Field Trip, Organizing, Jewelry Party and More!

It has been a busy week. Makenna turned 3 on Monday...I am still in shock over how fast she is growing up. Yesterday was one of the only days that I had to spend away from her for the entire day. At first it didn't bother me since I was so active in the morning with a field trip with Gavin's class. It was a very good trip. We went to a one room school house where my father went to school. It was nice to learn about the school, the memories that past students had shared there and the history of it all. The teacher who was doing the presentation did a very cool visual for the children of what life was like back in 1933 for the students who attended the school. Of course the lights were turned off since back then there was no electric in the school house. The kids could not believe how much more difficult it was to see. The teacher demonstrated what a day would be like in the classroom from start to finish. It was so awesome to see how one teacher managed a classroom from grades 2nd through 8th. We also go to experience what indoor recess was like on a rainy day. The kids got to play two games from the past in which they loved! They also got to eat their "lunch" which was really their snack, at their desk. The kids got to ask the teacher a lot of questions. One was, "Were there snow days?" I knew the answer to this because of my parents always complaining of walking to school in the snow. Of course the teacher answered, "No." The only way they had a snow day was if they walked all the way to school and the teacher didn't show up. This meant that some children had to walk 2+ miles to get to school only to turn around and go back home....in the snow. I had to laugh since there will be days where I walk Gavin to school and he complains the entire way that his legs are tired...LOL! I am glad to know that all those times my parents used to complain about "walking to school, up hill (both ways, of course) in the snow and my mom had to where a skirt or dress...." were actually true statements. Here I thought all this time they were just trying to make our lives look so much more easier than theirs...how wrong was I? LOL!

As for the rest of my day, I got to eat lunch with Gavin then head to work. Work for me yesterday was all about purging the store. I cleaned out the classroom, got rid of things that I didn't need there and so on. Most of the day was spend with a headache due to lack of sleep and most likely the rain.....of course the noisy children on the bus had NOTHING to do with it. ( : I almost cried when I got on the bus and realized that I had to walk sideways through the isle. I distinctly remember being able to walk straight through that as a kid.

Right after work I was hosting a Premier Jewelry show. I host one every 6 months since I love the jewelry and Yvonne the consultant. She has been doing Direct sales for over 25 years. She is very good! I had 5 people at my show. I closed with a $400 show and $260 in free jewelry!! I also managed to get 3 shows booked off of mine! Like I said, Yvonne is very good!

When the show was coming to a close I realized that my heart felt very heavy. I knew that Makenna would not be awake when I got home. I was so sad that I had not gotten to see her all day. I did talk to her on the phone once for a few minutes but it is not the same. Then my husband called to tell me that she was asking for me before she fell asleep. Apparently she bumped her head really hard and wanted me to come home and kiss it. Talk about making me feel worse for not being there. I am so used to having her with me all the time that it is like a part of me is missing when she in not there. I know it is good to be away from each other since it will make us appreciate each other even more when we do spend time together. I am so thankful that I get as much time with her as I do and that our relationship is already very tight.

What I am thankful for today:
being able to attend the field trip with Gavin
being able to eat lunch with him at school
learning about my dads old school house
meeting someone who knew my grandmother (dad's mom)
my now organized store
my mom for watching my store for me
my jewelry show and everyone who came
Yvonne
my FREE stuff!!
moments where I miss my kids
moments I get to be with them
the relationships I have with my kids
a day that is not so busy today
my classes tonight
the 10,000 step challenge tomorrow!!

Shake it off!

Yesterday was a lot of fun. We had almost the entire family at our house for Easter dinner. After dinner we headed to my uncle's for dessert since it was his birthday. At my uncle's my bother and I started talking about our childhood as brother and sister. We had my cousin, his friend, and my sister-in-law in hysterics. When we were little my dad constantly told us to "shake it off" when we were hurt. It didn't really matter if were gushing blood or had stones embedded into our skin, we had to 'shake it off''. This could be why we are both very tough when it comes to pain and injury. Maybe this is something that our grandfather had said to him as a child? We are not sure where he got it from. Maybe it was dad's way of not having to deal with us crying since he was ALWAYS so busy. Maybe he knew that it would toughen us up. All I know is that shaking it off did not stop the bleeding. LOL!

One story that came up that always makes me laugh is the time that I came up with this wonderful idea to walk my 3 wheel.....Big Wheel up my parents hill in the back of their house. You must keep in mind that my father was watching me and didn't stop me. Maybe he was trying to teach me a lesson in cause and affect? My parents stone driveway was around the back of their house which means that this was what I was going to end up in once I was at the bottom of this hill. Did I mention that I never had any fear as a child? I get on my Big Wheel and down I go. My feet were in the air since the petals were spinning uncontrollably fast. I get to the bottom very quickly and my front wheel just stops as the entire bike flips upside down and throws me off. Not only am I face first in the stones but I had them embedded in my hands and my knees. Both my knees and hands were bleeding. There's my dad trying not to laugh, telling me to shake it off. I can barely walk, shaking from the pain of these sharp stones stuck in my skin. Of course I was taken in the house for the clean up and peroxide treatment. Shaking it off obviously didn't work...LOL!

I find out years later that not even five minutes after my Big Wheel incident, my brother tries the same thing! Maybe he thought he would have a different outcome? Was he trying to prove that he was better than me? Last night he said that he did it because it looked like fun. Maybe he didn't see how it affected me. I do not remember if he had gotten as hurt as me but I do know that he too was told to 'shake it off'. Many times that phrase was used. You can only imagine the scars my brother and I have from our fearless attitude. Most scars included injuries from our childhood vehicles such as our bikes, go-carts, motorcycles, etc. I remember creating a figure 8 in my parents front yard which took years for the grass to grow back in. Those were the good old days.

I do admit telling my kids to 'shake it off' once in a while. However, their injuries are not severe. Now Makenna will shake her leg in the air even if it is her arm that she hurt...LOL! Makenna is definitely tougher than her brother.

I am very thankful for those crazy moments of stupidity as a child. Mostly I am thankful that it creates bonding moments for my brother and I and makes everyone laugh. Funny that we can look back at those moments which then were seemingly awful and laugh at them now. Everyone should be able to 'shake it off' and go about their day. Maybe this way, life would not be so stressful for people. Maybe that is really what my dad was trying to teach us afterall. Too bad we didn't know about the word Goosfraba back then.

What I am thankful for today:

my Big Wheel as a child

my dad telling us to 'shake it off'

moments reminiscing with my brother

laughter

family

children

siblings

goosfraba

being silly

therapy......this will make my brother laugh...LOL!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone!

This week I was very short on time to blog. Thankfully I was able to help out Gavin with his Garden Party at school...very last minute. This week I get to go on a field trip with him to a one room school house. Believe it or not, it is actually the school house that my father went to as a child. A long time ago, I went there with my father. It was awesome to see everything, especially because it was still in it's original state. Now, the Historical Society has renovated it and shows it as a historical site. Still it will be awesome to go there with Gavin knowing his Pop-Pop went there. I will stay at the school and eat lunch with Gavin since I have the opportunity. Thankfully mom is watching the store for me.

Last night Buffy, Jenny and I went to Crossroads for dinner and drinks. We engaged in some very deep conversations. Nothing a couple toasted almonds couldn't get us through..LOL! There is a very deep connection that Buffy and I share. We are not sure why or how but we both acknowledge that it is present. When engaged in conversation last night, it amazed me that we are both very much alike and have witnessed some very similar past experiences. Although they were a lot of our bad experiences, we are thankful that we have each other who can relate. Some people just do not understand if they have not been through the same situations. And because of this, some are very quick to judge. Buffy, Jenny and I do not judge people by their past or their experiences. Nor do we quickly judge someone that we just meet. This is one quality that I am thankful that we all share. The other thing we share together is our attitude. All three of us try very hard to stay on the positive path. Of course we are all going through some negative situations, but we try to look at the good that will come out of them. This week was a stressful one, but tomorrow starts a new week. The best part is that we have each other to fall back on in a time of need. None of us are alone in any situation. I believe God brings people into our lives to help show us that we are not the only ones going through tough times. And, we are not the only person in the world who has had certain experiences. I thank God for each person he has brought into my life, even if it was only for a short time. Just remember, that we are in control of our lives. We have the power to change any situation...all you need is a positive thought.

What I am thankful for today:
Easter
spending the holiday with my family
my children
spring
flowers
chocolate
egg hunts
friends
toasted almonds
deep conversations
life experiences
family
positive people
positive thoughts

Measurements, Creativity, & Comfortableness

I went to the appointment last night to get my measurements done. I was very thankful that I could keep all of my clothes on. Last time I was measured, it was for my wedding since my dress was handmade. I had to strip down to my underwear and bra. Back then, it wasn't a big deal. You can imagine my panic when I had to go to this fitting being heavier getting measured by someone I have never met. What a huge relief that I got to stay dressed!

Got to say that I love Jenny's Aunt. She is the one who is making the dresses. She loves watching HGTV and What Not to Wear....LOVE THOSE SHOWS! And, she sometimes is a wedding planner for people at her church. I have always thought about being a wedding planner. While we were at her house, I was able to see pictures of things she has created. She makes flower arrangements, dresses, decorations and this really beautiful box that looks like a cake. She makes this box as a card holder. Very nice!! (Did I mention that her sewing room is one of my favorite color greens! BEAUTIFUL!) We laughed, talked about family, kids, etc. I really felt comfortable with her. Luckily I am able to read people very well. Not once did I feel uncomfortable. I love her ideas that she shared about the wedding. And, she had me even more excited to see the dresses and be in this wedding....not that I wasn't already! One really nice thing is now I have another new customer for my store. YEAH!

What I am thankful for today:
meeting new people
open mindedness
staying dressed
creative people
friends
new customers
repeat customers
being a bridesmaid for the 7th time!!