Day 164/365

I spent my day painting walls. I really wish the project was over already! 

Mother nature can sometimes be rough to catch and put into focus! I waited patiently and then I started waiting IMPATIENTLY... thunder was rolling in and I knew it was coming. I almost peed my pants when it HIT!

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what I've learned in my 30's

4.  I learned going through the motions is just that, going through the motions. My 33rd year of life was spent on auto pilot. I worked, cooked, cleaned, went to the kids football games, helped with homework, attended church and family functions...I did all the things your supposed to do. I didn't have a "safety net", I was uncomfortably numb. I was told it was normal, but it felt far from normal. Going through the motions make you FAT (or at least it made me fat, I gained over 50lbs).  I may have lost a year, but before I blew out 34 candles I had my life back! I experienced loss I will never be over, but I learned going through the motions is just not living. I think maybe we sometimes have to tread water a while before catching the next wave... 

Day 163/365

The city has spent lots of time and money making things look new... I'm glad the process is slow because i love the old buildings that are authentic! There is something to be said about an old structure still standing :)

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what I've learned in my 30's

3.  I learned quality of life is far more important than quantity. I learned letting go is more excruciating than the truculence of hanging on... Where is the life that I recognize? I lost two very important men before 32 candles were lit. I had once thought, knowing the end was near is far better than a shock... I have since changed my mind. As a result of this lesson I ALWAYS tell family I love them when saying good bye, and affection is mandatory (cause ya just never know).

Day 162/365

thistle thursday!

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what I've learned in my 30's

2.  I learned that strength comes in many shapes and sizes. I learned cancer has no preference... I learned that chemotherapy is given in a I.V. bag, its clear like water and it brought Hercules to his knees...

(my dad early 1990's)

Up until this time I knew no one who had battled this disease.... I had no idea what an Oncologist was or what they did. I didn't know what a living will was. I had never stepped foot in the Huntsman Center before... my eyes were open to just how many people were fighting that fight.  I learned all of this before I blew the candles out on my 31st birthday cake because my dad was diagnosed that summer...

(me and my dad September 2000)

I learned strength had nothing to do with how much you could bench press, or squat...

Day 161/365

Mother Nature has been giving us thunder and lightening (the way you love me its frightening, ya better KNOCK>> on wood{sorry the songs just POP into my head!}) for the past few evening. It has been helping us stay cool and for ME to sleep better. I was diggin' the double scoop of rainbow we had!!!

When I woke up I realized I have forty days till I'm forty..... Once my heart palpitations subsided and my breathing was normal I tried to convince myself, its not THAT bad! When that didn't work I texted for reinforcement! (thank goodness i have friends that get me!!) My thirties have been all about loss, change and growth... 

what I've learned in my 30's

1.  life is precious and people you love can be gone in an instant... we lost Pop two weeks after I blew out my 30 candles. this man LITERALLY drove through fire for me. he taught me the importance of slowing down and enjoy the ride.

Day 160/365

Trying to focus...

Day 159/365

 NAKED

to the bone.... lol

This is my interpretation of Sunday Creative {July 25-31}.

Day 158/365

~Traditional~

I'm a little behind on my Sunday Creative... better late than never is my motto! 

I asked my boys what they remember as far as our family traditions and both of them said Sunday dinners. My youngest added High/Low. For as long as I can remember when we would sit down to dinner we would go around the table sharing our highs and lows of the day. It was my way of staying in the loop of things. As my boys grew up there were more and more eye rolling when I would ask "high/low?" Since my oldest has moved out and my youngest became busy with young adult stuff, i have try to get the family together at least once a week. We typically eat dinner, watch a movie and play with Max. I'm able to hear how their week has gone, and continue to stay looped with their current events.

A traditional dinner usually ends up with an empty dirty dish :)

Day 157/365

the kimpossible and her leading man came to see me today. the first thing i said was "where is your helmet...." this was the safest part of her body... i think she secretly likes to make me worry! some people like to latch hook, she likes to cause me to have ulcers! what are best friends for right?!?!

Day 156/ 365

~wind of change~

i have lots of things to say but just too tired to communicate it...

Day 155/365

filling your cup (or water bottle)

reminded of values (and focusing on a new one)

pranks (yes these are bath towels hanging from the flag pole)

arts and crafts

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boot camp

overcoming "hard things"
and

arming ourselves...

Day 154/365

i felt like a boat out of water...

day two we hiked and hiked some more. we went to the valley of the dragon flies.

actually it was a little pond several miles from camp but there were thousands of dragon flies.

and a stairway to heaven (or at least that is what i heard when i shot this one)

Day 153/365

i was asked to be this years girls camp director... we had a great time and i shot over a 1000 photos. this shot represented our first day... getting our feet wet. 

• we set up our camp
• pitched our own tent
• went canoeing
• we reminded the girls they are beautiful 
• and listened to a wonderful speaker who talked about his time serving our country and the many men he grew to admire.

Day 152/365

i have noticed, my head being in the clouds lately...

lets face it, life is kinda like a baseball game... you have a home plate, a batting cage... you have bases, an outfield, fast pitches-slow pitches-curve balls... you have crowds that will cheer and boo.... its all about stepping up to the plate, and taking a "swing". rather the bases are loaded, or your trying to steal third, the goal is to make it home, with as few foul balls as possible :)

(side note: while i was taking this shot julius was looking at me... "what are you DOING with my ball" yeah, if he could talk thats probably what he would have said lol)

so i'm doing my best to step up to the plate as i get ready for girls camp and will have a great excuse of my head being in the clouds because i will be at an elevation of around 9000 feet :)

Day 151/365

"wook mema" Maximus says to me.. lol I so appreciate him being a morning person :)

Day 150/365

today was a good day. i was able to spend some time with my extended family.... i wish it was under happier circumstances, but it is what it is. i'm grateful for my family, and all the memories that tie us together. i had many shots to choose from, but when i took this shot, i had my 365 project in mind.

being a grandmother has to be the best, most rewarding experience. every time i get the opportunity to visit MY granny, i treasure the moments. she has been such an amazing example to me, a constant pillar of light. my little niece (well she isn't so little now, but when she was little) christened her with the name of the sunshine granny... its fitting really, because she has ALWAYS been a ray of sunshine in my life. 

she inspires me, councils me, enlightens me... by all the things she DOES!

a happy first anniversary to my oldest son and his wife!!!

Day 149/365

Soooooo glad this week is behind me.

Now if I could just find the pause button...

Day 148/365

Catch!

(one of the perks of being a grown up... playing catch in the house)

Day 147/365

It was a stumble through, sort of day. Being tongue tied and twisted.... Feeling unbalanced and questioning the intent of the universe. Searching high and low for center... My grandson called me Mema today. It both touched  and amused me. You see, I have been conditioning him to call me grammy, and my son and daughter in law have been working on him saying grandma. All on his own he decided what works best for him. Funny how things work out.

As exhaustion settled in I realized I failed to pick up my camera today. I had many ideas as to what I wanted to shoot, with emotions high and energy levels dry capturing the sun with my feet resting at the head of my bed seemed appropriate. I'm grateful for my grandson leading me closer to zen...

Day 146/365

Bright Sunshiny Day

Day 145/365

Suuuuuppa Staaaaaaaa!!!

Day 144/365

Our word prompt with The Sunday Creative

Connect

my first thought... music. And for me there is no better way to connect then to "UnPlug".

Day 143/365

searching for silver linings...

Day 142/365

Runaway Train...

Fence Friday take one

Fence Friday take two

Fence Friday take three

 

where the "wild things" are.