good vibes...

hi everyone! i have much to tell you about a wonderous trip to the florida keys...ahhhhhhh. however, first i am hoping that you can send me some good vibes tomorrow. i have an interview for a third grade position at the elementary school that three of my sisters attended! i am nervous and excited - but mostly VERY NERVOUS! send me the vibes of confidence and assurance and eloquent speaking. ay yay ya...i tend to stutter and ramble. hopefully cory's quote from her blog will help me to get the job. "who you are speaks so loudly, i can't hear what you are saying." hopefully they are looking for ME. i'll let you know how it goes. and thanks in advance!


oh! and please don't leave this blog without listening to the next song on my playlist. it is AMAZING.

gone riding

this weekend we are going to a harley rally in red river. we leave on saturday and will come back on monday. i am a bit nervous about riding for that long on the bike...about 3.5 hours. but we will stop along the way and take some stretch breaks. other than the need for packing extremely light (quite a predicament for me!) i am really excited about the trip as it will provide some time with my honey and our wonderful friends. the interaction with nature is awesome as you fly down the road...embracing the elements as the big mama sees fit. ahhhhhhhh!!!!!

...and yes mom, we will be careful.

last night....

...we partied! i don't know how many of you were into this season of american idol, but we watched religously. last night, for the finale, we went to a party to celebrate the david vs. david battle. although i really liked both of the finalists, and since my girl carly was no longer in the competition, i chose to root for "the cook". everyone at the party had a shirt proclaiming their choice for the title. a great time was had by all - enjoying pizza, beer, salsa, good entertainment, and great company. even the two- year-old got into the action by wearing a shirt that said "i shake my pamper for american idol". hoooray for cook! rock on.

wellness wednesday

sometimes there are moments when the pure realization of something greater than yourself ACTUALLY happens upon you. of course, i know that there always exists magic greater than myself, but i definitely (and embarrassingly) do not always pay attention to them. however, this river is one that i cross over almost every day. anytime that i need to go into town, to the post office, to work, to get gas...i have the awesome opportunity to travel over this river, and every time my glance lingers just a bit longer on either side of the bridge to catch the beauty. it is a marvel every single day. sometimes there are deer crossing or drinking here, sometimes there are other animals, but always it is running - powerful, yet gentle - steady and true to its course, but always just a bit different in its movement or the way it grooves along side the earth. what a message for me to listen to.

sunday afternoon sing-along

we finally have some sunshine around here! one of my very favorite things to do is to sit in the sunshine and feel the warmth of the sun on my skin...not a hot, sticky, phoenix in the summer type of sun, but just a beautiful spring day, flowers blooming, sweet breeze kind of warmth. i think it does a world of good - like a mary poppins "spoonful of sugar" - for my mood and well being. my dad has always teased me about being too cat-like for my own good. if there is a spot of sunshine somewhere, i will find it and lay in it. it just feels soooo good! for a few moments, i am going to sit out here and enjoy this moment...silenty humming this song. would anyone care to sing along?

i just read this post on my mom's blog and it left me feeling like i just had a good dose of "oh for crying out loud, stop pouting!" medicine. we recently found out that the offer on our house has fallen through. this is the second time that it has happened...once in january and just last night. both times we found a house that seemed to really suit us. the first time, i was okay with letting the house go, but the one we found this time really called my name. i made the BIG "no-no" of mentally moving in and settling down inour new home...with OUR stuff. I found myself mentally going through all of my boxes and rediscovering all of my treasures to hang on the wall, or put out for me to love all over again. i know that this happened for some reason and that a great house will be out there for us to find again (although it was MUCH harder this time around), but i just can't seem to get past the frustration of losing that house...and finally being able to settle into this life that kyle and i are trying to build together. i woke up this morning still thinking about all of the cute nooks and crannies that the house had to offer...i even already had the address memorized!

HOWEVER, after some gentle reminders from that post, i am finding it a little bit easier to let it go and "flush," and to come back to the fact that "the most important thing in your home are the people." kyle and i have each other, a roof over our heads, jobs, family,...what do i have to mope about??? thanks mom.

a poem in my heart

so, to celebrate poetry month, i am participating in a challenge from my mom. i have ALWAYS loved poetry - and while i was teaching, it was one of my favorite lessons. we did not always write poems that rhymed or had some sort of rule to them. we wrote funny ones, true ones, and self-involved ones. we would recite our poetry to each other at our "poetry picnic" with our poetry folders bound together containing precious pieces of ourselves. all of my students did not share the same love that i have for poetry, but some of them actually brought tears to my eyes with the beauty they created with their words. i don't think that it should be limited to one day, or one week, or one month, but i sure am glad that we are taking the time to acknowledge the songs that sing out to us in one way or another.



with that said, here is my contribution. it is a poem that has always talked to my heart...encouraging me to accept and love myself for the being that i am. i hope you enjoy it as much as i do.

PHENOMENAL WOMAN~ BY MAYA ANGELOU

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,They think I'm telling lies.
I say,It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.I
say,It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

late...as usual

i know this is late, but it seems fitting to celebrate you everyday. you are bold, beautiful, blessed. you are courageous, larger than life, fragile as a dragonfly wing. you are amazing, intelligent, head strong, stubborn, and gorgeous. you are a wonderful mother, writer, artist, creator. you are perfect, imperfect, consumed, and living in the moment. you are a woman, a sister, a friend, a mommy, a daughter, a partner. you are lovely. i hope you take each day this year to celebrate something wonderful about yourself...to remind yourself that every step that you take on this earth can be something positive and beautiful. i love you so much, my sweet sister.

all that jazz

"COME ON BABE WHY DON'T WE PAINT THE TOWN"...in this new love of my LIFE! isn't she gorgeous? we drove down to albuquerque the other day because kyle had heard that a dealership there was doing a huge promotion. after several hours on the lot, we drove off in this new car!!!! she is an off-road x-terra, with the technology package that includes more things than i know what to do with. she is a snazzy little thing that handles so smoothly that i can't wait to think of things that need to be done in town just so that i can drive her around. she has the new car smell and likes to show off her skills on the road. she is ONE SASSY LADY! anyone need a lift????

deep thoughts...

so, yesterday i was driving into town to pick up kyle. as i entered the highway, i saw a chicken on the side of the road, looking quite interested in trying to dodge traffic. i wondered to myself..."why is she trying to cross the road?" and then literally laughed out loud at the entire scene. this is life in a small town!

i know...i know...

i know that i have been absent for too long, but thank you for all of the "kind" reminders that my blog needs updating. sometimes it is hard to find something worthwhile to tell the world. actually, most of the time it is hard! so, i have been in a slump lately, and although there is nothing new to really tell, i am working on a miracle for my mom.

so, in the past month, kyle and i went on a las vegas trip with another couple (that i know from high school!).

we had such a wonderful time....eating, drinking, laughing, gambling, walking, shopping, eating, laughing, (did i mention eating?) and just enjoying each other's company. we had so much fun with them, we are trying to organize another big trip next year...or if i can convince kyle, this summer.

our view from our hotel room at the luxor

kyle and i at the bellagio gardens (the theme was chinese new year)

playing roulette and winning!




also, there is the new "do". for some it may not look too different, but it is short, dark, and i have bangs! it was a shock to me how short it was, but i am slowly getting used to it. i feel like a pixie without any magic dust. it kind of reminds me of my sister's haircut when she was little and told my mom that she wanted her hair cut like my dad's!!! if nothing else it will grow out, but in the meantime, i am wearing lots of jewelry!

i'm no tinkerbell!!!!

i will try to be better at keeping this site updated. maybe i need to give myself a challenge of posting twice a week for two months...anyone want to join in?

tuesdays treasures

i was really taken with this idea that we have little hidden (or not hidden) treasures around us that hold something very meaningful. i have many items around my home that are held onto because of a memory, or a person, or because it is simply something that i knew i would treasure. i like the idea of sharing those items and explaining their meaning...even if it just helps me to revisit that little treasure and celebrate it for another moment. so with that in mind, i would like to join in the "tuesday's treasures" a few times....(i can't wait to unpack all my other treasures!!!)

this is a treasure of mine. it was made with great care and love from my sister. she was very busy getting ready for her wedding, but being the very thoughtful person that she is, she wanted to give all of her bridesmaids something special and personal. a special box was made for each person - lending her creativity and time to each personality. inside there were little treasures as well, but it is the box that means so much to me. i LOVE this box. the colors, the sayings, the love that went into it, are always admired and appreciated. it has made 3 moves with me, and i am afraid that it is starting to show its age, but i suppose that makes me love it even more. thanks corkster, for making something that i will always hold so dear.

shake, shake shake...

..shake, shake, shake,...shake your booty! ahem...i am pronouncing today (whatever day it is that you are reading this) shake your booty day. it is therapeutic (trust me, i am an expert...plus i just got done doing it) and it just makes you feel so darn good! here are the instructions for joining in the "saturday afternoon dance party".



1) right now make the decision that you will not feel embarrassed nor will you try to control your movements. for the dance party, you MUST be willing to "dance as if no one is watching"



2) choose a song that you love - or use the one that should be playing right now (it is a GREAT one and the one i just recently used)



3) make a choice to grab a loved one, a baby, a child, or just wrap your arms around yourself



4) turn the song up LOUD



5) dance your booty off with reckless abandonment! do the robot, hop around, conduct the orchestra, jerk your body around like a breaker, try the mashed potato, any movement you please. But most of all.......SMILE, LAUGH, LOVE, and DANCE!

thankful thursday

music makes the world go 'round, and i am so thankful for it! music makes me sway, makes us fall in love, makes us giddy, takes us back to a lost memory. it makes us groove and twist, it makes me swoop and swish. it fills up a room with a quiet sound. music can reach down deep in your soul and speak the words that ache to be heard. music makes the day go faster, it lightens a mood, it makes me dance - in my chair, in my room, out in the kitchen for all the neighbors to see. it makes me sing, it makes me cry, it cures a backache, a heartache, a soulache. ahhhhhhh...it is MUSIC!

some of my new favorites while i work: michael buble, colbi caillat, and across the universe soundtrack

New Year Wishes

Well Hello! i have received a few "encouraging" words to update this space here. this was what i was afraid of when i first started this blog...that i would not have enough to talk about. i guess it isn't that there isn't enough to talk about, it is just how much to share, when to share, time to share, and then there is the need to sometimes just draw inward and settle there for a while. however, i think i have done that long enough and there are some good things to share with the lot of you who read my meager blog.

first of all, on new years day we received an offer on our house and accepted it! we are sad to be leaving our .75 acre lot with huge shop to store all of kyle's grown up toys, but we are glad to be moving into something that is closer to town and a bit bigger for the two of us. we have not found a house yet, but we are actively looking and may have found something that seemed to call out to both us "i would like to be your home!" we are waiting on a few finance details and then we have decisions to make. with us both being in boxes for the last 6 months, we are excited to move forward!

also, last night kyle was wishing very hard for it to snow...not just snow, but dump. his wish came true, and it has been snowing all day long (so far!). he gets very excited when weather hits because it provides opportunity to pull someone's car out of a ditch, possibly swerve the truck, or just the "danger" element that so drives him! how the two of us ever get along absolutely amazes me!

with those two wishes coming true in such a short amount of time...i'd start wishing if i were you!!!! here's to a happy new year, full of possibilities, and, of course,... wishes.