Love

The love I have for my husband, my children, family and dear friends, all stem from a matchless, perfect love.  This love is so profound, so rare, so pure.  It's the love Jesus has for me and all who would believe.  He is perfect love, that bore the weight of a shameful, fallen world and died a criminal's death though he was completely innocent!!  As we embrace the Easter weekend, I reflect on my Rescuer, Jesus and His love for me and for you.

Happy Easter to you and your families!!

Bible Study Fellowship material

Truth Is.....

It's the hardest thing for me lately...getting dressed, connecting with my busy pre-teen photographer to take photos, making old looks fresh and new again(remixing my closet) and just plain sharing with you all here.  I have been running from here to there and back again and I am breathless!!  There are so many wonderful events going on right now in our household and some sad events happening in my own family as well.  Life has been a myriad of emotions around here lately.  Oh, don't go there, as I count it all joy as the bible instructs me to according to James 1: 1-5, yet, real life still happens.  It's been a whirlwind of comings and goings.  From band concerts and clinics, to soccer tournaments, lacrosse games, band trips to Disney World, Florida, to practice here and there and everywhere.  12th birthday celebrations and fun, sleep overs, play dates, big tests and projects due, and report cards too!! I'm in 8th grade for the second time, 6th for the 3rd and 2nd for the 4th!! It's funny to think about it like that, but that's how it feels.  I have managed to crawl back to bed a time or two giving in to my body before it shuts down on me.  You know all those nasty bugs going around have a way of attacking you when you are weak.  Have you all been experiencing the "bugs" in your communities and schools?  

I hope to return with the regular scheduled programming at some point, but for now I will carry on and continue reading your blogs.  You all have some wonderful ideas and things happening and I am so glad for you!  Enjoy and Happy Spring (I think it's here to stay)??!!

If I May......

Mural in NYC, 6/2011

It is happening and I should just try to stop fighting against it.  It is just not working out the way I want it to.  You know what I'm sayin'?  The posting outfits even just 2x a week, getting ready, posing, fluffing my hair, and sharing the best of me with all of you!! There, I said it, I put it all on the table.  My plate runneth over and I need to clean it up.  I am currently training for my 3rd Half Marathon as many of you know and I am having the hardest time getting all dolled up to post here after my training runs.  The race is 4 days away and I need to narrow my focus and grind out my training. In light of the horrific events in Boston, and the devastating tragedy in Texas, last week, I have been in an emotional holding pattern.   Where does that leave us?  Well, it means that I so badly want to keep posting here, but can not at the moment.

  I appreciate your patience and understanding!

 I value you all and am really grateful for this outlet to share.  I hope to resume once the training, race and recovery periods are over.
I really appreciate you hanging in there with me.

 So please, stay tuned......

15...the lost tale of a forever love

*****If you are reading this now, it is because I have been on a whirlwind of travel, running Half Marathons and soccer tournaments****MORE TO FOLLOW.  I PROMISE!!!



Corny jokes, silly faces, love of fresh air, water, music, ice cream, eclectic, off the beaten path cafes, travel, exercise, movies, books, family, God, trust, honesty, integrity, justice, twinkly, sparkly eyes, big, bright smiles, just a boy who fell in love with just a girl who fell in love with him and promised forever, always to honor, adore, cherish, protect, provide, cover, hide until death.  Fifteen today and forever to go!!!  I love you!!!








So, that was how the post was suppose to read on the day that we actually celebrated 15 amazing years! Well, our son was sick and my husband had been a way all week.  We both knew that in a few weeks we would set sail on a fabulous 8 day Caribbean cruise to refresh, reminisce and renew our love.  What we did not know is that we would enjoy the cruise of a lifetime!!  We decided last year to sign up for The Capital Jazz Supercruise!!

The beautiful Devil's Bridge in Antigua

 We had no idea what we were in store for.  We love music and it was music that bonded us in the beginning of our relationship.  We asked our dear friends if they wanted to join us and they agreed!!  We celebrated my husband's 40th birthday and our 15th Anniversary with our dearest friends on a ship with non stop music and entertainment.  We were like groupies taking in all of the amazing shows, acts that were on board.  We sailed from Ft. Lauderdale, Fl, to Antigua, St. Lucia and St.Martin/Saint Maarten!!

St. Lucian Sand between my toes!

  All I can do is post the photos, because I do not have adequate words for how I feel about this magical experience.  I will say that we spent such quality time with our friends, the Lewis', fell deeper in love with one another(how could you not, going on a date every second of every day),  experienced the beautiful people and landscapes of the aforementioned islands,  and vowed that this would not be our last Supercruise!! We have cruised twice before, but this takes the cake!
 

The gorgeous Saint  Maarten!!

 It is almost unfair, criminal even the amount of fun we had!!  It has been a long time coming and it was so delightful.  I wish I could bore share with you ALL the photos I took! 

I took so many, because I was afraid that some shots might not come out ok.  I really did not trust myself to just take one shot and move on.  I have tons of editing still to do.  Every frame will take me back to each moment /memory that was made. 

The Lewis' and Us in St. Lucia

Ugly Words( this post was never published and was recently found)

Sometimes I feel as though I am a doomed before I start a project, a chore or take on any responsibility that I know that I can "handle". I make things out to be really complicated when they really are not. Lately, I have realized that I have been giving a certain incident that happened in 6th grade at the hands of an instructor who was supposed to encourage me, protect me, prepare me for the future, WAY TOO MUCH HYPE!! I realized that I was still allowing him to steal my SHINE after all these years. I mean he was the one who was suppose to be a part of the village that was raising me, right???

Well, he failed me miserably that day in math class at the chalkboard when he humiliated me with the most insensitive, chauvinistic,venomous words that any parent, caregiver, instructor, village member could say!! They were UGLY WORDS!! I guess in his defense he thought that he was challenging me with tough love in front of my peers, most of them his prized math team pets. What he did was shook loose what little foundation of confidence I had as a girl on the verge of adolescence, a girl whose father was "absent" at the time, a girl whose grandfather was doing the best he could to step in. I think a big part of me died that day in math class and it has taken many years of prayer and encouragement of others who love me to PUSH past those UGLY WORDS!!

Well, today I thought about my teacher, how I have forgiven him years ago, yet still hold on to the UGLY WORDS at times of my uncertainty. I decided to let him go in peace and the UGLY WORDS too, allowing them to no longer LOOM over my thoughts, decisions and rob me of my power.