Being Thankful

Being thankful is not an easy thing to do on a consistent basis. There are times I don't feel thankful or even remember to be thankful. However I know I am very blessed in my life. I have a husband who loves and adores me, three wonderful children. I also live in a beautiful place and have a great job. I have a roof over my head, can pay my bills and have food to eat. But there are also things that distract me from those wonderful things in my life. Things that will pass eventually but at times consume my thoughts. I am striving to not let them, to be thankful for those wonderful blessings in my life.

My Thanksgiving week has been a good one even though I missed my daughters very much. The weather here turned into every snowy conditions with winds on Sunday. Monday I made it to work and home again. It was dicey with the winds blowing snow across the road. Tuesday was icky but my husband was off work so he drove me there and picked me up. We went off the road a couple of times but I am thankful for the 4 wheel drive Jeep we had bought a couple of months ago. Wednesday the sun was out but Dennis still drove me back and forth to work. By the afternoon when he came the wind had picked up. Thanksgiving day was full of food and fun. My stepdaughter came over as did a friend of ours. Friday was sunny and we went down to the Greenbelt area to see what the river and falls looked like. It was beautiful. Today is Saturday and now we are just relaxing. It has been a good week and I am so thankful for it, for the wonderful times, even the scary times like sliding off the road a couple of times.

My life is full of blessings and even when things seem tense or hard I want to remember those blessings. Life is too short to spend time focusing on the negative and let it get me off track to how blessed I am. I hope I can remember my blessings even in the hard or tense times.

Been Awhile

It has been awhile since I have been on here. Between work and school I have been busy. One Saturday Dennis and I plus our dogs took a day trip to Yellowstone. Snow had fallen and it was gorgeous. We drove through Teton pass into Jackson WY then up through Grand Teton National Park to Yellowstone. We saw bison and deer.




At one point there were two bison by the side of the road. We pulled up so we could take pictures, from our vehicle of course. We were so close we could smell them. After we ate dinner at a cafe in the town right outside of West Yellowstone. It was dark by this time and as we drove home on highway 20 it was very dark.
























Then on Monday of this week we had our first real snow in he Idaho Falls area. It started on my way to work and snowed all day long. When I was driving home it was quite a downfall. Today it did not snow but it was very cold but so beautiful.







I have not taken much time to work on my writing but I am actually okay with that. I am really loving my job. My days just fly by and I am learning so much. So I guess that is the main updates for now

Why would I lie about my age

Fifty-Two

I have not lied about my age. Which year will I choose to forgo in the lying. I am 52 years old and there have been hard times and happy times. Very sad times and very traumatic times. I have lived in many different places as a kid and as an adult. I grew up in a large family, raised three wonderful children, divorced, remarried and buried a precious grandson.



I have been through intense counseling, faced horrific memories and was diagnosed as bipolar type 2 in my late 40's. In 5 of those 52 years I got caught up in what I (and a lot of others) thought was a Christian church but realized "oh f**ck I am in a cult" however i don't regret those years I was there because God worked in my heart irregardless of the cult leader's teachings.



I have been with one of my sisters while she buried her beloved husband of 37 years and I was with some of my siblings singing "the Lord is my Shepard" as my dad slipped from this earth. I held my then 16 year old daughter as her 16 month old son was unplugged from life support and he quietly and softly took his last breath and then as we buried him.



I have cried with intense pain and laughed with sheer joy. I have shared fun times with friends and family but also sorrowful times. I have experienced loneliness and dark deep pits that seemed impossible to get out of and then experienced the joy as I saw the light up ahead and moved towards it.



So no I have not lied about my age because each year has brought me to who and where I am today and I would not choose to forgo any of those years and the memories each one brings.

My Favorite Candy

Halloween Candy

Oh gee whiz, I have to choose just one. Most anything chocolate is alright with me. Dove chocolates are creamy sweet goodness. But M&M's are a fun chocolate treat wrapped up in a crunchy colorful shell. But then a Milky Way is a caramel good treat. However I do love See's Candies, very yummy indeed. Then there are non-chocolate treats that are a yummy goodness. Skittle with all their juicy flavors and crunchiness are a treat for my mouth. Also candy corn and all those candies in that sugary realm like the pumpkins are bliss for my taste buds. So let me summarize all this in one small statement. I love candy!!

My Favorite Photo of Me

Wow how do I choose just one favorite photo of myself. I have many that I love and reflect different periods of my life.



The one above was taken July 2006 when my daughter Melissa and I took a vacation together to San Francisco. In early spring that year we talked about taking a trip together and she said she always wanted to go to San Francisco so I did a map search and it was about an 8 hour drive from Phoenix. With both of us driving we could do it so we decided that was our destination choice.



This was taken at Muir Woods which was part of a wine tour we took while there. We had so much fun with every aspect of our vacay. We explored San Francisco for three days on foot, stopping to eat one day in Little Italy and another in Chinatown. We did the wine tour in a van with about 6 other people and a driver that was fantastic. We stayed in a hotel on Fisherman's Wharf and hung out in the evenings at a place called Wipe Out Bar & Grill. We flirted with the bartender and the manager, who were quite cute and they flirted back.



A funny story about this place is as we walking towards it the first night we discovered it there was a kid running ahead of his parents and he tripped and wiped out on the mat in front of the doorway to this place.



When we left we spent a couple of days driving down Highway 101 and visited Hearst Castle. We ended our trip at Huntington Beach, relaxed on the beach for a few hours and then eating at Ruby's Diner at the end of the pier before heading back to Phoenix. It was one of my all time favorite trips and we talk about going back and hopefully someday we will.

I'm leaving on a jet plane.....

Hmm if I was on a jet plane where am I heading off too? It would depend on what time of year it is and in my dream vacations I would have unlimited time for my travels.

If it is late spring/early summer then I would love to fly to the United Kingdom and travel all over the place. Flowers would be blooming everywhere spilling the countryside with a glorious variety of colors. I would also want to spend some time exploring London. It is one of my favorite cities in the world. However another place to travel in the spring is Washington DC when the cherry blossom trees are blooming plus there is so much to see in our nation's capital.

In the late summer/early fall I would be traveling to San Diego, renting a fabulous beach house on either Coronado or Mission Beach. Enjoy the warm days camped out on the beach with a book and lots of sunscreen. In the cool evenings I would sit on a patio facing the ocean and listen to the waves hitting the sand.

If it was fall I would find a place that has the splendid colors of the changing of leaves and enjoy the crisp air and the vibrancy all around. Taking long walks on country lanes and heading inside for hot cocoa in the evening.

As for winter I would head to Arizona sometime in November to enjoy the mild winters and spend the holidays with family. I would travel up to the Grand Canyon and Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon area.

Of course there are other travels that I would enjoy; going to Europe especially Italy. Also northern California in San Francisco and wine country. I have also wanted to visit the area where Anne of Green Gables takes place.

In all these travels Dennis would be with me because I can't imagine any traveling without him. He is the one I would want to explore all these places with.

When I was a kid I loved to play....

My most favorite game when I was a kid was kick the can. And as I had 10 brothers and sisters we were always playing it. We would also do it when camping and then my dad would join us. It was so much fun. Even as a teenager I played it. I remember in my neighborhood in the early evening just before street lights came on playing with siblings and neighbor kids. The thrill of trying to kick the can before you were spotted was very exciting.

Since that one is short I am going to carry on with the next one. It wants to know one tradition I do with my family. When my kids were growing up every Christmas Eve we read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and I always put a dollar bill in their stockings. My grandma would send a check to my mom to do that with us and it was always crisp new one dollar bills, I also carried on the tradition of cracker jacks in the stockings. Of course my favorite tradition is Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings, I love cooking that meal.

So that is two days tied up into one post but I figured they were short so it made sense to do it this way.

Ghost Encounters

I thought I was alone:-)

I do believe in ghosts. I have had experiences myself. Also family and friends have also. Shortly after my paternal grandfather died my brother started seeing his ghost around our house and when we moved across country the ghost came with us. I have seen ghosts walking by windows, in fact I don't like to look out a window at night because I don't know who or what will be looking back. My daughter has heard the sound of high heels across my mom's back hallway and no one has been there., In fact, my mom's house in Yuma is haunted. After my grandson died I would feel his arms around my neck or heard him laughing up the hallway. On the Christmas eve shortly after he died, I was in my daughter's room talking with her and our dog Lady was on her bed. Matthew's crib was still up and Lady started making a whining sound and looking at the crib then back at us with a look like can't you see him there. It went on for about 5 minutes.I have also felt a presence in my house in Phoenix numerous times but it did not follow me when I moved. I had a friend's dad who told of his ghostly encounters.

Random High School Memory

HMM a random high school memory. Meeting my friend Luann. We had both signed up for some kind of gym class but we were the only 2 who registered so the class was canceled however we became fast friends and still stay in touch. It was my junior year and my family had just moved to Yuma that summer before. I loved visiting with her and her parents. They were such an awesome family. Her dad would tell great stories. I loved listening to him. Her mom was so warm and inviting. I have the best memories of my junior and senior year and Luann is one of biggest part of those memories.

THE DARK ROOM

A heart beats quickly as the knob is turned

Hinges creak as the door is slowly opened

The room is pitch black

A hand feels for a light switch

It pauses as a sound comes from the room

Heavy breathing seems to fill the room

The hand trembles as it switches the light on

Light floods the dark room

It is completely empty

The breathing has stopped

The room is looked over from corner to corner

Looking to see if a clue has been missed

There is nothing to find but emptiness

As the hand switches off the light

And begins to close the door

Heavy breathing begins to fill the room once again.

Ah my bucket list

To be honest I do not have a bucket list that one would think a bucket list is supposed to be. Sure there are things I would like to do but it changes over the years. I want to live in the here and now, take each day as the gift that it is. Don't get me wrong there are things I look forward to in the future and right now one is going home in December for a weekend for my family's annual Christmas party. It is the first one since my dad died this past May. We bought our plane tickets on Friday and I am very thankful we are going.

Speaking of plane tickets, there is now an airline that flies direct from Idaho Falls to the Phoenix area and the cost is reasonable. They only fly Fridays and Mondays but that is alright, gives us a nice weekend in Phoenix and no 4 hour drive to Salt Lake City. I had read about this happening back in August and was excited for it to start so I guess that was on my bucket list.

But as for this bucket list that has all these things I would like to do before I die I don't have one. I tend to keep a list short. But there is one thing on my list that is a long term goal and it is one I strive to do consistently everyday. It is to live my life in a way that when people are around me they know there is a God who loves them.

My photo

The next challenge is to take a photo and share it. Here it is, I am watching the Cardinals vs Saints football game.

Homesick

Today I am going to skip the challenge and just do some blogging. I have been feeling homesick for San Diego a lot lately. I do not say anything anymore to Dennis cuz I know he feels a bit bad about taking me so far away from my family. So I just talk to God about it. I have lived in many places my whole life and 16 years were spent in Arizona before I married Dennis. I was in San Diego less than two years but I have never felt so at home as I did there. I just felt like I belonged and I truly believed God would provide for us to stay. That didn't happen and I trust God knows why He brought us here but still doesn't mean I am not homesick for San Diego plus I was close to AZ and family there.



What do I miss about San Diego. Well being near the ocean is a big part of it, I always felt so at at peace at the beach. The sound of the waves and the sand between my toes. I miss the friends I was just beginning to make. I was just starting to get into a church there that was awesome. I miss being close to my mom in Yuma and family in Phoenix. I miss my daughters so very much. But for the most part I can't really explain why I am so homesick that it is an ache in my heart. I felt at home there from the very beginning. That was the first time in my life I felt at home anywhere I lived. I never felt that way about Phoenix even though I lived there 16 years and still own my home there.




Don't get me wrong, it is gorgeous here and I am amazed by such beauty. In the mornings when I walk the dogs before I go to work the sun is barely coming up over the hills and the past couple of mornings the sky has been cloudy so the orange, blue and gray and white clouds fill the sky. Trees are beginning to change and I have to wear a sweater or jacket in the mornings and evenings I do thank God for bringing to such a place as this but it does not feel like home. Maybe in time it will, I am hoping so but I am not sure about the small town attitude I have run into. It is stifling, I was hoping I would like it but so far not so much. Another thing about Idaho is Dennis's daughter lives here and they are starting to reconnect so that is a very good thing.
















I long to be as homesick for heaven as I am for San Diego. To have an ache in my heart to go to my real home with God. To be in the presence of His perfect love. To fell at peace and so joyous. I want to long for that more than I do for San Diego. This place is not my real home and someday I will be in heaven. So I pray for wisdom as I go through being so homesick for San Diego.

My biggest accomplishment

The next challenge is what do I consider to be my biggest accomplishment. That is easy and there is nothing else that comes even close. This accomplishment will carry on for generations to come. Through this accomplishment I am a part of the future and will impact the future. And this accomplishment is more than just one. It is three, giving birth and raising my three children is what I consider my biggest accomplishments in my life. I consider it a honor and a blessing that God gave me Sarah, Melissa and Timothy to love and raise.

My Style

Hmm I am supposed to go to Shopstyle.com to choose my style. I will see if I can make this work. I am no where near being an expert doing this but here goes.

Favorite magazine, book and poem.

Well this next challenge is what is my favorite magazine, book and poem.





My favorite magazine is Reader's Digest. They have funny jokes and stories as well as stories that can be heart wrenching. They can be a voice of reason in all the chaos around. They have health tips, maybe a celebrity interview among bunches of other stuff. It is one jam packed magazine. After it is read through it makes a great bathroom magazine. I grew up with it and have continued on in addition to giving my daughters their own subscription. If my son ever moves out I will get him a subscription.






I don't have a favorite book but I have a favorite author. It is Sue Grafton, she writes crime fiction. Her books go by the letter of the alphabet and she is up to to the letter U. The books center around a female private eye. I love her series and I own all of them up to the latest.










Finally my favorite poem is by Robert Frost. It is called Nothing Gold Can Stay. I first read in the book "The Outsiders." I love poetry, love to write it and love to read it.





Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Songs and memories

Ah songs, they play in the background of movies and TV shows but also are reminders of different aspects of our lives.

One song that brings back memories is Alan Jackson's "Don"t Rock the Jukebox" My son Timothy was a little tyke when that came out and he loved that song and would dance to it.




Another song is Celine Dion's "Fly" It was played at my grandson's memorial




Another song is Keith Urban's "Stupid Boy" my daughter Melissa had a boyfriend from high school and they were together for 10 years and he never realized just how awesome and special Melissa is. He kept trying to manipulate her into his mold and missed out on the real Melissa. In the end he treated her horribly before finally breaking it off with her.



Another is Guns and Roses "Welcome to the Jungle" because my other daughter Sarah was in the marching band at high school in the drum section and this was one song that strongly featured the drum section and it was awesome.






The final song is Faith Hill's "Breathe." That is Dennis and my song and we danced to it at our wedding. Every time I hear this song I am so moved by it.



Those are just a few of songs that bring memories. Tomorrow I start a full time job so not sure I will be doing this every day but I will strive to do it at least twice a week.

Ninjas Versus Pirates, in 100 Words

Robots vs Zombies, vs Ninjas vs Pirates

On the other side of the bushes the small group of ninjas stood in a circle trying to plot out what they would do. Behind the walls of the building the pirates were kneeling on the ground planning out their defense. Decisions had to be made what side to come from and what their strategy would be in this skirmish. Finally decisions were made and each side began to run towards each other. Both groups stopped quickly and the leaders reached out, ringing the doorbell at the same time. “Trick or treat” they all yelled when the door was opened.

Worst Advice

What is the worst advice I have ever received? Well the only thing I can think of is when I first starting dating Dennis a friend of mine before she had even met him said I needed to stop seeing him, that it would not turn out good for me. I know she was worried about me getting hurt. However I did not follow this advice and I am very happy being married to Dennis. I love and adore my husband and he loves and adores me.

Best Advice

I am supposed to write what the best piece of advice I have had. I would say one of the best pieces of advice would be don't wash whites and dark colors together, especially red. You will end up with the whites not being white anymore or if one is like me and uses bleach with the whites all colors will be affected. So there that is the best piece of advice I can think of, yes I know it may seem trivial but to me it is an important thing to remember when washing clothes. I don't have money to replace clothes I ruin because I do not heed this advice.

My Favorite Cliché

Serious morning thoughts: Wild Gibraltar Barbary Macaque ape

HMM what is my favorite cliche?? One of my favorite is one my father in law used to say because it reminds me of him when I say it or hear it.

He would say "she'll be on you like ugly on an ape." He would be referring to when one of the grand kids would misbehave and to warn them that grandma was gonna get after them. He was my father in law from my first marriage. After my divorce from their son both my father in law and mother in law still considered me their daughter. They have both died and I miss them so much.

They were the most amazing, caring and loving couple ever.

Comfort food

Today's challenge is what is my ultimate comfort food and I have to choose just one. You got to be kidding me!! I tend to eat compulsively especially when emotions are haywire so most foods can be a comfort food but since I can only pick one I will pick cheeseburgers. A good cheeseburger just brings ultimate satisfaction to me especially if it is grilled. Dennis knows this and there are times when I have had a rough day that he will make cheeseburgers for dinner. There is just something about the hamburger and cheese together on a yummy bun with mustard, ketchup and pickles. I might sometimes put lettuce and tomato but I am okay without those. Even typing about it makes me want one. YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Safe Versus Sorry

I know my safe versus sorry decision could meet with some hostility but I will share it anyway. When I was a teenager I volunteered with Special Olympics. It was my senior year in high school and it was a class requirement. From working with them just that short time I knew I did not have the disposition to handle special needs children. That conviction never wavered. I admire people who have children like that, they have something within them that I respect very much. Some good friends of mine had a little girl with down syndrome and talk about the perfect parents with all their extended family living nearby. I knew Kirsten was a very blessed little girl to be born into that family.



When I was pregnant with my third child there was a slight chance he could have spinal bifida, I had ultra sounds for the next 4 months till I was 8 months pregnant and the doctor could tell by his size he did not have it. I knew then and there that my son would be my last. I was not willing to take a chance of a future child having some kind of issue.I felt this was a way of telling me no more kids, three is enough. So my then husband had a vasectomy shortly after Timothy was born.



Timothy turned 21 this year so in these past 2 decades I do not ever regret making that decision. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am wired too much like my dad. I won't go into details what that means but let's just go with it was the absolute right choice to be safe versus sorry.

My day so far

This day's challenge is to write how my day was. Well it is still morning so all I can do is write about it so far. I was up way too early, I did not go to back to sleep after Dennis left for work at about 5:40 AM. So I laid in bed for about another hour talking myself into going to the gym that early. I knew it was too early to walk the dogs cuz it was still mainly dark outside. So I got up, put on my workout clothes and away I went.





It is a full moon right now so even though dusk was not far away the moon was still bright and full in the sky. Last night when I took the dogs on their last walk of the day the moon was gorgeous against a black sky. Both were Such glorious sights to see. It is called a harvest moon because it is the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox. The beauty God surrounds us with is astonishing. If there is such beauty on earth what will heaven be like.







So I got to the YMCA and worked out for an hour, came home, walking the dogs for about half an hour. Then I did my Bible study and prayers. Afterwards I read a chapter in the book Finding God by Dr Larry Crabb. I have read it before but it is time to read it again.

So now I am doing my daily blogging. It is a chilly morning. I have windows and doors open but am wearing sweat pants, a thick t-shirt and socks. I also plan to take a nap later on today. I am drowsy now so it won't be long till I can't keep my eyes open. I want to take advantage of being able to nap during the day because when I get a job I won't have the opportunity. I am enjoying not working but I am looking, putting in my resume, etc. It is tough out there especially in this small town. However I hold on to the truth that God has brought us to this place for this time. I know He will provide what is needed.

So that is my day so far.

I want what I want. HA HA

This day's challenge is right now I really want_______________?

Well I gave up drinking soda pop, specifically Coke Zero cuz of acid reflux. It was hard enough I gave up Coke Classic cuz of the calories I adjusted to Coke Zero. But even though I take Prilosec and that controls the acid my doctor thinks the reflux action is still happening which is why I have had a persistent cough for a couple of months. So I looked up stuff to avoid and caffeine and carbonation are two things so bummer. But this is my second day and the cough has not been as much. Usually I would get one after working out to have with lunch and would always end up coughing a lot in the afternoon. There are also foods to cut out and I am working on that. Plus to not eat within 3 hours of going to bed and no eat a heavy meal for dinner. The bonus will be I will drop weight for sure which will help control the reflux. So while I really want a Coke Zero I won't get one because I do not miss the coughing.

Three Songs I Never Get Sick of

Iris by Goo Goo Dolls

This song is what got me listening to the Goo Goo Dolls. They are one of my favorite bands and one of the few I will buy a new CD without having heard any songs on it. But this song is my favorite by them and while I love many of their other songs this one has remained my favorite thus far. The words and music are so well written. But Johnny Reznick is an awesome songwriter and to see this band live is a treat.

King Of Anything by Sara Barellias

This is a new song but the first time I heard it I was hooked. The words are great. "Who cares if you disagree, you are not me, who made you king of anything" All the lyrics are so much fun to sing along with.

How Far We've Come by Matchbox Twenty

I used to have this song as a ring tone on a old phone I love it so much. Matchbox Twenty is another one of my favorite groups and one of the few I will buy a new CD without having heard any of the songs. As for why it is one I can never get tired, not sure, just the words, the music, the feel of the song,. Rob Thomas, who also has a great solo career is so awesome as a songwriter and singer. Matchbox Twenty is great to see live.

Ah High School

This day's writing is on something embarrassing that happened in high school. Well the one I will write about happened my junior year. I went to Yuma High School. I rarely wore dresses and after this incident I think I quit wearing dresses in high school except one time during my senior year. But I digress, my junior year, it was my first year at this high school having moved to Yuma from Flagstaff just before my junior year. It was lunch time and in the cafeteria. I was sitting at a table with a few friends unaware that when I sat down my dress went up in the back and I was flashing my underwear at everyone sitting behind me. Thank goodness this was before the day of thong underwear but even it had been I still wouldn't have worn it with a dress. So I was sitting there chatting and such when a friend, Jeff. came up behind me and told me about my dress. I quickly tucked it under me and while I was embarrassed I didn't get up and run out of the cafeteria which would have made it worse. I look back now and think big deal but in high school it was a big deal.

Quote I dislike

Today's is my least favorite quote and the one that is one I absolutely dislike.

"Do as I say, not as I do"

That quote is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Especially as parents, we should be good role models for them. Your kids might and I mean might do what you say but they will almost always do what you do. I also remember once at a job I had when I was 19 years old. I was told by the store manager that if my immediate supervisor wanted to sit around and do nothing all day then that was okay. Wow what kind of example is that setting for employees. Or a dad who beats his wife telling his son you don't hit girls. Uh I am guessing that it was no big surprise that he beat his wife. So that is one quote I dislike very much.

Favorite quote

Skipped another day but my husband and I went to a hotel in town for our anniversary which was this past Monday. It was a great time. We stayed in the Hilton right by the Snake River. We walked to the Brownstone Brewery that is down the street, walking along the river. It was good food and just so beautiful outside. The hotel was just gorgeous and the room nice and spacious. We had coupons for a free breakfast this morning which was yummy. And even though it was in town it was a nice and relaxing overnight stay.





So today's is what is my favorite quote and why. The above clip does not contain my favorite quote but it is a clip from the person who wrote it. It is Michael J Fox and the quote is from his book "Always Looking Up"

"So, sure, it may be one step forward and two steps back, but after a time with Parkinson's, I've learned that what is important is making that one step count; always looking up."

Here is a man living with a degenerative disease and has maintained a positive attitude. He has his difficult and negative times but he keeps a good focus. And this quote inspires because I see what he faces and if he can keep looking up then in the things I face I should be able to do the same. That those times when I feel like I am walking backwards more than moving forward to just make the moving forward matter and keep looking up.

TV Character

So today's is what TV character do I think I am most like. I can't think of any specific character. I believe I am like all those woman in TV shows who have faced hard circumstances in their lives and were victorious through them. Roseanne who lived paycheck to paycheck persevered with her husband and they worked together to keep things going. Or Jeannie Boulet a Physicians assistant on ER on contracted aids from her husband and still worked in her profession. Or Olivia on Law & Order SVU who was conceived when her mother was raped and herself came close to being raped when she went undercover in a women's prison. I could even point out Shirley Partridge who when widowed with 5 children became part of her kid's band and they went on tour. I could go on and on about women TV characters who have withstood hardships and were victorious through them. I have had many hardships and horrible circumstances throughout my whole life and I believe I have been victorious through them. And while at times things can still be tough I know I can withstand and come through whatever happens in victory.

Re-live one year NOT!!

I am a day behind because yesterday the internet was down all day. So the next writing challenge is if you could re-live one year of your life, without changing anything, which year would you choose? Some years were awful, some so-so and some great. I say none of them, because how could I go back knowing what I know and not want to change something. Which would then affect where I am today so no I choose none of them. I am content where I am at and can look back and know that each year since my birth has been a path to here which is a path to the future, whatever that may be.

My life is a process moving towards perfection in Jesus Christ which will not be fully achieved till I die and am in heaven. Each moment of my life shapes and molds me, prepares for what is ahead. Yes there are times I slip or choose a wrong way but God is always there with me even in those times I mess up. He is my Abba Father who loves me unconditionally and not only that He likes me, faults and all. He wants to use me as I am, not who others think I should be or sometimes even who I think I should be. So all those years that have passed have been towards God and to go back is to look back and remember what happened to Lot's wife when she looked back as Sodom and Gomorrah were being destroyed. Pillar of salt!

So I will look ahead, strive to remember the lessons I learned from the mistakes I made in the past but I would not want to go back to re-live a year in my life. I want to remember that the bottom line is to glorify God. I constantly lose sight of that but God always brings me back to that truth.

Perfect Saturday

Today's challenge is what would my perfect Saturday be like. Well first off it would all be spent with Dennis. We would sleep in late then take our time to get up. We would get dressed, have a quick breakfast, take the dogs for a quick walk then head to the farmer's market to see what goodies we could pick up-fruit, veggies, breads, etc. and sampling other things like candy apples, chocolate covered pretzels. After we were done we would go home and put our goodies away.

We would pack a picnic lunch, water, dog biscuits and gather up our dogs into the car and drive over to the Greenbelt area and walk the 2 mile loop with them. It is an awesome walk by the Snake River and the falls. After we walked the loop we would get our stuff from the car, find a picnic table, loop the leashes around one of the legs so the dogs are secure. We would give the dogs biscuits and water then eat our lunch while enjoying the sound of the falls, which is on my list of favorite sounds. After we were done we would pack stuff up and head back home.

At home we would just relax for the rest of the afternoon, catching up on emails and other stuff. Before dinner we would take the dogs for a quick walk. Then for dinner we would walk to Texas Roadhouse which is just a block away. Have a relaxing dinner, order dessert to go. That evening we would spend it on the couch cuddling up and watching a movie plus enjoying whatever yummy dessert we ordered. Later that evening we would take the dogs for a final long walk, enjoying the cool air.

That would be my perfect Saturday.