Friday MEME..........



Food 4 Thought Friday ~ This week's questions

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Breakfast
How would you describe your life right now...a Three Ring Circus, the Indy 500, the Boston Marathon, or a day at the beach? A day at the beach!! I feel like I am in the prime of my life!! I can now do some of the things I have been waiting years to do. I come and go as I please and do what I want!! It is a great time of life! I have great kids who are turning into wonderful adults...........and I am in LOVE with a great guy!!
What more could a girl want............

Lunch

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? I am the colors of the rainbow!! I am a typical woman!! I change my mind 100 times a day......some moments I am up and other I am down. I'm a little on the crazy adventurous side and in a moment shy and allusive!!

Dinner
What is the strangest food you ever ate? A lobster! When I was 18 I was a nanny the first time my family took me to dinner they asked if I liked seafood, I said, I did. They told me to order the lobster..........I did. When they brought it out the tiny eyes were just staring at me!! I really tried to be brave and eat it, but I just could not bring myself to do it!!

Midnight Snack
Have you ever seen a Broadway musical? If so, which ones? Yes, I went to "Cats" on Broadway!! It was one of the most amazing things I have been to. I also went to Joseph and the Amazing technicolor dream coat" ~~ Starring you know who... Donny Osmond! I saw the show when it came to Salt Lake.~~ truly amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recipe for the Week (instead of your recipe for life, what is it just for this week?)
Hum......................how about.............Key lime pie, a little bit of sweet mixed in with the sour!!

PLEASE PLAY !!!! Come on you know you want to!

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If nothing changes nothing changes

Now that we are more than half way through January and the newness of the NEW YEAR has begun to wear off, many start forgetting their resolve to DO better and BE better. I sometimes find myself in that category! Change is hard! Let us also remember that Change takes time, and TIME is the one thing we have..........It is only January 22nd!! It might take years to get to the end of our goals.... it might take a life time ....but one this is certain....

“If nothing CHANGES, nothing CHANGES.”~john cox

Yes, that's right my JOHN, he is always saying this......... so today I decided to quote him!!

Love this video of one of my favorite poems. You might recognize it if you are a regular reader!!

Monday, Make today Matter!!

“The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” -Marcus A. Antoninus

Being responsible is one of our most important personal duties. Responsibility makes the difference between the medium and the magnificent. Unfortunately, much of the world has developed a “victim mentality,” in which it’s easier to blame others than to take responsibility. When we learn that we are responsible for our actions, thoughts, goals and futures, we can begin to lay a path toward greatness. If we are stuck in the victim mentality, then we always leave our fate at the hands of others.

Self-management expert Carol Gerber Allred, Ph.D., author of Positive Actions For Living, offers this insight into self-management:

Whether we realize it or not, we are all managers responsible for our own resources. Every one of us has resources of time, energy, talents, money, possessions, thoughts, actions and feelings that we need to manage. We feel good about ourselves when we manage our resources well.

Here are a few fundamentals to review about self-responsibility:

We are responsible for our own actions. No matter who tries to sway us or encourage us, in the end we are completely responsible for everything that we do. When acting out in any form, know that you are responsible for the positive or negative outcome that results from your action.

Blame need not exist. Blaming another person is a seed of the victim mentality. Blame allows people to avoid taking responsibility and action. When we are productive and responsible, there isn’t any issue of blame.

Give up the guilt. By being responsible, we are bound to make decisions that won’t always be the “best” or “correct.” That’s all right. It’s better to make mistakes and learn than it is to blame and stall.

Monday Makeover~~ Take some time to think about the role of responsibility in your life. Are you responsible? If the answer is No, think about the areas where responsibility lacks. Choose a strategy to try and reinstate responsibility.

Your Affirmation: I am responsible for my life, my choices, and my thoughts.

My post today I thought I would take some time to do an update on my great Children and what they are doing with their lives....

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Alex is a Jr. in High School... he is on the honor roll and in the national honor society. He works hard at school and he loves to play soccer. He has always had great athletic ability. When he was two years old he wouldn't go to bed without making ten baskets in his mini basketball hoop. He has played football, basketball, baseball and soccer. A couple of years ago a soccer coach told him if he would devote himself to soccer he could help his get a scholarship....so he is totally soccer!! I have to admit that I always thought he would end up a basketball player but he is a great at soccer and he loves it. He plays indoor and is in conditioning for spring tryouts....

Alex has also discovered girls!~!~!~!~ I new this day would come but...............

This coming year Alex plans to continue to work towards his goal of graduating high school with honors and getting a scholarship to a University.

Alysa is a senior this year!!! When did that happen?~?~?~?~ She is a happy go lucky girl, who is a great friend to all those who come to know her. She loves high school life and does not seem in a great hurry for it to end.....She loves to drive and the independence it brings, she someday wants to own a mustang!! After she graduates she plans on attending a smaller collage and wants to pursue a career as a receptionist or a personal assistant. This seems to fit her personality of organization, and wanting to know every one's schedule and helping them get where they need to be ON TIME!~!~!~

She currently has job at the yogurt factory..... and is on the youth council for our Church planning youth conference this summer.

Kasey is serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...... He sends us weekly updates and shares with us his life in TEXAS. Kasey has a gift of music and seems to be able to use these talents on his mission. I personally miss music in our home!!! For more on Kasey click on his picture on the right.

Brady is a student at Utah State University majoring in communications!! He is in his program this semester and seems to be enjoying it. He is learning video editing, how to run the sound board doing the weather and the news and so much more I would never guess to understand......... Over the Christmas Break he went to Mexico with a group of collage kids to build houses. He has a great time doing the collage life.... Brady is FUN and a little on the crazy side!! He will make a great news broadcaster one that will never be boring!!

He plans on taking the summer off to work and build up his cash reserves and to get some needed fat back on his bones with some home cookin!!

My friend Diane sent me this great email and I had to post it!!

WHY GOD MADE MOMS

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?

1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.

2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.

3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1. We're related.

2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?

1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.

2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?

3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot.

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at yo ur house?

1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.

2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.

4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don't do spare time.

2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.

2. I'd make my mom smart er. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.

3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

WHEN YOU STOP LAUGHING -- SEND IT ON TO OTHER MOTHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, AND AUNTS....and anyone else who has anything to do with kids or just needs a good laugh!!!

OH, my goodness! It's FRIDAY already!! Where did the week go?????

Friday Meme!

Food 4 Thought Friday ~ This week's questions

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Breakfast

Are you a morning or night person? Defiantly a morning person!! I did have to train myself to be. Now I have a hard time staying up past 10!! But I love love morning time!!

Lunch What do you do when you are feeling lonely? Get up, Get out! Go do something or see someone!!! I feel like I have been alone a lot lately. I am not feeling especially lonely just needing alone time to get some long awaited things done that take just me time to do it!!

Dinner What made you smile today? I visited with a friend today! She is having a tough time in her life right now and it made me smile to help her smile today!! I appreciate soooo much all those who take time to make me SMILE everyday!!

Midnight Snack What did you do today that made you feel guilty? Nothing NOT a THING!~!~!~!

Recipe for the Week (instead of your recipe for life, what is it just for this week?) GET UP! GET OUT and do something for someone else!! Bake someone cookies. Take dinner into someone just for fun!! Send flowers to a stranger! Smile at an unsuspecting person at the grocery store !! have fun and let me know your results......

To play along go here!
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1. Enough with the talk of recession!!.

2. Contention causes me to be conflicted.

3. I've been craving time to read a good BOOK.

4. Going to Brady's facebook page makes me laugh.

5. I wish I could go to Oregon next week.

6. Going back to school has been on my mind lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a quiet evening, tomorrow my plans include cleaning , helping Alysa with a project, getting Alex to clean his room cooking and getting John to rub my feet!! and Sunday, I want to go to church teach my lesson, and pop popcorn and watch a movie!

to play along go here!

Monday Makeover! New Week a New You!

Whatever in your life gives you joy and happiness just for you, do it. Everyone around you will notice if you are happy, healthy, joyful, and positive." ~Cristen

I

received a wonderful email on self-care from Cristen that I wanted to share with you.

"Don't forget to make sure you are "feeding" yourself, first. Someone reminded me recently that we have to make sure our needs are being met before we can effectively give to others. In my industry, we are taught not to rush in to help someone in crisis until we make sure we are safe ourselves.

Here is the scenario for the analogy: one person is overcome by oxygen-deficiency. A coworker, seeing the person collapse, will rush to help them and become overcome themselves, thus requiring rescue efforts for two people versus the original one person. The training we receive tells us to stop and secure our own safety, i.e. put on a respirator, before attempting to go help and becoming another hazard to the rescue personnel, thereby putting them into greater danger also.

Please, everyone, take a moment to think about what you are doing to protect, feed, and nourish yourself while you are in the midst of helping everyone around you. If we collapse from mental/physical/emotional exhaustion, who will take care of them? Whatever in your life gives you joy and happiness just for you, do it. Everyone around you will notice if you are happy, healthy, joyful, and positive. Conversely, if you are depressed, anxious, nervous, or upset, that will also overflow onto everyone you come into contact with during your journey."

I like my friend, had to learn to be a little selfish in order to be happy. I was trained to sacrifice myself for the good of my family, but I got to the point that I wasn't happy and, as the old saying goes, "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." That is truth!

Now, scheduled into my day are three things: 1) my Good Mornings and Nightly Reflection; 2) (most) every night I read for about twenty to thirty minutes. Something just for me. 3) workout time, and, once a week, I go to a class just for me or I get on the internet and just find a subject and learn. Out of a twenty-four-hour day, I spend maybe 1 and 1/2 hours total on ensuring my wellbeing (the biggest chunk goes to working out.) It was really hard to make it a priority at first, but I am seeing the benefits.

Because I schedule it, I am more likely to stick to it. Out of our abundance, we are able to give joyfully, not grudgingly.

Monday Makeover: What do you need to do to increase your self-care? Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, list out all the ways you have not been caring for yourself in the past thirty days. Where are you coming up short? How are you helping others, without helping yourself? On the right column, list a positive action step you can take in each area. Then, schedule some time in your catch-all-notebook to do just that.