20 Questions for 2012

I did this post last year at this time, so I thought I would do it again.  Questions to reflect the last year.

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
    The civil suits were settled out of court not costing us anything out of pocket.

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened?
    Logan's teeth.  Besides the cost, the worry of him having anesthesia and getting all that work done to his teeth was exhausting.

3. What was an unexpected joy this past year?
    Going to the Philippines with Kaelyn and my parents.  Not that I didn't expect it to be great, but it was a surprise how well it went.

4. What was an unexpected obstacle?
    Chemo.

5. Pick three words to describe 2012.
   Freeing, Money-sucking, Grace-filled

6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2012 (Don't ask them.  Guess based on how you think your spouse sees you.)
   Hard, Stressful, Challenging

7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2012. (Again, without asking.)
   Hard, Stressful, Challenging  

8. What were the best books that you read this year?
    The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (I read more but I can't remember)

9. With whom were your most valuable relationships?
    God, Kevin, Kaelyn, and Jen

10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December this past year?
      I've been more aware.  It's giving me more compassion and patience.  By no means angel status, but a lot better than last year!

11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?
     I learned to trust myself more.  I used to make Kevin, my mom, my sister, whomever was around make up my mind for me.  I'm getting a lot better at making up my own mind.  (PLEASE NOTE: I did NOT say that I didn't second guess myself on said decisions)

12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually?
     I learned to trust God more.  I know this is kind of the same answer as last year, but it continued into this year.  

13. In what way(s) did you grow physically?
     This too is the same answer as last year.  I find myself needing to jump back on the health wagon and shedding some of my comfort weight of 2012.

14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?
     I feel like I'm more open with people.  I'm trying to put myself out there and not talk myself into why they won't like me. 

15. What was the most enjoyable part of your work both professionally and at home?
      Thirty-One Conference was AMAZING!  I "work" with the best people!  Home is always a touchy subject.  It's a work in progress, but I like that I have a vision to work with on how I want our home to feel.

16. What was the most challenging part of your work both professionally and at home?
      God's timing.  I see a lot of other ladies EXTREMELY successful with Thirty-One that haven't been in it as long.  It's frustrating, but I have to trust God.  Home has been challenging with getting organized as always.  I am working on decluttering.  I think I need that 20 things of junk thing that the fly lady does but do mine EVERYDAY for a year.

17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?
      The computer.  Time and time again, it's the computer.  Reading all the blogs of people doing it better and easier than me.  Maybe that's my time waster, being hard on myself.

18. What was the best way you used your time this past year?
      My birthday, hands down.

19. What was the biggest thing you learned this past year?
      I'll sum it up with a quote from Max Lucado, 
      "You are valuable because you exist.  Not because of what you do or
      what you have done, but simply because you are." 
      Say it with me, "WOW."

20. Create a phrase or statement that best describes 2012 for you.
      You've got to be kidding me.

Happy 2013 to all of you!
    

Oh Marley!

Today was not a fun day.  For the past couple of weeks, Marley has been mentioning that she can't see.  My friend mentioned that she was squinting during bookclub last week even though she was in the front row.  That caught my attention, and since we've met our insurance needs for the year, off to the eye doc we went.  Our appt. time was 215p.  Three hours later we left.  Apparently Marley has Astigmatism in both eyes.  She's near sighted in the left, and her right eye Astigmatism is so bad that the left eye is doing all of the work.  The docs are worried that she's developing lazy eye from her left overcompensating.  What does all this mean?  It means Marley needs glasses...full time.  Besides the fact that she will look completely adorable in glasses, all I see is them breaking over and over again, and replacing them over and over again.  We didn't get glasses today because the place didn't take our eye insurance.  Ugh!  I'm on the hunt tomorrow after volunteering for her last day at preschool.  :(  I'm sad about it because she likes school now, but we need the money.  Anyway, they want to see her back again in 6 weeks.  If her right eye isn't coming along, they want to patch her left lens for a couple hours a day and make the right eye work.  Poor Marley!  I feel so bad for her, but she took it like a trooper.  She cried over her eyes hurting from dilation, not to mention that I forgot a snack all together, and her water in the car.  I will be posting a picture no matter what the charge tomorrow, because she is going to look SO CUTE in glasses.  Up next, Logan.  The doc said, "Five of you are in glasses.  Might as well get him check before it potentially becomes a bigger problem."  Pray for me!

Craziness

Hey folks!  It seems that when life calls, this blog gets dropped.  :(  I'm sorry.  I'm in full swing, and I intended to blog tonight.  Alas, lists are being requested, goodies needing looked over, and the myriad of other things I'm sure you all are doing as well.  It's normally this time when I'm going over presents for everyone that I really try to reel the kids in to the true meaning of CHRISTmas.  The presents are great, but it's the meaning behind them.  It's the good will towards men, the peace and joy of family, the loving one another.  Amidst all the horrible events of last week, cherish this time to hug instead of rush to buy one more thing.  Time costs more than anything in a store or online.  Memories are priceless.  Make sure those close to you know what they mean to you.  And one more thing, say a prayer for those who no longer have a chance to do so.  

I adore You, God the Father

who Created me; I adore You

God the Son, Who redeemed

me; I adore You, O Holy

Spirit, Who have so often

sanctified me, and are still 

sanctifying me. I consecrate to

You my whole day for the pure

love of You and for Your 

greater glory.  I do not know

what is to happen to me today,

whether troublesome things or

pleasant ones, or whether I

shall be happy or sad, in

consolation or in grief.  It will

all be as You please.  I 

abandon myself to Your

providence and I submit to all

Your wishes.  Amen

(Given to me by an elderly gentlemen outside the post office today)

Happy Birthday, Mommy!!!

Today (the 13th) is my mom's birthday.  I looked up her acrostic from last year, and I can't really come up with anything different.  So I decided to use mommy for this one.  I hope you don't mind.  Here is my mommy's birthday acrostic.

M- MERCIFUL  My mom is a very forgiving person.  Lord knows I did my share of abusing her when I was growing up, and she might have been mad, but she always forgave.  She is still that way today with everyone.
O- OBLIGING  My mom will pretty much go out of her way to get you what you want.  I saw this most when I was pregnant.  When pregnant with Kaelyn and Rory, if I was craving anything, she made it or got it.  Logan and Marley were a bit harder just because we moved, but whenever I saw her and was craving something, she would get/make it for me.  She's just really loving.
M- MUSICAL  I think I wrote about this on her last birthday.  She's a singer.  I haven't heard her in a while, but I grew up listening to her sing.  Sometimes she would wake me up singing, "Good morning.  Good morning.  How are you today, today?"  
M- MATERNAL  This might seem obvious, but not all mothers are maternal.  Take me for instance.  HA!  Seriously, she is a wonderful mother.  If there were an "e" in mommy, I would use enabler.  That's how great she is.  I don't know of many days where her three girls haven't called just to check in and see how she's doing, or complain to her *ahem*, or see how our other sisters are doing.  She must've done something right because we all can't live without her.
Y- YOUTHFUL  I won't mention how old my mom is turning, but she doesn't look it or act like it.  I mean...we all have aches and pains, but she just seems younger than her age.  I think it's because as far back as I can remember, she's always used Oil Of Olay.  I would use it too when she let me and sometimes when she didn't.  ;)  I still use it to this day too.  Hopefully I get her youthful genes.  Her genes compared to my dad, who doesn't look his age either, should keep me looking 17 like I do.  HAHAHAHA!

Happy Birthday, Mommy!  I love you and thank you for everything you do for all of us every day.

Catch-up

So I haven't figured out the whole picture thing yet.  I need to decide whether I want to start paying a monthly fee for this blog to put pictures up.  I know how much you all like the pictures.  For now, I'm going to sum up a weekend full of photographical moments.  Yes, I just made up that word.  

Saturday morning was Rory's first basketball game.  They lost.  :(  We just need to get Rory out and practicing, and that's all there is to it.  I might do something like make her dribble a ball everywhere she goes until the next practice.  That would be interesting!  We went to Mass after that for the Immaculate Conception (which, by the way, refers to Mary being conceived without sin, not Jesus).  (This here's a learning blog.)  Next up was taking the kids to Nana and Papa's to get their Christmas tree.  Top that off with dinner there, and we were back home.

Sunday was church again.  The kids were NOT happy with me.  We went to church Friday morning, Saturday noon, and then again this morning.  Then I was off to the Thirty-One premiere of the new spring catalog (oh my gosh by the way!) and the kids were down to Nana and Papa's to decorate the tree they got yesterday.  Kevin went to fix someone's computer.  We all reconvened back at Nana and Papa's for dinner again.  

Some plans for this week are...

-Choir practice
-Thirty-One Deliveries
-My mom's birthday
-Book blub
-Gingerbread House making (FROM SCRATCH!)
-Another basketball game
-Financial Aid seminar for Kaelyn's college
-Carmel

Here's to a nice and relaxing Advent!  Have a good week!
       

UH OH!

I was working on the blog tonight, and google told me I ran out of picture storage.  I don't know what this means, but I have to research and figure it out.  This really stinks because I had a lot of pictures to show you.  :(  I just wanted to let you know that I didn't abandon you or forget about you.  I hope to be back tomorrow with pictures.  I managed to change our family one.  A demain!

Weekend Wrap-Up/Happy Birthday, Papa!

***I REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT I CANNOT FIND MY CAMERA TO ADD PICTURES TO THIS POST.***

Rory had her first basketball scrimmage this weekend.  They lost an unfair match-up against a team of gigantors.  It was a good learning experience for the girls and coaches.  Her first game is this Saturday.  Apparently tomorrow and Tuesday are supposed to be pretty warm for December, so I'm going to get her to the court for some practice before the game.  Rory tends to rush at dribbling rather than slowing down and focusing first to learn it better.  I have NO idea where she gets that from.  Kevin?  :)

After her game, I had a Thirty-One party.  That went really well, and I came back to the house to anxious kids patiently awaiting the mother they missed.  WRONG!  I told them we would decorate the tree when I got home, so I walked in to them rearing to go.  Kevin had taken the kids to Walmart before I got home and got the lights on, so we did the ornaments and stockings.  It was a good time with our dinky tree, and we got it done fast.

Today was Papa's birthday.  We went to Mass, picked up Kaelyn from work, and headed down to their place for dinner.  This was when I discovered that I lost my camera.  So I have no pictures of Papa's birthday celebration, but I think he liked it.  Speaking of which, here is Papa's birthday acrostic.

P-PATIENT  and if you believe that, you've never met the man!  I'm kidding a little.  Papa is not a very patient man when it comes to Pizza Hut or waiting in lines at stores.  Around his grandchildren, his patience abounds!  He lets them crawl on him, grab at him, talk his ear off even though he can't hear them or understand what they're saying, or beg for a new game to be added to the iPad.  I don't think his own kids were so lucky.  ;)  
A- ABRUPT  I'm not going to go into the whole phone thing, but you know what I'm talking about.  Papa is a no nonsense kind of guy.  There is no fluff in his talk.  He is to the point and that's that.  No need to waste breath.  Occasionally, you'll find him in a good mood and he'll talk your ear off.  He has been known to tell some jokes too.  
P- PERTECT  This is how Marley says perfect.  It's so cute, so I thought I'd use it when Kevin said it.  Papa is pertect to his grandkids.  He can do no wrong.  Unless you want to talk about how hard he love taps Logan, but we won't get into that.  His grandchildren think he's the greatest, and that's how it should be.
A- ANALYTICAL  I had to do one that makes sense.  He analyzes everything.  There is no simple answer.  (There is no spoon.)  If presented with a situation, he will always find the best possible solution given the circumstances in his opinion.  He may be wrong sometimes, but he always has your best interest at heart.  

Happy Birthday, Papa!  We love you!