Pay It Forward

Hi my friends and family! I have really enjoyed reading everyone's summer updates! I have really gotten good at making video's for our weightloss company! Business is starting to really take off. I am actually just hosting those videos right on the server for the sight versus Youtube. I would like to give a shout out to Rachel Jackson. If she had not introduced me to the concept of "video sharing" I might not have decided to try it for myself! So today I have done something a little odd. I made a video about resumes! ha! I know...I know...who wants to talk about resumes?!? BUT I have so many people that I am working with or mentoring that have been or are unemployed and the number one request I get is to help them with their resume. So I decided to put together my top pieces of advice and post it out to Youtube for all of you to have! It is "free" information that I hope everyone will take advantage of if you are wanting a different job or are currently unemployed and want to know what the latest tips are! So I am "paying it forward"! I took my personal time, with no reward built in for me, and I have put it out there for my colleagues, friends and family! I hope that this helps you!



I would ask that if you know anyone that is looking you will send them a link to the page! If I helped someone today...I did my job!

My thought for the day is "When all else seems to fail...you can always help someone else, and succeed!"

You know that I like to end my posts with what I am thankful for! Today I am so very grateful for all the mentors that have come through my life! Some of them stayed only long enough to teach me one thing and then move on. Others have become lifelong mentors and even friends! I am SO thankful for all the blessings I have achieved by becoming ALL that my mentors believed I already was! I would list them out.....but the list would be so so so long! And for that...I am thankful!!!

Are you "wishing" for something?!? Go Water the Flowers!

So in preparation for summer I planted some beautiful annuals in pots on my front porch. In the back yard in pots we planted some blueberry, strawberry and raspberry plants for us and the kids (we all LOVE LOVE berries). So now that the Texas heat is kicking in I must take the time to water our pots daily or the flowers will wilt just when the sun 'thinks' about coming up! hee hee hee! Seriously....just look at my petunia's when I wait until 6 pm to water them! They will tell you!

So after taking the kids to school this morning, I stopped to water my flowers before starting my day. As I waited {patiently...tapping my foot} for each pot to fill with water {and wondering why we planted sooo many pots} I thought how this was like having a pet. You have to feed them, water them, walk them. We have avoided a new pet at all costs. I was thinking, well humpf this is like having a pet! We have to move them to mow around them, we have to fertilize them, and water them. And if I don't...they just look so sad. Then I noticed the tinest little beautiful bud opening on one of the pocket roses and thought how beautiful! I can't wait to show that to Leigh-Ann when she gets home. She loves those tight and beautiful rose buds (they are pink you know!). I decided that the joy that I get while looking at them each day, the way they make my house look special, the way the kids had so much fun picking strawberries with awe last weekend....is SSSOO definately worth the 15 mins that I have to spend watering them each morning.

And since I could not do anything but THINK while I was doing this it made me realize: The biggest difference between "wishing" for something and "having" something is often the motivation to become a doer! I read this by Og Mandino recently "Life isn't a game, is it? It's a battlefield. Instead of players and spectators, we're all soldiers, including some goldbrickers and some AWOL's! But we're all in the struggle, whether we know it or not. And the person who knows how to be motivated doesn't need any cheering section. He has motivation built in. He's not looking for that crutch that might break, a bonus that will be taxed away, he's learning motivation from within."

Instead of "wishing" for something personal and valuable to share with my children. I create it everyday in the little things that I do. Today I watered the flowers. Tonight I will be able to sit on the porch and show my children a flower blooming (children 4 and under still see the awe in this...and I LOVE that). Today I did not rush about only doing dishes, running errands, doing something a boss wanted. I took action on something that was important to me...just watering the flowers. But that ACTION will reap so many rewards.

It was just a simple thing watering the flowers today. But it made me think, I need to choose something that I "wish" for and just work towards it! Motivation and ACTION are very powerful together. Don't sit on your couch and let your life pass you by today...I want you to water your flowers too...whatever that special "little" thing is in your life!

This is going to be a most amazing summer! I am looking forward to every single day that I get to wake up and "water my flowers". I love my flowers, Lance, Leigh-Ann, Landon and Landry with all my heart. I am going to remember to "water" them too! My thought (journal take-away) is that it is 100% obvious if my flowers did not get water. It is not 100% obvious if we did not water the flowers (aka people) in our life today! If there are people in your life that make you happy...don't forget to water them! Friends add value to our life...we need to keep them alive with praise, support, and attention!

Now I am so grateful for the people in my life...I am off to schedule a few too long delayed lunches and playdates! They need some "water"!!

Am I outdated?

I thought the technology of the new decade should always be something you can learn in 5 mins or less! HUMPF!!!! When did I become my parents?? I remember when I was a child the VCR came out! WOW, what an invention that was. But then there was the setting of the clock on the VCR. Once that was done you could get really fancy and set it to record at a specific time. I learned how to do that in about 2 mins. Seemed like my parents worked at it for hours and then just said "Misty, come set this thing up!"

Well today I decided I wanted to upload my first You Tube video. Now mind you that You Tube has been around forever (it seems) and even a 5 year old has probably uploaded video's. But I just spent (well I won't tell you how long...but toooo long) just trying to figure out how to add a header page so that my friends and family knew what the video was and then created my You Tube account. So my friends and family you will be able to see my daughters end of year performance in her school play very soon (after I upload it to my new "channel")!

Although I have never uploaded a video, it should be noted that my four year old can manuever You Tube on my iPhone without me! So our video, to be posted soon, is her Spanish School class doing a cute little song and she even has a "lead" kind of spot :) She has had such a breakthrough with her bilingual abilities in just the last few weeks! Now she can just rattle away at me...and I have NO CLUE what she is saying :)

Enjoy the video...we enjoyed the show!

Finding my authentic self

Wow, it has been over a year since I blogged! That is what having a third child, giving you three under four years old will do for you! It has been a crazy wild ride. Today is May 9th and it is Mother's Day. So for me this has been quite a week. My birthday was on the 4th, makes me the big 3-6...it is official I am now on the downhill slide and closer to 40 than to 30! Those of you who knew me at 30 knew I had this amazing meltdown (life crisis) feeling like my life was ALL about Corporate America and I never knew when I was going to have children. Wow how just a little time changes life! Now I have NO current Corporate America (yes I am now one of the millions of laid-off workers in America) in my life, but I have this amazing family!

I have reflected today on where I am, where I have been and where I may be going. Throughout my life I have always found a peace in writing. I think now is the time that I need to find that peace again, be quite with myself, and just listen. Trying to determine what path is right for me next, I need to listen to my innerself and to the world around me to hear and see where I need to go. So I invite you, on my journey, if you want to go....

This is going to be MY YEAR. I now have three small babies so in Eat, Pray, Love discovery style I can not LEAVE my current reality to find my destiny (although some days that seems sssoooo beautiful in thought...any mother knows that the thought of being ALL ALONE for just a little bound sounds so NICE). I am going to have to find it in the everday journey that is here with me every day. So today I revive my blog, and recommit myself to myself! Happy Mother's Day!

Below you can see the beatiful Fruit Basket I got for Mother's Day!

Lance, Landon, and Leigh-Ann bringing me my surprise!

Definately Not Cut out to be a Single Parent!

So just a brief update, I took the kids to the park to meet up with "the Mommy's" and participate in an Easter Egg Hunt. I thought what the heck, I will take both of them with me! It is the park, we will have a good time! Oh crazy, crazy me! What was I thinking?!? hee hee hee All in all we did have a good time, but they have such different abilities right now, I was worried that they were going to knock their teeth out, while at opposite ends of the slides! Leigh-Ann is all about the big slides and the fun monkey bars now! Landon also wants to slide, and climb, and do it himself! So he needs to be on the smaller playsets! So trying to keep an eye on both of them and make sure no one ran off with them (which would be almost impossible surrounded by so many friends) made me sort of frantic. My lesson learned was that it was a good thing that I am not a single parent and do not usually have to brave the park alone (with two children under the age of 3!!!). I promptly called Lance as we left the park to let him know how much we loved and appreciated him, and to drive very careful on his way home from the park. I informed him that if anything happened to him, his children might not get to go back to park until they were pre-teens! Unless of course, Gramps and Big Mom want to come back and take them again.....ahhhhh Grandparents!!!! Such a beautiful thing!!!



So here are some pics of our egg hunt and our time together at the park!


Here is Landon! I had to carry the basket and follow him around. But once he had his hands full he didn't really see the need to "gather" more bounty!

Here is Leigh-Ann with the bigger kids getting some eggs too!

Landon had almost as much fun trying to go up the slide the wrong way as he did going down the slide!

Here is Landon going back up the stairs...so he can go back down the slide....so he can go back up the stairs....so he can go back down the slide.......where is sissy?!? Oh wait....he doesn't care.....back up the stairs.....

Oh there is Leigh-Ann.....climbing like a monkey all over the play area....for just a little bit Mommy conned her to playing on the "baby" play area with Landon!

She is testing out the little slide....Landon is heading back to the stairs......

And up the monkey bars again....

All smiles.....we are having a good time....

I must have been too happy!

So I was in such a good mood yesterday...I was buzzing around the kitchen cooking dinner...and planning all the things I was going to finish last night after the kids were in bed (still unpacking/organizing). Then as I was heating the glaze for the ham, the doorbell rang. I thought it would be the sprinkler guy (who has been a no show for two weeks and was supposed to be here yesterday)...but instead it was a Trugreen sales guy...who would NOT quit talking even after I told him we had already hired someone. Finally I politely told him dinner was probably burning, I had to go. Turns out the glaze DID burn UGH!!!! Then I went to push that out of the way and grab the ham out of the oven. As I was placing the ham on the stove, something went wrong. I don't know if I fell first and then split the juice or if I split the juice then slipped in it.....either way...the result was scalding hot grease water ALL down my legs and bare feet. Lance came in and took care of me and rubbed it down with aloe and cream after I soaked it in a cool bath. All in all it is going to be ok....but I have a few mild burns that will probably take a few days to heal.

So after that the night was kinda shot. So much for my great mood. Then the lawn guys did come for their weekly time to mow the grass. Seems that I have the dinner time slot. The mow around 6:00 to 6:30...what is up with that?!? Leigh-Ann was fascinated with watching them work out the window. I thought, what are we teaching our kids, she knows that Lupe will clean the house and change her sheets and that some strange team of guys come and mow the grass while we sit at dinner and see them out the window. I don't know if the value of manual labor is being taught very well in our house.

Had my monthly doctor's appointment this morning, all is good with the growing baby! So we are just moving to July. I had however gained 5 lbs since my last visit! UGH....need to keep an eye on that. I am thinking about taking up Prenatal Yoga. My friend Margaret went to the gym like 26 days last month...I am thinking that I could use a teensy weensy bit of physical activity in my life (but not 26 days worth!). My next appt is the testing for the gestational diabetes (ummmm the yummy orange drink...not) and my shot of Rhogam for being Rh-. So that appoinment will not be too nice. Good thing after my burn incident that wasn't today!

Also, thought I would share some pics with you. In effort to be a good working full time Mommy I took some time to go have a Mommy Daughter thing with Leigh-Ann. We went to the "Doll Store" and did some shopping and then on to a Dolly Tea Party! We went to the American Girl store and I let Leigh-Ann pick a bitty baby and then we went to the Bitty Baby Tea Party!

As you can see, we ended with with TWO Bitty Babies instead of just one! They actually came as a part of the Bitty Twin Set. She had to have two girls...I really thought she would want a girl and a boy...but that wasn't the case.

Here are all the girls listening to story time and participating in some games together.


Now taking some time to color our placemat. You will also notice that the blonde baby has now changed clothes! We bought a couple of outfits before the party fot the dolls...and this one needed to wear one right now!

See that tounge hanging out while she colors? I don't know who she gets that from ?!? ha ha ha

All smiles...she is REALLY enjoying her time....she just loves baby dolls!

Snack time came. Fresh strawberry (they had some strawberry jam inside...YUMMY) muffins and even fresh strawberries! And lemonade, of course!

Each doll had to have some dedicated attention and an opportunity to share in the snack!

Leigh-Ann and Mommy checking out The Big Pink Chair in the party room before we left!

We had a great time! We will have to come back for some of the other Bitty Baby events!

A New Day!

O.k. o.k. I have fallen off the wagon. For quite a while I had a Myspace blog. Although I did not blog daily, I did blog fairly frequently. Then I had friends/family that did not have Myspace, but some of them had an independent blog. So I decided to start a second blog (this blogsite) to update people specifically about the children. Then with life and the kids I found two blogs to be time consuming and instead of blogging to one or the other….I sort of let both blogs just sort of fall off the radar screen.

But lately I have started to realize how cathartic it was to me to blog and I miss that. So I have decided to go back to blogging and I am going to try and be more consistent with that. Only this time I am only going to maintain one “thought stream” and I am going to merge it all together. So this will no longer be dedicated just to what the kids did today, but more about where I am in my life today. Hopefully you will find that you want to read along from time to time, maybe even give me advice…..

Recently I had not been in the best mental place. Work has been very stressful as we have had a lot of layoffs in the recent months and the stress and pressure is really high. So working full time in a pressure cooker environment blended with two children under the age of three, and then now being pregnant! I think the exhaustion and stress started to put me in a negative place more often than a positive place. Recently I realized that I was missing the “passion” the all out fire that made me feel alive and start each day kicking ass and taking names. I believe that “passion” is what has made me “successful” up to this point in my life. Where did the passion go? Did I use it up, wear it out, let someone else have it?!? I don’t know, but it just felt like I let myself get on the treadmill. I have to tell you that I DO NOT find the treadmill to be the equivalent of biking through the mountains! Just kinda felt like a rat in the rat race going through the motions. Don’t get me wrong, I had good moments. The kids could do something to just melt my heart and make me smile, I would have a great meeting or accomplishment at the office…but IN GENERAL I felt like I was waiting for something to be better.

I didn’t like it. I like to feel energized, excited, happy, PASSIONATE! So I started trying to figure out how to get back to the basics. I realized that I had let Rule #1 that my Dad taught me as a kid go out the window. He told me that, You have to like yourself before anyone else can like you. He must have said that a million times. At the end of the day, I got it, the message was self-respect. How can you expect the world to respect you if you do not respect yourself? I had lost, among other things, the most basic thing, self respect. I let my boss bully it out of me. I let the Mommy’s who stay at home make me feel like I missed “special chances” with my children. And so on. There are no shortage of opinions directed at you all the time. Connecting with others attitudes of judgement, hostility, anxiety, was my new energy flow, my level of respect both for myself and for them. Negativity is low respect. I am not a low respect person…although I was starting to have a lot of that negativity in my life. So I have chosen to plug back into the positives in my life. And with that I have found more and more self-respect again. I feel PASSIONATE again, I mean really passionate about life. It feels good!

I recently read a quote by Gerald Jampolsky “When I am able to resist the temptation to judge others, I can see them as teachers of forgiveness in my life, reminding me that I can only have peace of mind when I forgive rather than judge.” So I have been finding some peace in letting the judgements go and focusing on the positive things in my life!

In my Myspace blog I always concluded with what I was grateful for. I am going to try to add that consistently here now. I am grateful that I have found some peace and passion again. I am grateful that there are things in my life to be passionate about and that I have such a loving and supportive family and group of friends in my journey through life. I learn so much from them and I can only hope that when they need me, I will be able to give them as much as they have given me!