Valentine's Day

 February 14, 2022

My love, I wish for you:

--Laughter

--Trust

--Partnership

--Adventure

--Eyes that See the Beauty in You Always

--Courage to Stay in Your Corner When Life Brings Burdens

--Apologies When Needed

--Grace For Mistakes

--Wisdom of Choices

**Speak these truths into the mirror.  Be your own love first.

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2018

 Doug, Danielle, and I all ended 2017 battling nasty colds, so we celebrated by watching Ryan Seacrest counting down to the ball drop while we sat on the couch in our jammies.  Just because we didn't exactly end the year with a bang doesn't mean the year itself didn't hold quite a bit of accomplishment in our little household.

For me, I finished a goal set in motion 20 years ago.  I earned my Master's degree!  I got the ball rolling long ago, but life got in the way and I didn't finish, so having restarted a new Master's program (this time in reading, not literature) a couple of years ago was a little intimidating.  Even when life got in the way in a pretty significant way this time around too, I wasn't about to let the finish line get moved again.  Am I proud of myself?  You bet I am!

Doug spent the year on a job site where he is incredibly well-liked and respected, so it's pretty great that this project has some longevity ahead.  His band is getting better all the time, and they have been gigging a lot more regularly this past year, with more dates on the horizon in 2018.

Brianna said goodbye to a job that's been a wonderful learning experience for her at the Academy of Country Music.  They were thrilled for her when she was offered a new job at a beautiful boutique PR firm doing exactly what she went to school to do.  As a PR associate at the company, she has found encouraging mentors who will help her continue to grow professionally.

Nicholas continues to seek out his passions.  He found a job he enjoys at iTea, and has remained really involved in the Cafe that he's been working with for the past year.  With them, he has taken a few out of town trips and worked at a handful of conventions with people he really likes.  In addition, he's experimenting quite a bit with cooking, and thinks he might like to pursue it further as a potential career.

Danielle graduated high school in 2017 with an impressive array of accolades.  She finished her first semester of California Baptist with straight As and three on-campus jobs (two of which employ her skills as a photographer).  She absolutely loves her school, and we have no doubt that 2018 will bring even more success for her there.

2017 wasn't a great year in a lot of ways--socially, politically.  But for us, in our little household, there was a lot to celebrate.  Here's looking toward a 2018 that brings even more positivity and success on our collective journey.

New Year's Resolutions Are Not the Biggest Things on My Mind

January 1, 2016

As always, I will start out the new year by continuing to write and erase '2015' on every date I scribe for at least the next month.  That's okay--old habits die hard.  And speaking of old habits, December was an interruption of a lifestyle habit I picked up two years ago--walking 10,000 steps per day faithfully (give or take a handful of days). I am finally feeling well and enough recovered to resume that old habit without feeling like I'm pushing myself beyond reason.  Today is as good a day as any to resume.  As can sometimes happen because I'm one who does her walking late at night, my timing was a little off and I didn't quite hit the mark.  I managed to only hit 9,500.  Still, I'm going to count it a victory after relatively little movement, walking-wise, in the month of December.  I'll see how I feel tomorrow to determine if I've overtaxed myself, but I don't think so.  I am enjoying the idea of getting back in gear to regain that part of my fitness routine.

Those of you who know about my December (and November, truth be told), know that the breast cancer diagnosis that sidelined my walking routine is a story I've yet to fully tell, but it's coming.  For now, suffice it to say that my New Year's Resolutions, though they will come, have simply taken a back seat to the gratitude I want to revel in just now for having weathered what could have been a frighteningly tumultuous ride. I know many who fight a much tougher battle than I did--some who won the battle, and some who did not.  I do not for a second take for granted how fortunate I am.  That is really where my thoughts are today.

Full Day

January 3, 2014

We got the kids all rounded up and headed out to Cal Skate--Roller Town to us--for the afternoon.  Nicholas and Danielle weren't terribly adept, but they managed.  Lisa's girls were a little more light on their feet, but I can't say anyone was especially good at skating.  Luckily, we don't need exceptional skill to have fun.

After skating, we went to pick up Doug at Classic Billiards and ended up letting the kids stay for an hour or so to play a little pool.  Next up was a delicious dinner at Capo's, followed by a very long walk around the neighborhood while blasting tunes and singing loudly and unabashedly.

Once we got back home and settled the kids in to watch a movie, Doug and Lisa and I went to Thai Fusion for a little karaoke.  It was a pretty fun ending to an overall great day.  I love being so close to my sister and my nieces!