!

Below are some of my favorites.

glad
care
blog
live
grin
pets
home
pray
Lord
song
farm
wine
beer
form
text
food
work-outs (yep, some creative liberty here)
fams (and here)
fone (and here :)

My most favorite one's however, are...
pals
kids
moms
dads
book
life
love
And................................................................................ brace yourself..................................................................
work!!!!

Yep, work! It is a 4 letter word I rather enjoy! I enjoy working around my house, working in my garden, working with my children, working out, and work as in what I do to earn money and give back to the world!

After 5.5 years of being out of the working world....I am heading back! EEEEK!!!! A couple 4 letter words can be inserted here as well.....such as
VERY
PART
TIME
PAID (which I wont be for the next 3 days :(, but will be after that)
SUBS (not the kind you eat)
OHMY (again with the creative liberty)

I will NOT let these 2 four letter words enter my psychie though...
fear and weak....
Though they are trying hard!

Yes, I am nervous. Yes, I will be nervous probably every time I step into a new classroom.

But, I know I can do this. All my years of education and training aside, this "work" is what I was born to do. It is a part of who I am.

 I have been blessed to be able to stay home and educate my own children for years. And will continue to do so even as I venture out very part time into the "real" world.

Nervousness is allowed to reside, it will keep me humble and human, as long as its companion, excitement, resides larger!

Wish me luck as I take on the new venture of an old love "WORK"

Weeds

I love having a garden. I love feeling the dirt beneath my fingers. Digging holes. Planning what vegetables i will grow. But my most favorite part is watching it grow. Daily you can see the difference in the sprouts. All it takes is a little TLC. But even with the TLC you have to watch carefully. In any garden, you will get weeds. They must be monitored and extracted quickly or they can take over your beautiful garden, destroying your crop and requiring much extra work to get your sweet vegetables right again.

It occurred to me tonight when I was watering my garden, that we, as humans, especially our children, are not much different.

We get our hands dirty, prepare, plan and plant our lives. We grow and change, sometimes daily. Somewhere along the way we autopilot our caring and watering. We watch a weed pop up and think we will get to it tomorrow when we have more time. And all too quickly, time passes and not only did we not extract our original weed, but now many more have joined it. Now we are faced with a choice. Do we take the time to clean up the mess, pull the weeds and throw them away or do we till our whole garden and start again.

We all have weeds. Some are very deep and others remain very close to the surface. Whether they are yesterdays unkind word or thought or perhaps an incident from years gone by, we all have something that holds us back from growing.

No one is immune. As much as I try to keep my garden of children carefully watered and very loved, I notice, they too have weeds. Thankfully, they are pretty much surface area weeds that are easy to pluck. But I know that if I do not pluck the weeds, ever careful to not accidentally destroy the blossoming vegetable, they will overtake my sweet tomatoes.

The same is true of any relationship that you have. Be it marriage, friendship, co-workers, family members. Are there weeds holding you back from growing? Something you can't let go of? An apology you need to make, a goof-up you can't seem to forget? A weed you accidentally plucked, that perhaps wasn't? Are you allowing weeds to grow within you that is stunting your ability to be a beautiful vegetable?

Gardening and life, certainly aren't easy. We all have weeds and we all pluck things we think are weeds only to later discover they were in fact, not!

I challenge you today, dear reader, to find a weed, either surface or deep, and pull it. Before you do, examine closely to make sure it is in fact a weed and not a wayward shoot-off of your plant.

Pick your plot, whether it is a spouse or friend or family member, all of which should love you unconditionally and accept and encourage your need to tend to your garden.

But today, no try to make it every day for 1 week, pull a weed. It can't hurt!!! It can only help your grow!

Confessions of a control freak

Ok, I admit it....I am a control freak!!!!!!

For most of you this comes as no surprise!!!!

Some of this post may best be shared with just Mr. Producer, but it's my blog and I control it :)

Honestly, I get my controlling nature from my mom! (Mom, I love you and get MANY other wonderful qualities from you as well).

I will if given the chance, or even if not really, try to control anything (I am after all a mom, isn't that what we do??) !!!!

I control what my kids wear. I control what we do. I even try to control what we do with friends most of the time. I control what we eat. I control bed times. I control our finances. I control the errands, the chores, the pets (ok, well maybe not so much the cat and chickens who has a mind of their own). I control who I want to talk to (and will continue to talk even if they don't want me to :) I control when we go to church (and when we don't). I control who I want to see and when. I control the discipline method. I control the garden. I think one of the reasons I love texting is because I can control when I talk to you and you can NOT control when you hear from me!!! I usually control what we order from other kids fundraisers!! Heck, I even control Little Man and Mr. Producer's facebook farms for the love of pete!!!

I have little tolerance it seems some days for people who can not equally control stuff!! But then get mad at those who take the control from me...hehehe

Is it really any wonder that I choose teaching as a profession??

Now, in my defense, I do NOT ever try to control things to be mean. Sometimes I do it to alleviate stress from other people, to make their lives easier! A lot of the times, I am controlling a situation or something and don't even realize it!!! It is just simply a part of my personality! Just as much as being social (yes, my school parent/teacher conferences always held that I was a great child, a good student academically, but I ALWAYS needed to work on not being so chatty!!!!) And as much as wanting to help other people...Again, no surprise to most of you!!!

I am a control freak but not a nazi. I control what my kids wear in the sense that I pick out 5 outfits for school that week, they get to pick which of the 5 they want to wear on what day(provided it matches)! I control what we eat for dinner, but give everyone a choice on their drinks. I control that they must take a bath, but don't control what they play with in the tub. I control when I sit on the couch and snuggle and watch TV with Mr. Producer and what we watch, but I don't control what he watches when I am not sitting there with him....although sometimes I would like to as I can only listen to so many Seinfeld reruns :)

I accept this as part of my character. I do not often look at this as a flaw. I take pride in having things turn out perfectly because I controlled them to be that way!

PRIDE COMETH BEFORE A FALL!

I no longer want control!!!!! Now that I have taken it all, I don't want it.

The problem with taking everything is that there is nothing left for anyone.
The problem with enjoying having everything is that you don't want to share.
The problem with not sharing is that you do eventually get tired.

To the fab 4 and Mr. Producer! I AM SO SORRY!!!!!!!!

I realize one of the reasons why Mr. Producer LOVES his job and loves to work is because there he has control!

I recognize there is always a need for control. Some things just require it. Even something as simple as getting together with friends, needs someone to lead the way, make the plans (but that someone needs to pay attention to what everyone else wants to do)

This last year, I have heard on more than one occasion that I have changed. For the most part, I want to yell no. But then, I have to admit....it is true!

I have realized this past year, that I AM DAMN TIRED!

I no longer want full control of everything and anything. I want people to make decisions sometimes for me and sometimes with me!

But I realize that means I have to let go of the control. And that scares me. What if the whole world falls apart?! (I know they wont though! Take my absence from decision making of a fundraiser purchase, well that turned out even better than OK!)

Yet, I am just at the point of tired enough, that I don't care if the world falls apart. I don't care if the kids live on McDonalds, if Little man doesn't do his homework, the list could go on and on!

This is where the change in me has come in! I have controlled my thoughts enough to not share them...Eeeeek!!!!

So I quit taking control of many things, and yes, it seems some things have fallen apart! What I didn't do though, was come forward to my team mate and say "hey honey...I am sorry I have taken such control, I want you to take some back, please let's work on this together." Oh no, the control freak in me, has just said, I am not doing this anymore and let it slide! Expecting someone else to take the reins they didn't even know were laying around!

So where am I going with this information? Why did I choose to share my private mess-up with the rest of the world? (aside from still wanting to be in some control ;)

Well, because I think most of you deserve an apology from me. For my friends whose time I completely monopolized, I am so sorry. Please know that I did it out of love for you and wanting to be with you! For the Fab 4...I am sorry babies but I am giving you some control back...it won't be easy, we will sink in the beginning. (please know when you see us in public and the kids may not match or their hair isn't brushed, well....they have control over that ;) As for Mr. Producer....most of my apology will have to take place out of the public realm...I do have enough control of myself to not share most of our dirty laundry ;) But, publicly, let me say...I am so sorry!!!!

To friends....If I don't text you, call you or ask to get together, please know that I still want to, just take some control and ask me!!

To my family...when I am starting to control a situation or something instead of just giving a reminder.....TELL ME GENTLY!

So, don't ask me what we are having for dinner tonight or what the kids are wearing tomorrow....they will have control!  It might be chocolate chips and soda and dorito's.....its ok, they will tire of that eventually. They may show up to school or church or football practice this evening in plaids and stripes....that too is ok, because well, they are just cute enough to pull it off!!!!

Psst.....I always maintain the right to control MY BLOG though!!!

I love all of my fellow control freaks.....you know who you are, whether you admit it or not, you DO know who you are. JUST ONCE, GIVE UP THE CONTROL! Just let the world know you are doing it so there are no surprises :)

and I am a perfectionist, but that is a confession for another day! :)

A pessimist

Even a pessimist can be happy!

Allowing your happiness to depend upon another human only sets you up to be disappointed. Find your own happiness within your self and depend on other people to enjoy it!

Life will not turn out the way you thought it would when you were a child, a teenager or a young adult...It will always be better!

Life is only as hard as you let it be! Even the difficult times can be easy with the right attitude!

You can have a bad day, week, month and still be happy.

Everyone has some blue times and grumpy days....it is how you are the other 300 days out of the year that determine your personality!!!!

You are as young or as old as you want to be. I may be 35 with 4 kids, but I still feel like I am a 17 year old (just with more responsibility)!

Life really is too short to be taken too serious! Resolve to do something fun and silly at least twice a month!

If you don't enjoy your life or what you do....keep searching until you do!

You are not an ostrich...everything in life grows upward...

No heels required

Registration complete....Entry fee paid....training started

Okay....here is the OFFICIAL announcement...............

I AM doing the Disney Princess Half Marathon run on Sunday February 27th 2011 at 6am!

I am so excited (and scared, did I mention that already?)

I had 2 best friends through middle school and half of high school...1 (AMY) I never lost touch with, the other (LISA), well a change of lifestyles got in the way and we sort of drifted apart....But, a few years later (hey, we aren't that old :) a certain awesome social network brought us back together.

Lisa currently lives on the East coast of Florida. With 7 kids and 4 additional pseudo-kids (who's age shall remain unnamed to protect the guilty, I mean innocent :) between us, let's just say we haven't had the chance to visit in person as of yet.

Through much talking, social networking and texting, we have discovered we have many things in common, aside from quirky sense's of humor. We discovered we both thoroughly enjoy running but don't have near enough time to do so.

Now, if you have followed my blog for any length of time, you know that I have lost a good deal of weight over the last year (39lbs to be exact). Well, sadly, I have put back on a couple of those pounds (grrrr....fine, 12 to be exact :p)...I have gotten lazy and developed a love of a certain frozen coffee concoction at a local fast food place, that is less than healthy to be sure...and well, anyway...............

So when Mr. Producer came home one day and casually mentioned a race sponsored by Disney, I checked into it. After perusing the website, my initial reaction was....

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Who in the HECK am I kidding....I haven't run in a while, and even when I was running....um I NEVER ran the length of a half marathon or even half of a half marathon!!!

But an idea was forming....Semi-jokingly, I forwarded the information via email to Lisa. Then I texted her and said...."I sent you an email and all I can say is...wanna be team mates?" I think I was more hoping than not that she would say no!

Well, she didn't. She emphatically said YES!!!!!

So, in true Tracy OCD style, I began to plan! And the more I researched and thought truly about the distance of 13.1 miles, the more I began to FREAK OUT!!!!

But, I had already committed myself to Lisa and while I hadn't actually paid the (oh not so small) registration fee, I had given her my word. And well, she quickly went and bought a jogging stroller, so really how in the heck could I back out then???? (Thanks Lisa :)

So, the training has begun. To see our team name, training schedule, our stats (but you MAY NOT JUDGE), and/or to encourage us, go here.

Now if you know much about me, you know I am cheap...err, I mean, frugal! By God if I am going to pay the entry fee price, well then I am going to run.

So, with the fee paid, the team name picked, new head phones for ipod, new ipod songs being picked, a family vacation planned for that weekend and training started...Mommy is announcing to the world that I AM going to run the half marathon.

All the Disney characters are out on the race course to encourage you and provide you with breathing breaks, I mean photo opportunities! How cool is that? And according to pictures, you even get a tiara!!!

Please know that Lisa and I are NOT looking to "place" anything specific, we are just looking to finish with our pride and dignity in tact! We are hoping the weather is NOT to cold. We are definitely looking forward to the chance to finally see each other again. (I am not so looking forward to being the wearer of the dorky fanny pack to hold the camera for photo ops though :)

And lastly, we are looking forward to the chance to be a princess for a while, wear a tiara and thankful that there is a NO HEELS REQUIRED rule!!!

Feel free to visit our fan page and leave us encouragement....we're gonna need it! Otherwise, well, I am sure my blog posts and status updates will leave you more informed than you want to be.... :)

In case you are counting, we have 19.5 weeks left to train until race day!!!

Um, and seriously Disney, my only complaint is.....6AM?????  WTH!!!! This is Florida, in February....It won't be hot even if you started the race at 9AM.....just saying!!!!!!

Can you sweat in a Tiara?

Big announcement will follow within the week....but here is a teaser....

I am making a BIG commitment!

I am equal parts scared and excited.

I am jumping at the chance to get to visit and reconnect in person with an old friend....old as in how long we have known each other, not as in she is old!! (because we are the same age, if I said she was old, well....you get the point ;)

I have scrolled through pictures of people who have made this commitment before me, and well, honestly it looks like a BLAST (and they have lived to tell about it :)

If you know me at all, you know I am up for a good challenge, both to myself and to others (There, I publicly admitted that I am competitive :)!

And I love the chance to do something outside in the cold, especially with my family!  Okay, these are the excited part!!!!!!

Yet, what if I am not ready? What if I fail? What if it is too hard? What if I trip? What if I forget the camera? What if everyone laughs at my DORKY new Christmas present?  These are the scared parts.....

But, I am going to make the investment....financially, mentally, physically!!!!

The only hint I can give until I make the announcement publicly is.....
 IF YOU SWEAT IN A TIARA ARE YOU STILL A PRINCESS??!!

10 years

Dearest Andrew,

I don't have to look at the date on the calendar to know its your birthday. I can feel it getting closer... in my heart, in my soul.

I don't often get sad on this special day. I guess today (and the last couple days) is hard because it is hard to believe it has been so long since I held my angel in my arms. The years go by quickly. I am busy raising your brothers and sisters.

I write you a letter every year on your birthday and think of you daily, how can I not? Yet, when I pause to write your letter this year I am overcome that so much time has gone by.

For the first time since that long first year immediately after you went to heaven, I find myself wondering what you would be like...

Would you be into football like Adam?
Would you be charming and comedic like Jason?
Would you be serious like Becca or outgoing like Katie?
Would you still have a head full of black hair like your daddy?
Would you have endured a surgery or two because of your club foot?
Would you still be long and lean?
Would you have difficulty in school?
Would you have been the less than .0001% of kids to thrive beautifully without any complications from arriving so early?
You would be going into 5th grade this year.

Oh Andrew, sometimes it seems crazy to miss something you spent such a few precious hours holding, but peanut, what I would give to hold you today. I know someday we will be together again, but today, mommy misses you dearly!

Never for a minute think I regret having you. Those were six of the best months of my life...feeling you move, jumping from hiccups, kicking. Even as I knew I was losing you, laying there all night long knowing nothing could be done, I cherished every movement. I was overcome with joy when you were born, alive...so little, but absolutely perfect and alive!

I can close my eyes and remember every detail of that night, all my worries, questions, second guessing, guilt. Trying to push their way to the forefront of my mind, yet every movement you make reminding me to not waste a precious moment.

I only have 1 picture of you, yet I know that I do not need to look at it to remember every facet of you. Your nose, identical to mine. Your hair, feet, body build all your daddy. Your eyes stayed closed the whole time, you didn't make a sound, we knew you wouldn't be here long, but the smell and feel of your small body is woven into every inch of my heart!

I would never exchange those 3 hours of feeling your heartbeat, holding your fingers, kissing you, marveling of your beauty and strength for anything in this world. That time was just pure perfection.

You were, are and will always be perfect.

I could never have known then the gift you would give me in all your siblings and I believe that a part of each of them make up the young man you would be today!

While I would never change a second of my time with you, how I long for it back. Even with knowing the outcome and all the pain, how I long to see and hold you again.

And while I know that will not be for a long time to come, please know that in spite of the tears I shed today and the pain I feel, I rejoice in being called your mommy!

Peanut I miss you terribly and love you more. May you celebrate your going home day with our Father and know that we too are celebrating you here on earth!

With all my love, forever and always.... mommy!

p.s. look for the balloon the kids and I will be sending your way later tonight... know there are a lifetime of hugs and kisses filling that balloon!!!!

I love you peanut!

Blog hiatus...

This summer we, okay I, was on a sort of blog hiatus. Please don't be fooled into thinking that meant we had NOTHING to blog about! HA!!! Instead spin it around... we were so busy we had too much to blog about!

I could bore, I mean charm, you with my writing. But, why bother when pictures can do so much better!!

This summer we made time for.....


SIBLINGS
GAME PLAYING
SWIMMING

BIRTHDAY'S

SKATING
MUCH NEEDED SNUGGLING
SELF PORTRAITS (big necessity :)
dreaded, err, loved....SILLY BANDS
UM, GUESS WE FORGOT TO LEAVE TIME FOR CLEANING
FOOOOOOOOOOOOD
LOTS OF RAIN

no summer is complete without RAYS BALL
Ahhh some MOMMY & DADDY TIME

VACATIONS!!!!
FAMILY TIME

OH YEA...FUN TIME!!!!!
SLEEPOVERS
FRIENDS
MORE FRIENDS
AND SOME OF THE BEST FRIENDS

ADDICTIVE COMPUTER TIME
PRINCESS TIME

PUPPY LOVE
and the most fun time for some... WORKING WITH DADDY!

Ya, it has been a GREAT summer!!!!!! We have had lots of laughs, loves, sibling time, twin time, tickle time and snuggle with mommy time!!!

Now, that your caught up to speed.... prepare yourselves for more regular blog postings....

PLEASE CONTAIN YOURSELVES AND QUIET THE APPLAUSE, YOU'LL WAKE THE CHILDREN ;)

Kindergarten

Is it honestly possible that today Amazing Girl truly branched out on her own for the first time? How did my first baby girl get old enough to go to "real" school? WOW!!!!

I thought for sure I wouldn't be as upset, cry as much as I did when Adam went... I didn't even wait until we left the house to get teary eyed!

I thought for sure she would have no problems making friends...she has a new friend already...a boy!

I thought for sure she would love everything about school...she doesn't like rest time!

I thought for sure she would miss me...I just didn't realize how much we would all miss her....

I love you amazing girl and am so incredibly proud to be your mommy!

35

I remember my mom telling me once that 35 was one of the hardest years of a woman's life. And as usual, she was right :)

While I may not yet be 35, this has been the 35th year of my life.

There has been much self discovery this year. While I am a far cry from being the person I want to be, I have come to learn some truths this year.

I am still learning to admit my faults and say I am sorry more easily and quickly.

BUT....I have learned...

*You never stop discovering or learning about yourself.
*Being passive can be a good thing, but you also have to stick up for yourself, regardless of the consequences.
*Friendship is hard sometimes but well worth the work.
*Marriage may be harder than friendships, but it is even more worth it.
*Usually the simplest expressions of love are the ones that mean the most.
*I get a little more neurotic as I get older but a lot less judgmental.
*You can't always choose who you love, but you can always choose to love.
*We all do things we swore we never would and we can choose to quit doing things we are if we work hard enough at it.
*People will and do change and that those changes individually may not be for the best but when combined with the rest of what makes a person, they can and should be embraces.
*Not everyone will like and accept you the way you are, even people that once did.
*Life...love...parenting is challenging but the beauty and joy found within it truly do outweigh the challenge.
*True friends don't judge you even when they want to but instead are always there for you.
*I still need my parents as much as I did when I was a kid, but for entirely different reasons.
*Doing things for one's self does not make them a selfish person, but strengthens their character and the roles they are in in their life.

Perhaps though the biggest lessons I have learned is compassion, understanding and acceptance.

There are many miles I have left to walk in this world, God willing. There are many adversities and blessings I have yet to face. But it is my job as a person, child of God, wife, parent and friend to have compassion, understanding and acceptance for people whose situations (whatever they may be) are different than my own.

May the next 35 years bring me as much joy, lessons to learn and as many blessings as the last 35!

Future photogs part duex

Oh my.... I am not even sure I can caption these to add to the humor.... Katie got her very own digital camera for her birthday... HAHAHA! Watch out world..... No one (or nothing) is safe from her lens, whether it is in her hands or that of her brother or sister!

Altoid anyone?
Shake?!
So busted playing in mommy's purse
open wide and say aaaaah
I think maybe the peanut butter made her mad?
We definitely need to work on focusing
On second thought.....
This is what happens when your photog is shorter than you
Oh please, not today... I haven't had a bath
Its all in the lighting

I'm not telling.... you HAVE to guess what this is.........

Always willing to pose and smile :)
Double rainbow
Either future photog or make-up artist.... or both :)

Nothing or no one is exempt.......

Yep, me drinking coffee in the car... glad its not a close-up since there's a good chance I was still in my PJ's :)
Are we flying or driving
Sweet Marie and Bella
Noah
My mothers day gift
Pseudo-mom
Yep, even webkinz jr..

Hahaha... you had to know fb would be included
Liam
The rain
and Colin

Lastly... my favorites.....Self Portraits








Happy birthday future photog..... I sure love you!