True Happiness

a co-worker of mine just returned from a trip to his wife's home country of Singapore. As he was talking about his adventures and as we were looking through pictures, I couldn't help but notice how truly genuine happy the people with, and they had nothing. They had a well for their water, this is how they cooked, bath, washed clothing etc. Their kitchen, well it wasn't tile floors and granite counter tops - it was dirt and the sink wasn't even a sink.

Their living room, they brought out for their guests - it is a folding table with plastic chairs around it - this is their living room, no big screen TV, no Wii, no couch to sit on or even a bean bag chair to lounge around in and their living room was outside - it wasn't inside their little home. My co-worker was explaining how where his in laws lived, this was considered the "rich" part of the town, to us it looked like a shady apartment complex in Covington.

And through these pictures and stories, one thing that was common was that these people had smiles on their faces from ear to ear, they were genuinely happy, you could see it on their face and you could see it in their eyes.

Us Americans, we are spoiled brats. I grew up not having the best of the best, I remember wanting a pair of Guess jeans because that is what was in style, they were like $50 - mom said to get a job :) We had cars or if you can call them that, that barely ran - these people in Singapore, they ride bicycles. I know people as we all do that absolutely have to have the best of the best, the biggest house, the most expensive car, the latest technology, the fanciest cameras, the best clothes, the latest hairstyle, and I realized and have realized, that people like that, are just hiding their unhappiness. It is a status quo thing you know. Let me have everything so I don't have to show anyone I am unhappy, I can just hide behind my materialistic items.

There is a lesson to be learn from my co-worker and his trip; do we really need all of these materialistic things to be truly happy - NO. A person just needs God, friends, family and love in their life - we don't need all of these materialistic items to be genuinely happy.

If you can't find happiness with out your materialistic items, then you are unhappy person and you are just lying to yourself that you are truly happy.

Find your genuine happiness - be the person God wants you to be, he doesn't like greed.

Happy Cold Thursday - at least February is over :)

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love and happiness to all,

What We Have Been Up To

I know I haven't posted many pictures lately, but here is what we have been up to the last 4 months or so... in no particular order.

Brayden, Lydia, Will, Logan, Cary and his girlfriend Amy at mom's house
Christmas 2012

My neighbors, I love them! This is what I came home to
on my birthday, x's 10, tons of Pelicans and decorations.

Brayden and Logan - 1st snowfal of 2012

Brayden's car for Pinewood Derby. He came in 2nd overall, so he moves
on to the races amongst other schools in April - Yeah1

Brayden and Logan - Soccer

Logan's Outdoor soccer team


I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!. Boo to Monday :)

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love and happiness to all,

Happy Birthday - DAD

It is funny this week I had been thinking about dad a lot, I think about him every day, but this week the memories were a bit more often and I could feel him around. Maybe it is because it is his birthday!

I miss him - so much. He would be enjoying life so much right now, especially with all of the kids.. they would have loved their Grandpa tremendously. In hindsight the none of the younger ones have any memories of Grandpa, not even Logan. We talk about him all of the time and look at pictures so that helps me at least to tell Logan stories of Grandpa and what he was like. Lydia sometimes out of the blue will get real sad and if you ask her what is wrong she will say, I just miss Grandpa so much. He spoiled her rotten. She was the first granddaughter since Olivia - so that was an 8 year waiting span for a girl, instead we have all of these boys LOL.

I can already see us at mom's on Sunday eating cheesecake and signing to dad Happy Birthday and all of the grandkids chiming in and giving him home made cards and eskimor kisses. And then Ms. Olivia will chime in with her special birthday song that she does for everyone. And we would all be there even Cary, who is busy with being a Senior at the moment and Case probably would have called to wish him a happy birthday - what a great memory that would have been!

We miss you dad - a lot! Our lives are not the same without you here, there is a whole in everyone's  hearts and just a piece missing of our family. We know you are looking down on us and are with us every single day, but I sure do miss the hugs and the eskimo kisses!

We will have a toast for you dad, probably tomorrow night when we are all together, but until then, Happy Birthday and know that we all love and miss you very much!

Happy Weekend everyone!~

Stuck

so lately, like the past 6 months or so, I have been feeling "stuck" in my life, not me personal life, just my career. As much as I love this company, there are days where the HR side of it, just really takes its toll on me. So much drama here at the office and then in everyone's personal lives. I have always been a good listener and that is becoming a downfall, because people will tell me EVERYthing and I mean EVERYthing.

Steve has been great and dealing with me switching jobs when I am unhappy, but I don't think it is fair to do that to him, anymore. I weigh the pros and cons of this job everyday, I haven't gotten to the point of not wanting to come in, but it is getting close. It is just a frustrating position and an underpaid and unappreciated one at that.

So this morning, I saw this " You may feel like you're stuck, but get ready; God is about to shift things. Doors are going to open that have not opened in the past:

I can only hope that God is listening to my prayers :)


I hope everyone had a great weekend, ours was crazy busy as always and it is already Monday - ugh!

At least it is one day closer for February to be over - I can't wait for March, even if it rains the whole month, at least it will be lighter outside and it won't be February LOL

Happy Monday!

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love to all,

I.Did.Survive

wow, didn't realize it had been so long since I posted anything. Life, it is just getting in the way. I come into work in the mornings, thinking I am going to take 10minutes or so and just type away, but with us having a 3rd shift, I get bombarded as soon as I walk in the door, sometimes not even when I walk in. Then a girl is on maternity leave and since I am such a great multi-tasker, guess who gets to do her job, and then a new payroll system - and the list goes on and on. I have been working almost 60 hours a week. I sued to do it all of the time but got out of the mode, so it is killing me trying to get back into it. Luckily it should only be this bad another 2 months - woo hoo!

Then, you throw my life on top of it. With school work, boy's activities, coaching volleyball - it has been the least, a little CRAZY!! So I really haven't had time to grasp the concept that I am 40! One of these days it will hit me and probably hard where I am in the corner crying :)...

I decided for Lent to give up alcohol, I know, I know what am I thinking LOL. And it isn't even that I drink that much because in hindsight I really don't. I do go out once a week with the girls after volleyball and may have a few at mom's on Sunday's but it isn't like I am drinking every night. It is a sacrifice I know, but isn't that what God did for us. Besides Brayden told me last night that he was giving up something he really enjoyed and loved and that was all sweets, so he asked me to do the same thing, so here it goes! - I'll be fine, it only makes me tolerate my family more, Ha, Ha, Ha

Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well, it is already the middle of February - so unbelievable how time flies, but I am so ready for Spring, so ready for it. I hate being cold, hate the big coats and the snow and the having to stay in the house all of the time. Winter and I are not friends!

It is Friday - thank goodness - I would say I am looking forward to the weekend, but I will be working - so it won't be much of one, just two more months, just two more months LOL

Happy Friday - and have a GREAT weekend!

Miss and love you dad ~ so much.

Much love and happiness to all,