Gratitude {3}

Making memories.

We do not remember days; we remember moments.  ~Cesare Pavese

These are the days of the endless summer.

These are the days, the time is now.

There is no past, there's only future.

There's only here, there's only now.

~Van Morrison

A Great Big World

Do you remember me talking about Ian Axel?  His music really touches me and I stood 10 feet away from him when he played a private concert for Double Encore in November 2010.  If I'd realized then, that I was going to absolutely fall in love with his music.....I would have been all over him like stink on a monkey.

His song called We Are, touched me so much, it still makes me cry when I hear it.  It was the song I played over and over when we were trying to get our son into school, and I even made a video of my precious kids with it.  My son sings it all the time.

Someday, I hope to introduce my kids to Ian Axel.  They love his music as much as I do.

Well....Ian has had some help along the way.  His best friend Chad Vaccarino sings on many of his tracks and they have decided that they are going to partner up.

This means they are changing their name to A Great Big World.

I adore their music so much and I think you will too!  Check it out!

A Great Big World website
@AGreatBig World on twitter
A Great Big World on facebook

Now....If I can just get them to come back to Denver!!

Birthday Shoes

For the first time in my whole life, I was happy with the person looking back at me in the mirror.  I had a few wrinkles and my hair was starting to turn grey at the top of my head but it turns out the wrinkles are really laugh lines and people mistook the grey for blonde highlights.

There comes a time in every woman's life (if she's lucky) when she becomes the person she was meant to be. Sometimes, it takes 40 years.... some more, some less.

At 40 years old, I decided that I was confident enough to wear stilettos.  I bought them but never wore them out of the house because I bought them a half a size too small.  I would have returned them, but I bought them online and in the chaos of moving back to Colorado, I lost the receipt.

I love those shoes and the reminder of them.  I think they say that I'm sexy and fun, I'm not afraid of risk and I can party like a rock star!  My husband thinks they say that I'm crazy and about to break my neck!

This year, I bought another pair of birthday shoes.   I think they reflect my personality much more and that they say I'm a fun Mom.  My husband thinks that they say I'm interviewing to be a clown and I don't know how old I am.  

I think my husband is jealous.

Gratitude {2}

On Sunday mornings, I'm thinking about what I'm grateful for.  

Join me if you like!

Yesterday, we went to IKEA and got the kids a desk for their bedroom.  I'm so grateful that I have kids that love to create and a husband that lets me re-arrange small bedrooms to accommodate my crazy ideas and passions about our kids.

What are you grateful for today?

Daring Greatly: I'm All In

I've been a fan of Brene Brown for almost two years now.  I wish I knew the exact date that I discovered her TED talk on you tube and who directed me to it because I'd like to think that is the day that I really became a better mother and wife.

Brene Brown is a shame researcher and has written a couple amazing books.  Books that I devoured once I found her and her message.  Her latest book, Daring Greatly, is the icing on the cake.

Reading Daring Greatly is going to make me a better mom, wife, friend and daughter.  I honestly believe that Brene's books came into my life for a reason.  If I hadn't read about shame and embracing who I am and who my children are, then I would not have been able to make the hard choices for my son.

I would not have been able to face my fear and be vulnerable.  I would  not have been able to teach my son that being vulnerable but also being proud of himself, would bring him great joy.  I've learned that being all in and not looking back, is an amazing feeling.  Some things are worth doing, even if there is a chance that you'll fail.

I encourage you to pick up a copy of Daring Greatly and follow along with the discussions on the BlogHer Book Club.  Everyone can benefit from this book and it's message.  I'm betting that you'll read it and think of a friend that could use it too.  I know I did.

I think I'll be blogging about this book for weeks to come.  I had so many a-ha moments that I'm anxious to share!

I know you'll want to learn more about Brene Brown and her research.  You can read her blog, Ordinary Courage.  You can tweet her @brenebrown.  She's on Facebook.  AND she's going on a book tour.  OH MY LORD...she's coming to Denver!

Disclaimer: This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

Innocence Lost

The last few weeks, we've spent quite a bit of time on the mean streets of Denver.  I think I've gotten so use to the way things are in our downtown area that I had forgotten it can be shocking to a child.

We decided to visit downtown Denver with our children and one of their friends over Labor Day Weekend.  We wanted to go to the Leonardo DaVinci Machines Exhibit because we are all about teaching our children more than what they learn in school.

We are dedicated!

The three musketeers were very excited.

This is right before they lost their innocence.

Soon, I'd be fielding questions like:

Why is that man sleeping on the sidewalk?
Why do I smell the bathroom?
Why is that man dressed like a robot?
Is that President Obama?

THIS is not President Obama

This guy scared the heck out of all of us (except maybe iKeith) and then we had a talk with the kids about talking to strangers.  Then a STRANGER tried to give the kids a balloon animal and they were freaking out because he is a stranger.

As it turns out, Keith is a busker magnet and street performers will call out to him to help him with their performance.  I've seen it many, many times!  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree and my dear son was recruited and then ruined a man's magic career when he cut a rope with scissors that he was supposed to be pretending to cut.  In Alex's defense...who gives a 6 year old scissors?

We did have a great time at the DaVinci Machines Exhibit.  The kids learned so much and not just a slang word for an African American.  Yes.  That really happened.  I'm still in shock over it.

At the end of the day....I was really glad to see Jesus.

And I think it will be a while before a take one of my friends' daughters into the wilds of Denver again.

Gratitude {1}

A new thing....I want to do on Sundays. 

Focus on gratitude!

Join me, if you like.

I'm so lucky to have a husband that loves me and our family. 

We are his whole world.

He thinks I'm beautiful and a sexy mama.

I adore him and his big words.

Life is good!

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. 
Melody Beattie 

Coffee, Coffee and more Coffee

Several weeks ago, when Mallory discovered that my birthday was coming up she began planning a party for me.

Her first order of business was to select a theme and she picked a good one.

Coffee.

She picked iKeith to be her party planning assistant.  I asked her if she interviewed him for the job and she said no because he had money.

Watch out world!  This girl is going to be running companies...or countries someday.  Mark. My. Words!

They held secret meetings and eventually let Alex in on the planning.  He had a very important job which was tricking me into cleaning their room so that they could wrap my presents.

I fell for it hook, line and sinker!

I guess Starbucks was in on the planning too because they sent me a coupon for a free cup of joe on my birthday.

At school, my dear friend Margaret gave me a card and a gift.  She really gets me!

We went to dinner and I accidentally ordered a Margarita as big as my head.  I say accidentally because it was a medium and there where three other sizes that were larger.

It was delicious and I don't remember much about my evening after I opened my presents.  I have to re-watch Parenthood because even thought I tweeted about it....I don't remember what happened.  I keep thinking I watched an episode of Everyone Loves Raymond.  Or maybe I dreamt that part.

My family.....did a fantastic job with my gifts!!  To say that I was thrilled was an understatement!

I can't wait to tell you about the Aero Press coffee maker!  But you'll have to follow my food blog to hear about that one.  The Rookie Foodie.

Then as if on cue.....the next day I got this in the mail from a local dentist.

Seriously?

It's my Birthday and I'll Cry If I Want To

Happiness is a Butterfly which, when pursued is just beyond your grasp...but if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

I'm 42 today.

How is this possible? Just a few short years ago, I was chasing boys all over Greeley and planning my future! I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

Do I have to grow up?

I guess if there is a silver lining to my situation, its that I don't look 42.  People are genuinely shocked to hear that I'm this old.  I also rarely act my age so there's that too.

Today, Mimi from Living in France and I, are announcing our next book club selection at our book blog, If You Give A Blogger a Book...Club.

And since it's MY birthday...you should all go over and leave a comment to win a copy of the book.

AND if you like reading at all...you should join our facebook group because we talk about books all the time.

Biden and The Biker

Photo Credit: The Associated Press

What do you think Vice President Biden is whispering in her ear?

Only In Greeley

I grew up in a little town called Greeley.  It's about 50 miles north of Denver and is a bit of a cowtown.

It's also the exact opposite of Hawaii.

And...so much crazy stuff happens there.  It's one of the reasons that I left.  I was tired of reading my name in the newspaper.

This latest story is also a cautionary tale.  When you're done reading this, you will know what you have to do.  Get your camera ready.

A man in Greeley has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and theft after he allegedly took several items from his neighbor's home. 

The man is accused of taking sex toys and personal care items on Aug. 29 from a home in the 3100 block of 19th Ave., said Greely Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Susan West.

West said the victim happened to have several pictures of the missing toys and found a pair of binoculars on her bed that didn’t belong to her. She said entry had been forced through a basement window.

The neighbor and his wife consented to a search of their home. West said an investigator who had studied the pictures of the stolen toys was able to identify one of them in a backpack in a bedroom.

West said the remaining toys were returned by the suspect’s wife one day later. The suspect is charged with burglary and theft. 

Thank you 7news for this breaking story!


So...let's go back shall we?  The victim had pictures of her sex toys.  Was it so that they would be covered by her home owners insurance if there was a fire?  Or does she just like to inventory her sex toys?

And how would you like to be the investigator that got to compare the stolen sex toys to a picture and match those bad boys up? I wonder also how this brilliant investigator found the toys in a backpack?  Was it the buzzing noise?

Worse yet, how would you like to be the wife of perp who had to return the rest the rest of sex toys to her neighbor.  I hope she wore gloves.

I swear, this kind of thing only happens in Greeley.

Excuse now....while I go photograph my sex toy(s) for my insurance company.  Yeah....that's my story.

I Found Jesus