Happy New Year

I am in the middle of Corporate Christmas Takedown with my families business Holly Productions. No, ....I cannot believe that takedown is happening so soon, but the good is that I get an extra dose of my family that I adore to laugh and work hard with, oh yes, and Kace too. I wanted to wish you a Happy New Year and for 2009 to hold more blessings for you than you could possibly keep for yourself. I pray you love big and are gentle with your hearts and well, truly laugh out-loud because it is just so darn good for the soul. Oh yes, and that you are prosperous in health and wisdom. Smiles and Happy New Year blessings to ya!

Image via DHC

French word of the Day

Chatouiller (shaah-twee-yay) verb

:to tickle

I ran across this in my french word of the day email and well, thought it might bring a smile.

Happy Monday.  I hope your day is worth your while and filled with joy and success.

Image:  Country Living

Still Decking...., smile

"Argue for your limitations an they are yours. 

Argue for your possibilities and they are yours as well." 

-Various Authors

Happy Thanksgiving week!

So, how are you today? How is your heart? I hope you are well and peaceful.

I am still decking the halls along with my family, Kace right by our side everyday and other people for our corporate decorating business "Holly Productions". I got home early to a slew of real job work... What is that? I am on vacation...., okay a working vacation. Never the less, there is work to be done and people still there doing it while my boss has graciously given me the time off to take my vacation all at once during this time of year, so respond quickly to their need I will. I have to pick up my car tomorrow to a new tune of $997 some odd dollars. Keep in mind that I just got it out of the shop last week to a tune of $1200. Eeeeeek! I quickly set my heart and face to my heavenly daddy above and said "God, you are bigger than this, your money here on earth is just a tool, and I can trust you to help me through this beyond all my other financial responsibilities, so I will not worry." I sighed and smiled back at him and back to work. In my heart I am thankful that I have a car. I am thankful that I have a job that wants to call me while on vacation to do work for them. I am thankful for the Christmas business. So, this season I am thankful for so much, but most of all just thankful that I can have this amazing relationship with my creator beyond my skinning my knees often in words, or actions and feel like the luckiest girl in the world that he is working faith in me, so I am blessed. This decorating season has really been the best yet. It has been filled with amazing hard work, but so much laughter that my stomach has hurt most nights. I was scared that something might be wrong with my innards (smile) only to finally realize it is the deep laughter muscles. I am going with that and believing at least and speaking that. So thankful for safety, kind words, great friendships, excellent health, tenacity in every person involved in this business and even working through some tough communication challenges. Thank you for my family, my dear friends and people that have just smiled in the halls of where we are decorating. Hopefully we have shined his light a bit! One can hope!

So, back to work tonight but shortly after a hot shower I will be doing a little "Now I lay me down to sleep", action like below.
Oh yes, thankful for sleep too and a body that is so very healthy and strong.

I wish to post something Thanksgiving. So in short, I wish you a blessed Thanksgiving with family within breaths distance, even if by phone. I pray you well, healthy and whole and I pray you much, much laughter as it is so amazing for the soul.

Happy Turkey Day, Happy Life!

Images via DHC and an old save file.

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly.....Since October 15...

October 15, my families Corporate Christmas Decorating began, as we started to weave the beauty of the season along with other Decorating companies too. We have been behind the scenes making wreaths, boughs, bows, fluffing, relighting trees up to 30ft, lighting outside....and anything else that glitters and shines during the holiday season that you see in corporate buildings during the holiday season with our version of fa, la, la. At any rate. I will be taking my vacation from my web design job to begin full time installation of the magical beauty next week.

Since we begin in the weeeeeeeeee hours of the morning and stop back into the late hours of the night I will not be blogging until December 04, once I am back to work on my full time job. Unless I am asleep at (or under) my desk back at work, wink! At any rate this is a great time of year for me because I get much family time. Certainly it has its points of, "If I wasn't attached to you by blood birth I might not ever talk to you again!!!", over where a decoration should be displayed or timing of a project. However there are many, many more moments of believing in one another and knowing what tenacious souls are able to accomplish (It is crazy, trust me!), and moments of sheer laughter be it that we are so tired we can't see straight or the fact that my sisters, Mom and the rest of the great crew are quite the hilarious types. I love it that Gretchen my sister and I have been calling one another to cheer each other on with a Christmas singing in one another's ear since start date (Which is strange in October!). Ok, my sister Wendy can make me laugh until I cry, but that is on any other normal day that she does that too, not to mention as well Kace and Angie that make me laugh so hard I cry. If I had a penny for all the times you all made me laugh I would be incredibly wealthy!  Then there is my Mom. I love it that my Mom heads this up and works with physical strength and is just positive.  She is amazing to me and my angel and is tenacious to the core and I love her and so proud to be her daughter. To make this happen with my family and the fact that we still adore one another after is so great to me. There are also tender thanks to go out to the many others that are just a part of this every year and we wouldn't be us without them, so know Kace, Angie, Jenna, Liz, Tom, Davey, Joe, Maggie, Kelly, Kathlene and many, many others how grateful I am to each of you. Kace, I think I am going to have to find a way to take you to work each day with me because working along side you is a true joy. Angie who by the way is just short of 7 months pregnant just gets in there and works so hard and brings so many giggles with her and just is my precious heart friend. For each person in this business I give my holiday thanks to along with the personal support systems we have outside of this too. God speed, a smile, a wink, great health and safety, a big dash of laughter and Amen!

I pray your next weeks well and full of smiles and excellent health!

Oh, Can I please request if you do pray, to please pray for me, kind words, patience, much strength and that I will be sunshine to the souls I come in contact with, encouraging and graceful with words, wise in decision making and just a big sweet sappy blessing!

Which does not include me using this statement...
Ahead of time Thanksgiving blessings to you.

I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be
honorable, to be compassionate. It is, after all, to matter: to
count, to stand for something, to have made some difference
that you lived at all.

-- Leo C. Rosten

Images via: TK Home

Thank you ahead of time for Voting!

Courage is grace under pressure.

 - Ernest Hemingway

Because, "America IS worth fighting for!"

- John McCain

..., and worth praying for and doing our part in this great country of ours.

God speed, and God bless America today and always. 

Yes, as a matter of fact, I am humming the national anthem while I type this!

Image: J. Crew. A bit altered by moi, yes, me.

Happy Halloween!

Have a fun, creative and safe Halloween and I hope your weekend is beautiful!

Image via: C. Harvey

How my Morning should have started... to Whisper, Surrender, Blessing

This is a verrrrrry long story about my day and about a girl (me) that took a long time (ALLLLL DAYYYYYY), to Hear his quiet whisper and surrender her day and time to Christ and just think of someone else and to realize that love can win big in the end. Soooooooooo, Once upon a time (last night) off to bed for sweet dreams after the Debate (Wed. night).

For this...

and this...

Zzzzzzzzzzzz Ahhhh sweet sleep....abrupt wake up! To, out-loud no less saying to myself and what I have seen in movies...."What was that noise!" Do I go downstairs or not? Do I have a bat? Would I use a gun if I had one? Cold Mountain baby...(My sisters and Mom will get this!). I have never experienced this so yes, a small incident, but I was half asleep.

Okay. So, in my mind, my morning-to-be I wished for looked yummy like this....

This is what it ended up looking like as the morning proceeded...
Sweet image below, but in truth I felt like this. Between my sweet dreams and the present moment, I could not get out of my thoughts to wrap my mind around what had happened as I had just gotten to sleep at around 3am. I just don't sleep well and I live in a lovely, sweet, safe new neighborhood, right? Why do I now feel surrounded in this? I refuse to fear!
I got a 4am-ish wake up call by a squad (Yes, a squad.) of cop cars and 4 cops banging at my door and in my culdesac. Mind you, I have never come across a cop living on the cusp of the city and I move outside the perimeter and they greet me at 4am-ish at my door.
I would have become awake much quicker had they used the doorbell.
More action this way I guess!
And I thought my floor fan was making some strange noise! HA!

Someone had gone through my new, sweet and very safe neighborhood and 2 surrounding
Million dollar neighborhoods (Are they $$$$$ in this new economy?) and broke into cars.

They even stopped to share in this event in my driveway and take things of mine too. No windows broken, thankfully. They were pros.

The blessing: The police came to the door to bring the items back, take pictures and get information. Bigger blessing: The accused and now caught perpetrators never entered into my home. Thank you God for that protection!
They came back through today to make certain all was well.

So, I tried for some time with God after this event to count my blessings.......and proceeded to fall asleep with my coffee in hand. rrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
So I took a shower and put on clothes.... ...and off to my desk for a very long work day as they are all these days. 

Yes, what I had on was similar to this. Love the crisp color of black in a big way.

For the rest of my Morning conversations did not go well! At all!
Blessing: I thought quick enough to get quiet and got to work.
Sometimes it is best just to remain silent in kindness
to keep myself out of later regret of words.

You know. If you don't have something nice to say....., shut your pie hole!

"Be amusing: never tell unkind stories;

above all, never tell long ones."

~ Benjamin Disraeli

...Ok, my story/blog is long...., I get it, sorry.

"To speak and to speak well are two things.
A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks."
~ Ben Jonson

"Of those who say nothing, few are silent." ~ Thomas Neill

Then off to get new tires during lunch. "That will be 90 minutes and $$$$$, Mamm (What in Sam Hill? Mammmmmmmm?)...please."

Blessing: I finally had time to finish reading the Shack (A must read.).Each page of the middle of this book unfolded delightfully and changed my soul as it talked directly to my circumstances of the day good vs evil and how we view it.

and then....

With lack of seating, I sat on the sidewalk with my book in the very front of a handicap parking space. Things got worse as I was almost run over by this Mom in her mini-van parking on top of me (twice), trying to finally have a "Oh yes, God I understand" moment. I get it, I must be so tiny she did not see me, or it was the black outfit I had on that was like camouflage!!!!!!!! Seriously, did I do something bad to someone last night? I mean, I did watch the debate and maybe the people in Hollywood caught word of who I am voting for so they are trying to stop my vote before Nov. 04. Plan foiled as I will be there voting with bells on (As they say in the South.)......That is when God whispered to me deep in my heart....above my yelling at him asking forgiveness, as I watched this Mom take her wee little one out of the car and placed her in her small wheelchair and off they went across the parking lot to get something to eat. Ugh, I can be such a jerk, and God quietly showed me that things are not always as they first appear.

Oh yes God, back to my book! Then in my heart was this....

"Hi, It's me (God),
Don't you hear my whisper?
I have been trying to get your attention all day.
Aren't you tired yet?
Can you give it all to me and just Surrender?
and seriously, go be a blessing!"

In reality God has tugged at my heart all day to see him and that there is good even in little storms. Good masked by yuck. Today, one thing happened after another to the point of silent tears that were so deep in my heart that I could not have spoken even if I had wished. God all the while was whispering "You will find me today, you will find me...pinky promise, but quit looking in."

Okay God...I hear ya!

"Lord, I do, I lay me down in your presence and give you the tears of my day and my praise, and joys first. Lord please, please use this day anyway through me somehow as a blessing so your people can see your light and bring a smile beyond me, through me!" And behold, the greatest quiet blessing came as I found him not by looking within, but in looking out and FINALLY being a blessing and not a burden to those around me. So, God found me a way to be a blessing. I listened with my heart and responded and my whole heart changed. 

Yes, it felt just like in the Grinch who stole Christmas when his heart grew big...I promise!My Sweet Mom has always taught me to be a blessing. Why did it take me all day to grasp what I have always learned from her about hard times and being a blessing in the midst?
Why (as I will post later with pictures and wonder) as this sweet friend Nancy, made me antique pillows by hand just last week (AMAZING by the way) did I not learn quicker?.

God thank you for your patience with me and help me realize the needs of others.
Sometimes, oh my goodness!
So, as I continue to work. I realize God was in my entire day. I just needed to...walk with Him and he will give me rest for my soul and a new song in my heart.

Psalm 37: 30, 31
The mouth of the righteous (woman) utters wisdom,
And their (her) tongue speaks what is just.
The law of his God is in their (her)heart;
Her feet do not slip.

Back to work for this chick and then off for a good long run!

So, how was your day? Was there hope in it or was it a challenge?
I pray it was blessed with smiles and just true no matter the circumstances.
Oh my, and I pray it took you less time to hear his voice than it did me!
And all God's Children said...AMEN!

To end my day. Anthony came by and brought me a hug, sushi and a Starbucks.

He only knew parts about my day, but it meant so much!

Image via dreamhouse, shhhh, Sarah Kaye, Day home, Tine K Home, BarlowGirl, Hillsong, Anne Fontaine with my own added McCain button, LeChat, C&C, Ever wondered

Side note: Wendy, my little sister always makes me laugh out loud. Angie, my sweet friend is just as funny and told me about this video of Dennis Quaid on the Ellen Show. I laughed out loud (Which always feels strange to me when I am alone!) once back at home and safely in my office.
Thought I would share Dennis Quaid on Ellen Show at Starbucks.

Hillarious!

Just good hope in the midst.

In awe of beauty in a shovel

I wish I could gather the dust bunnies that gravitate to my hardwood floors daily, (Even though I sweep every night.) and make them look like this lace dirt rug below! Now that would just be just pretty wonderful!It is good to dream, but it is better to dream and work. Faith is
mighty, but action with faith is mightier.

-- Thomas Robert Gaines

Like a girl in a creative candy store and well, in desperate need of 5 minutes to rest my mind in the midst of amazing deadlines with work. So, here goes and then back to it for me. These pretties have been in a folder on my desktop for many a sunrise, so I wished you to experience these creative wonders too. Who knew a shovel could be so beautiful and notice the dirt rug! Yes, the lace rug it is made of dirt! I saw this a bit ago on Ralph Lauren's site and am just amazed at the creative mind. The creator of these metal lace masterpieces is Cal Lane. Enjoy. Oh my, 5 minutes can go so quickly. Back to work for this girly and grateful for work am I!

Full of hope thought for the day.

I wish to post pictures and happenings and gratitude bit about my Mom, her tender traits that are a daily blessing to me. Oh yes, her Cowgirl (and cowboy) birthday brunch too. However, for today and every available previous moment I have been trying to tackle work deadlines over the last couple of days and I wish to take time to think it through and make it worth cherishing. So for now, as I just finished work for the day and then start this blog shortly thereafter at 11:22 p.m....eeek, here is something inspiring for your day. I have had this quote below on my desk for months and just love it. It speaks to possibility and the picture, just fun.

Have a great Wednesday and find something wonderful

to dream about and then a action plan to make your dream a reality.

"One can't believe impossible things," Alice said."

I daresay you haven't had much practice,"

said the Queen.
"When I was your age, I always did it

for half an hour a day.
Why, sometimes I've believed as many as
6 impossible things before breakfast."

--From Alice in Wonderland

Image via: Ouma Clothing

Yummy Love & Peace

So, my house is pretty much white, black, dove grey and tan with the exception of one room (My niece's...Peyton Grace in pink shabby chic). So, when the budget leaves some fun money at the end of the month I might just have to indulge and get some of these pretties for her room.  Not for any reason except they make one smile and she loves whimsical. A girl can do that every now and again, can't she? Hope so, smile!
I love this fun Union Jack pillow too! Wouldn't that be fun in a very light pastel shabby chic print!

Images: via madebygirl and c&c

Good Monday Quote

When nothing is sure, everything is possible.

-- Margaret Drabble (1939-)

Image via: Anthony Burrill

Happy Birthday KBella

Happy Birthday Kelly, sister of mine. How did we go from this to 43 and 45 so very quickly! Oh me, oh my. But, lucky you, you were only without me for 2 years of your life, but God knew you needed me, so there you have that! Tee hee hee! So, if you would humor me for a minute there is much I wish to say before we are 120 and 122.

I would...

....bake you tiramisu cupcakes on your birthday and top each one with a gentle wish.

...tell you that you are so smart and use that talent as you just are a natural born entrepreneur.

...tell you that you smile through your eyes and that it is infectious in making others smile.

...tell you that you are bold and often in situations I say to myself "How would Kelly handle this?" and then proceed.

...tell you that your Mom when asked by me always says you were just beautiful.

...tell you that you are stronger than you know and that I appreciate how much you love your children.

...tell you that you never give up in trying to be the most amazing wife to R.J.

...tell you thank you for always being protective of me and dusting me off when needed.

...tell you that you were right every now and again..., smile.

...tell you that you find green things amazing and can grow them just like your Mom, as you twirl your plants around your yard until you find the prettiest and most healthy spot for them to thrive.

...tell you that I love to watch you laugh and dance at your son's football games.

...tell you that spending quality time with you is like curling into a soft quilt with many amazing colors and even sometimes like great fireworks.

Lastly, I would just come and sit beside you and tell you that I too, along with Mom think you are just beautiful and think you are pretty wonderful, or pretty and wonderful. I love that we are now great friends. Happy full of sparkly-wonder-full-of-delight, Birthday to you! Know I love you. xo, me

Do just once what others say you can't do,

and you will never pay attention to their limitations again.

-James R. Cook

Blowing Kisses to Raegan

Above - Don and Angie  -  10.04.2007 (Raegan's 1st birthday..., anyway!) - Blowing Kisses to Raegan as I know she was and is blowing kisses right back at you. Second picture is of Raegan Audry Hearn one sunny day that Angie took some fun images of her.

1 year ago today (September 17) Don and Angie's little girl quickly went to live with Jesus. I am most certain he needed her big light there. How it makes me see that time passes quickly and we need to cherish moments and live life big each second.

What I have seen since this tragedy is hope. I see this strong soul in Angie and one that is closer to God and resilient to find good in each day even though I know she misses her baby girl immensely. I see this in Don too. In talking often with Angie, I know she is grateful for the year she got to experience Raegan and really focuses on that, verses sadness. She counts her blessings daily one by one and I think really tries to live each moment knowing that Raegan would hope that for her mamma. She once stated that God had her baby now and she was going to run into his arms and find out more about the God that holds her daughter now, and she has, as I watched God wrap his arms around her and give her strength. Don mentioned this too and said that God had his full attention. When talking with him that seems true. What I see now in Angie is this woman of great faith and has shown people what God's strength looks like in a tangible way as she shows Him big to people without saying a word. She also stated that she wished to make Raegan proud and well, I have to say that Raegan is so very proud of her mamma and how she has been this positive light since Raegan's passing. Raegan I know is sending a sweet "ROAR" to Don this morning as that was their good morning ritual. I truly believe that if I were today to take a walk with God, he would say that he is mighty proud of you both and hopes you feel him smiling big on you along with Raegan by his side as she blows great kisses to you. So, close your eyes and think of this and I know you will feel both of their sweet breaths of kisses all over you today.

The sweet in all of this going forward is that Angie and Don are now finally expecting a baby this coming February.  I know because of Raegan and how she cared for Raegan as a Mom to her that she is going to be this incredible Mamma as she gets to live life with a second smile in her life. I know Don is going to be able to be a Daddy once again and find his smile and morning giggles again.  I am so very grateful that they get to experience a little heart in their arms again.  Angie and Don, I wish you to know that I am praying for your hearts big today.  I am praying for the sweetest of smile memories today for you and so grateful for the new life in you that lies ahead.  I just know if Raegan was here today she would be humming that song that Keith Urban sings Days Go By. So go and live life big today and look at each second with a smile. Raegan would wish that for you at least! Hope and Love today to you my friends Don and Angie and Raegan too.

He who finds diamonds must grapple in the mud and mire 

because diamonds (faith and hope) are not found in polished stones. 

They are made. - Henry B. Wilson

Three blessings

My two nephews and niece (Jake, Gabrielle and Zachary). Since moving to Forsyth, I now live just 15 minutes away from each of these very cool people.  You are each so unique to one another and I love watching each of you shine!  Thank you for your time, your lives and your smiles. Love each of you big!

The Magic of a Little Risk Taker

I love how the rain made her curls into a halo here.

Okay, the person taking this picture totally missed the 

castle in the background. Oh well, fun anyway.

Image of Peyton Grace and I. I didn't have the heart to edit at all, because it is just us, in the moment and any editing even in color or manipulation would take away from us just being real. So, you get what you get...smile. I love this image because she is going in for the tickle and I am having a hard time doing a picture smile because of it. Thank you PG for experiencing crazy rainy day hairdo's and making this a most fun and magical adventure along with me.

"As long as you are going to be thinking anyway, think big."
- D. Trump

This quote is all about my 7 year old niece. She and I headed on a journey last weekend and it turned into a great adventure. I just was in awe of her love of life and ease at taking risks. She showed me that meeting the height requirement to ride the crazy rides is the key to big laughter, so off we went to experience the greatest rides, Disney parades and light shows too! There is so much to learn from this little one with twinkle eyes and a smile that I adore. She is a trooper and has no fear to experience great or find great in the little things and she loves hugs.

We were fortunate to experience every park Disney had to offer even though hurricane Fay went along with us bringing much rain each afternoon! I worked every morning off-site from 4:45am - 1pm and to see her smile just made all the tired go away each day. She showed me that thanks to hurricane Fay that there is this extra ride of jumping through puddles at Disney and giggling until ones side hurts. Rain fact #1: Puddle jumps water ride is only available when it rains and is available without a height requirement at all. Rain fact #2: If you eat ice cream in the rain, although you have to eat it fast, one needs no napkin....smile. God just rinses it right off of you and makes ones hair crazy too!

The last day we were at this Disney water park "Blizzard Beach" in the afternoon. She was quick to ride the Summit Plummet. The crazy thing is 120ft in height, 55miles and hour and basically a free-fall and it did not stop her. She was giggling when she came off the ride and wished for a second go at it. Had I not seen other littles her age go, my safety issue thoughts (as I was going down the plummet in front of her to catch her at the end..eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!) would have kept her off the ride! I am proud of her because she is brave, she loves life so big and through a crazy week just went with the flow looking quickly for the next smile, thrill or even a way to encourage or bring delight to others and tell them that life is worth taking risks and she just takes hold of challenges!

She is my heart and totally amazing to me and I have learned very much through her and this week was able to see magic in the little things too and for that I owe her soooooo much. Had there not already been a Disney Park, well I think she would be just the person to create it. In watching her spirit this last week, she is truly Mulan and Pocahontas in this amazing little brave package through even the most challenging of circumstances.

To my family awaiting pictures of PGA. I promise I took some pictures of her during each day and will post soon.

100 Miles - 25 hours 37 minutes...WOW!

This image above is from a magazine article about her running and general training.

http://www.competitorse.com/features/to-atlantan-jill-floyd-a-marathon-is-just-a-warmup.html

Jill Floyd is my friend and work colleague and I think super-human. She ran a 100 mile race last weekend with only a few short 2 minute breaks. I am amazed and completely inspired as I run my 7 - 8 mile runs....HA! Okay, admittedly I have told her that our company offers a great mental insurance plan, wink-wink. But truly she has done something that not many in this world have accomplished and I don't have words as she is just takes it in stride and is quick with encouraging words to say "You can do it too." This girl continues to learn and strive for the better and well, keeps me on my new running schedule that she sends me weekly. Jill, your efforts in running are truly amazing. Thank you for inspiring and giving me/us runners-to-be hope to reach for the extra mile.

Happy Beautiful Birthday Emi!

My sweet little friends birthday is TODAY! Happy Birthday my little (Sara Evans look-alike) friend, Emily Knudsen! Much Love and many hugs to you! I hope your day shines delightfully on you. Always know you have the most beautiful soul and best giggle, ever!

Have a blessed and just scrumptious weekend!

Good for Monday!

View off of my porch right before dark on Saturday night.

If you have made mistakes...there is always another chance for
you...you may have a fresh start any moment you choose,
for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down,
but the staying down.

-- Mary Pickford

Also, I got to spend time with this silly soul (Wesley, age 2) this weekend. He had his very first spend the night at my house and he seemed to do quite well and was silly as always.
Oh my goodness he is such cuteness! Children are just good medicine for the soul...okay unless they are cranky and it is time to go to bed!!!!!

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did

not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.

--Charlotte Bronte

43...and a bowl full of cherries!

Image via: Cig Harvey

Blessed, Happy and just Tickled Pink 

about this bowl full of cherries called, Life.

So, why do I say that you ask? Well, let me tell you.

I turn 43 today....eeeeeeeeeeek! Someone said to me...You look absolutely amazing for 43 (Insert smile here). Offended at first because they said the infamous "for 43". But then I thought this is a compliment. So, take it and run with it, and be grateful. 43 is just a number. 

One truly is only as old as they think. 

So, I am grateful for.....

• The fact that God wishes and chooses to have any kind of relationship with me blows me away. Lord knows it is only by his grace and kindness.

• Excellent Health - For that alone, amazingly grateful.

• My family with whom I adore each one and am blessed enough to go through hard, or laugh hysterically with. You are my true smiles and my soft place to land!

• Anthony - You always find pretty and good in me and 

teach me that to be silly is good for the soul and just loving me and liking me too. Thank you for being willing to sit with your feet in the sink with Peyton Grace, just because she asked. 

• My friends near and far that I have been blessed with long term in this life. 

Filled with smiles that God found me each one of you.

• My tender Evi, a girl from Indonesia that I get to sponsor. 

You are this amazing gift!

• Smiles and giggles and the ability and now wisdom at 43 to choose happy over anger!  

I just realized one can do this.  Something good from 43!

• The love of sweat and hard work - It is just built in me and who I am.

• Running, heated yoga and working out - I think about this often - That I have a body that is healthy enough to work out, to walk to run. For that I am so blessed and find God's workmanship in the human body amazing.

• The view off my back porch at dusk and the amazing views that clouds and sunshine produce and the twinkle lights at night. 

• My job - To use my mind every day creatively.

• A home to live in!

• Anything creative.

• Starbucks coffee.

• Smiles and laughter that make my cheeks hurt. 

Life beyond all the hard is truly a bowl full of cherries....

If you seek the cherries you will find them...no pits included!

I wish you all a blessed day and so 

much happy that you can't hold it in. 

I wish your life a bowl full of cherries!