Do It Anyway.....

It seems 'LIFE'

is on my mind...simple, sweet, scary and sad,

wonderful, unpredictable...

beautiful

LIFE!

How many of you have heard the 'story'

about the elderly woman who lost her husband?

It was valentine's day, and oh how she missed him..

it was her first without him.

The day wore on and her heart was heavy, with missing him,

with grief and just wanting to have him near her again...

she heard a knock on the door..

who could it be?

and as she opened the door 

there stood the florist with

a dozen long stem, red roses.

It must be a trick she thought, a cruel trick,

for this is what her beloved husband had sent her, each year

always, throughout there life together on 

Valentines Day!

so she called the florist, this is a cruel mistake she said, he is gone.

the florist assured her, "it was not, before he got so ill, he made plans,

that for the next years ahead

a dozen roses would be sent to her,

on each Valentines Day, after he was gone!

the elderly lady fell silent, could it be?

she got off the phone and slowly opened the card...

and there were the words..the words he always wrote

and yet one word was different,

always he wrote, "I love you always"

this time the card said, "I love you eternally"

She held the rose's close and the card,

tear's came, as she heard from her beloved

On Valentine's Day!

Stories like this, I have always loved..always.

there are young father's and mother's who leave behind

video's of themselves and notes and cards...

so there children know, how much they were loved.

My mother also always loved this. I always assumed the gift behind knowing

you had a illness, was the gift to do these kind of things, or to say

what needs to be said, leaving nothing unsaid behind.

A tragic accident doesn't allow one to be able

to do these things...

Yet, my mother, couldn't do this..bless her heart! and yet,

I would of loved to have had something, just a little note...My mom

couldn't say goodbye...

I realize for my mom, to do this, was to confront the 'possibility' she wouldn't

get her miracle, and she just couldn't do it, being in

denial was safer for her...

The other day it occurred to me..why do we need a illness to make us aware?

I can do this now! I am a Mom, a Grandma, a Wife, a Sibling, a friend.

I can leave behind my messages...just in case.

My messages of love...and I can always, always Add to them if I want to.

I can do today, what I think is a beautiful gift to leave behind for those

I love. I don't have to wait for a illness..

or worse have a tragedy were I don't get the opportunity

I can just "Do it Anyway"

and since doing it "Anyway" has always been me...

this seemed to fit and make me smile...

Life is about 'Doing it Anyway" there doesn't have to be a time or 

place that is correct... it doesn't have to be reciprocated...

we can always do what our heart believes shows love

we can always do whatever we want that is

beautiful ..it's 

OUR LIFE!

DO IT ANYWAY!

Have a blessed and happy, loved filled Valentine's day!

Vintage linen Valentine's...and other fun idea's

 I love love ALL the Holidays!

'LOVE MONTH'

is no exception! Yes, Love month!

In Elementary school...it was sitting at your desk,

Opening each Valentine ... hoping

that 'one' would say that something special!

If you went to school in the Era I did...then you would know ...we always put something on the cards

when we liked someone... and I remember....just hoping

I would get that card that would say

"Your Cute"

or

"I Like you"

or 

"Your Pretty"

or..or..or....

Because when you did...you floated home on a cloud!!!

That was a good Valentine's day at Age 8,9,10!!!

Later in Jr High and High School, the pressure was even more!

in our school the Cooking class, made Giant cookies to sell.

you could Buy a giant cookie for someone,

and write anything you liked on it!

At the end of the day, these cookies were handed out!

The delivery 'Kids' would come into each class and walk around

to those 'Lucky' ones that had gotten a Giant Valentine cookie

from someone...it seems that some got more then one...

and then there was ummm me....for reasons

unknown...I never got one!

Or there was a stage in High School when those that had a Boyfriend,

received a promise ring on Valentine's day!

I had 2 Girlfriends one year, that received promise ring's

we oooh and awwwed over the ring and diamond...yes diamond!

OK, so maybe the diamond was small, like micro-diamond...

but still, it said something...

THEY were loved! 

Oh yes, I always received a Valentine from my Mom, or a girlfriend...but when your a

Teen...that just didn't seem the same! 

Some girls, received rose's and other's chocolate's

and the most popular girls got all of the above!!!

with a Big Giant cookie to boot!  

Then I got Married! and I thought YES, finally..I will get rings, and chocolates,

rose's and romance...

BUT... my husband is a 'man's man' and thus rose's and chocolate's, ring's and diamond's

were just not him...

however, I did receive always a beautiful card..with words that brought me to tears.

On our first Valentine's he made a wood heart and hung hooks on it...

for my necklace's.  May I add, we really didn't have money, for rose's and chocolate's

ring's and diamonds...back then...

Then came the year, my husband was working out of town, and so busy...no card came!

This was approx. 13  years ago. Our girls were in High School and I received a 

e-mail from 'someone'...she was newly married for the second time

and was sharing her 1st Valentine's with me...

As I started reading, my oldest daughter stands by me reading also...it went something like this..

"I woke up to rose petal's making a path to the bathroom, when I got there,

music was playing and there was a little box...

 ... In it was a diamond tennis bracelet,

later at work the florist came with 24 long stemmed rose's,

and when I got home that night...

There were chocolates and a card... he also brought in someone to give me a

personal massage...Then of course,  (OF COURSE)

we went out to dinner at one of my favorite restaurant...

It has truly been the best Valentine's day!"  

you could of heard a pin drop as my Daughter and I came to the end...

and then my daughter said, 

"MOM, your Valentine's SUCKED"

(May I add, this daughter has brought much laughter to our lives) 

A part of me wanted to hit the reply button and say, "In the future please

keep your wonderful days to yourself"!!!

10 years later..this marriage of this someone was over!

however, I am still here...with my Manly man husband!

I think of the Diamond ring he gave me, for my 30th birthday!

the one he wanted me to have from day one!

I think of the locket he gave me on a birthday, with pictures of our kids on one side

and a picture of him on the other side. Then there was the Black Golds ring,

 this past July as my Birthday fell on the day we had my mom's service.

It was a ring that had 2 hearts intertwined..for my Mom and I.

There are moments throughout the year,  that he tries romance, and he

makes me laugh often...but he is a man's man!

Yet I have come to realize..his gift's.

When it's freezing outside and the plumbing freezes, it's not me out

there, but him. And then he also helps all the neighbor's.

When we break down... I am in the car, when he is out fixing the car..in the heat, cold or dark.

There truly is nothing my husband can't fix! and he fixes it right...!

I don't have to worry about all that Yucky stuff...because he is out there Fixing it!

Anything heavy he lift's, he builds homes, roofs, gates, cement paths, porches..nothing is out of his reach...even when the plumbing backs up!!! (I so wouldn't want that job)

he is the man on the job!

and that I have come to realize is

LOVE!

Romance can go as quickly as it came, but LOVE..real love..well it stays!

So I call February "love month"

a reminder to let the people we love know..! Not just our Husbands,

but our parents, our children our friends...etc

a time to remember all those 'thing's' that show what love,

Truly is!

I hope your Month, your Valentine's..will be as GOOD as mine have

always been!

Thanks for stopping by! would love to hear from you!

Today is world Cancer Day!!!

Some things just need to be addressed, to bring more support, more awareness

at a fight that is going on, all over the world...touching so many lives!

This is Reagan with Lindsey. They both lost there fight with cancer!

from Reagan's Mom...Shelby, "Today is World Cancer Day. Please take a moment to acknowledge every warrior who has ever fought or is still fighting this horrific disease. It is my prayer that someday there will be a cure so that no one else will have to suffer like Rae Rae or my very best friend Lindsey did.

And This is my mom and I. She lost her battle with pancreatic cancer!

There are many more,.... friends, cousins, co workers, family..

that are fighting cancer with all they have.

They say once cancer enters your life....it's  there to stay!

When you loose people you love to this illness...you tend to always

be involved, to want awareness! 

Below is Reagan's memorial video. I want to share it because this beautiful

lil girl lost her battle right after she turned 3 years old.  Her parents went to 

grief support groups, they raise money for St Jude's and run marathons

they are laughing and smiling again...and as young as they are, have chosen

to weather the storm of utter heartache together!   We all don't want her

to be ever forgotten!

January 21st 2014 Reagan would have been 5 years old

from her mom Shelby

"When I held my baby for the first time five years ago I thought I would have a lifetime of milestones, memories, and birthdays. However God had a different plan, but that doesn't completely ease the ache I feel or the massive hole in my heart. Happy 5th birthday sweet girl, I hope your dancing up there!!"

Shelby shared this beautiful song!

Wont you take a moment, to donate and help! Pancreatic cancer is on the rise and one of the cancer's

that is least funded. St Jude's turns no one away and works daily at finding cures

for childhood cancer...just $5 from each of us would make a profound difference

in cancer research!!!

You can Google St Jud's or pancreatic cancer network, or any cancer network of your choice...

and today on FB  is color your profile purple! Purple is the color for survivors!!!
and if finaces are tight Chevrolet is donating a dollar to each person who colors there
profile purple! (I did)
just follow this link below! 

http://www.chevrolet.com/purple-roads-world-cancer-day.html#.UvBfYwGeX8g.facebook

I donate to many different groups now...knowing that $5 here and there truly Ad's up!

wont you help and Join the fight!!!

P.S. and If you know anyone fighting cancer...you can give a anonymous gift

directly to them...cancer treatments affects the whole family!

Thanks for stopping by and taking just a moment!

love to all!

My word for 2014 LAUGHTER

An amazing thing just happened!

I have been hunting and searching for my word...

and then it hit me...right in the middle

of the Super Bowl and the Broncos getting creamed..

LAUGHTER!

OR TO LAUGH (but that is 2 words)

The word we choose has to be something we push for in our lives...

and I tried so many and love so many other's have...

but nothing fit...nothing...

Tonight I realized why? If you new me, you would know...

I always smile...I laugh....I am upbeat, I am positive...

yet 2013 took me on a journey that lasted most the year,

as caregiver to my mom who was dying and then left this

earthly home so much sooner then we ever expected...

through that journey other's had anger and other's in there pain

felt safe...(yes I have come to realize that) letting it

all hang out on me...

and my smile faded and the laughter disappeared.

laugh as a verb; expressing laughter, amusement, happiness

synonyms; chuckle, giggle, grin, roar...etc

so I am aiming to laugh and Roar this year..to bring...Me back!

and with that said... I want to share this...

Laughter is contagious..laughter brightens every moment...laughter is always always needed

always...

so here is ME striving to bring the laughter back in 2014!!!

Go me..go me!!! :)   

To Bring a Smile....

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl!

Not something our family gets over excited about...

But it has become a American Holiday...

or will be a huge part of the dynamics of our

generations...

However what I do love!

are the Ad's from Budweiser...

How can anyone NOT love these Ad's?

They seem to just Bring a smile..and warm fuzzies

and that is priceless

To Bring you a smile..! May your Sunday/Super Bowl or otherwise be 

perfect in every way..