focus52 - {16:52}

Easter weekend was truly a blessing. Spending time with family is so very special and much needed in our busy lives. To take time to sit around, eat good food, chat about life, watch the kids play, appreciate the beauty of nature around us...yes, a blessing indeed.  Easter isn't complete without jellybeans!!

 

And we colored our eggs with Kool-Aid this year! Fun and it smelled good. Didn't turn out as well as other dyes have in the past but this was surely an adventure and one I am glad we tried. The girls enjoyed it too. It was such a nice day Saturday, we opted to dye the eggs on the deck.  

 

On Sunday at mom's, we sat on the deck for a little watching these sweet little yellow finches. There had to be at least 20 of them fluttering around. I was lucky enough to get a great deal of awesome shots!

I hope that everyone else enjoyed a lovely Easter weekend as well. Blessings. oxox

focus52 {16:52}

Theme: Easter

focus52 - {15:52}

(Thursday, 4/14/11) - I witnessed the sweetest thing but it was also very scary! I was on LWE and pulled into Burger King parking lot because there was a momma duck trying to cross the busy highway with tons of babies and cars were so close to hitting them! So a lady in the lot with me got out and stopped traffic so they could cross. but when they reached the other side, the momma got up on the sidewalk but the babies couldn't get up!! So they started to come back across! yikes! Thank goodness a couple on that side pulled over and employees from BK came out to scoop the babies up to safety! Awwww!!  This picture only has a few of her babies, the rest were still being scooped up from the sidewalk. Lesson of the day? We must always hold on to HOPE!

 

Theme: Hope

focus52 - {14:52}

after a few days of feeling pretty blue...it was time to decorate my life with a little sunshine yellow. yellow skittles and my "smiley riley" bracelet. :)

Theme: yellow

focus 52 - {13:52}

I didn't pick up the camera much this week but my daughter did and tried to get a good picture of our pretty Shelby while I was holding her. Shelby is a true scaredy-cat and well, we got her as she was getting all wide-eyed in my arms! HA! She is a silly girl. And we love her to pieces!

Theme: silly

focus 52 - {12:52}

Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty if only we have the eyes to see them. ~John Ruskin

 Theme: The View from Here

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Short & sweet weekly recap....

All photos are random pics from this week, with the exception of the 2 pics of the girls. They were left over from last weekend. I loved them and wanted to share them.

Only one story this week.. as it is the most important to me.  The girls and I made a fruit rainbow today (Saturday, March 19, 2011). Exactly one month ago, our vibrant Destiny became a beautiful rainbow in the sky. In her honor, I asked the girls to each share what they loved about their sisters, as individuals. We spoke of what family love meant and then we all said a silent prayer for Destiny, Melia, Riley and Hailey. Life is precious. Seek your own rainbows. Paint your life with color, laughter, joy, kindness and love. Destiny did. <3

73-78:365

focus52 {10:52}

So much has happened in my life and I haven't been blogging like normal. What is normal anyway? Because I surely wasn't blogging a lot to begin with. Oh well.

So my dear friend, Jan, from TwoScoopz.com has been after to me to share my pics with the group. I have been a member of focus52 since the beginning but have not participated once. Until now, that is. Here ya go, dear Jan! ;o)

The theme is week is {Variety}.  Perfect timing as I receive a lovely bouquet of paper flowers from one of my dearest friends who lives in Louisiana. She made this little bit of sunshine for me. The variety of papers she used reflected my personally so well. She knows me. We have never met in person yet. Hopefully some day that will change but it is still very heartwarming to know that someone can really know who you are without ever having to meet in person. It is a soul connection. The vase she put them in is so darling and fits me to a tee too! Shipped from Louisiana with love. I adore them and I adore her. She is so special. {10:52} & {67:365}

sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy

Friday was such a beautiful day. Right around 70*. More Spring Fever so I decided to buy 2 budget bouquets from Plasterer's Florist to bring Spring inside our home. I made up 3 different arrangements. I love doing this from time to time. Can't help but smile with pretty flowers all around!  Kari spent the night with a friend and it was movie night for the rest of us.  Busy 3 day weekend ahead! Blessed.

49:365

let it shine

“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same” - Nelson Mandela

When I looked through all the photos that I took today, this one was whispering "pick me, pick me!" ... So simple yet so profound for me on this day. Day 4 of my lifestyle change. It had its good moments and it certainly had its not-so-good moments. (tears! hello!?) Just like the picture represents... good=bright sunshine & blue sky. Those two things alone are a perfect reminder that we all can shine if we open ourselves up to the possibilities & surrender to all the good that our life truly is and the bad=those bright rays of sunshine are a little blemished with the dirty winter scum that is on my van window...just like life is blemished with the not-so-good moments, yet there are subtle reminders that fight their way through the muck and shine as bright as they can just to say "look at me! I'm shining! So can you!" 

So, I end today with this thought...“If you look deep within, you will find a brilliant light. Too many, far too many, squint and turn away from the shine. Let your eyes adjust, and bathe in the radiance.” - Unknown .... Just let it be...

41:365

just add chocolate...

That's what they say.... Keep Calm and Carry On... and I say the only way to do that is with CHOCOLATE!!! ;o)  So Sunday.. Superbowl Sunday. Steelers vs. Packers. We lost but we are still the Mighty Mighty Steelers!! Had a nice time at my sister's house. Wasn't going to go but decided to Keep Calm and Carry On.... and eat my Hershey's with Almonds. My last day for that kind of indulgence. It was oh so good.  This is my gratitude journal. I bought it for myself at Christmas but saved it until now. I will need it in the weeks to come, for sure. I plan to list 3-5 things that I am grateful for each day to help keep everything in perspective as I make serious life changes. Bye bye chocolate... I will always love you! :)

37:365
MCP Project 52
Week #6
Theme: Words

oh snow you d'int

School was closed due to icy conditions again. We cleaned the house some, did laundry, dishwasher, played around online, turned music up loud & laughed a lot. Kari wanted to go outside to play in the snow but this time, she was surprised to have Emily and Jenna join her! They had a lot of fun. Good to see them laughing together instead of fighting!!! When I opened the back door to take some pics, of course, they started throwing snowballs at me. Do you see all 3 snowballs hurling towards me? :) I love those chicklets.

32:365

MCP Project 52
Week #5 - Theme: Muse

winter whispers

"Physical bravery is an animal instinct; moral bravery is much higher and truer courage." -Wendell Phillips

I was certainly tested, from the very break of dawn, on how much strength and courage that I would be able to call upon today. As I reflect on the day's events, I am surprised at the amount of bravery I possessed today. From the very beginning, facing my fears about driving in bad conditions, to the afternoon when Kari & I faced an unbelievable situation that shook us to the core... I kept repeating, in my head, "I am brave. I am brave. I am brave."  Life is often filled with lessons, tests, trials. We must be open to learn from them so we can grow into the people we are meant to be. No matter how scary the test is, with faith, we can do all things.

This image struck me as I was coming down the hill, by the farm, after I picked up Kari from school. I just quickly held up my camera and snapped hoping for the camera to capture what I saw before me. This brave lone tree is right before my mom's house. I pass it every day. Never could I have guessed what was about to happen soon after we passed it. Today was, without doubt, a day of bravery.

27:365

walk in faith with grace

Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. - Psalm 37:3-5
  

I am not overly religious by any means but I walk in faith with grace. I struggle with what is and what isn't so I just pray most of the time to MY God, whomever He may be. As I grow older, I'd much prefer to strip labels and stereotypes and just be who I am, believing what I believe, regardless of what the rest of the world says I should or shouldn't believe.

But this scripture is much more profound to me lately. So much so that I am breathing in the possibilities and waking up to a whole new world. My life IS changing. Because I am ready now. It is time. It. is. time.

22:365

my sweet boy-boy

I love cats because I love my home and after a while they become its visible soul.  ~Jean Cocteau

My sweet baby Milo relaxing on Jenna's chair. Milo will be 7 years old in April. We adopted him & Shelby from the Humane Society when they were both 12 weeks old. They are both wonderful cats but Milo, he is a total sweetheart. He loves to cuddle and will give hugs, seriously. He will put his paws on either side of my neck and butts his head against me. He warms up to just about everyone that comes into the house, a true lover-boy.  His nickname is boy-boy or mideo (my dee oh). Milo's voice box is broken (not really, well, maybe). I don't know why but he can't/doesn't meow out loud unless he is very scared. Any other time, you can see his mouth move to a meow but the actual sound is very faint. It is so cute, truly. I love him. Lots.

21:365

{message to myself}

this is my prayer box. i fill it every day with prayers for friends, loved ones, strangers, and sometimes, maybe, a message to myself.

today was an emotional roller-coaster. there was good. there was bad. moments of laughter and moments of tears. i am a work in progress. incessant changes within. a perpetual wish for balance, peace, love, abundance, kindness, strength, giving, compassion, laughter, friendship, inspiration and acceptance. my angels were with me today. they brought me through it. i kept hearing a faint whisper telling me "You are brave. You ARE brave. YOU are brave." So I shall be. Brave. Going through the ugly. Feeling the pain. Learn. Let Go. Grow. Be. Along comes bravery.

19:365

you're still the one i love...

Such a beautiful Sunday to celebrate our first date anniversary. I was just 15 & you were 16 when we started our lives together on January 16, 1988. Who knew that we would still be together 23 years later? I did. We have had many trials as a couple but our love was always bigger and stronger than anything we had to face along the way.... I feel so very lucky to have you for a husband and father to our girls. Thanks for loving me. 

I left this love note on my computer monitor for him to see this morning. He gave me flowers.

16:365

winter's song

Snow. We got it.  Tree across the street & our town square. Diptych.

I have an inside shot of my daughter and my niece playing Mario Kart due to the 2 hour delay that the snow caused. I will be using both in my project.

12a:365

for the love of books

The ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive. - Malcolm X

10:365

Brent took the girls to the library after work today while I stayed home to cook supper. I love involving the entire family in this project so I asked Emily to take her camera and just snap away while at the library.

Photo by Emily. Editing by me.

MCP Project 52 - Week 2 - Illustrate a Song

"How Can I Help You Say Goodbye" by Patty Loveless
Time will ease your pain
Life's about change and nothing ever stays the same
How can I help you to say goodbye
It's ok hurt and it's ok to cry
Come let me hold you
And I will try
How can I help you to say goodbye

Picture is of my husband & our youngest daughter, Kari Ashlyn. They are standing at my husband's father's grave. Today marks 2 years since he passed away from cancer at the young age of 55. Kari has struggled with this loss. She was only 8 when he died. She was the only one of our daughters who saw him lifeless, hooked up to machines in the hospital the day before he passed. Rest in Peace, Dad. We love and miss you. ♥

365:A Daily Photo Journal (Project Life)

Oh dear...I have embarked on this journey since 2008. I never completed a year in photos. I have high hopes for myself this year as I would love to have a complete album for once! I started a Flickr Group called 365:A Daily Photo Journal and I fully intend to order Project Life by Becky Higgins when they are restocked.  I hold myself accountable by creating an album on my Facebook as well as doing a Shuttercal. Yes, redundant maybe. But I quite like it.

The really nice thing about these projects is that it is MY project and I can do it MY way. No real rules,. Just one simple thing to do: Capture Life. Fabulous. Let's do this!

Here are my first 8 photos! Happy! Happy!

1. save the date, 2. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. ~ Buddha, 3. Paint the sky with colors of love, 4. chinese takeout, 5. field of dreams, 6. surfin' in the  USA, 7. be still., 8. spin cycle happiness