Happy (belated) Mother's Day - you're flippen awesome! (found in drafts...forgot to post!)

and I'm the best mom in the world...did you know that?  That's what my mother's day card from my daughter said!  I was really hoping for freakin' awesome, but I guess I'll take flippen!  Gives me something to aspire to for next year!

I really love Mother's Day...as long as I don't expect too much.  My poor niece and sister hate it because they are always disappointed.  But I've found that if I have no expectations - I'm pretty happy with all that happens!  I LOVE the presents that the kids make in elementary school.  Last year, my daughter made me the coolest little book with pockets filled with little notes about me.  This year my son made me an amazing collage of him and a pop up card.  And my daughter made me a cool necklace out of a washer in Young Women's that I love.  My poor 16 year old had no gift so I picked out some really cute little notebooks I couldn't justify buying from Target! 

And I got the best gift from my husband...a gift card to McDonalds!  Yes, he is enabling my McDonald's Coke habit.  What is it about their Coke?  It's so much better than anywhere else!  I also got the nicest card.

Eric had to work all day and evening so the kids and I had a picnic dinner in the livingroom and watched an old Doris Day movie. 

It was a good, good day!

To all you mom's out there...you are flippen awesome!!

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Since my mid-year crisis, I've been trying to make some changes in my life.  It is hard work.  First trying to figure out what to change, then how to change it. I've read some amazing things in my quest.  I first read a book called The Journal Keeper.  It was filled with quotes about fear, and change.  My favorite was:

(apparently I forgot to put my favorite quote here and I have no idea what it was!!)


Then somehow I stumbled upon the book Life is a Verb: 37 days to wake up, be mindful and live intentionally by Patti Digh - and then her website 37days - which I read while waiting for my book to arrive.  It is a gorgeous book.  It's filled with essays and then assignments - for the day, then for the long term.  I love it.  I love reading it, I love the artwork in it. And the first thing on her website is a great essay on how to write a book which can be applied to how to do anything.  The book and website - definitely worth checking out.

So that's what I've been doing.  That, and trying to convince myself I really can live without wheat and corn and peanut butter!  Seriously, it sucks!!  I have lost a few pounds, which is great.  It really takes a lot of planning - which I hate.  I am more of a fly by the seat of my pants gal at mealtimes.  I have definitely not gotten to that point yet - unfortunately.  And oddly, I am developing a lot of aversions to the substitutes I can have.  I'm trying to listen to my body, rather than tell it what to do...but not always patiently!!