This poem I wrote for my friend. A friend who shared with me a most beautiful love letter. A friend who has lost so much. A friend I love. I think of my mother so much this time of year, and this is so true for her too and I thought of her too, very […]
This isn’t the place you would normally turn for exercise tips and advice, but I have a 2 day beach body plan for happiness to share..and it’s a goody! I embarked on this journey with upcoming beach plans and I decided to spend 2 weeks doing all things healthy in preparation. I was so successful […]
Okay all you Mommas out there..or you lucky Stay at home daddy’s, grab a glass of wine or a bottle of Dr. Pepper..whatever it is that makes you relax and feel like a real adult and get ready. Anytime I write/say the word cheers…take a drink. Hopefully by the end you feel just a little […]
It’s a dreary rainy day outside today. So instead of being out adventuring we are inside finding things to do. It makes me anxious. It makes me miss my mom. It makes me think about all of the Mother’s Days over all of the years and wonder…do I need her more today than I did […]
Piles and piles of snow. That is what we currently have. This leads to the following question… “At what point does shoveling snow count as exercise?” So I ask you…Is there a line? For example… Does one actually have to be the one shoveling the snow? (cause that looks like a lot of work) And if […]
I look up to the woman before me. With wide eyes I see such beauty. Her textured hands full of beauty and grace, the small black watch fitted over elegant lifted wrist bones. She smiles at me and it reaches her eyes. The wrinkles in perfect form on either side of her mouth. She laughs […]
With Thanksgiving on the horizon I have been making a conscious effort to feel and think all of the many things that I am thankful for. There are so many things to be thankful for. I recently heard for the first time a song by Jewel that says: I am my father’s daughter, he has […]
I have been showing homes lately as I have recently branched out in Real Estate. As I am walking homes, I can’t help but imagine myself and my family there as well. Sometimes I see certain features and think how great it would be to have that in my own home, or what about just […]
Tomorrow is a very big day. This is the day that my first-born child will start Kindergarten. It is monumental. I am so proud of her, so excited and so utterly terrified all at the same time. Tonight I sit and think about all of the moments in life. All of the things I have […]
Today while driving Sidekick 1 asked me this question, “Why is God taking all of our people right now?” I didn’t know how to answer her. It made me feel very sad. I don’t like posting all things gloom and doom but it has been a very rough month at our house. We are currently […]
I am currently in the process of a long goodbye. I’m losing my grandmother. The mother of my mother. The last tie I truly have. You see, there is an order. Parents should never lose a child. I have always understood this looking at it as a parent myself, but I never took the time […]
Dear Mom, It has been three years since you left me. Three years since I last talked with you. Three years. So much has happened in these three years. So many things. Your grandson was born. He’s incredible Mom. He’s funny and sweet. He was born without you. He had his first bath without you. […]
He sat upright in his chair. Cancer causing pain to pulse through his bones. If he just held still, he could keep it at bay. She came to him, aged beauty, and fluffed his pillow. He patted her hand. Years of care-taking, years of love. When he looked at her he saw babies, family, […]
Today I was brave. I have been enjoying running-especially on trails and have been wanting to try my hand at Dutch Hollow. I have seen so many incredible pictures and memories made, but I was always waiting for the right time, or the right invite at the right time. That doesn’t often happen with my […]
I have more exciting news coming soon, but for today, I thought I would share a recipe. We love food at our house and I just joined a recipe swap group which I am really excited about. Today was Bountiful Baskets Day (Co-op fruit and veggies) so I looked at what we had and tried […]
Cowboy Christmas ‘Twas the night before Christmas and in our small town For Christmas Eve groceries-there are none to be found All citizens are celebrating at the town hall In looking around-I’m related to them all It’s a family affair to celebrate this day But wait, an outsider who showed them the way? They came […]
Dear Much Older, Much Wiser Me: If the advice I am often given and the articles I am reading are correct, then you are looking back on our life and wishing you would have done at least a few things differently. You are wishing you would have let more things go. You would have let […]
I have been watching the news of Michael Brown and the Ferguson Police Department for the past two days. I have seen so much hatred. I then pull up social media and find so much of the same on the feed. I thought of remaining quiet, but I can’t. Where does this hatred for all […]
This last weekend I participated in a relay running event here in Park City. I along with my 6 teammates (yes 6-in a world of 6 man relay teams-we run with 7) we ran just under 67 miles. This was my first relay race and was an incredible experience. There are so many things that […]
I am a self-proclaimed life long learner. Not just because I love education and believe in it, but also because I continuously make mistakes and it’s either get up and learn or lay on the floor and waste away. Sometimes literally. I fall a lot. I learned a pretty big lesson this last week though […]
This post is about a muscle. Not that muscle…..get your mind out of the gutter! A muscle. One that I found on the back of my leg. I told my husband about it-to which he asked if I was going to “book” about it. I realized then…I may be a “Facebook Offender”. Do I post […]
I won’t ever be a food blogger, but I have learned a lot about cooking and I really enjoy it. There are a few recipes that I always get a request for, so I thought I would share a few. This is my fresh Salsa. It’s fantastic. My favorite. I have worked on this recipe […]
When I was younger, I wasn’t afraid of very much. I often found myself on stage dancing freestyle to the intermission music in plays and Christmas programs. I wanted to dance, and was encouraged and allowed by my parents to express myself. As a mother now, I wonder if my parents ever had moments of […]
I have a few traits that seem to be pretty well-known by those in my closest circle. Sometimes I am teased and bring people into things that they may or may not have wanted to do. But sometimes…I become a part of something really, really cool. Example A: I would do almost anything for anyone, […]
It seems as if I have seen the side affects of gossip my entire life. Maybe it was the small town, maybe we are just interesting. Recently, I saw this again and I find myself compelled to speak out. I am far from perfect, and know that I too make mistakes, but hope that I […]
Each morning when I look in the mirror, my body begins singing back to me. I know I use a lot of music-but I love it. Set the mood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTqGzpnolLk&sns=em At about 50 seconds is when it really begins: “A little bit softer now, A little bit softer now.” You know the part. Usually I, […]
I had a few compliments from friends that outweighed some recent expressed concerns from others about the way I am raising my kids. I admit, my kids may be a little spoiled. Not so much with things, but with my time and attention. Not every minute of every day is filled with fun and games […]
Many things took place within the space of two weeks. I lost my mother, Mother’s day, and her birthday (Happy Birthday Today Mom). I don’t want to mope, so instead, I thought I would share some humorous thoughts that I learned about my mom after her passing, that I really wish I could call and […]
This Past weekend I had the honor of watching my sister Graduate from college. I am so very proud of her and her accomplishment. It was amazing to see her cross that stage and to watch the eyes of her children glimmer with pride. I wrote this poem for her when her daughter was born […]
Let’s set the mood here with this one. I want you to watch this amazing video by the 2 Cellos. Think back to the “good ole’ days” and sing along if you know the words, only this time, insert the word “Awkward” every time you usually say “Thunder”. Mood set-for some of my greatest Mom […]
I recently discovered this medium called “Twitter”. I know, I am way behind the times, but I always told myself a) I am not a Twit, and b) I don’t have that much to say. However, remember that writing conference that I recently attended? In my moments of being brave and all that I could be […]
Yesterday, I had the stomach flu. I found myself slicing bananas for sidekicks lunch, hunched over because that is the only way I felt relief and feeling like every slice of the banana was like a slice through my very soul. Over-dramatic? Yes. Real. Yes, yes, yes! Today, I think I might live. A friend […]
My daughter was born with a cleft lip. When I found out, I was terrified. It was the unknown and the concern for her happiness, not just her health that kept my heart in my throat for months. I am embarrassed to admit that I found myself asking, “Why her? Why me? Why us?” It […]
I had to scrape the ice off of my own windshield yesterday. I haven’t had to do that in years. Not because I am not capable, but because I am married to a man who always does it for me. When I say always, I mean always. I have a garage now so it isn’t as […]
As a second installment to my at home ABC’s, the framework for so much in learning. I created the ABC’s and 123’s for my Children. Always be you Believe in yourself Create your own luck Dream big Everyone has good in them, but if they aren’t good for you, love them from afar Family first […]
We are in preschool mode at our house. Seeing the ABC’s as the framework for so much, I started thinking about how they can guide me too. From my Children to me, my Motherhood ABC’s. Always be my friend. I know you are my mom, but be my friend too Be there for me. No […]
Health and well-being have always been important to me. I have been very active most of my life-until I had children. Then I found myself chasing them as my main form of exercise (which is a lot for our active family). I attempted to get back into the swing of things the other day. It […]
As a stay at home mom, every shower must be scheduled. (It’s even worse for a working mom-as there is that time factor). A few things must take place before said shower can occur: Kids must be fed Baby cannot be crying Everything must be safe and securely in place with “no no” areas, promptly […]
This is really a guest post by my girl one, but she is a little too small to type on her own just yet. We love the Olympics at our house. After watching one evening my four year old came up with an idea. An idea of Epic Proportions. “Let’s have our own Olympics!” Yes, […]
As mothers, we will never be good enough. Historically, and I know this from my mother and grandmother, they too felt inadequate. In their time, the expectation was that they have a clean house, good food on the table and well behaved children. The way they achieved this was through time spent cleaning, cooking, sending […]