Quick Thoughts

Good morning!  Just a couple quick thoughts for you before I get started on this very busy Saturday.

I have two awesome reviews and giveaways coming up in the next few weeks, so you'll want to keep an eye out for those.

Dick and I took a day trip to Notre Dame to wander the campus and take tons of pictures.  We had a great time.  Hopefully, by tomorrow night, I'll be able to do a picture post about that place.  We love it there so much!

Our granddaughter, Lizzy turns four tomorrow.  That just doesn't seem possible. 

We had all three grand kids spend the night on Thursday.  That was a first and it turned out fine.  Jack (age 2) only missed his mommy once at 5:30 a.m.

I had a Gold Rush Girls party last night.  Was that ever fun.  I think it is the first home party ever where you leave with money instead of spending money.  If you ever get invited to one, GO.  They are awesome.

I watch my Feedjit on the sidebar of this blog all the time.  I wonder who all these people are that come here.  If you would be so kind, could you leave a comment and tell me who you are.  The curiosity is killing me.  Let's just call it my personal "delurking" day.

Time to get moving.  I have a full day and night ahead and I have a 5k Zombie Dash to get to. 

I hope you all have a great weekend!

I leave you with a picture from our ND trip. 

GO ND!!!  8 - 0 is in your future!

Down Memory Lane

It was a perfect fall day.  The sun was warm and the air was crisp.  The temperature was in the 50's.  I decided it was a great day for a walk with my camera.

I took my normal route and headed toward town.  It was the European Market downtown.  Lots of people and vendors.  I passed the gazebo in the park.

I kept on walking but, when I got to Morgan Avenue instead of going straight, I turned left.  I found myself walking down this very familiar hill.  I must have walked up and down this hill a million times as a kid.  You see, I was heading into my old neighborhood.

At the bottom of the hill is Coffee Creek.  I spent so much time in that creek as a kid.  We waded and caught crawdads.  A few times, I even came out with a leech or two on me.  I loved playing down there with my friends.  Do kids still do this, I wonder?

The trees were beautiful.

Each one prettier than the one before it.

But then, I found what I was looking for.  This is the house that I grew up in.  I love this house.  I met the people who live there now a few years ago.  They said I was welcome to come and see the house anytime.  I said no thank you.  Some things you just never want to change and I want to remember that house just the way it was.

If I close my eyes, I can see it.  My dad reading the newspaper on the front porch.  Mom cooking dinner in the kitchen.  My sisters getting ready for their dates.  My brother playing in the back yard with his friends.  And me, sliding down the bannister.  Oh, how I loved to do that.  It was actually the very last thing I did when I left that house when mom sold it.  I was 26 years old and I cried while I did it.  I miss that house, but I sure do love the memories.

Five Question Friday

Five Question Friday

Welcome to another week of Five Questions.  It is looking to be another semi busy weekend, but not too bad.  I'm meeting up with a cousin who is in town, going to a Gold Rush Girls party and of course, watching the Notre Dame football game.  They are 5 - 0!!  I'd like to get in a little hiking, but they are predicting rain.  Maybe I'll get some house cleaning done instaed.  Hope everyone has a good weekend.  Now, on to my answers.

1. Did you have any homecoming traditions?

Nothing really stands out in my mind except going to the football game and then to the homecoming dance.

2. Do you ask your spouse before spending money?
Only if it is a signifigant amount of money  A couple hundred dollars doesn't require any conversation about it.

3. If you could be famous for something what would it be?
My dad always told us to dream big, so why not.  I would love to be known as the person who cured cancer.  I have been touched by this disease too many times in my life and I would love to see it wiped out.

4. Have you ever seriously thought you were going crazy?
No, thank goodness.  I may have said I was going crazy before, but I never really meant it.

5. How do you eat your steak? Burger? (as in, well done, medium, still moo-ing...)

Medium well please.  Just a little pink in the middle.  There is nothing worse than cutting into what looks like a beautiful staek and having it bleed all over your plate.

Living Life in the Moment

Friday, I read a most amazing post over at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.  My friend Mel wrote a post that really got me thinking about how I live my life behind the camera.  I spend far too much time worrying about if my hair is fixed, if I have on make up and if I look too fat to be in front of the camera.  Some day, I'm not going to be here and my kids and grandkids aren't going to have any pictures of me with them. I am always the one taking the pictures.  That stops now.  I made a point of putting myself in the pictures this weekend.  They aren't great.  I didn't take them, so maybe they are a little blurry, but I don't care.  I am in them and was having a great time in front of the camera.  I plan to make this my goal for the rest of my life.  I will still take pictures because that is something I love to do, but I will also turn the camera over to other people to.  I will be in the pictures from now on.

Natalie spent the night on Friday and we just had fun. I let Abby take pictures of us.  Being happy. 

Loving on my precious girl.

 Being silly with my girl.

I let Natalie take pictures of Abby and I. 

A picture of my friend Vickie and I at the breast cancer walk.

A picture of me with our team for the walk, Vickie's Chickies!

The lessen for me in this past few days is that it doesn't matter one little bit what I look like in the pictures.  What matters is that I was in the picture and not behind the camera.  I was

"living life in the moment"

and I will continue to do that.  There is nothing more important than being present in your own life.  Thank you so much, Mel for this most important reminder. 

Walking with the Chicks

Vickie's Chickies 2011

Sunday, I am walking in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.  The picture above is of our team from last year.  Doing this walk is very near and dear to my heart.  Vickie of Vickie's Chickies fame is one of my very best friends in the whole world and she is fighting cancer for the second time in eight years.  

Vickie does this with the utmost grace and inspiration of anyone I know.  If you didn't know she was sick, you would never guess it.  She works a full time job as a first grade teacher.  She is the caregiver to her father and mother-in-law.  She is the first person to help anyone that needs it.  She is my own personal Energizer Bunny.  You never ever hear her ask "why me?"

Vickie is a piece of my heart and I love her.  I do this walk every year for her.  If you could find it in your heart to donate to our team and help us meet our goal, I would be forever grateful.  No amount is too small or too big.  Please click on the link and donate.  Thank you so much!!