I NEED TIME TO "JUST BREATHE"

This year has me running somewhere almost everyday. I have all these things I should be blogging about and just haven't had time. Heck I haven't even had time to see movies at the show and you know how much I love that! 

Getting the house ready for company along with my physical therapy are knocking me out. Carpeting was put in yesterday in the two front bedrooms. A full size bed is being delivered tomorrow. I have another day out of the house today but it includes a lunch with my friends from bowling which will be wonderful.

Mark gets home Sunday night from his 10 day fishing trip to Canada. Then we have a couple of nights to get the bedrooms set up. (He has to put one of the beds back together) Then we have last minute grocery shopping to do which I need his help with. 

I feel organized and ready. Looking forward to our company and the couples shower. Wish Amber and Dylan could be here for that. Then 3 days after they leave I fly to Florida to be with my dad for 17 days. I'm looking forward to doing nothing except hanging with my dad and watching movies with him. 

So I will try really hard to keep up with reading blogs but sometimes I just don't have the energy so bear with me. 

MADNESS AND WHY I HAVEN'T BEEN BLOGGING

Sorry, this is long but needed to get it off my chest. 

I can't shut my mind off right now. So many things going on and I don't know how to slow down my mind. These are the things that are continually going through my head; conversations with all the new doctors I will be seeing, making plans for company, making reservations for the wedding, bank stuff, my dad, Mark's mom, the kids, Skye, etc......

• My Dad is not better yet. He finally had a CT scan on Tuesday and they can't find anything wrong yet he can't put much pressure on his leg. It appears that falling on the same leg he had surgery on is just going to take time to heal. He is very sad most days. 
• My appointment for a new orthopedic surgeon isn't until the 26th of April. That was the first available date when I called a few weeks ago. With all that is going on I am praying that he is the one who will replace my knee and that we can put it off until July. I am in pain most days but there is just too much going on.
• Mark's mom also had a procedure done which didn't turn out as planned. The blockage of a vein in her neck wasn't blocked like they thought so basically it was a waste of time and money.  They did however find another blockage but couldn't fix it at that time. 
• We will be having company staying with us for the Couples Shower that Adam and Gabby are having in June. That will be fun however both guest rooms need to be painted, one needs new carpeting, furniture needs to be moved and furniture needs to be bought! 
• We are taking Skye on her first car trip. We are going to do that quick trip to Montana just to give Amber and Dylan big hugs. No site sightseeing this trip. We will do that in late summer when we visit again. I am nervous about having Skye with us. I'm very over-protective so I'm stressed about it. However she will be thrilled to see them and play with Charlie again. 
• We get home on a Wednesday and take off on Friday for a quick weekend to Arizona. Adam and Gabby will be flying and joining us to visit with Mark's sister and her wife/partner Pam. Skye is going and I'm nervous about how she will get along with Stanley. He is a lot bigger than her so I'm worried. To my dear friends in AZ, I can't make time to see you this trip :(
• The wedding in November in Cancun is very exciting and I can't wait, however it is also very expensive. We want to stay at the all inclusive resort and we will but rooms are over $400 a night. Because I so desperately want Amber at her brothers wedding, along with Dylan, we will be paying for them also. No we don't have to but I refuse to have them miss the wedding. I really wish they would have thought about all the family who couldn't be at their destination wedding because of the costs. 
• I hate making phone calls. It takes me days to get up the nerve to make them. I finally did it with all my new referrals but I still have some banking issues to take care of and I just can't make the calls. This weighs heavy on my mind each day. What's up with that??
• Speaking of phone calls....I made myself a haircut appointment and wanted one for Skye before we leave for Montana. She is definitely due for one and wouldn't you know it, the girl who grooms her is on vacation until the 26th. So she has a 7 am haircut, I will come home and shower, pick her up when she is done and then I will head out to my orthopedic appointment not stressing at all that we leave the next morning for Montana!!!
• Not to mention all the birthdays each month and the holiday's like Easter which I still love sending cards out for. I just seem a little overwhelmed right now. 

So with my dad down most days when I talk to him, my brother going through some upsetting things right now along with Amber struggling with some things right now I myself just wanting to crawl in a hole for awhile. (Well actually I wouldn't mind a beach trip somewhere or maybe sitting at a mindless machine at a casino!) I'm not here to depress you and I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me either. I'm a big girl but sometimes it is just too much for me to get my head around. 

I'm trying really hard to go day by day, trying to keep myself busy but not having great results. Mainly I play on my computer, look for movies to watch or watch the new seasons of some Netflix shows to get through the day when actually I should be cleaning out drawers and closets! I need to focus my energy on things that will make me feel in control when things are so out of control right now. 

FYI: With the trip to Montana, the trip to Arizona, bowling season ending which I want to finish, the shower in early June and me wanting to go to visit my dad so I can be there for his birthday at the end of June are the reasons why I need to wait until July to take care of my knee. I need six weeks for the recovery period. 

DOES ANYBODY REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS.......

DOES ANYBODY REALLY CARE?

I care and it is really bothering me! The busiest time of the year is approaching and I feel so behind already. 

I haven't had time to read and respond to emails let alone blog posts. This is a part of my daily life, it is my pleasure to read your posts. 

Heck, I haven't even been able to clear my DVR since I got home from Florida and each day it fills up more.

It isn't going to get any easier over the next 35 days until Christmas! Please understand that I may not be over to visit with you. 

I realize that this sounds silly to some of you but I love my blog friendships and I love knowing what is going on with you. I am bummed about it but I also need to eliminate stress from my life. 

So between now and Christmas I will do all that I can to visit but if I don't show up please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers always. 

Something I haven't shared is the fact that Amber and Dylan are moving to Montana. Dylan is already there and starts work tomorrow. 

He got a great offer from the hospital in Great Falls Montana and we are very excited for them. He also just found a duplex for them to rent. It is more economical for them to survive in Montana than to get caught up financially in California! 

Mark and Amber, along with their dog Charlie, will be driving their belongings in a U-Haul with her car behind it and will be leaving on the 29th. 

Amber, Dylan and Charlie will not be here for Christmas this year. So needless to say, along with everything else I've bee dealing with, I am still a little down. 

But I will do all that I can to make this a beautiful Christmas because there is always so much to be thankful for and  I always trust in God's plan for us. 

Thank you for listening, I love you guys.......

FRIDAY FRAGMENTS

Join us at Mrs. 4444
Half-Past Kissin' Time

Trick or Treat....no tricks here!

I just love the excitement in the kids when they see the large candy bars.

 Skye in her Halloween pajamas.....

I decided to put together a collage of photos of Miss Skye B dressed up. You can really see her color change over the years. She will be 5 in January. She really doesn't like being dressed up, she is definitely a tomboy and seems to like the PJ's the best. A girl after my own heart.....

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 Skye and Charlie taking an afternoon nap.....

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My Christmas cactus has buds on it.....

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My new Ninja Master Prep Professional

I've been wanting to get something better than our blender to make my smoothies in. Also wanted to be able to chop things that the blender couldn't handle, like chickpeas for hummus. Thought I wanted a bullet but didn't see a need for the small cups and really liked the Ninja's I've seen. 

Actually Costco has a very nice Ninja on sale for $30.off which makes it $119. right now but I didn't think I needed something that big, although Mark told me to buy it. I also had $30. in Kohl's cash so decided to do some research. I saw this one and read almost all the reviews which sounded great for making smoothies, the other accessories are a bonus. 

So I ran to Kohl's on Wednesday to take a look and I felt it was perfect for me. I also saw that they were giving 20% off purchases if you signed up for their credit card. So when I went up to the counter I asked the guy about the 20% off and he said 30%. I said no it says 20% and he said I give 30% off. So this $69.99 Ninja was mine for $30.32! 

(I doubt we will ever use the credit card)

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Amber and I went to see the new Carrie (IMDb) on Tuesday. I thought they did a really good job on the remake. Of course times today are way different then when the original Carrie was made in 1976. Of course they had cell phones and internet in this one!  I enjoyed it.....

"A reimagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White, a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother, who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom."

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Have a great weekend....Mark is flying to Brasil tomorrow,

please keep him in your prayers for safe travels.

THE MAGIC BANK ACCOUNT

Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest: 

Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your private account for you to spend.

However, this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules .. 

The first set of rules would  be:

Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away from you. You may not simply transfer money into some other account. You may only spend  it.

Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400.00 for that day.

The  second set of rules:

The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say, Its over, the game is over! It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What  would you personally do?

You would buy anything and everything you wanted right?  Not only for yourself, but for all people you love, right? Even for people you don't know, because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself, right? You would try to spend every cent, and use it all, right?

ACTUALLY This GAME is REALITY!

Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank. We just can't seem to see it.

The  MAGICAL BANK is TIME!

Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us.

What we haven't lived up that day is forever lost. Yesterday is forever gone.

Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time....WITHOUT  WARNING.

SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?

Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars.

Think about that, and always think of this:

Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think.

The past is over, you can't change it, live for the future!

So take care of yourself, be Happy, Love Deeply and Enjoy Life!

Here's wishing you a wonderful and beautiful day.

Start spending.........

and enjoy your weekend!