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

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

{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

{soul food}

{truth}

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. ~ Marcus Aurelius

wreckage~ week 5

First of all, thank you to those who left some words of encouragement and support last week! It really helped!!

This week was full of creative energy. I was pulled out of my funk slowly but surely. My youngest daughter, Kari, has been begging to help in my journal since I started and I figured what better way to get back into the groove than to do it with a ball of energy that is Kari? Certainly only good things can come from that, right? I know!

So we started off by having Emily, my oldest, stand on a chair (she is tall) and drop the journal from high up! I barely got the shot but I think it turned out really cool! So do my girls, so that's all that matters! ;o)

I'm not sure if Kari was hungry or what but when I flipped to "chew on this page" I was repulsed and the hairs on my arms stood straight up as if I was back in third grade again when the chalk scraped down the board, I said THERE IS NO WAY I'M DOING THIS ONE...Kari quickly said "I WILL!!!"...ICK. EWW. ICK. EWWW!! Have at it babycakes! Just yuck.



Then we drew pretty flowers together and I didn't even get a bit uptight when she scribbled over her side at the end.....cringed a little but didn't get uptight. ha!



Then she was my friend that destroyed a page...

As you can clearly see, she enjoyed every bit of that too. Ever since she was in the womb, she has been my "chaos maker" child. She is notorious for reeking havoc. I finally caught her in the act. *snicker* Although, I think she was a little baffled by the fact that I was allowing her to be destructive without consequences!! LOL


Ok, she got sidetracked by our new kitten so I was on my own for a bit. And it is good that I was because I got a little serious with the project. Burn this page? Seriously? You want me to play with fire? I'm too scared!!! It is my biggest fear. Well, aside from something happening to my loved ones. Fire. Yep, it really makes my stomach hurt. I think it may have something to do with getting severely burned as a toddler by a pot full of boiling water. Right, no direct fire but still produces the same results...burn.

So, I got a bowl of water ready to throw the paper/book in as I went along because, well, I was petrified that I would burn my house down. I knew I didn't want to burn the actual page while it was still in the book. That was too much for my nervous system to handle! And I'm not kidding! So instead, I tore out part of the page and wrote some really negative, self-deprecating things that have lived in my soul for so long and then I burned it up! VERY cathartic!! Wow...let me just tell you that things got very emotional as I watched those words, the words that I have believed and lived for so long, go up in flames.








Then we had to wash away all the fears, hang ups from the previous week. Shower time!




Over all, a very productive, creative week!! Yay!

wreckage ~ week 4

Not much to say today.

Can you believe that I did not wreck at all this week? Life was really busy and I just didn't make the time for my creative self to come out and play. And I am having just a wee bit of trouble with letting go of trying to be a little clean with my wrecking. I know I need to get passed the "why are you destroying this book that is full of your thoughts/creations?" in order to keep wrecking. I noticed on other blogs that the books are all tattered and torn and really really wrecked. Uh, mine still looks fairly new. Such a shame that I hold onto some sort of idea that I can't shake. I will though. I know it! There is so much inspiration out there for me that I know I will be able to get ugly with my book and...*gulp*...destroy it.

But....seriously...what about all the pretty creations inside it? They'll all be ruined. That's the point though, right?

Here's to more insane wrecking in the upcoming weeks!

let the words soak in...

Live while you are alive...

Learn to be what you are in the seed of your spirit

Learn to free yourself from all things that have molded you

And which limit your secret and undiscovered road...

Never forget that love

Requires you to be

The greatest person you are capable of being,

Self generating and strong and gentle -

Your own hero and star...

Be grateful for life as you live it,

And may a wonderful light

Always guide you along the unfolding road.

- from Ben Okri's "To an English friend in Africa"

*saw this on another blog recently and found it lovely enough that i wanted to share it.

Protect Our Children

Last week on her show, Oprah talked about the sexual predators that seek to harm innocent children in America. Oprah mentioned The Adam Walsh Child Protection Act, an act set up by John Walsh, whose son Adam was kidnapped and murdered in 1981. The Act requires sex offenders to register within their state so that anyone can access their names and addresses and protect their families as best as possible. Unfortunately, in July 2009, the act will have run out of funds, but there is a sample letter on Oprah's website you can download, sign and send to your states senate asking them to comply with the Act. Download the letter HERE.

We, as parents, as citizens, need to do everything we can to make sure the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act can continue. Our children need us to do the right thing! Tell everyone you know to download the letter and send it! Do some good today!

gourmet*jellybeans

just one of those fun little things in life...
you know, trying to figure out the flavor of gourmet jellybeans.

{exposed}

Hello there.

It's been awhile.

I'm sorry for that.

I was feeling a bit raw.

Exposed.

So I went missing.

Well...just hiding for a bit.

I want to exhale now.

So hello there.

Let me share some inspiration with you before I go...

Just a few of my flickr favorites.

These images helped me take a new breath.

For a moment, I came alive once more.

I will catch up on my 12 Secrets soon.

I promise.