Happy Independence Day - Patriotism is Not Dead!

We are a country of innovators and achievers.  We aren't afraid to take the path least traveled, and understand that often comes with hard work (which we're not afraid of, either).  We speak freely, and sometimes forget that not everyone has that right.  We take up after our own, and we try to take up for others who no one else will bother with.  We're not perfect, but, for the most part, we're trying to make the world a little better than we found it.

Today, as you're celebrating with your family and friends, eating good BBQ, swimming at the pool, and watching fireworks, don't forget the reason why today is significant.  Fly your United States flag proudly, and remember that being a United States citizen is a gift and a privilege.

Happy Independence Day, and may God bless the USA!

Needed A Little Change

I'm one of those odd people who really likes change.  I like to rearrange furniture for a new perspective.  I like changing my wardrobe (much more than my checkbook allows) because it feels like I can reinvent myself, just a little bit.  I like painting a new color on the walls, and making the same old things look new in some way.  When we go to a restaurant, I like to try to order something I've never tried at that restaurant before.  I'll even admit that, while stressful and not in any way easy, I liked moving to a new state and a new climate where I've never lived before.  Change brings a sense of vitality to my life, and I get bored easily.

I know some of you can totally not relate.  That's ok.

But, that is why you now see yet another new look on my blog...  I'm on what seems to be a never ending quest to find the "perfect" layout/background/template/theme for my Pondering blog.  Today's is the latest - I hope you enjoy!

And for those of you who don't really thrive on change, and even find it a bit difficult to adjust to, I apologize in advance.  :)  Rest assured my writing style and the topics I choose are still the same old me.

Thanks for reading!

Being still and other random thoughts...

We went to the new version of "Tha karate kid" yesterday. While it wasn't as good as the original with Ralph Machio, I did think Jaden Smith's performance was remarkable, and the story still stirs me.

I had an 'aha' moment when the sage teacher is explaining to his pupil the secret of the cobra charmer they'd seen. He said it was "being still". Then, the student asks, "so she controlled the snake by doing nothing?"  The wise response was,"doing nothing and being still are two very different things."

So true, Jackie Chan, so true.

While pondering that, I had the opportunity this morning to go to Bikram Yoga (90 minutes of intense yoga in a room heated to 105 degrees). Yoga is largely about focusing on your breath, and while your body is facing stress from every front, you are challenged to quiet your mind. Something that doesn't come easy for me.

Another repeating theme.

It was a good reminder, and I'm grateful for it. I'm going to make an effort to quiet my mind this week (which is SO not doing nothing).

And, did I mention that the online authorities say my 90 minutes of suffering at the yoga studio burned a whopping 941 calories?!? This may need to return to my regular fitness routine - so far today, I've eaten -243 calories!!

Thankful for Friday, and 9 others...

It's been a bit since I've intentionally posted my top ten thankful fors.  So, here they are, in honor of Friday:

1. Well, duh, it's FRIDAY!!
2. A wonderful friend who is my motivation in the darkness before dawn to get out of bed and get to spin class (or the workout of the day)
3. Another awesome friend to go out on a girls' night tonight with - we're seeing a chick flick!
4. BEAUTIFUL weather - it will be 65 today, and this weekend it is supposed to be 69!  We seem to have passed the 50 degree winter curse.
5. Returning health - I'm SO over this cold/chest congestion/cough thing.
6. Another fabulous friend who called yesterday because she knew I have been struggling (love that the distance between us isn't diminishing our friendship).
7. Yesterday and today, both of my girls got tangible reminders of how much their classmates love them in the form of valentine's and copious amounts of candy.
8. In two days, I get to give a tangible reminder to my husband of how much I love him.
9. A job that lets me work when I want and not when I don't, from home, and helps us stick to our budget.
10. All of my blog readers and followers who make me feel like what I have to say matters to someone other than just me.  :)

Have a great Friday, and Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

Random Acts of Kindness

So, I love to watch the Food Network, and this weekend Ina (of the show _Barefoot Contessa_) was testing a recipe, but was at home alone and would not be able to eat the whole meal, so instead, she called a friend to ask if she could use a cooked three course dinner for her family that evening. Her friend was surprised and very pleased (who wouldn't be?!?), and I was struck at just how out of the ordinary it is that something like that happens to us in our daily lives. (Yes, I know this was likely staged for the sake of the show, but stay with me, here.)

Inspiration struck me yesterday morning in the Starbucks drive-through and I spent the rest of the day thinking about it. What if we all practiced random acts of kindness - maybe just commit to one each day - what kind of impact would that make?

You know how it makes you feel when you do something unexpected and thoughtful for another person, expecting nothing in return? At least for me, it is a feeling not replicated by anything else in life. But, somehow, in the busyness of life, I often overlook the opportunities all around me to make someone's day.

A few days ago, this news story played on our local station, and it struck me, too.



This lady went to great lengths to find the owner of this camera, and did it all not expecting anything in return, much less news coverage.

Won't you join me in "paying it forward"? As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, I'm going to take time each day to make someone's day (preferably a complete stranger).

If you're stumped for ideas, visit actsofkindness.org and go make a difference! :)

A close call

Apparently, I've been... what's the word, oh yeah - distracted lately.

Before yesterday, it had been over a month since I last mowed the lawn (good thing we're in the slow growing season, and it's not abundantly obvious to everyone who drives by our house!).

I don't know the last time I gave our house a good cleaning - the kind where all surfaces get cleaned, floors are vacuumed and mopped, furniture is dusted. I'm talking more than just spot cleaning here and there. It's been awhile.

This blog has been neglected, and posts are few and far between.

And, on Saturday, a very real example of my state of distraction got my attention in the form of a minor traffic violation. Luckily, no one was hurt, but, honestly, that is by the sheer grace of God.
I was driving to the store, and we stopped at a red light. I was thinking about where we were going, the shopping I needed to get done, the woman in the car next to me who was shielding her face from the glaring sunshine, etc. etc. The traffic light changed, and I started driving through the intersection. The next thing I realize is there are cars honking and I'm not sure why. Then, I realize they're honking at me. I had run through the red light, apparently thinking the green left turn arrow was a green light, when it wasn't. I was already three quarters through the intersection, stopping both oncoming turn lanes because I wasn't paying attention. I saw no other choice but to just keep driving.

I quickly scanned my rear view mirror and the surrounding area for a police car, and was relieved to see that there was none. From the back seat, Bri asked why the cars were honking and I had to admit to her that I just ran a light because I was distracted. She asked me if I was going to jail, and I told her that I thought I was safe from that particular penalty, although, if a police car pulled me over, I would certainly get a ticket, and I deserved one.

Then, I got to thinking how frustrated all those people must have been with me. God only knows what they were all thinking or saying about me, and I was defenseless. I was guilty, and there was no excuse. My first instinct was to think about how I would defend myself - I've got a lot on my mind, it'd been a long day, I was tired... Then, it hit me.

What I needed was not a great defense for my behavior or to deflect my bad judgement by pointing out how my offense was small, comparatively speaking. No, what I needed was grace.

I was guilty, I made a poor decision, and I could have seriously hurt someone (including the two precious children in my back seat). And, truth be told, there have been so many other times that I've been guilty with no defense, but walked away without having to pay (sometimes traffic related, lots of times not).

So, I'm just so thankful today for grace. And for other drivers in my neighborhood who were not distracted on Saturday. If you were one of them, please accept my apologies.

Either way, I hope you are able to extend grace to someone in your life today - what a gift it is to receive.

Top 10 Things I'm Thankful For Today

An attitude of gratitude is an important one to have, and in an effort to hone mine, here are my top 10 things I'm thankful for today:

10) Another sunny, hot day in the desert where I can admire palm trees and beautiful rock formations not too far from our home.

9) A fixed bike trailer so that I can take the kids to school on my bike with Denali in tow and Aubrielle on her bike. (Thanks, to my wonderful hubby!)

8) A beautiful (and somewhat shady) greenbelt path to ride traffic free all the way to school

7) Sleeping through the night last night with no headache to wake me up

6) Knowing that I have lifelong, deep friendships - even if those friends don't live where I do

5) Plans for the weekend to celebrate Aubrielle's 8th birthday - and all the years we've had with her as part of our family.

4) New workout shorts and shirts that I found at Target yesterday on clearance - so cheap AND cute!

3) Being reminded yesterday that I am not walking in the sand of the desert all by myself.

2) Finishing all of my blog writing (for work) before 8 am this morning! My weekend has already begun.

1) A sense of peace that all will eventually work out the way it needs to, and there are good things still to come.

Celebrating Today!

Today my baby girl turns 4! I cannot believe just how fast this time has gone. Denali has brought so much laughter and joy into our house, and we are so blessed to have her in our family. Enjoy these great photos from these last four years with Denali!

An update, and some things I'm learning

So, turns out that I spoke a bit too soon almost two weeks ago when I proclaimed that my pain was a thing of the past. It did improve briefly, then took a sharp turn for the worse - which explains my lack of blogging all this time. I've had a couple of horrific days of intense pain that has been difficult to get on top of. Those days were followed by the past two days of waking up pain free (and in disbelief!) then settling into a very minor version of the pain I've experienced. I don't know if I'm out of the woods, or if there will be more downswings, but I'll take any improvement! Anyway, that is the short update.

I was reading in my devotional, _Streams in the Desert_ a couple of days ago, and this poem struck a chord - it's about the things we leave undone. I thought I'd share and hope it brings you some things to ponder, too.

It isn't the things you do, dear,

It's the things you leave undone,

That gives you the bitter heartache

At the setting of the sun;

The tender word unspoken,

The letter you did not write,

The flower you might have sent, dear,

Are your haunting ghosts at night.

The stone you might have lifted,

Out of your brother's way,

The bit of heartfelt counsel

You were hurried too much to say;

The loving touch of the hand, dear,

The gentle and winsome tone,

That you had no time or thought for,

With troubles enough of your own.

These little acts of kindness,

So easily out of mind,

These chances to be angels,

Which even mortals find -

They come in nights of silence,

To take away the grief,

When hope is faint and feeble,

And a drought has stopped belief.

For life is all too short, dear,

And sorrow is all too great,

To allow our slow compassion,

That tarries until too late.

And it's not the thing you do, dear,

It's the thing you leave undone,

That gives you the bitter heartache,

At the setting of the sun.

~ Adelaide Proctor

Bright, Sunshiny Day

What a relief! After 8 (count them) days of pain, the clouds have lifted, and I am mostly pain free (save a little tiny bit of residual headache, but that's nothing)! The migraine has departed! This video is representative of how I'm feeling this most excellent day. :) Enjoy!

10 Things I'm Thankful For Today

Here's today's list:

10) Grocery shopping and meal planning is done for the week! Hooray!

9) The girls are playing the next room (and not fighting), giving me some down time for the computer

8) Friends who keep checking in on me, even though I'm absent from Colorado, where they are

7) The precious gift of good health

6) Being reminded that, in the face of fresh grief that my friend is facing after her father passed away today, we have something to hope for when this life is over

5) Ice cold water

4) Opportunities that have been handed to us over the past 9 months, this past month, in particular, that we never could have expected

3) Feeling optimistic and hopeful for the future

2) Sticky notes and their ability to help me get organized

1) Fresh basil that is growing in my container garden and tastes amazing!

10 Things I'm Thankful For Today

I've been remiss lately in recording the things I'm thankful for, so here goes:

10) The sunshine and thorough warmth that we feel whenever we're outside (and today it's only in the low 90s!!)

9) Our favorite spray park with an attached play area that is under a canopy to protect the kids from the heat (and where we spent a good portion of this morning!)

8) Time with family from out of town (my mom is here this week, my aunt and cousins will be here tomorrow)

7) Cell phones that allow me to keep in touch with good friends no matter where either of us is

6) Good, soul nourishing music (Go Fish!) that my oldest daughter is blasting in the next room as I write

5) Homemade ice cream that we're going to make this afternoon (yum!)

4) The way food always tastes so much better when you pack it up for a picnic

3) My husband, who works very hard to show me that he loves me, and recently has been bringing me bouquets of flowers every Friday (even though I love him whether he does this or not!)

2) My youngest daughter who closes her eyes and relishes whenever I give her a hug or kiss, then responds by giving me an eskimo kiss (it's our little thing)

1) The feeling that right now, at this moment, I'm on the path I am supposed to be on, and it's OK that I don't know just where it leads

Today's top 10 thankful things...

Here are the things I most thankful for today:

10) Sunshine and melting snow!
9) Denali's pleas for me to play with her outside today - she simply wants to spend time with her mama.
8) Aubrielle's plans to bake cupcakes with me today after school - just her and I - she simply wants to spend time with her mama.
7) A day off work today!
6) I finally compiled the list of things 'to do' before we can put our house up for sale.
5) My mom, who graciously agreed to come help me out for a week in May when Kyle is gone for three.
4) My friends, who have planned a girls' night out next weekend, a coffee date tomorrow, and multiple workout classes/dates with me in an effort to spend time with me before we move.
3) The past couple of days full of rich and deep connection with my husband as we talk about our plans and hopes for our future.
2) The blessing of a tax return that will pay for our move!
1) Knowing that I've chosen to get up and start walking, and will soon be running again!

TGIF!

In honor of my favorite day of the week, and in an ongoing effort to live in the moment and take nothing for granted, here are the top 10 things I'm thankful for today:

10) Hot, steamy, long showers with no interruptions by little voices, during which I can close my eyes and pretend I'm somewhere tropical and humid.
9) Returned health, which should never be taken for granted, but is especially sweet after over a week of illness.
8) A whole day that I do not have to work (until this evening), and freedom to attend the spinning class I'm meeting a friend at in a little bit.
7) My job, which allows me to work around my schedule, from home, doing something that makes a difference to others.
6) My husband, who let me sleep last night while he was up cleaning the carpet in our oldest daughter's room at midnight after she threw up.
5) A sunny, bright morning that reminds me that each day is new and a gift.
4) A hot breakfast burrito this morning smothered in Kyle's homemade green chili.
3) Three loads of laundry already done today.
2) An unexplainable peace about our upcoming move and even a little excitement about the adventure ahead (go figure!).
1) The knowledge that everything, while not always easy, is going to be OK.

Home, and thankful

Hello! We're finally back home in Colorado - arrived yesterday evening. What a looooong time we spent on the road! I'm still recovering from the upper respiratory thing that made its way through each of us over the past three weeks (Kyle ended up spending 2 hours at an urgent care in Las Vegas to get antibiotics for what had progressed to a sinus infection) - it's been a long week! All I can say is, I'M SO GLAD TO BE HOME!!

We pushed our journey home back one day because of the spring snow storm we heard about on the news and were expecting slippery roads in Colorado, but instead found dry roads - thanks to the sunshine on Friday. We even stopped in Glenwood Springs and swam in the hot springs outdoor pool in 38 degree weather. Kyle swears by its reported healing properties and tells me the high mineral content of the water in the pools heals upper respiratory infections, cuts in skin, and acne, among other things. I'm not sure I'm convinced in the cure-all properties of mere water, but it ended up being a nice break from the car!

I was a little less than excited to leave 60-70 degree weather to come home to 30-40 degree temps, but sleeping in my own bed was priceless last night. And we were so thankful to drive up to our house to find that our wonderful neighbors took it upon themselves to shovel our driveway and walk to the front door while we were gone. We have the greatest neighbors - what a gift!

So, while I have lots to share about our trip and time in Las Vegas, I'll save that for a day in the near future, because I'm tired and want to just veg out in front of the tv today. :) I'll close with the top ten things I'm thankful for today:

10) Sunshine and melting snow!
9) Returning home safe and relatively healthy
8) My own king size bed that provides plenty of room and comfort
7) Home cooked meals
6) Familiar faces all around and knowing that we were missed (and prayed for!)
5) Having access to my own computer at my own desk in my own room!
4) Three loads of laundry already finished today, and not much more to do
3) Not needing a GPS in my car to find my way around and not having to be in my car for hours today
2) Knowing that those extra pounds I put on during our trip will eventually be worked off with resumed exercise and eating in
1) A full day with absolutely nothing I HAVE to get done!!

10 Things I'm Thankful For Today

In an effort to focus on the positive, I'm listing the top 10 things I'm thankful for today:

10) A smooth and easy morning with no yelling (on my part)
9) Aubrielle got to school on time

8) Everyone is healthy in our home right now
7) There is only a tiny bit of snow and ice left on our back patio (this is a milestone for me, I can't help it!!)
6) Well, it's Friday, of course!

5) I got the HUGE pile of laundry folded that was overtaking our bed last night

4) The sun is shining

3) I'm planning to go to spinning class today with a friend

2) My workweek ended at 8 am this morning!!

1) My husband and kids love me, even though I don't always deserve it. :)