Happy Fall

Today Erin asked me if I could take some pictures of Bub (the rest are on Facebook) so that she could enter him into the Gap Casting Call competition. We drove out to Staheli Farms in Washington, but they weren't open and we had no idea if they would even be open. Note to Stahelis- a sign out front with your hours of operation, or answering your phone, would be helpful. So we drove out to Hurricane, LaVerkin, and Toquerville, hoping that somewhere out in the sticks there would be a farm of some sort where we could get some good pictures. Finally, I called Staheli's again and someone answered. Their hours? 3-6:00. So we drove back. By this time, Bub was not a happy boy, tired and cranky, so it was difficult to get him to cooperate, but we did get some really cute pics. Hard not to with a cute boy like him. I am so grateful to have this little punkin inmylife!!!!

Auntie Annie loves you Bubs!

Happiness Is...

Maintaining a black belt perspective

It is often said, in the martial arts world, that a black belt is nothing more than a white belt who never gave up. This is the black belt way of thinking. Persistence. Confidence. Meditation. Visualization. Focus. Effort. Sweat. Intensity. Creativity. Power.
These are the traits that I continue to work on inmylife outside of the dojo. Even though I am not currently a formal martial arts student, I am a martial artist. I have a black belt, and I hope to, when the time is right, continue on my path of black belt excellence, however far it will take me. When I tell people I meet that I am a black belt, I want them to look at me and say, "Of course you are! I knew there was something amazing about you!" not "You are? I never knew that?!?!"
You do not need to be a martial artist to have this kind of strength. You just need to find a way to develop it through positive thinking and meditation. We can accomplish anything we want to, whether it is breaking a stack of boards with our bare hands or conquering Mount Everest or just being happy with who we are and where we are at, as long as we tell ourselves we have that kind of power. You don't need a black belt around your waist to think like a black belt.

BID #1 Dolphin Surfing

Something that I noticed my sister Erin doing on her blog was posting B.I.D ("Before I Die") items. She chose this acronym because she does not like the term
"Bucket List" and when I read that I realized that I, too, do not like it either. Don't ask me why. I am not sure. Well, here is item #1 on my BID list. Ride with the dolphins! I don't know how long it has been that I have wanted to do this but as long as I can remember. One time, a friend came back from Mexico with pictures of her family riding with dolphins in Cancun, I think. I actually started to cry looking at the pictures. I don't know what it is about this creature, but it has stolen my heart...and if I could do this in Mexico, that would be even better. Who needs a black Escalade when you could have this sweet ride?

I love Fall!

I love the colors, the weather, the smells, the warm foods... I love it all!

"It's just good music if you can feel it in your soul!"

Two of my new favorites:

Smile
Uncle Kracker
You're better than the best
I'm lucky just to linger in your light
Cooler then the flip side of my pillow, that's right
Completely unaware
Nothing can compare to where you send me,
Lets me know that it's ok, yeah it's ok
And the moments where my good times start to fade

You make me smile like the sun
Fall out of bed, sing like bird
Dizzy in my head, spin like a record
Crazy on a Sunday night
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Ohh, you make me smile

Even when you're gone
Somehow you come along
Just like a flower poking the sidewalk crack and just like that
You steal away the rain and just like that

You make me smile like the sun
Fall out of bed, sing like bird
Dizzy in my head, spin like a record
Crazy on a Sunday night
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Ohh, you make me smile

Don't know how I lived without you
Cuz everytime that I get around you
I see the best of me inside your eyes
You make me smile
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild

You make me smile like the sun
Fall out of bed, sing like bird
Dizzy in my head, spin like a record
Crazy on a Sunday night
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Ohh, you make me smile


I'm Alive
Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews

So damn easy to say that life's so hard
Everybody's got their share of battle scars
As for me I'd like to thank my lucky stars that
I'm alive and well

It'd be easy to add up all the pain
And all the dreams you've sat and watch go up in flames
Dwell on the wreckage as it smolders in the rain
But not me... I'm alive

And today you know that's good enough for me
Breathing in and out's a blessing can't you see
Today's the first day of the rest of my life
And I'm alive and well
I'm alive and well

Stars are dancin' on the water here tonight
It's good for the soul when there's not a soul in sight
This motor's caught its wind and brought me back to life
Now I'm alive and well

And today you know that's good enough for me
Breathing in and out's a blessing can't you see
Today's the first day of the rest of my life
Now I'm alive and well
Yeah I'm alive and well

Inspired

I have been thinking about one of my life long friends, Ginger, who passed away almost a year ago. A few weeks ago, her family and friends all joined together in her memory and ran in the "Great Race," a race that she had done just two months before she passed away. As she was getting ready to participate, she had written on her blog "tomorrow's the big day! at 7:30am I'm running in the Agoura Great Race 5k, my very first race ever! I'm so NOT a runner and I've only been "training" ... for about 3 weeks. yikes! what am I thinking?? I'm thinking that it will be fun and great exercise, right? ... Jason is also running the 5k, but I told him I don't want to run "with" him. I don't want to run beside anyone I know. I don't want to feel like I'm holding anyone back or (and I doubt this will be a problem) I don't want to BE held back by anyone. I want to feel free run at my own pace, that's all. I'm sure it would be special to cross the finish line as a couple and all, but oh well! I wanted to have a goal for the 5k, so here's mine: I want to finish in 30 minutes or less. I'm not even sure that's realistic, but that's an average of 10 minutes per mile. surely I can do that, right? thinking positive thoughts...... wish me luck and I'll post my time tomorrow."
And then .... "29:59:55 yes!! under 30 minutes! I knew I could do it! :) "

After she passed away, one of her brothers had made a touching comment on her blog that shows an amazing amount of faith and is full of hope and determination. He wrote,
"Ginge, you ran a great race and you finished at 30 (at least this leg of the race). You didn't let anyone hold you back, but you definitely helped countless others along your way. You broke the tape first in our family and we look forward to seeing you when we cross the line and giving you a huge Ginger-style victory hug on the other side of the finish line. Until then, we know you will be watching us, cheering us on."

I want to be able to leave that kind of imprint on the hearts of those around me. I want to inspire them to be better, to reach higher, to push a little longer. But first . . . I have to become that person. I am on my way. That's MY goal!

Spring Piggies

First day of Spring Break... the sandals are calling. I couldn't resist the pedicure! Grandma and I went together and had such a great time being pampered.


By the way, I added some new stuff at the bottom. Check it out.

Book Club

Book buddies! I love this and our expressions are awesome! You just gots to love a good book and how it brings sisters together.

Thought for the Day (TFTD)

"Life is like that--ups and downs, a bump on the head, and a crack on the shins. It was ever thus. Hamlet went about crying, "To be or not to be," but that didn't solve any of his problems. There is something of a tendency among us to think that everything must be lovely and rosy and beautiful without realizing that even adversity has some sweet uses. One of my favorite newspaper columnists is Jenkin Lloyd Jones. In a recent article published in the News, he commented: Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he's been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just ordinary people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. . . . Life is like an old-time rail journey--delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."
--President Gordon B. Hinckley

Maybe he was a lunatic, but still...

. . . I love him! He was amazing! He was talented beyond measure. He had a way of capturing the beauty of everything beyond what can be seen with the eye. These are my favorites . . . yes, because of the beautiful stars!

stress buster

This is what I have spent my Saturday doing. I have a bazillion other things that need to be done, but I don't want to do them because I need to decompress... I wish I could explain it all in a blog, but I can't. Anyways, I started last night and worked for a few hours and then worked all day today. I think it was probably 10 hours or so. I really like it , even though there are some things about it that still bother me. But if I don't tell myself it is finished, I will never stop. That's me, that's how I roll. I haven't eaten or gotten out of my pajamas. I think I will go get some food now... but I probably won't get dressed.

Gettin excited for the holidays!

Grandma Irene and Bucky, Dad, Kelly, and Mikey. I guess Mike decided which tree he wants!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!!!!

When I was a kid, we used to all pack in the car and drive over to Thrifty Drug and Discount (Thrify's as we called it) and get an ice cream cone. Anywhere we lived in the LA area, we had a Thrifty's and they had this awesome ice cream counter with at least 20 flavors. When I was little, I loved the Rainbow Sherbet. Then as I grew older I enjoyed the Cookies and Creme, but then when we were allowed 2 scoops, I usually got Chocolate Malted Krunch and Mint n Chip (Mom always sent us in and that was her signature combo as well, but she always added the request, ". . . in a cup with a spoon.") When I was only 6 and we lived in Agoura, I remember a single scoop being only 10 or 15 cents and as time passed, the highest I remember the single scoop was about 70 cents. Rite Aid bought out Thrifty's before I graduated high school, but they kept the ice cream counter and still serve it.
Tonight I was eating a bowl of ice cream and wishing that the Rite Aid here had an ice cream counter of Thrifty's ice cream, but it is all just a piece of post WW2 California nostalgia that is going the way of the dime store and the soda fountain.


Check out this video of an awesome old ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S679-gvdGqQ

Don't Blink- Kenny Chesney

I turned on the evening news,
Saw an old man being interviewed
Turning a hundred and two today
Asked him "What's the secret to life?"
He looked up from his old pipe
Laughed and said, "All I can say is,"

Don't blink,
Just like that, you're six years old and you take a nap and you
wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife.
Don't blink
You just might miss your babies growing like mine did
Turning into moms and dads, next thing you know your "better half"
of fifty years is there in bed
And you're praying God takes you instead.
Trust me, Friend, a hundred years goes faster than you think,
So, don't blink.

I was glued to my t.v. , when it looked like he looked at me and said,
"Best start putting first things first.
'Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand,
you can't flip it over and start again.
Take every breath God gives you for what it's worth."

Don't blink,
Just like that, you're six years old and you take a nap and you
wake up and you're twenty-five and your high school sweetheart becomes your wife.
Don't blink,
you just might miss your babies growing like mine did
turning into moms and dads, next thing you know, your "better half"
of fifty years is there in bed
and you're praying God takes you instead.
Trust me, Friend, a hundred years goes faster than you think,
So, don't blink.

So, I've been trying to slow it down,
I've been trying to take it in,
In this here today-gone tomorrow world we're living in.

Don't blink.

Awesome birthday!

Last night my family threw a surprise birthday party for my 30th birthday. They hung up "over the hill" banners and had napkins and decorations too. It was pretty cool. Yes, I was surprised. I kind of wondered because Kelly was making baked beans at like 7:00 in the morning and I thought, "There must be something going on." But I was supposed to be going out to dinner with Grandma Irene and Garn, so I just figured she was trying out a new recipe or something.
It was funny because everyone parked all over the neighborhood to hide their cars so I wouldn't know. They were parked in other people's driveways even (friends of course) and I had no clue.
Kelly made us all play Bingo since it was about me being old. I won three rounds and they were all telling me that I couldn't get more than one prize.
Mike was in such a good mood, which is rare. He is always moody and complaining that he's tired and so he can't put a smile on his face. Well, last night he was so happy and smiling the whole time. He was laughing all night long about an accident Grandma had with a bottle of honey. He wanted some honey for his corn bread, so Grandma got out her plastic bottle of honey (you know the ones shaped like a little bear) and it was hard so she put it in the microwave, but she didn't open it at all so that air could escape and when she opened it, honey exploded everywhere, even on the ceiling (which I ended up scrubbing off for her before we left). Well Michael thought that was pretty funny and had to laugh and talk about it all night long. But it was a good change from his normal attitude.
I got some nice things. My mom got me a new watch which I had selected with her beforehand so that she got the "right one." I am very picky with certain things and watches are one of them. I can never find one that I like without trying on hundreds of them. Michael and Natalie went to the Bear Mill and made me a white bunny with basketball clothes and shoes. I thought that was so sweet and thoughtful. He said, "We know you are sad and miss your bunny so we thought we would get you one to remind you of him." How sweet is that??? Grandma and Garn gave me some movie tickets and a Barnes and Noble gift card. Aunt Becky gave me an Old Navy gift card and Kelly got me the Colbie Caillat CD.
I was so happy that we all spent the whole night together and had such a wonderful time. Everyone was happy and excited to be together. That is so rare and it was a blessing.