Warm Greetings on This Thursday...Meet My Friend John.....

A picture I just love of a pretty room!

Working from home... need to be a quick post. Jumping on a conference call at 9:00. It has been a GREAT WEEK... life is funny like that.... Sunday I had my meltdown and then a new day came and things have been good and filled with life. Looking forward to our second Bible Study Class. We are going to use at least part of this program I found called MACH 1. See





http://www.makingconnections.org/index.html





The content seems interesting. The women in the club are the BOMB. Honest, caring... etc. If your interested please feel free to drop me a line. The club is still forming and it is open to anyone really who wants to join.






My dear friend Shelley sent this to me at work yesterday. I have said this before.. maybe it's because I am in the field of Learning and Development/HR and perhaps that work calls spiritual.../ good people but I have learned sooo much from my colleagues. I wanted to share this message below. Please know my message is not to be "Miss Smiley" even if you want to cry. No, cry Girl.. I do it all the time. Rather my message (to myself really) is pick myself up and dust myself off and find the positive and the life lessons. And realize that life is all in how we see it.. And now John's story....



John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!'He was a natural motivator.If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, 'I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time How do you do it?He replied, 'Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood I choose to be in a good mood.' Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.'Yeah, right, it's not that easy,' I protested. 'Yes, it is,' he said. 'Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life.' I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, 'If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars? I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.'The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,' he replied. 'Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live. 'Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?' I asked He continued, '..the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action. 'What did you do?' I asked.'Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,' said John. 'She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.' He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.> > > > > > Attitude, after all, is everything. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' Matthew 6:34. After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

Make your weekend great. Hugs and love, Gigi P

And she breaks down.............

I just watched Big Love... and it was cathartic. This episode showed how life is far from perfect. And I think we people who hold somewhat romantic notions of parenting and family can often be let down....Today in the Pov life our day was like that.. nothing major.. a typical Sunday... but Mason and CJ continue to have Turf Wars... I know that I am suppose to get two of everything but that works sometimes but not all the times . Sometimes Mason just wants what CJ has because his older brother has it and it has to be better.. and many times they end up screaming and crying.....tonight.. it was over a book.. a Dinosaur Book of course. I tried to share it and read it too both. Mason is just little and hard to rationalize with.. at one point he got angry because CJ was turning the pages of the book slower than he wanted or not to the pages he wanted and hauled off and bit CJ. I screamed. A loud blood curdling scream. They both stared at me kind of shocked... and then we all cried. Chris ran in and said " what happened" and I just cried... it was a release for all different things.. but honestly mostly I was sad and pissed and frustrated and tired. I love to solve problems and this turf war stuff is harder than I expected. I love to have strategies and plans with my kids and I can not seem to get this..... I know in the big picture this is a non issue and that is why I am blogging about it because 20 years from now I will look back and laugh.. but tonight after several days of Turf Wars I am just tired.. and cranky and angry.... and I loved watching BIG LOVE and watching their family vacation fall apart! And I think that is how it is with family.... at least for me.. I am the queen of the romantic notion but at the end of the day it's about being in the moment and experiencing it all.. the good.. the bad.. the ugly and biting! I actually have a smile on my face now... PS: Share suggestions for Turf Wars if you have them.. I am WIDE Open..... friends..... good night! Yep while the rest of the world is watching the Oscars.... I am thinking about bites, and dinosaur books... and how truly unromantic and physically draining raising two young children can be... and through it all I love it.. Tired/ beaten and still sadly in love.............

Life on this Friday

Hey all my dear blog reading friends... I hope this Friday finds you doing well. I am glad it is Friday. Been a good week and I am right this moment feeling...... content and rather excited about the opportunities life brings...simply put I have a lot of different things in the hopper right now....

The List:

- I think I may branch off and create a Mommy Life Coaching Blog. I really love sharing what helps me stay sane.. be reasonably SANE... etc etc and I am noticing that this amazing group of Steele Creek/Berewick Mommies I have come to know and love also share some FANTABULOUS tools with me.. and I want the world to see all this cool stuff. So thinking about either a blog or a website. The other piece is I want to launch an aspect of my MomCoaching business and this will help me with that as well. I want to keep this blog as my Family Journal and an ODE to my beloved boys..... the father above..... (my love)Chris and my little men.. CJ & May May.....

- At work the Women's Resource Group I am a part of is working on some really cool stuff that energizes me. I lead a subteam and love it. We are looking at some fun networking/ career development stuff. LOVE it, love it. I recently attended the NC WOMENS Conference and heard Susan Taylor( former Essence Mag Editor) speak and she spoke of how it is time for WOMEN to take the POWER and LEAD I agree. We have the balance of head and heart and common sense to help put this country and our world back together...... I am ready to be involved! Forgive me if I wrote all this in another entry.. just reinspired......

- thinking of the Love Dare......Chris and I are both kind of getting into this Love Dare. We do our "lesson" every day. Remember there are 40 days of love challenges. I personally love this assignment because EVERY DAY we have a few minutes of connection. Chris has been fantastic. He really makes me smile as he presents his list of what I love about you... or what annoys me list for the day...... Just like my Chris he approaches these activities with thoughtfulness and organization. Chris will have a perfect written out list and me... off the cuff or written on a crumbled up napkin(remember he is the organized one and moi... I have other gifts.......)

http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.4845189/k.F3D8/Love_Dare/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp

- see the love dare to be reminded about this.. great for couples and all partnered folks.... On Day two or three we had to buy a token for our partner. Chris bought me two dozen roses( it was right around Valentines Day) and I bought him.............

Hot Tamales( he loves them)......It reminded me of the Gift of the Magi if you are familiar with that beautiful story....

- Bible Study - looking forward to launching a series with some neighbors. All that is going on in the world has really led me to want to get closer to God. I find it interesting to read of jealousy and greed and hatred..... all the stuff we deal with today. I am not a "follow the Bible Word for Word( if you are that is really cool for you so do not be offended)"... but I am very excited to learn more and apply to my life as a women, wife, mom..... Anyway we meet tomorrow am and I look forward to just a few minutes of praying.... I find it hard these days to just be still and quiet if just for 2-5 minutes.... and I love and live for deeper connections with myself and others. But please do not interpret that as does not like to have fun.. I love to have a great time and laugh and have some cocktails just as much as I love to get deep!

- My boys.....Mason says "Uppy" to be picked up or get up on the couch. CJ ate a piece of brocoli in school this week, which is a very big FEAT in our house! Thank you to his teachers. I am buying a pound of it to feed him intravenously and try and pump those veggies in...... I am determined to keep asking.. and asking him to try Thank You bites... of different good for you things...... He will be a 50 year old man and his elderly mommy( I will be 85) will be asking him to take a THANK YOU BITE.

- Cathecist of the Good Shepard.... I am watching two videos on this Montessori style approach to teaching Faith Formation. Love it... the videos are old but the message about respect for children and for allowing them to come to faith in their own experiential way is very cool.......

- Wife Swap.... I can not stop thinking about this wife swap show I saw recently. There is a show with the "Fowlers" on it..... The Fowlers looked like such a cool family.. into enviromentalism,, education,,, life coaching and life purpose stuff.... but as the show went on the husband was really very hurtful to his "adopted" wife.... it was hard to watch..... and I think it gave a bad name to many of the things/ideals..I really think are wonderful and important.... I literally could not believe what I was hearing and watching.. to tell you the truth... I guess that is why the show is interesting. It is rather fun to peer into a family's life... Every family has a style.... I see it all the time.... nutrition, sports, green, education, faith....... success, organized/ not organized.. routine/ no routine.......spank/no spank.......breastfeed/no breastfeed.... traditional schools/ untraditional/homeschool... WOW... and I find it all soooo interesting... and I often think there really is not one best way to be a family... ( well I have ideas of course for my FAMILY but that is MY FAMILY....lol).... I try not to judge but the truth is we all do .. we all have that moment in our head when we think.. " OH NO SHE DIDN'T???????"..... I am learning to see that moment and kind of inner smile and let it go........

here is a link to see some of it yourself.... again makes me sad.. i really think the San Fran Mom is pretty cool..( but I am into all of that lifepurpose stuff that I have heard others call WOO WOO)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Eh4jpSNn-Q

So that is the update for right now....... I am heading to try and do a quick 10 minutes of yoga before my boys come running in and it's love and hug and FOOD FRIDAY FEST........

Fun in Youngsville

So we had such a fun weekend. It was a 10+ on a ten scale( remember I am a trainer by day so those little happy sheets and evaluations are very important to me LOL) ... Anyway..... we visited my sis in law and friend Lori and the Handsome H family in Youngsville, NC. It is a three hour ride so not too far. We were celebrating my little god daughter's fourth Birthday. So you know I was not going to miss a fun GIRLY FEST!!!!!!!!! We love visiting our dear Youngsvillians(??? I made that up) but we really love visiting them. There home reeks of love, and comfort and family and children. CJ is excited for weeks before we go. They have a MACK DADDY Playroom that my boys can spend the entire day playing in.....So anyway.. we celebrated Valentines Day then got to see Uncle Will coach Counsin Ben's Bball team then celebrated ala Little Mermaid Themed Fiesta. Then my fave part.... DATE NIGHT( yes My inlaws are really this cool and always give us some nonbaby time). Lor, Will, Chris and I went to see " He is just NOT that into you- very cute movie" and hit Starbucks before. I got my fave CHAI LATTE. The simply things in life a Chai, a movie and holding hands and laughing too loud with Chris just make me a very happy girl! Sunday we attended mass at St. Catherine's of Siena( their church). I love/ LOVE their church. It is sooo kid friendly and we got this really cool children's liturgy guide called Magnfi- Kid that tells all about the mass and the weekly lessons. I am reading it so I understand more! LOL. Anyway, great church! SUPER DUPER YUMMY FOOD , FAMILY and FIESTA. A great time was had by all! Happy Birthday to my sweet god daughter, she made me proud wearin' her tiara and all her girly stuff. I ADORE HER! Some pics below. Happy week to you all! DO FUN STUFF LIFE IS SHORT!

I love Valentines Day.. Aunt Lor had a sweet table all decked...

Out of order but my boys loved playing outside in their great backyard...

My little men

I actually took this back home on Sunday.. Mason has taken to shutting his eyes when he says CHEESE....

Saturday AM... another Pancake Ritual

This kitchen set is kitchen on one side and DINER on the other. My boys ADORED IT!

And the family heirloom piano.. BEAUTIFUL!

This was sooooo fun.. Aunt Lor always has fun stuff to do....... her my guys got to participate in the H Family Tradition of Recording your height on the Hall Closet Door

Ben the pro at this...

And a very serious Ryan

The playroom has a totally cool tent from the H family other aunt Lauren.. my boys loved it. May have to save for one. PS: I LOVE MY SLIPPERS.. they are my FAVES

CJ chillin' in the tent.. note dinosaurs and animals in tent too

The H's are great parents. Here is Uncle Will as coach for Ben's team.

The reason my heart beats......

Aunt Lori and Birthday Girl

Outside fun... Uncle Will is building a too cool treehouse too! We are excited!

Chris and his dad play some bball.

This is what brings my Chris Joy .. oh and Golf and family of course!

Art by Moi

Mason.. this captures Mason... he loves being outside carrying a football or basketball around

Little Mermaid the Lovely Ariel... so fun!

And our little mermaid Ryan

This was a big hit.. Pin the tail on the Mermaid(Ariel)

Mason

got the toddler advantage and did this sans blindfold
Ben getting into it

YUMMY and sooooooooo cute.... look at this sweet cake!

The Handsome Pov Cousins... Ben and CJ

I want this bow! I WANT THIS BOW. I really do!!!!!!!!!!!!! how cute is Miss Ryan?

This photo captures Ryan.. dont let the cuteness fool you she is Miss Mischief too...

Cousins

Oh I love this tee Uncle Jerry sent to Miss Ryan. SO CUTE!

Every girl should have a tiarra. I swear I have one just like it.. and wearing it cures any kind of BAD DAY! Go get a tiarra today if you do not have one! WEAR it when no one is looking if you must!

Cool cousin Ben: note I love this shirt! So cute/hip!

Church outfit on Sunday..... soo cute.. polkadots are just FAB!

Lori, me and the My Mom in law Eileen... We are very cute I might add! We are all wearing tops compliments of Uncle Jerry( Christmas 2008) and we match.... tooo cute!

CJ playing outside

boys outside on a beautiful day
CJ and his goddaddy.. uncle will.
The lovely birthday girl on Sunday before we leave

Here's to a great week. LIVE PEOPLE LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

This PRETTY PINK MOMMY is very excited..... it's Valentines Time!!!!! What is not to love about a holiday that features fun things like PINK and RED and CHOCOLATE?????? I am very excited. I will post more shortly.. but for now enjoy LOVE IS IN THE AIR..... as well as my tip for the day..

I copied this from a site I like: Petite Planet( she is an adorable mom who is very GREEN and Social Responsibility Aware)http://www.petiteplanet.blogspot.com ( is her site)...

I Love You More Than... ( actual link- just click)
I heart these waste-free, fun Valentine heart messages at the I Love You More Than Blank site. You can go there and submit your own phrase as a secret admirer sending a message into space, as a doting mom, loving wife, or whatever you happen to be! Just click on the

submit love (actual link just click) button and type away. Or, if you'd rather be more voyeuristic, read what others have to say about love. It will certainly get you into the spirit of Valentine's Day, and you'll surely get a chuckle out of the funny expressions. Not all of these are child appropriate, (some messages are a bit mature in concept) so parents, read them during nap time or downtime, and submit your own eco-friendly Valentine message when the spirit moves you!

Fragmented Thoughts from a Fantabulous Friday

Happy Friday everyone.... hope your well.

So as I thought about the title of this post I was not really sure what the heck to call it. As usual my mind is a swirl of all these different thoughts. Seriously this is how my brain works... I just move from thought to thought.. often unassociated. Is it mommy brain??????? This is my brain at any given moment..... "are the boys warm enough? Oh I have to type up that Needs Assessment for Work, oh I have to work on that Women's Resource Network thingy... oh... I love that (insert).. cute blouse/craft/ pretty thing....... how can I make that into a Momprenaur Business? How am I feeling right now? What words would I use to describe it? What is my purpose? Am I living it? Am I authentic? Do we have enough money to make it through this recession?What can we do for others less fortunate.. and so on and so on...



So for this Fantabulous Friday here is what is on my mind:



1. Are you taking care of yourself? Seriously one of my goals this year is to put me at the top of my list and not feel guilty. I am doing pretty well. I enjoy my warm baths... my inspirational books and yoga. I am OK saying to the boys... "Mommy needs a few quiet minutes to just sit". Today on Good Morning America, Dr. Oz said one of the best gifts we can give our kids is to demonstrate someone who takes care of themselves. As I think about this I think it is really important. I want my boys to be good men but I do not want them to be DOOR MATS. I want them to love God(well I would like them to love God but they will have to decide) and love themselves. So I was reminded today to show them that I am comfortable with putting ME at the TOP of MY List...... Hope your doing something that you love just for YOU!



2. Marriage is on my mind. I also think a great thing we can give our children is the demonstration of a good marriage or partnered relationship. I have heard Dr. Phil say time and time again.. the best thing a husband and wife can give their kids is an example of what a loving relationship looks like. I really agree. For the first few years I was a mom I thought being a mom was primary. But as of late my thinking has changed. I really think your marriage may need even more focus than your parenting...... Because I am a Life Coach in training and because of the HR/ Learning and Development Work I do at Wachovia/Wells.. I know a fair amount of of Life Coaches and I get coached ALOT( usually for free and sometimes whether I want to be coached or not.. LOL)..... Anyway.. here are some tools that have been shared with me and I of course am sharing with Chris. ( I think I drive him crazy but because he loves me he will usually go along with it) Laughing.... but seriously I think these tools are great:



Tool 1: The Five Love Languages... http://www.fivelovelanguages.com/

Basically there are five ways that people like to be loved or love others. Once you find the way you love and like to be loved and your significant other's same areas then you can discuss and be intentional about how you love and need to loved. My friend Kim M introduced me to this several years ago and I was just reminded recently of it.





Tool 2: See the movie Fireproof. Chris and I saw this last year. Note it is a Christian Movie and we had never been to a Christian Flick Before. It may not be for everyone but once I got pass some of the not so great acting( acting kinda sucked( KIRK CAMERON WAS GREAT .. but I have to support KIRK). But some of the other actors " NOT SO HOT". Anyway, I loved the movie and the reminder about love and loving and how it is a choice we make every day and is not often easy.



Tool 3: Or take part in the Love Dare. The Love Dare is a big tool woven throughout the movie Fireproof. I really do not want to push my faith onto others so let me say again it is Christian based but I really think there are lessons for any married or partnered couple. The basis is that for 40 days you do these various acts of love to show your love and appreciation for one another. Chris and I started today.. so I will have to let you know what it is like or how it goes..... along with each dare there is an accompanying Bible Reading. Since I have energy around learning the bible I will read that piece but I do not think everyone has to. So I think it can be applied to anyone.... to see the dare. see http://www.familylife.com/site/c.dnJHKLNnFoG/b.4845189/k.F3D8/Love_Dare/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp

And of course let me share an update on my boys....

CJ was able to view some pictures this week of his classmate Daniela who is in Peru. Daniela goes to Peru every winter to avoid getting serious colds. Her grands liver there. Cj really likes Daniela and misses her. So it was great to share the pictures. It was also cool to see the wonderful Peruvian Culture all the sights and some yummy food pictures. We are also working on Letter Recognition. Specifically we are working with Cj on the shapes and sounds each letter makes. I really am enjoying the educational piece of raising children much more than I thought I would. CJ still loves Dinosaurs. And he really enjoys hearing mommy stutter and stammer as I try to pronounce the names of these suckers. I actually laugh too. Our night time reading goes like this " OK CJ pick a DIno Flash Card.. and he will pick one and then I say OK this is.... AH,, ummmmmm this is ARKKKKKKKKKK-EEEEEEEEE OP- TER IX.. yeah that is right ARCHAEOPTERYX". WE look at eachother and just HOWL!!!!!

Mason turned 18 months on Thursday. He is saying "CJ" pretty clearly now as well as some other words. Mason loves art. In fact the only way I am able to type right now is because they are both enjoying some coloring. I see very green fingers so my time is short!

And then of course we had Family Fun Nights this week. Chris was lead facilitator. The first was... jump on every seat cushion we have night. And last night Chris made the Pancake Batter with the boys so it is made this am. Take a peek at my beloved boys....... enjoy your weekend. I would love any tips you have on building a great marriage/ partnership.. Love each other, love yourself and love what every version of DIVINE you believe in. Hugs and Love G

pics below:

CJ doing a couch dive...

And of course we have had some family fun nights......

My orchid still looks lovely.

Mason after a dive

Pancake Night

The boys love this and we have gotten pretty good at controlling the mess!