SUNSHINE AND SUMMERTIME LIVING

The word home causes all sorts of emotions and thoughts. They range from positive to negative, depending on one's experience. When I think of home I think of a place where I feel safe and secure to pour out my heart, a place where I feel a sense of belonging, and where I connect with those I love. Where family and friends can come over and enjoy the serenity that it brings.

This summer we have had the pleasure of having my 16 year old niece stay with us. It has been a tad bit different having a girl in the house. As you all know I have a 23 year old son and girls and boys are totally different. :) Scott is more serious but has a wicked sense of humor, whereas Brittany giggles all the time. She is full of joy and makes me smile non-stop!

During the summer months, we hope to instill some values not just by talking to her but by our example. Just watching our lifestyle and learning and understanding our values, I hope she walks away knowing how much we love her and that we will always be here to support her.

At her young age, everyday life often feels similar to a pendulum swinging between adulthood and adolescence, yet she seems to capture the beauty in just about everything she does. Whether we are walking the dog or running yet another 3 miles, she is always fun-loving, bright and cheerful. And she always greets me at the door with a huge bear hug! Aaah the simple things in life! :)

I hope that she always feels like our home is her home and comes back to visit in the years to come as she grows and becomes the successful beautiful and caring woman that God intended her to be.

ORIGINAL ANGEL

I remember when I was a little girl I would watch Charlie’s Angels non-stop and dream of becoming a “for real” Charlie’s Angel. I adored that show and thought how great life would be if we all had a “Charlie” in our life, protecting us, but never showing his face (and we all do, He is called God, the greatest protector we could ever wish for).

I am sad to say that after a three year battle with cancer, Farrah Fawcett died this morning at St. John's Hospital at Santa Monica with Ryan O'Neal by her side. What a wonderful graceful woman she was!

In tough times like this I have to venture that a lot of people believe that God has a bigger better purpose for all of us and at the end of the day, we are here to support and exult one another, to make the best of what God has given for us to do, and to live each day as the “hands and feet of Jesus in the world”.

There is much to do in this lifetime, a lot we can all do to make a difference and, especially, to make wherever we are rooted the best place possible for our family, friends and ourselves.

Rest in Peace, Farrah. You will definitely be missed.

PURPOSE IN LIFE

“To the world you may be one person,
but to one person you may be the world.”

Everybody in this world has a purpose in life, we are unique. We were created for something, sometimes it comes out naturally, other times you have to look for it. I have said this before and I will say it again that I believe my purpose in life is to encourage and help others. I love giving and helping others and if you think about it, it does not take a lot of effort to give back or to help out. Sometimes it is a simple smile or being there for the people you love, and as time goes by, you will see how much of a difference you make in this world.

I believe you should always treat others with kindness, generosity, honesty, and respect and our goal should not merely be to achieve goodness, but to be good for something. To have value that we offer to the world. Our purpose is the path that we choose to follow which reminds me of a broad paintbrush that colors all areas of our life. When all of our goals are aligned with our purpose here on earth, we will be genuine human beings with integrity.

I would like to remember two very important people who gave all.

Dwain Gleason

Dwain Gleason, who died on June 1, 2009. He was the silver lining of the IT Department at Kevin’s work. Dwain was loved and respected by many people and touched the lives of people he had never even met. Someone posted this comment on his obituary guestbook and I couldn’t have said it better myself:

“he was truly one of the most genuine, thoughtful, witty, and intelligent people I've been privileged to come in contact with. His impact on those around him is a testament to his inherent goodness. The world was blessed to have him and I am glad I was briefly in association with him years ago. And now it seems heaven will be the latest place to get REAL BBQ. What a wonderful soul. Peace.”

Rest in Peace Dwain. You will be greatly missed here on earth.

Jonnae Taylor

Today also marks the year anniversary of Jonnae Taylor’s death. She was an amazing angel here on earth and reminded us all that we do not have to do anything, WE GET TO! :)

END OF THIS JOURNEY

Kevin & Elizabeth in Ohio

Far too often, we are quick fixing or patching up something with or within ourselves, whether it is our health, a situation from the past, the present or even our personal shortcomings. As a result, we become physically ill, emotionally drained and spiritually off balanced.

During the last 90 days I embarked on a spiritual, emotional and physical journey. Did I succeed? It is hard to say but what I revealed was the importance of taking responsibility for my own journey. I do know at the end of this journey, I was left with a sense of victory and triumph, but also an understanding that the journey continues. I also understand and have a sense of comfort through my spiritual journey that difficult times serve a purpose in our lives. They prepare us to move on to the next level of faith where we grow and ultimately enjoy the life that God has prepared for us.

I found that the few people who joined me in this journey were more focused on the physical aspects of the journey rather than the emotional or spiritual. I found the spiritual journey to be most beneficial, which to me is THE most important aspect of the entire journey. In the past, I would have gone gung-ho on the physical part and let the others trail behind, but this time around, I really concentrated on the spiritual side. And it paid off.

It is not the first time I have read the entire Bible, but is the first time that I really concentrated and studied it. And I will be honest with you, there were parts of the Bible, when reading through the genealogy that I was bored senseless, but I pushed through it. The New Testament is by far my favorite Testament. I cried more than I can ever remember. Christ’s suffering for our sins… we definitely are not worthy but I am sure glad He believes that we are. :)

The emotional journey was also wonderful. I had to come up with two things I was grateful for every single day. Now, you all are thinking that isn’t so difficult…. but you couldn’t be repetitious. I am not a person who takes things for granted. I try and focus on the ordinary moments of life that bring me joy and thankfulness. I truly believe that we are to give thanks in the good times because giving thanks makes us appreciate what we have been given. A person who is always complaining and never grateful is a person who does not know the richness of life. When we take the time to count our blessings, when we make it a point to focus on the wonderful things we have been given, we appreciate life more.

The physical journey was sub-par. I am a person who thrives on results and the last 90-days were not what I would consider my best physical journey BUT the last five weeks were pretty intense and amazing. I cleared my head and got back in the zone which will make the next phase of my physical journey better. Simply put…. I am a work in progress and the journey continues.

Little Boy All Grown Up

Our little boy is growing up and the life of this puppy is oh so exhausting and tough. You know he eats, chews, poops, runs, walks, jumps, chews, eats, poops some more, and the cycle goes on and on.

When we brought him home, he was not quite 20 lbs. Today, at 7 months old, he is almost 55 lbs. He goes to the vet on Thursday to be groomed and for a checkup. I would not be surprised if he has grown even more.

Remy has brought us a lot of joy and constantly makes us laugh. Everyone who meets him just adores him and he loves them back. To date, he hasn't met a stranger.

His favorite thing to do in the evenings is to jump on the bed and roll onto his back where he proceeds to put his paws up in the air because he wants a massage. I know that he thinks he NEEDS it but really….. who does he think he is! ;) Since he is spoiled rotten, we oblige and give him his body massage. He usually falls asleep. Some day I will video tape it because it is really quite humorous. In the mornings, he wants to “snuggle” and yes, he usually gets his way! He definitely should have been a cuddle bunny instead of our puppy!

This past weekend, Remy spent a lot of time outdoors and has learned to sit and enjoy it rather than dig a hole in our garden or yard. :) He is learning, slowly but surely!

He really hasn’t barked much YET. He barks at silly things. Like helium balloons that get stuck on the fence or his own shadow but he doesn’t bark very long. I am sure in time he will, but for now we are enjoying the peace and quiet.

For a dog who didn’t know how to walk on a leash when we first got him, he sure does love his walks. He can’t wait to go on his walks. He is very patient though and will sit until we get his leash on and will wait for us to get our shoes on. He has come a long way in that regard.

And CHEESE, oh my, he loves CHEESE and will obediently go sit on his mat to get a slice of pure heaven! ;)

And did I tell you his favorite movie is Marley & Me..... :) So cute when we are watching the movie, he cocks his head to the side and stares at the television like he fully understands what is going on.

Enjoy the latest pictures.

Stunning Weekend

This past weekend was a PERFECT weekend, blue skies and lots of SUNSHINE. Finally is the word that comes to mind. After weeks of rain, the sunshine was certainly a nice change. We shared a nice breakfast out on the deck with the sun shining down and warming us. We felt blessed that God gave us such a glorious weekend. We are alive, healthy and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the weekend.

Springtime is when we get to see the gardens bursting into colour and fragrance and watching everything fill out. It sure didn’t take long for everything to become lush and green.

Raccoon wondering if it safe to come out to eat

Enjoying the time we spend together is not something we take for granted. We truly treasure the little things in life, basking in each other’s company, the pleasure we share in sharing silly moments and the happiness it brings to both of us. We embrace the life that God gave us.

We also enjoyed watching the baby raccoon play in the bush. It was looking for food and was trying to get to it up at the neighbor’s fence but the neighbor’s dogs kept scaring it off. I took several photos of it before it scampered away. Remy, of course, in his usual calm way, just sat and watched the action.

It was a gorgeous perfect weekend and yes, you betcha, we took advantage of it!

Enjoy the photos!

THE CLIMB

This is my favorite song right now on the radio. Even if you aren’t a Miley Cyrus fan, the words should hit home:

The Climb

I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I Am taking

Every move I make feels

Lost with no direction

My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying

Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Sometimes I am gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing

The chances I'm taking

Sometimes might knock me down

But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it

But these are the moments that

I'm gonna remember most, yeah

Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong

Just keep pushing on'

Cause there's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be a uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Somebody's gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing

Keep the faith, baby

It's all about, it's all about the climb

Keep the faith, keep your faith

******************************************************************

What is your dream? Where do you see yourself tomorrow, next week, next month, 6 months from now, a year from now, 5 years from now, 10 years from now? Mind boggling if you really let yourself think about it. What I have learned through the years is that if I want something to happen, then I MUST take action and not expect things to fall into my lap. I have to plan. It is a necessity in my life. If I don’t then I set myself up to fail.

We must ensure that we do not get side-tracked or put off on a different tangent. Some of us fall into that pit and somehow easily allow ourselves to make up excuses not to achieve our dreams or goals and eventually cheat ourselves of the very best of ourselves and what life can offer if we but persist.

I remember reading somewhere one time that success usually comes to those just past the point where they would have given up. Meaning just when it starts to become difficult and you feel like giving up IS the time you shouldn’t because right on the other side of that mountain is where success is. Don’t give up.

Place your hopes and dreams in the forefront of your mind. Recommit to them every single day. Don’t be one of the people who end up in pain, defeat and despair. Be one of the few who digs deep down and be the one who doesn’t get distracted from achieving your dreams.

It truly is all about the climb! ;)

A MINOR INCONVENIENCE

Love the colors of these trees

Just as I was fine tuning my running, I had a minor setback. I cannot do anything the usual way, it always has to be odd. We were cleaning up after working out in the yard on Saturday. As I was putting my shoes back on the shoe rack in the garage, I pivoted in my “fit-flops” and broke a couple of blood vessels in my right foot. Yes, the pain was excruciating and now I have this very ugly bruised foot.

Sneak Peek

But I will not let it get me down. I will accept that we all have temporary setbacks. What I will do is pick up my routine as soon as I can, which hopefully will be this coming Friday or Saturday. It isn’t the end of the world and I can still lift the weights, I just can’t run at the moment.

It doesn’t matter how often we fall, what really matters is whether or not we get back up. We all will go through successes and failures, highs and lows, steps forward and steps back, times of plenty and times of difficulty. When the dust settles and the books of life are squared away, we are doing well if we come out the other side better, stronger and happier for the experience. It is all about having a positive attitude.

So you see I will not fret or worry about not running for a few days. I know the bruise and soreness will go away. What matters is my attitude and keeping it positive.

Same picture just thought it looked "cool" posted side by side

NOTE: I would post photos of my “beautiful” foot but Kevin said it is ugly and he gave me a complex… :) so I will leave you with pictures of our lake instead. :)