A Great Day!

Happy 40th Wedding Anniversary Mom and Dad! Brian, Jenn, She-She and I had a great time planning your party for today. Christine did an amazing job on the cake. My dad got a little misty eyed when he saw that their wedding picture was on the top. It was awesome to spend the day with family and friends. We laughed, ate, and had great conversations. A huge thank you to everyone who came!

Pappy (father-of-the-bride), She-She (Jr. Brides Maid), Cheryl (maid-of-honor), Bride & Groom, Usher Gary, and Usher Barry.

After this picture my sister-in-law and I were cracking up. My brother looks like he is making a Chandler face. I am sure those of you who have ever watched FRIENDS will completely understand. He was actually very good at it...LOL!
Right now I am house sitting for friends of mine. Their dog Toby cannot be left alone for a long period of time or he will destroy the house. Cages do not work either since he managed to break out of two different metal cages. Makenna was going to spend the night with me but she had trouble sleeping here so I took her home. A night to myself? What the heck is that? Granted I am laying here with a 65 pound dog who just got done shaking from the unexpected, unappreciated fireworks that just ended at 11:15pm.....so I am in no way alone. LOL! What I am thinking is how the heck Jessi and Cindy sleep with this dog in their bed. There is honestly no more room with just the two of us....LOL! Did I mention that I got on their scale and I lost 7 in the last two weeks. WHOOO HOOOOO! This week I worked out 6 days!! I am on FIRE! Only 11 pounds from my goal weight!!

Jessi and Cindy have a hot tub. Of course I took advantage of that tonight. The only thing missing was the wine but I am over it. I just kept looking at the sky thinking about how great my life is. The tree next to their house was covered with blinking fireflies. I had my very own light show. No shooting stars tonight, but there is always tomorrow. Today was a very good day. My mom was so happy about their party that she was in tears. Everyone was so glad to be there. My parents are my best role models. Growing up, they fought, they hugged, they slammed doors, they actually made out in front of my brother and I....YUCK! Through it all, it taught me that even though we have struggles and we may get angry with people, each day is a new day and it is not worth dwelling in the negativity. They always made up and remained strong in their faith in God which I believe is what has kept them together all these years. They may not share a lot of the same passions in life, but they do have their commitment to God. And, they do support each others differences. Knowing that everything happens for a reason, I would not change a thing about the way they raised me.

As far as my life coaching, which I am sad to say has not been looked into at all recently, I tried it out on someone today. There was very sad girl, probably in her early 20's in the bathroom at the park today. I could not help but to want to hug her. She was sobbing. I decided to ask her if there was anything I could get her. She replied with, "A new boyfriend." Apparently hers decided to take the high road and break up with her via text message while she was at her brothers graduation party. Sense the sarcasm. All I could say to her was, " Remember that everything happens for a reason. And, when you find the right one, all this will be worth it." She actually smiled. Not sure where the words came from but I am so glad I was able to cheer her up even if it was only for a brief moment. What her boyfriend did was very low, pond scum low. However, there is a lesson to be learned for her. Hopefully it is that she is much better than he is and she deserves to be respected. I know that Life Coaching is for me. It is something I want to do...now just to find the time. Hmmmmmmm.....

What I am thankful for today:
Christine for her amazing cake and her friendship
my parents
The Center
having everything started for Crafting for Paws
my kids
my pets....missing Zoe tonight who always sleeps with me ) :
my family
my friends
Time alone (not sure if I will sleep tonight!)
VBS starting tomorrow...hopefully I have everything done....LOL!
feeling relaxed and happy
the power of prayer
a good run this morning
running 5 miles in 35 minutes yesterday!
summer
the sunshine
Choose Happiness
all the new followers of HIS facebook page
my store
money
laughter
remincing about the past
air conditioning
a beautiful day today for my parents party
knowing Shawn got to his camp site safely
the gym
Heather for watching Makenna on Friday
the 5-midnight crop this past Friday...so much fun!
Alice
painted toes
smiles
music
energy
faith
loyalty
God
love
patience

Today...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPvgg_6hGOU&feature=share

I felt the need to share this amazing youtube video that was posted on Choose Happiness's wall today. It was the most perfect thing for me to read. There are many angels in my life that go hand in hand as to what is stated in this video. If it wasn't for my friends, I may not be able to get on track on my 'off days'. Same thing goes for Robin and all of the inspirational pages that I have come across since January. Erika brought up the fact that in January we only had 99 followers on the Happy Inspirational Scrappin faacebook page. Now we are up to 336 getting about 3 new followers a day. YAY! We must be doing something right! My other angels include my children, my family, my fur-angels, and certainly Shawn. God brings about these wonderful blessings to help us on our journey. Please read the amazing words of the video. You will be blown away.

So my weekend flew by. Kempton was so much fun with my family. My dad and my brother both raced. Dad came in 2nd, twice. Brian came in 2nd once then 1st. It takes me back to my childhood remembering sitting there watching my dad race as I was playing trucks in the mud. I still get those butterflies in my stomach when he is at the starting line. I know he is so happy that we are all there to cheer him on and watch him engage in something that he absolutely loves.

Father's Day was really good with the exception of having to say good-bye to someone I love. A friend of mine is moving away and we had a party for her in the morning. We both cried although we know that God has great things in store for her and we will keep in touch. Makenna and I took Jeremy to Red Lobster for what was supposed to be breakfast but he wanted a meal for brunch. So that is what he got. 5 hours later my entire family arrived for a steak dinner. My Aunt, mom and I cooked for the men. It turned out really yummy! Honestly I was still full from brunch but I ate anyway. I took a long walk after dinner...too full to run. My moms Strawberry Shortcake was to die for!

 I started my new work schedule at both the gym and Brith Sholom. The kids being off from school is very different. I had 5 of them at my house today since I was not working. I completely cleaned my bedroom. Moved furniture, vacuumed behind it, cleaned out my closet and drawers, and did a lot of laundry. It was nice to hear the kids laughing and having fun today. I woke up feeling very crappy. My mood has definitely changed thanks to laughter, Erika, and all the positive people I have met on facebook. They were all right on track with their postings today and what I needed to hear. Robin and my dream is to be motivational speakers together someday. There is this major feeling inside that just knows it will happen. We all have bad days. It is how we deal with them that matters. It was nice to know that Robin shares her bad days with us and doesn't pretend that things are always glorious when they aren't.

What I am thankful for today:
the new followers of HIS on Facebook
the motivational pages on Facebook that keep me in check
Erika
Jamie
Jennifer G
Diane
Heather P and Heather R
Robin
Linda...cannot wait for my appointment on Tuesday!!
Brent
Shawn
Jeremy
my family
friends
my pets
my children
laughter
inspiration
energy
quality time with those I love
positivity
creativity
facebook
Christine
my parents 40th anniversary party on Saturday
a clean bedroom
love
patience
understanding
kindness
selflessness
honesty
loyalty
faith
hope
rainbows
Pastor Tricia
VBS starting on Sunday!!
my store
my life

Quality Time and more...

 So the last time I blogged I was indeed a little negative. But I am over it. Nothing a chat with the besties and a reality check can't fix! Why do I let people get under my skin? Oh well, it is over. I had a great today with the kids. Today I wanted it to be all about them. Makenna and I enjoyed the morning at Desales and saw Sleeping Beauty with Jaymen and his grandmother. The play was adorable! After, we spent some time on Denise's farm. Jaymen was showing us all the animals. Homer the goose seems to be Denise's guard goose. He is always making sure everyone knows he is around.

Denise has invited us to her farm for feeding time where we can help feed the goats, the sheep and the chickens! Makenna is so excited!

When we got home I took the kids shopping for Father's Day gifts. We also took Diego over to Cindy and Jesse's for a playdate with their dog Toby. I will be spending a week with Toby while his family is away. I took the kids, Kayla included, to the shelter. We got to spend time with lots of new kittens. Alice sat on my lap, finally. It has been a long time. She was back to her old self smacking every cat that came within paws reach. I love that cat. We found out that the cat that is in love with Bryce is named Kutta. She is a female black/white tiger. I had her on her back tonight purring like crazy.

To end my night with the kids, Gavin and I played a board game, twice once Makenna was in bed. It was a really good day. I would have liked to have spent some time with Shawn but there is always tomorrow night.

My thing for today was to try the Teriyaki Sweet Onion Chicken at Subway. It was sooo yummy. I first heard of it on The Biggest Loser. I will definitely have that again. My 'thing for a day' is working out really well. I am trying new things and keeping an open mind. When I am feeling angry, I try to change it right away. It isn't always easy but I feel so much better when I concentrate on what makes me happy. Focus on the good. I am so blessed. I have great friends, a wonderful family, my health, my dream job, amazing kids, great pets and the most amazing boyfriend in the world. I am going to bed tonight being thankful for the quality time I had with my kids today, the quality time I had with Shawn on Tuesday, knowing that I am right where I am supposed to be every single moment, and loving where I am headed.

Warning....negative alert, into positive ending.

I really do not want to be negative after such a positive day but if I do not express my feelings, I will not be able to get back into the positive as quickly. All my life I have had at least one person who either tried to be like me or really thought they were. While some may look at this as a "Wow, she really likes who I am and wants to be like me" situation, I find it rather annoying. I look at is as, "Seriously? Get your own life." I want to be me, different than everyone else. Why would I want to constantly try to be what I am not? Or who I am not? Maybe there is a lesson for me to learn through all of this, not sure what it would be. Maybe it is the fact that my word for the year is patience and I have yet to master it fully? I get extremely annoyed when I see someone do something soon after I do. Like the idea would have NEVER entered their head until they saw me do it. So, how can I think of this in a positive manner.....

People like that are in a serious need of a reality check. It seems as though their self-esteem is still not where they say it is. I do not care how positive someone may come off on a posting, an email, a text or a blog. If they continue to follow someone else, they still are deeply insecure. So, as I say, "Get over it!" I mean that not only for the insecure SWF that continues to act as I do, but for myself. I will get over it and hopefully someday (sooner than later), she will too. If a person like that wants to act like me and do as I do then they really should start being strong enough to live their own life. God knows the only person I follow is Him. I pray that He will help me to move on from this and be able to say, "Wow, that person really likes who I am" and be happy that they do everything I do. LOL! Right now I do not like it one bit. I am proof that even the most positive people can be unhappy about situations at times. I may not be dealing with this well now but tomorrow is another day.

On a positive note, my day today was incredible. I ran with Diego for 3 miles then kayaked with my baby for 2 1/2 down Lake Nocamixon. The weather was amazing. For those who may not know, a year ago I dealt with a huge fear of being in water that I could not see the bottom of. Because of Shawn, his confidence in me and his patience with me, I have fully overcome that fear. I am so glad Shawn ended up having the day off. He was so excited to be able to see me in the daylight today. It is as funny as it sounds but we never see each other when the sun is up.

We are going to start running together on the new trail. He has been admiring the physical shape I am in and has asked me to help him get in better shape too. He was so sweet in saying that I inspire him to be a better person. He feeds off my motivation (instead of sucking it dry like some people). We both feel that we are each others equal. This is the first time I have ever felt that with any man. I feel it with my friends though. Never do I allow anyone to make me feel less than they are or less than I feel about myself. I thank God every day for my confidence and the power to be me and different than everyone else. So thankful I have found a network of friends, co-workers, and my man, who all love me just the way I am. We are all growing, learning life's lessons. Find what makes you happy and go with it. When something ticks you off, get over it! Sing that song, "La La La whatever...La La La doesn't mater". Be yourself.

What I am thankful for today:
the power to change your mood
my friends and family
the amazing hugs, kisses and I love you's that I received today from my niece and nephew
kayaking
the beautiful day today!
quality time with Shawn
capitalization (especially the letter I) LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
energy
the views today on the water
Sleeping Beauty on Thurs. with Makenna and Jaymen
Kempton Fair this weekend...GOOD LUCK DAD!
having the family over for dinner on Father's Day
blooming flowers
the rain
my kids
Cheryl
Diane (thank you for allowing me to use your computer!)
random acts of kindness
sleep
my jobs
laughter
hope
faith
blessings
true love
the amazing rainbow that Shawn called to tell me about tonight. He knows me well!

My "Big" New Thing for Today

Honestly I had no intentions of going to my 20th class reunion. Mostly because I have made peace with my high school bully and I really wanted to take the night to chill with my kids. This past week was soooo super busy for me with work. My friend Chris, Andrea and Sue were bugging me....mostly Sue.....to come. Andrea was home from Hawaii with her husband Dave and Chris really wanted to see me and Shawn. After talking with Shawn, we decided that we should go. My "big" thing today was going somewhere that I really didn't want too. However, being greeted with tons of hugs from people I seriously have not seen for 20 years was so awesome.

Steve told me that his mom found a shoe box full of notes that apparently him and I wrote back and forth during P.O.D., the most boring class in the world. I cannot believe he saved them all. Then Ken told me that the other day he found a box of letters that I wrote to him while he was away in college. He said that when he would receive one of my letters it was like Christmas. I miss those days. Ken and I were really close. I am glad I could make him so happy during his time away from home.

Jenna, Me and Steve

Chris looks exactly the same, just as most of us do. Jodi is coming home in July and we are getting together. Jenna is pregnant with twins!! Her and I reminisced about the crazy things her sister did to me. Jenna would do anything to get Kristen in trouble. Steve is the same silly man that I once sat behind and slept through class. LOL!

Jenna, Me, Steve and Jodi (she put her hair high like old times...LOL!)

Andrea and I, we were best buds forever. She reminded me of a time where she would come over and ride go-carts with me at my parents house. In a lighting storm she was panicking because she could not get the go-cart up the hill fast enough. She said she loved being at my house. It was sooooooo awesome to see her and Dave. And then there is Sue. She and I got along really well in school too. Although she was quiet and kept to herself, she was always so nice to me. And, she is no longer quiet nor does she keep to herself. LOL!

Andrea, Me & Sue

There will be a better picture to follow since Ken was there with all of his gear. Shawn took this one which is a little blurry since he was far away. This human pyramid was Andrea's idea. 

Me (on top of Trey), Dave, Marybeth, Andrea K, Kim, Stacy, Chris M., Melissa, Sue, Kelly, Glennie, Chris, Andrea, Todd, Emily, John

I felt so comfortable knowing that each person there was so thankful I came. I was not sure the response I would get. There is a lot I do not remember about high school because I was so stressed out. Everyone I talked too reminded me of awesome memories. Peggy had a great one in which I will not talk about since it was personal girly stuff. It was just amazing to know that we were all going through things very similar just dealing with them very differently. I will definitely go to my next reunion. And, I will be keeping in touch with everyone I have missed these past 20 years. 

Me & Shawn

What I am thankful for today:

Seeing friends I have not seen in a long time

laughter

memories

my kids

sleep

Shawn

hope

my 'thing for a day'

patience

quality time

my pets

coffee

the farmer's market tomorrow

seeing Sally today!! 

winning as one of the Mystery Hostesses

compliments (got lots today!)

realizing the lessons I had to learn were worth everything I had to go through

Sue for bugging me to go to the reunion

happiness

Makenna making me smile

my friends (old, new and rediscovered)

music

energy

losing another pound

my new job

grateful people

kindness

chocolate

relaxation

love

Amazing Week

We are almost in the middle of what is an amazing week so far. Started my new job on Monday and it is as easy as putting on my shoes....LOL! The people there are so nice. They do have me high up on a pedestal though thanks to Ernie. He raved about me so much that I feel like I have to work even harder to prove him right. Ernie may be what he calls a grumpy old man, but he does have a good heart. And, I can make him smile. For 71 years old, he is in awesome shape. I never guessed he was that old. Ernie's mission for me was to make me some money. When I asked him why he said it was because he felt I deserved it. Awww... Even Jeremy said that it is nice that people recognize how hard I work.

After the gym today I went to Old Navy and bought my bikini. All of their bathing suits are $10 so I ended up with 2. One is a dark purple one piece with a halter neckline. The bikini is aqua blue with purple, white, pink and other colors. I love them! Love that they were so cheap!!

I had a nice conversation with a couple girls on Robin's facebook page. It makes us feel so much better to know that we have all gone through the same things at some point in our lives. I feel whole now. I know I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Every day something happens where I get affirmation. At times when I may have just let go in the past, I am able to be patient and hold on. God plays a huge role in that. He is the higher power that helps me stay strong when I feel I am at my weakest point. I love the people I am surrounded by each and every day. I love the new people I meet whether it is on facebook or personally. I have two parties coming up, Blessings Unlimited in July and Dove Chocolate in September. The ladies that Erika and I met this past Saturday were so awesome. I am excited to spend more time with each of them.

Zumba is tomorrow...cannot wait! They are having it twice this week. I am so excited. It is honestly one of my favorite things. Well, next to spending time on the Elliptical with Brent. Man does he make the time fly! LOL! I do enjoy my walks with Heather too when it isn't boiling hot outside. Right after Zumba, Makenna and I are heading to Erika's for our poolside meeting, weather permitting. Her and I are attending the Farmer's Market this Sunday.

Sue Ackerman-Martin has been messaging me all day today. She is bugging and bugging for Shawn and I to attend our 20th reunion this weekend. I really wasn't going to go. But...I feel really good about myself and Shawn actually showed a slight interest in going so we will see. I chat with all of them on facebook anyway, it would be nice to see them in person. And my friend Andrea is here from Hawaii so it would be really nice to see her too!!

Well, I am calling it a night. I will continue to be excited about the rest of the week. I had a great night tonight with my sister-in-law working on invitations for my and dad's 40th wedding anniversary party. Love the new stuff Stampin Up! came out with in the latest catalog!! Plus family bonding is always a plus. May this posting find you happy and healthy! God Bless!

The Butterfly & Doing what makes YOU happy!

Today I had my first conversation with a life coach. Let me tell you.....I LOVED HER! She is from Bethlehem and was by far the most free spirited, positive person I have ever met in my life. Thankfully she so willingly gave me the contact info to get me started on my path. There are two things that she taught me today that I wanted to share on my blog. Honestly it was as if God was speaking to me through her. The first thing is..... she touched on one of the hardest parts of being a life coach. Because we love people and want them to succeed, it will be tough for us to not get in the way with our own opinions because of our own life experiences. We will want to help so much when we need to learn when to step back. Watching is the hardest part but sometimes we know it is the right thing to do in order for the other person to learn their lesson. Here is the story she shared with me.

A man saw a cocoon and noticed that it was moving. He knew that it would only be a matter of time before the butterfly was going to be completely developed. Every day he walked past this cocoon and felt badly for the struggle this butterfly was enduring. He wanted to help it so badly. After a few days he noticed that the butterfly was flapping its wings so hard and so fast with one little piece of cocoon stuck to one of it's wings. He could not stand watching this poor creature struggle so much. He decided to pull off the last piece of cocoon and stood there watching as this butterfly was wobbling around trying to walk and fly. But, the butterfly could not fly. The way that butterflies build up their muscles is to manage to get themselves out of their cocoon. Because the man interfered, the butterflies wings did not fully build up their strength in order for it to fly.

Wow, that makes so much sense. And, it made me feel better when I think of dealing with my children. Although we hate to see them suffering, sometimes we have to step back and allow the struggle so that they learn their life lesson. If we keep interfering, the person will continue to have the same issues because we have always stepped in and took care of things.

The second one was the confidence to make decisions based on what makes us happy without worrying about the judgment of others. Some may think it is selfish. The life coach said that we have to be happy in order to make others happy. We cannot waste our energy and time worrying about what anyone else thinks. In my situation right now with Gavin, it is very hard to do that. While I think I am doing something right, others may not. The question is "Why should I care?" We allow others to inflict guilt inside of us, doubts, and second thoughts. If in our hearts we know we are not doing anything wrong, then there shouldn't be a problem. However, others would disagree. There is such thing as compromise. Unfortunately my 11 year old has not grasped that concept yet. So I am stuck making decisions based on what someone else thinks and wants and not with what makes me truly happy. To make myself feel better about this I just keep telling myself that this phase of his will be over soon. There is a lesson for us to learn in this situation and it has to run it's course. I have however, come a long long way to not caring what others think. I do not need approval from others like I used to. In the last few years I have grown to love myself. Where as when I was younger I needed to be loved and constantly reminded that I had approval from others. When I didn't get that I would be depressed and miserable.

Not sure when I will have the time to do the research to pursue this new goal but I am thankful that I have what I need to start. I have done lots of new things for my 'thing for a day' lately. It feels good to try new things. I am so grateful that this life coach gave me this wonderful advice today. It is something I will pass on to others that may have issues with control and confidence.

What I am thankful for today:
my new venture
my friends
Jennifer coming home
the vendor fair at the school tomorrow
my kids
Makennas verbage
The Center last night with Christine
lots of new awesome products at the store!!
spending time with Zachary today
a nice long walk with Heather yesterday
the boutique
Kempton Fair
time with Erika today
Diane sharing her cucumbers...hee hee hee!
Robin and her powerful positive energy
knowing that I accept myself for who I am, whether I get approval from others or not
butterflies
signs from Edna, Nana and Aunt Aida this past week
rainbows
HIS Blog
my wonderful inspiring friends and family
confidence
time
laughter
Heather R. (thank you for our long phone conversation the other day!!)
Ribbon Club!
new Stampin Up! stuff
3 kids camps at the store this summer
lilies
my new job on Monday
running a 6.44 minute mile on Wednesday
the sunshine
Crafting for Paws being in the works!
internet
facebook
fresh fruit
Erika's pool ( :
Jamie
money
hope
being the only independent scrapbooking store in the Lehigh Valley
life coaching!
prayer
my home
love

A WOW Day!

Today was a WOW Day! Wow, what the power of positivity can do! Wow, I beat my court case against the mean cop and am getting my money back. Wow, I actually managed to find inexpensive clothes at the Boutique to wear to work out in. Wow, gas came down to $3.75 per gallon! Wow, my lilies are blooming! Wow, my kids are in a great mood. Wow, I feel great and lost 1 more pound! Wow, Gavin's doctor doesn't want to see him again until the fall! Wow, I have amazing friends....some far, some close, some I have never personally met. Wow, I start my third job on Monday!! Wow, I actually got to take my kids out to dinner for the first time by myself! Wow, the life coach in Bethlehem emailed me and wants to help me with my new venture....

Today was awesome. There is so much I could be ungrateful for but what is the use? It makes me feel bad to think about it and it doesn't change the situation. So, I am heading to bed still in awe from the day. First I am watching some new episodes of Ghost Hunters...WOW! NEW EPISODES! Another thing to be thankful for!! Good night world...I look forward to tomorrow.