One Little Word CHANGES

So I've been thinking and thinking and am normally so on track and I think I picked the wrong word.  That's not anywhere near normal for me and these last few weeks I could feel that my word wasn't "MY" word.  So after much thought I decided I needed a new word one that really needs to happen in my life.  The past few years I haven't felt very Happy in much of anything, I HATE (and I don't use that word over or hardly ever so you know it is important) what has become of who I am.  I can't find and hold my spark anymore, I can't even figure out why I bother.  I have fleeting moments where I am happy and I've grasped and held onto them for as long as I can but I realized have those few and far between moments are not who I am.  To me it feels like Maine has sucked the life out of me.  I'm a hot weather person and now I spend most of the year freezing cold because it's cold here.  I'd give up snow for flip flops any day.  I can't seem to find that happy in me anymore and I need it so bad.  I can't spend my life in this void anymore.  I need to take back my happy at whatever the cost!!!!  So I'm changing my word to Happy and finding more of it in my life.

Tomorrow's the PARTY

Tomorrow's the BIG day and I'm finishing up the final prep.  I got the chocolate candy made up, the cake frosted and just have the lightning bolt to add to the cupcakes and the jello for the pensive is in the fridge chilling so I can just add the whipped cream when it is ready.  Then I have to set it all up.  And of course I realized the day before I have NO happy birthday banner.  I can't find her zebra print one I made so if I can't find it I will have to make another one tonight and I'm not really feeling up to being crafting all night.  Pictures to come tomorrow once I get everything all set up and ready.  It has also started party planning mode for Miss Zee's party and after Seth and I talking it looks like we might push her party back till the weather is warmer and do it outside.  So after tomorrow PIRATE party planning will commence.  Any ideas anyone has are welcome!!!

#18 Read a Bible Verse Every Day for a Year

I've loved the peace this has brought me first thing in the morning.  I hit my year on the 15th and I have still being keeping up with reading a verse every morning before I get out of bed.

Busy few days

I haven't sat in front of my computer much the past few days.  I had to clean the house and take down all the decorations.  The weather being bad and school being cancelled prevented that.  But it is done so the house can go back to looking a little less crowded.  Then Wednesday I had to get Kyrie's cake ready to take into class and volunteer in Zee's class. So going with Kyrie's theme since her class is so large I made an Harry Potter face.  The cake was a hit!!! 

Then we came home and let Kyrie open up some of her gifts from us and from my Mom, brother and Shannon. 

Zee also gave her the scrapbook she made her and the two girls were so cute as Kyrie went through it. 

Then she opened up her big gift from us and IPod so she could listen to her music. 

 I can tell you by her face it was a huge hit and made better because I loaded it up for her first with music. She even let Zee listen to it.

 Then of couse Kyrie picked pancakes for her birthday dinner but I found a recipe for Brownie Pancakes over at Betty Crocker.  So Seth made up the pancakes and I added the whipped cream, chocolate syrup and sprinkles.  We stuck a candle in them and sang happy birthday to her too. 

 Then yesterday I spent the day dealing with a horrible headache so I didn't get much done except signing up for Good Morning Girls.  I'm excited to get started with that.

Party Crafting for the Day

So I have been working on party stuff when I wasn't helping Zee make a scrapbook for Kyrie for her birthday.  So far I have made invitations, made card to go with the chocolate frogs I will be making and painted some bulbs to use as golden snitches.  And I have found some other ideas now to come up with decorations and start working on making those.  I know I want to make a platform 9 and 3/4 sign since I added tickets to the invitations. I also made her up a Harry Potter Birthday card and made a birthday card for a friends son whose party the girls are going to this month.  I talked with a teacher friend and set up two days a week I will come in and help

volunteer with her class.  So that puts me up to three days volunteering at school Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon and whenever I am needed for box top store on Fridays.  I think having a more serious set out week will help keep me on track.   Now for these golden snitches to dry so I can add wings to them and figure out what all else I can make up ahead.

#9 Start Zee's Friends Book and #10 Get Caught Up on Kyrie's Friends Book

So I not only got caught up on Kyrie's friends book I also got caught up on Zee's book too.  You can check them out on my crafty blog.  I just need to take a couple pictures and print out some pictures and add them into the spaces I left for them and they are all caught up till I have to add more friends.

Finally Almost Ready

So the past few days I have been ripping music into I-Tunes to load onto the I-Pod Kyrie is getting for her birthday.  Which takes forever and I could kick myself for waiting till I have a giant pile and not doing it a little at a time but oh well it will be done.  I also got her gifts all wrapped the ones she will get on her birthday and the ones she will get at her party.  I made the shopping list for her special brownie pancakes we are going to try (I know seriously who wants to eat out when Brownie Pancakes can be the meal) and she picked pancakes I just found a way for them to be better.  I know awesome mom points to me and pinterest.  So while I got her I-Pod all set up I finished a book Forever Odd by Dean Koontz and got in some scrapbook time with the girls Friends albums.  Other then needing to print up some pictures I have them both caught up to this year.  Which is exciting because since we have been here I have not been caught up on ANY album.  I swear I had more time in Texas with an infant.  I will make more time this year I am tired of being so far behind on the girls books.  I am also trying to not only mark my books when I read them but review them too.  Now here is hoping the weather is nice so they have school for a full day tomorrow so I can get the house back in shape and all the decorations down.

Prep for the Big 9

Kyrie has her theme, now it's my turn to make it happen.  I've been planning and pinning and thinking things out.  Kyrie has made her list, it's small but I am okay with that and so is she.  I need to pull out Bugzy and cut out some owls thankfully small list means I don't have to cut out that many and make up an invitation.  So she can get them delivered to her friends.  I just wish I could kick this horrible headache.  I have to come up with some other ideas and get things together to start party planning for the BIG party.

Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone

They say Life happens at the end of your comfort zone.  I am trying to be more Empowered so today when I checked my email and saw that someone from Operation Homefront had emailed me about Senator Elizabeth Dole and the Dole Foundation Fellowship.  I  was intrigued, who wouldn't be.  The road hasn't been easy and we started it not even knowing I was a Caregiver.  But then that is how every adventure starts by heading into the unknown.  So after some communication with someone at the Foundation and talking with a friend on facebook and some deep soul searching on my part I sent in my application.  So now I wait but I feel like I am going in a direction that I need to be going in.  For almost 5 years I've been a "Caregiver" a good part of it not even realizing I was one.  I don't want someone else going through the beginning times like I did.  So Wish me Luck!!!!!

New Year, New Adventures

As we finished off another year I saw so many people post how bad the year had been for us.  Though there were many moments that were bad moments it didn't make a bad year.  We had so many ADVENTURES in 2013 and that is what life is about creating adventures.  Kyrie saw another birthday go by and brought in 8 with rainbows, Seth welcomed 32 and we saw how wonderful our neighbors are.  Then Seth and I celebrated 10 years of being married, then followed by Zee becoming 5 and finally being able to have her own library card.  Then we spent Spring Break on bikes, then the girls prepared for recital.  Zee said goodbye to pre-school days as she prepared for Kindergarten in the fall.  Zee showed us she was born a dancing star and Kyrie busted out her hip hop moves.  Seth got up on stage and danced with Kyrie.  June brought a new refrigerator, our last Relay for Life in Augusta for awhile as we prepared for My Mom, Shannon and brother Austin to come and visit and help us Renew our Vows.  We had a short but wonderful visit with them and embarked on fun filled days, while I said goodbye to my 20's and became 30.  In August our family grew by four paws and we brought Lucky home.  Who became my walking buddy as we tackled 5 to 6 miles a day.  Kyrie started Third grade and Zee started Kindergarten.  And the chaos of activities started.   We had our downs but we had so many ups.  We went hiking, took the girls to see a Fort, and through lots of nature walks with friends.  We spent a great amount of time with friends.  So yes we had downs but without them we would not have had all the Adventures we did.  Here is to new adventures in 2014 for us.  And I ended the year 3 pounds away from my first goal.  I will  work hard and strive to show myself I can do this and be a better me. 
New year, new adventures!!!!   I'm off to EMPOWER me in any way I can!!!!