39 years and 365 days (thank goodness for leap year!)

Today is the last day that I can say I’m in my 30’s. Tomorrow all that changes! Yes, tomorrow I celebrate 40 years on this earth, and what does this pivotal birthday mean? Everyone who is older says, “It’s just another day” or “it’s just a number”. Everyone who is younger says, “wow” you don’t look that old”. Or at least that’s what they MUST be thinking………..Anyway, I’m ok with it.

When I went from 19 to 20, I was just disappointed because I still wasn’t old enough to drink (and it really didn’t matter since I grew up next to Canada and their drinking age was 19).

29 to 30 was tough. Being in my 20’s meant I was still young and it didn’t matter if I had a career, it didn’t matter if I wasn’t married or if I had kids because “I was still young and had my whole life ahead of me to make those things happen". I wore all black on this day 10 years ago in mourning of the death of my 20's .

Now going from 39 to 40 I had better have my ducks in a row. I am now at an age that it’s “risky” for me to have kids. If I wasn’t married, I would definitely be an “old maid” and as for a career – well being a woman I get some grace for that one. But it also means that I am almost middle aged, my youth is fading, I doubt that I will be carded anytime soon without plastic surgery or Botox first.

So what do I see for myself as the next 10 years slip by? Well when I’m 49 years and 364 days I expect that I will still live in this house (though I’m sure each room will have been remodeled or at least a fresh coat of paint). I know that I will still be in love with my husband and happily married (God willing that neither one of us gets a deadly illness or an untimely death)). I expect that I will become a grandma (hopefully when I’m closer to 50 then 40). Of the 3 dogs that I have I may only have one but will most likely have one or two Dachshunds (a boy named Diesel and a girl named Heidi). My husband and I will have traveled to many places and we will still be active. I may even have a 2^nd or 3^rd degree black belt in Tae kwon do. I know that my relationship with God will be stronger (because there is a lot of room for growth there). I hope to have recorded a CD that I can give to friends and family. Other than that, I really don’t know what else God will have planned for me but I am looking forward to the next ten years

I’m sorry you feel that way!

What kind of lame ass apology is that anyway? What does that really mean? Here’s what it says to me….”I know you’re upset at me for something that I did, I’m sorry you’re mad/sad and I know that it was my actions that caused your madness/sadness but I’ll be damned if I’m going to apologize for my actions!”

So when someone attempts one of these lame ass apologies, do you accept it as the best they can do or do you demand a genuine apology? Can you really get a genuine apology when you demand it? If someone really doesn’t want to apologize for their actions, do you as the recipient of their actions truly have any recourse?

The Pursuit of Happiness

When you were a kid, what did you want to be? Where did you see your life? Married, kids, dogs, a house, a white picket fence, a career, were you filthy rich or comfortable? Maybe all of these things or maybe some, but I bet the one thing that you wanted was to “be happy”.

My life is not the one I wanted but it is my life. I have made choices that I regret but at the same time they have made me who I am today and I have many wonderful things in my life as a result of who I am and where I have ended up. But am I happy? If the answer to that is “no”, then at what cost do I pursue happiness?

If my house or my neighborhood is the source of my unhappiness, do I move? And what will the consequences of that move be – party neighbors, crummy school district, crime, uncontrollable weeds, or maybe it will be better – then will I be happy?

What if the source of unhappiness is my job? Change it, quit, but at what cost? Less pay, more benefits, less travel, more drive time? What if my next job doesn’t make me happy?

Oh Lord, what if my family is the source of my unhappiness, do I leave my family? At what price? Loneliness, a clean house, dinners for one?

Get my point? Our environments are part of the equation for our happiness, I do agree, but it is ultimately our outlook on our lives that determines how happy we are. If you are unhappy to the core of your soul, then it won’t make one bit of difference who you’re married to, where you work, where you live, whether or not your kids are well behaved, and so on. Your environment is the scapegoat for your unhappiness. Stop blaming others and your environment and take a good look at who you are because when it comes right down to it, you probably don’t like who you are.

The pursuit of one’s own personal happiness should not come at the cost of creating hurt and sadness among the people that love you, it just shouldn’t!

Dogs can't fake it!

Why are dogs man's best friend? Because they either like you or they don't so you never have to question their integrity! If a dog doesn't like you, he growls at you, bares his teeth and his hackels go up. If he does like you, then he licks you and rushes to be near you and wags his tail and on and on. He can't fake love, he can't fake his emotions, they are real and genuine and that is why dogs are man's best friend!

Hold still... wait for it,
Hold still, wait for the click,
We're in this year's Christmas,
This year's Christmas,
This year's Christmas Pics.                

Christmas Pics by Barenaked Ladies 
Ahhhh, we just finished our Christmas pics for this year.  My
husband and I have a blended family. He has 2 kids from a
previous marriage and I have one son.  One of the things that we
wanted to do from day one was start traditions.  Some are
traditions that I had already established with my son, some
he had started with his kids and some are brand new!  One of the
things that we started doing about 3 years ago was taking
pictures of the 5 of us for our Christmas cards.  


2004 we stood in front
of the Christmas tree with
shirts bought from Old Navy.  
It was a pretty good picture
except for the fact that the
youngest looks taller
than everyone else, and
it looks like hehas an angel
sitting on his head.








Last year, we all sat
in front of the fire place,
the kids wearing red
and the grown-ups wearing
green.  We actually went
with a picture that was taken
when no one was really posing,
it just seemed like a picture
that really showed our
personalities.






This year we forewent the shirts from Old Navy and went back to basics,
white button down shirts with white shirts underneath and jeans.  We
even tried to bring in the dogs this year but unfortunately they kept
staring at us (go figure) instead of the camera.  

When we finally
have the perfect
picture (or as close
as we can get) we
then get to take a few
goofy pictures.





I will probably regret posting this one!

I am SICK! No, I don’t have the flu or a nasty cold, but I am sick. I can’t believe that in our country where we have people dying in the streets from hunger and people are freezing to death because they don’t have a home to live in. Yet on one day our country can go out and spend billions of dollars on gifts for others and for themselves. What kind of country do we have where people are so selfish that they have no problem going out and dropping thousand dollars on gifts, decorations and other stuff while people in this same country are suffering? WWJD?

What is the reason for this season? Is it to give the best gift? To have someone say “remember the Christmas of ’06 when I received that ______________.?” In most cases people don’t recall what they were given or who gave it to them. Can you remember all the gifts you gave last year?

Oh wait, what even started this whole frenzy? Oh, yes, I remember, a little baby boy. But not just any baby boy, a very special baby boy. But what made Him so special? And what connection does He have to the crazy gift buying that brings out the worst in people? NONE! He was given gifts when he was born but the gifts He received were not given out of pride or to be boastful. They were given out of complete adoration for baby Jesus and the gift that He gave back to all of us was the most amazing gift anyone could ever receive. This gift can’t be found in a store, you can’t buy it online, it won’t come in a brightly colored package with glittery bows, and there isn’t enough money in this world that could afford it, in fact in it has no value unless you accept it. It’s the gift of salvation, given in the most unselfish manner ever. Death, but not just death, it was the most degrading, humiliating, and undignified death someone could endure. And pushing and shoving, and going further into debt, swearing and cutting people off, creating long lists of “wants”, is how we show our appreciation for the gift of salvation.

In my opinion everyone needs to take a “chill pill” and watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for a reminder of what this season is all about.

Luke 2:8-14 (New International Version)

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Election day is over! Yea!
“Why should I vote for you?” Don’t tell me why I shouldn’t vote for your opponent! Why is it that EVERYONE I talk to is sick of the mud slinging and slandering political ads, yet that is how current politicians chose to campaign. I have 3 kids in my home and all I hear is, she did this wrong, he did this wrong, no one wants to take responsibility for their actions, then I turn on the boob tube and hear the same thing from grown-ups that are supposed to be professionals!

In my opinion it has become a guessing game as to who you actually want to vote for. I wish we could abolish “the parties” and do like they did on Napoleon Dynamite. Give us your political speech, make some promises that you really don’t know if you can keep or not and then do a dance!




VOTE FOR PEDRO!

(would it have been bad if I had written in Pedro Sanchez in every available slot?)