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.