I LOVE being a mom!

Mom 2.0: Defining A Movement

TABOO

Joshua

Click here to see the video: Happy Birthday Josh

I cant believe my boy is 22 years old!! 

22 years ago today I was on my way back home to New York, when I found myself stuck in an eighteen mile traffic jam in Pennsylvania.   

Half the highway was blocked off due to road work causing a bit of slower speeds.  A tractor-trailer had caught on fire and that caused a complete stand still. 

People  got out of their cars and were sitting on the hood or talking to the other drivers.   Of course, this is the time Joshua decided he wants to be born, so I went into labor right then and there! 

Typical Josh not being patient!

This happen in 1989, so it took us quite a while to find someone with a phone to call for help.  About a half hour later, a police car showed on the other side of the cement divider and I was lifted up and over.  The police weren't able  to turn around so they drove backwards for quite a ways to the exit.  I arrived at the hospital and just about an hour later,  I was told I needed a emergency c-section.   

It was quite a long day but at the end, I was holding my baby boy.   He was perfect.    On the third day of being in the hospital a nurse came in the room and told me she needed to show me something.   She pushed me in my wheelchair down the hall to the nursery while she talked about how all the nurses just love him already.  We pulled up to the nursery and she  told me to look in the window at Josh.    There were 5 other babies in the room and they were all girls.  Then she pointed out what it was that made all the nurses laugh.  Every single one of those girls was crying their eyes out.  Josh was in the very middle, surrounded by these baby girls sound asleep, with his finger in his ear.  

I should have known it was a sign of things to come!  An impatient son, dealing with the fussy girls while charming the nurses!  There have been tons of memorable Josh moments, but here are just a few:

-Using gasoline to start a big fire and burning off his eyelashes & eyebrows. 

-Attacking a crazy possum with a basketball. 

-Skipping around the high school tossing handfuls of popcorn everywhere he went.  Walking past his sister 5 minutes later with the principle, head hung, popcorn confiscated.   

-While shopping in a Wal-Mart type store, putting a leopard thong over his school uniform and doing lunges in the aisle for all the passing customers. 

Happy Birthday Joshua!  You entered this world with a bang and have kept me on my toes ever since! 

Click here to see the video: Happy Birthday Josh

I cant believe my boy is 22 years old!! 

22 years ago today I was on my way back home to New York, when I found myself stuck in an eighteen mile traffic jam in Pennsylvania.   

Half the highway was blocked off due to road work causing a bit of slower speeds.  A tractor-trailer had caught on fire and that caused a complete stand still. 

People  got out of their cars and were sitting on the hood or talking to the other drivers.   Of course, this is the time Joshua decided he wants to be born, so I went into labor right then and there! 

Typical Josh not being patient!

This happen in 1989, so it took us quite a while to find someone with a phone to call for help.  About a half hour later, a police car showed on the other side of the cement divider and I was lifted up and over.  The police weren't able  to turn around so they drove backwards for quite a ways to the exit.  I arrived at the hospital and just about an hour later,  I was told I needed a emergency c-section.   

It was quite a long day but at the end, I was holding my baby boy.   He was perfect.    On the third day of being in the hospital a nurse came in the room and told me she needed to show me something.   She pushed me in my wheelchair down the hall to the nursery while she talked about how all the nurses just love him already.  We pulled up to the nursery and she  told me to look in the window at Josh.    There were 5 other babies in the room and they were all girls.  Then she pointed out what it was that made all the nurses laugh.  Every single one of those girls was crying their eyes out.  Josh was in the very middle, surrounded by these baby girls sound asleep, with his finger in his ear.  

I should have known it was a sign of things to come!  An impatient son, dealing with the fussy girls while charming the nurses!  There have been tons of memorable Josh moments, but here are just a few:

-Using gasoline to start a big fire and burning off his eyelashes & eyebrows. 

-Attacking a crazy possum with a basketball. 

-Skipping around the high school tossing handfuls of popcorn everywhere he went.  Walking past his sister 5 minutes later with the principle, head hung, popcorn confiscated.   

-While shopping in a Wal-Mart type store, putting a leopard thong over his school uniform and doing lunges in the aisle for all the passing customers. 

Happy Birthday Joshua!  You entered this world with a bang and have kept me on my toes ever since! 

Pine-Sol & Chocolate

A BIG thanks to my helper today! 

Lindz and I spent a few hours today doing some serious cleaning.  What is the best way to finish up a busy day of cleaning? 

Homemade Brownies!! 

It's a little reward for cleaning up the house and starting my spring cleaning. 

And check out my gorgeous helper! 

Nothing like

Mother-Daughter bonding over pine-sol and chocolate!

A BIG thanks to my helper today! 

Lindz and I spent a few hours today doing some serious cleaning.  What is the best way to finish up a busy day of cleaning? 

Homemade Brownies!! 

It's a little reward for cleaning up the house and starting my spring cleaning. 

And check out my gorgeous helper! 

Nothing like

Mother-Daughter bonding over pine-sol and chocolate!

Emotional Muggers—and How to Defend Yourself

6 Types of Emotional Muggers—and How to Defend Yourself Against Them

The world is full of people hoping to rob you of your good mood. Here's how to perfect the fine art of psychological self-defense. 

This is a really great article from Oprah's magezine. 

"Let's call it emotional mugging: You're going along minding your own business, and suddenly, when you least expect it, you're faced with a shocking attack on your mood or peace of mind. Being emotionally mugged can be crippling, but because the damage is so often invisible, few of us are ever taught self-defense. Time to change that. You're probably aware that the Asian martial arts, with their deft approach to handling attack, are popular practices for warding off physical muggers. Well, karate-do ("the way of the empty hand") and bushi-do ("the way of the warrior") have a psychological equivalent I call emo-do (pronounced "ee-moh-doh"): the way of the emotional master."

This is just a small part.  If you have time, click here and give it a read.  http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-Stay-in-a-Good-Mood-Martha-Beck 
I also found a cool quiz on the site. 

To take the Quiz, click here:
Oprah's How-Optimistic-Are-You Quiz  

I just finished with this result:

From your perspective, things usually work out. Your ability to focus on the potential for good allows you to see the best in yourself, too. This kind of optimistic bias can promote well-being: People who score in this category tend to be more outgoing, more resilient, and happier. Congratulations on your psychologically healthy outlook!

6 Types of Emotional Muggers—and How to Defend Yourself Against Them

The world is full of people hoping to rob you of your good mood. Here's how to perfect the fine art of psychological self-defense. 

This is a really great article from Oprah's magezine. 

"Let's call it emotional mugging: You're going along minding your own business, and suddenly, when you least expect it, you're faced with a shocking attack on your mood or peace of mind. Being emotionally mugged can be crippling, but because the damage is so often invisible, few of us are ever taught self-defense. Time to change that. You're probably aware that the Asian martial arts, with their deft approach to handling attack, are popular practices for warding off physical muggers. Well, karate-do ("the way of the empty hand") and bushi-do ("the way of the warrior") have a psychological equivalent I call emo-do (pronounced "ee-moh-doh"): the way of the emotional master."

This is just a small part.  If you have time, click here and give it a read.  http://www.oprah.com/spirit/How-to-Stay-in-a-Good-Mood-Martha-Beck 
I also found a cool quiz on the site. 

To take the Quiz, click here:
Oprah's How-Optimistic-Are-You Quiz  

I just finished with this result:

From your perspective, things usually work out. Your ability to focus on the potential for good allows you to see the best in yourself, too. This kind of optimistic bias can promote well-being: People who score in this category tend to be more outgoing, more resilient, and happier. Congratulations on your psychologically healthy outlook!

The First Pancake

Head, Shoulders, Knees and....Ovens?

Most of us become parents someday and try to give our kids the things we didn't have ourselves while growing up. 

The bad thing about this is that if we go overboard our children will not appreciate it.  The good thing is, I never had to worry about giving my kids the things I lacked because all I had to do was provided basic necessities and they would be ahead of where I was! 

Right now, if you are thinking along the lines of food, clothing, security or stability, you would be right.  But, that is not what this blog post is about. 

This is about a Barbie head and the  EZBake Oven.

Every single birthday or Christmas since I was around the age of six, I asked for the Barbie Fashion Head or an EZbake oven, and never got either.  All my friends had at least one of these items, but year after year I got gifts like this: 

age 11 - a pillow

age 16 - a matchbox car

age 17 - a King Sized Snickers bar

and my personal favorite

age 12 - Fish burgers. 

Mackerel Patties on a bun with Miracle Whip for dinner when everyone knows I HATE any kind of seafood.  Yuck. 

Still turns my stomach at the thought of it. 

 Anyway, you get the idea.  My parents didn't even want us to have a KEN doll because it would "tempt us to pretend kiss with our barbies". 

Eventually, my mom let us get a Donny Osmond Ken doll at a yard sale because "Donny would never be naughty and kiss barbie before marriage".   Uh, okay.....  This craziness is why my sisters and I got creative. 

We found tons of ways to make barbie houses or barbie clothes & accessories!   

Aluminium foil makes cool jewelry, a handkerchief is good for all sorts of clothing options and if you use straight pins with those colored balls on the top, you have instant earrings!  

I'm sure my life would have better in the long run, if only i had been able to strengthen my cooking skills and my make-up/hair styling skills.  (insert sarcasm here)

I will never   be able to experience the joy of a proper Ken, like all the other little girls did.    Never able to style Barbie's head.  All you girls out there who had what I wished for:

at least you had a moment of bonding with Barbie while doing her eyeshadow.  You baked proudly in your EZBake oven.  Lucky girls.   (Sigh*) What is the saying again?   

Oh yes, now I remember.....

"It is better to have cooked and styled,  than it is to have never cooked and styled at all."

Most of us become parents someday and try to give our kids the things we didn't have ourselves while growing up. 

The bad thing about this is that if we go overboard our children will not appreciate it.  The good thing is, I never had to worry about giving my kids the things I lacked because all I had to do was provided basic necessities and they would be ahead of where I was! 

Right now, if you are thinking along the lines of food, clothing, security or stability, you would be right.  But, that is not what this blog post is about. 

This is about a Barbie head and the  EZBake Oven.

Every single birthday or Christmas since I was around the age of six, I asked for the Barbie Fashion Head or an EZbake oven, and never got either.  All my friends had at least one of these items, but year after year I got gifts like this: 

age 11 - a pillow

age 16 - a matchbox car

age 17 - a King Sized Snickers bar

and my personal favorite

age 12 - Fish burgers. 

Mackerel Patties on a bun with Miracle Whip for dinner when everyone knows I HATE any kind of seafood.  Yuck. 

Still turns my stomach at the thought of it. 

 Anyway, you get the idea.  My parents didn't even want us to have a KEN doll because it would "tempt us to pretend kiss with our barbies". 

Eventually, my mom let us get a Donny Osmond Ken doll at a yard sale because "Donny would never be naughty and kiss barbie before marriage".   Uh, okay.....  This craziness is why my sisters and I got creative. 

We found tons of ways to make barbie houses or barbie clothes & accessories!   

Aluminium foil makes cool jewelry, a handkerchief is good for all sorts of clothing options and if you use straight pins with those colored balls on the top, you have instant earrings!  

I'm sure my life would have better in the long run, if only i had been able to strengthen my cooking skills and my make-up/hair styling skills.  (insert sarcasm here)

I will never   be able to experience the joy of a proper Ken, like all the other little girls did.    Never able to style Barbie's head.  All you girls out there who had what I wished for:

at least you had a moment of bonding with Barbie while doing her eyeshadow.  You baked proudly in your EZBake oven.  Lucky girls.   (Sigh*) What is the saying again?   

Oh yes, now I remember.....

"It is better to have cooked and styled,  than it is to have never cooked and styled at all."

At this point I had two options

Here's where I went wrong...

I got up, put in a load of laundry, and started cleaning the kitchen.  Soon I had most of the kitchen done and the clothes in the dryer were all dry and ready to be folded.  I was looking pretty shabby but I put off a shower because I was in cleaning mode.  I glanced in the mirror, sighed and sat down to start folding clothes. I think I would have avoided my semi-serious, self esteem meltdown, if right after looking in the mirror and feeling frumpy, I hadn't seen women on TV talking about how hard it is to be a size 2 instead of a size zero.  Then to top it off, I changed the channel only to find Megan Fox talking about how plain she really is.  Really?  Sorry, but she bugs me. 

At this point I had two options.

Option #1 was to play sad songs loudly and  bury myself in laundry. 

Option #2 was to put on my stretchy pants & eat something chocolate while watching Bridget Jones diary.

Fortunately, I got distracted by a few teenagers and while looking for something else, I ended up finding an article from an LDS magazine about inner beauty that I had folded up and was stuck in the back of  a drawer.  I started reading and as I finished and folded the paper back up, I said goodbye to Options 1 & 2.  I had a new option.  Option 3 was to snap out of feeling sorry for myself because I can do that any ole' time!  Today I am going to focus on what really makes us beautiful... and it's not stretchy pants. 
Here's part of what I read:

What makes a woman beautiful? The world tries to convince us that cosmetics, perfumes, jewelry, fashionable clothing, diets, and even surgery are necessary for beauty. While some of these fashion aids are desirable and lovely, they can change only surface appearances.

The gospel teaches us that true beauty is more than skin-deep. A young woman whose countenance is aglow with both happiness and virtue radiates inner beauty.

“Happiness is the most attractive accessory a young woman can have.”

I came across this one-line sermon in an old magazine article. I thought it was profound. If happiness is the most attractive accessory a young woman can have, then a smile would have to be the most charming cosmetic. Make-up, if applied tastefully and in moderation, can enhance appearance. But no amount of eye shadow, lipstick, or mascara could possibly compete with the natural attractiveness of a genuine smile. It brightens the room. It cheers others. It communicates friendship, love, and optimism so much more than any cosmetic ever could. It puts people at ease and is welcoming. Truly in the world of glamour, there is no close second to a genuine smile.

Mirror, mirror on the wall …

If you are discouraged about your appearance, it will help to see yourself through the eyes of those who love you. Hidden beauty seen by loved ones can become a mirror for self-improvements. This phenomenon of the person internalizing the expectations of others with subsequent positive change has become known as the Pygmalion effect, after the famous play in which the “guttersnipe,” Eliza Dolittle, becomes the refined My Fair Lady. The beauty was always there; Eliza only needed help from others to discover it.

Our Father in Heaven provides the perfect example of this principle. He sees our divine nature. We are His children. The way He sees us, because of His love for us, is perfect. The mirror which He holds constantly before us, if we will only raise our sight to look, is the one in which we should trust. Its image is always true and never distorted. He reminds us, as He did Moses, “Thou art my son [or daughter]” (Moses 1:4).   -taken from True Beauty by Elder Lynn G. Robbins Nov. 2008

I love how there are times when you come across just the right words at just the right time.  Thank you Elder Robbins for saving me from options 1 & 2.  I feel better.  Now back to the laundry.

Here's where I went wrong...

I got up, put in a load of laundry, and started cleaning the kitchen.  Soon I had most of the kitchen done and the clothes in the dryer were all dry and ready to be folded.  I was looking pretty shabby but I put off a shower because I was in cleaning mode.  I glanced in the mirror, sighed and sat down to start folding clothes. I think I would have avoided my semi-serious, self esteem meltdown, if right after looking in the mirror and feeling frumpy, I hadn't seen women on TV talking about how hard it is to be a size 2 instead of a size zero.  Then to top it off, I changed the channel only to find Megan Fox talking about how plain she really is.  Really?  Sorry, but she bugs me. 

At this point I had two options.

Option #1 was to play sad songs loudly and  bury myself in laundry. 

Option #2 was to put on my stretchy pants & eat something chocolate while watching Bridget Jones diary.

Fortunately, I got distracted by a few teenagers and while looking for something else, I ended up finding an article from an LDS magazine about inner beauty that I had folded up and was stuck in the back of  a drawer.  I started reading and as I finished and folded the paper back up, I said goodbye to Options 1 & 2.  I had a new option.  Option 3 was to snap out of feeling sorry for myself because I can do that any ole' time!  Today I am going to focus on what really makes us beautiful... and it's not stretchy pants. 
Here's part of what I read:

What makes a woman beautiful? The world tries to convince us that cosmetics, perfumes, jewelry, fashionable clothing, diets, and even surgery are necessary for beauty. While some of these fashion aids are desirable and lovely, they can change only surface appearances.

The gospel teaches us that true beauty is more than skin-deep. A young woman whose countenance is aglow with both happiness and virtue radiates inner beauty.

“Happiness is the most attractive accessory a young woman can have.”

I came across this one-line sermon in an old magazine article. I thought it was profound. If happiness is the most attractive accessory a young woman can have, then a smile would have to be the most charming cosmetic. Make-up, if applied tastefully and in moderation, can enhance appearance. But no amount of eye shadow, lipstick, or mascara could possibly compete with the natural attractiveness of a genuine smile. It brightens the room. It cheers others. It communicates friendship, love, and optimism so much more than any cosmetic ever could. It puts people at ease and is welcoming. Truly in the world of glamour, there is no close second to a genuine smile.

Mirror, mirror on the wall …

If you are discouraged about your appearance, it will help to see yourself through the eyes of those who love you. Hidden beauty seen by loved ones can become a mirror for self-improvements. This phenomenon of the person internalizing the expectations of others with subsequent positive change has become known as the Pygmalion effect, after the famous play in which the “guttersnipe,” Eliza Dolittle, becomes the refined My Fair Lady. The beauty was always there; Eliza only needed help from others to discover it.

Our Father in Heaven provides the perfect example of this principle. He sees our divine nature. We are His children. The way He sees us, because of His love for us, is perfect. The mirror which He holds constantly before us, if we will only raise our sight to look, is the one in which we should trust. Its image is always true and never distorted. He reminds us, as He did Moses, “Thou art my son [or daughter]” (Moses 1:4).   -taken from True Beauty by Elder Lynn G. Robbins Nov. 2008

I love how there are times when you come across just the right words at just the right time.  Thank you Elder Robbins for saving me from options 1 & 2.  I feel better.  Now back to the laundry.

A exert from one of my favorite talks given by President Hinckley-

—be prayerful.

You cannot do it alone. I look at this vast congregation, and I know that you are young people who pray, who get on your knees and speak with the Lord. You know that He is the source of all wisdom.

You need His help, and you know that you need His help. You cannot do it alone. You will come to realize that and recognize that more and more as the years pass. So live that in good conscience you can speak with the Lord. Get on your knees and thank Him for His goodness to you and express to Him the righteous desires of your hearts. The miracle of it all is that He hears. He responds. He answers—not always as we might wish He would answer, but there is no question in my mind that He answers.

You have such a tremendous responsibility, you young men and young women. You are the products of all of the generations that have gone before you. All that you have of body and mind has been passed to you through your parents. Someday you will become parents and pass on to succeeding generations the qualities of body and mind which you have received from the past. Do not break the chain of the generations of your family. Keep it bright and strong. So very much depends on you. You are so very precious. You mean so much to this Church. It could not be the same without you. Stand tall, proud of your inheritance as sons and daughters of God. Look to Him for understanding and guidance. Walk according to His precepts and commandments.

You can have a good time. Of course you can! We want you to have fun. We want you to enjoy life. We do not want you to be prudes. We want you to be robust and cheerful, to sing and dance, to laugh and be happy.

But in so doing, be humble and be prayerful, and the smiles of heaven will fall upon you.

Text of a section of a talk given to youth and young single adults on 12 November 2000

—be prayerful.

You cannot do it alone. I look at this vast congregation, and I know that you are young people who pray, who get on your knees and speak with the Lord. You know that He is the source of all wisdom.

You need His help, and you know that you need His help. You cannot do it alone. You will come to realize that and recognize that more and more as the years pass. So live that in good conscience you can speak with the Lord. Get on your knees and thank Him for His goodness to you and express to Him the righteous desires of your hearts. The miracle of it all is that He hears. He responds. He answers—not always as we might wish He would answer, but there is no question in my mind that He answers.

You have such a tremendous responsibility, you young men and young women. You are the products of all of the generations that have gone before you. All that you have of body and mind has been passed to you through your parents. Someday you will become parents and pass on to succeeding generations the qualities of body and mind which you have received from the past. Do not break the chain of the generations of your family. Keep it bright and strong. So very much depends on you. You are so very precious. You mean so much to this Church. It could not be the same without you. Stand tall, proud of your inheritance as sons and daughters of God. Look to Him for understanding and guidance. Walk according to His precepts and commandments.

You can have a good time. Of course you can! We want you to have fun. We want you to enjoy life. We do not want you to be prudes. We want you to be robust and cheerful, to sing and dance, to laugh and be happy.

But in so doing, be humble and be prayerful, and the smiles of heaven will fall upon you.

Text of a section of a talk given to youth and young single adults on 12 November 2000

Home Teaching

It’s an oldie but a Goodie! 

Still makes me laugh!

It’s an oldie but a Goodie! 

Still makes me laugh!

Thank you KSL news

Thank you KSL news for freaking me out! Utah is under a flood warning and news updates keep flashing on the television and the radio.  What has freaked me out about all this is the fact that my lovely daughter has chosen today to go off fishing with friends.  Where? No idea….someplace with fish and lots of water. 

Yep, I'm a paranoid mother that just called my girl to tell her not to fish and to stay away from all water.  Even drinking fountains.  And can you believe she laughed at me?!  Seriously, I know she will most likely be fine but I wonder if maybe I could get her to wear those cute blow up water wings, and an inner tube, or maybe a life jacket, you know, just in case........Hmmmmm, maybe I’d better call her again….

Dang.  She wont wear anything extra I suggested. 

Go figure?!



This is just one more valid reason to back up why 

 I don’t like fish.

Thank you KSL news for freaking me out! Utah is under a flood warning and news updates keep flashing on the television and the radio.  What has freaked me out about all this is the fact that my lovely daughter has chosen today to go off fishing with friends.  Where? No idea….someplace with fish and lots of water. 

Yep, I'm a paranoid mother that just called my girl to tell her not to fish and to stay away from all water.  Even drinking fountains.  And can you believe she laughed at me?!  Seriously, I know she will most likely be fine but I wonder if maybe I could get her to wear those cute blow up water wings, and an inner tube, or maybe a life jacket, you know, just in case........Hmmmmm, maybe I’d better call her again….

Dang.  She wont wear anything extra I suggested. 

Go figure?!



This is just one more valid reason to back up why 

 I don’t like fish.

I LOVE this Quote!

What she packed

She packed up her potential and all she had learned,

grabbed a cute pair of shoes and headed out to change a few things.

Her heart glowed with a degree of happy assurance.

- Leigh Standley

What she packed

She packed up her potential and all she had learned,

grabbed a cute pair of shoes and headed out to change a few things.

Her heart glowed with a degree of happy assurance.

- Leigh Standley

I M GAME R U?

One of my favorite things to do is play games with the family!  I absolutely love it!  

 We decided as a family to play

 scrabble and had a fun time but, after 3 long games, we were not quite as thrilled to be playing as we had been earlier in the day. 

People were getting tired, bored, or frustrated. In fact, we had one player, (who shall remain nameless), that was obviously cheating and no one even cared! 

The comments around the table changed from “I have the best word, nobody better take my spot!”  to things like, “I can’t believe you are cheating as bad as you are, and you are still losing….Can I help him cheat?”  

This, of course started me giggling and soon we were all instructing this player on better ways to “bend the rules”.  

The conversation around our table became much more entertaining from this moment on!  This last game of the day ended up being much different than that last 2 games of scrabble had been, and we were still laughing about it hours later. 

It just goes to show that,

it isn’t what you do,

but who you do it with

that makes all the difference!  

It was another memorable family game and we cant wait for the next one!

Haskell Family Game Night

One of my favorite things to do is play games with the family!  I absolutely love it!  

 We decided as a family to play

 scrabble and had a fun time but, after 3 long games, we were not quite as thrilled to be playing as we had been earlier in the day. 

People were getting tired, bored, or frustrated. In fact, we had one player, (who shall remain nameless), that was obviously cheating and no one even cared! 

The comments around the table changed from “I have the best word, nobody better take my spot!”  to things like, “I can’t believe you are cheating as bad as you are, and you are still losing….Can I help him cheat?”  

This, of course started me giggling and soon we were all instructing this player on better ways to “bend the rules”.  

The conversation around our table became much more entertaining from this moment on!  This last game of the day ended up being much different than that last 2 games of scrabble had been, and we were still laughing about it hours later. 

It just goes to show that,

it isn’t what you do,

but who you do it with

that makes all the difference!  

It was another memorable family game and we cant wait for the next one!

Haskell Family Game Night

Food 4 Thought

A tulip doesn’t strive to impress anyone.

It doesn’t struggle to be different than a rose.  It doesn’t have to.  It is different, and there’s room in the garden for every flower. You didn’t have to struggle to make your face different than anyone else’s on earth, It just is.

You are unique, because you were created that way.

Look at little children in kindergarten. They’re all different without trying to be.  As long as they’re unselfconsciously being themselves, they can’t help but shine. It’s only later, when children are taught to compete, to strive to be better than others, that their natural light becomes distorted.

Sincere forgiveness isn’t colored with expectation that the other person apologize or change. Don’t worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them.

A tulip doesn’t strive to impress anyone.

It doesn’t struggle to be different than a rose.  It doesn’t have to.  It is different, and there’s room in the garden for every flower. You didn’t have to struggle to make your face different than anyone else’s on earth, It just is.

You are unique, because you were created that way.

Look at little children in kindergarten. They’re all different without trying to be.  As long as they’re unselfconsciously being themselves, they can’t help but shine. It’s only later, when children are taught to compete, to strive to be better than others, that their natural light becomes distorted.

Sincere forgiveness isn’t colored with expectation that the other person apologize or change. Don’t worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them.

An Easter Bunny Hop

June, Lisa, Kay, Lindsey & Erica doin' the HOP

June, Lisa, Kay, Lindsey & Erica doin' the HOP

Gorilla with a Gun

Every now and then the kids and I will see a funny looking car or some crazy looking bike but I think the bike that Josh and I saw the other day, is my new favorite! 

Not only is it a Harley Davidson pulling a trailer, it is a trailer that has a gorilla. 

And not just a gorilla, but a gorilla holding a shotgun! 

And to top it off, they are in the handicapped parking spot!

Every now and then the kids and I will see a funny looking car or some crazy looking bike but I think the bike that Josh and I saw the other day, is my new favorite! 

Not only is it a Harley Davidson pulling a trailer, it is a trailer that has a gorilla. 

And not just a gorilla, but a gorilla holding a shotgun! 

And to top it off, they are in the handicapped parking spot!

Harley's Buddy Jack

 Meet Jack. 

Jack is hanging out with our family for a few days. 

Jordan is officially in charge of Jack for the next 3 days, and is doing a great job. 

Aside from an incident last night which resulted in Jack being nicknamed

“the Hamburglar”

because he ate 7 raw hamburger   patties (still in the package) waiting to be cooked for dinner, things are going well.

 

He’s a sweet & snuggly dog and is much better than Harley on walks!   

We had a good walk with Harley and Jack today and by the time we got home they were both worn out! 

Jack even got to meet a few girls from our neighborhood and watched Harley do a few tricks for them.

 Meet Jack. 

Jack is hanging out with our family for a few days. 

Jordan is officially in charge of Jack for the next 3 days, and is doing a great job. 

Aside from an incident last night which resulted in Jack being nicknamed

“the Hamburglar”

because he ate 7 raw hamburger   patties (still in the package) waiting to be cooked for dinner, things are going well.

 

He’s a sweet & snuggly dog and is much better than Harley on walks!   

We had a good walk with Harley and Jack today and by the time we got home they were both worn out! 

Jack even got to meet a few girls from our neighborhood and watched Harley do a few tricks for them.