true love...not only in the fairy tales...

"...I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough... (n. sparks the notebook)

...to attend a wedding I think is quite an honor, in my opinion, in that I mean, the couple wants YOU, yes you, to share in one of thee happiest moment of their lives...how awesome is that, where you get to experience God's greatest gift of love...

........I have been blessed to be in many moments of love...one of them this past weekend, when I got to witness and be in the moment with my best friend, my big sis, when she married her person...& even though I may show some impartiality, just a tad...it was a grand moment...a moment filled with love, filled with family and friends, filled with a beautiul couple who have their own fairytale...      

    

       ...it's a story filled with bumpy roads, wild adventures, highs & lows, and lots of happy endings & beginnings...

     ...& in the end, the beginning, the middle or how this moment came to be, the details won't matter, but what will matter is the two people who told their story on 7.18.15 -- a story of a girl walking down an aisle towards the man of her dreams, of a boy watching his future wife, & his heart melting all over & remembering why this moment was so worth it...of a love that has no limitations...of family &  friends coming together to celebrate their love and their lives...who at that moment shined with happiness and love & had an amazing night...so cheers to that moment, & all the many amazing moments they have yet to create and live in...

         ...to marisa & doug -- it was a top night! all my love 

...

...

figuring it all out...

or rather letting it figure you out...

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” (Albert Einstein)

i am 32 1/2 years old, and hopefully have no where lived half my life...and i would hope that i have figured some things out...although i must say that every time i think i have figured it out, i realize there is a lot more to learn...and that maybe i will never have it figured it all out...maybe that is what life is figuring it out everyday and never having it always figured out...cause when that happens, that could be the point where God says you have figured all you needed to figure out and that is where it ends...maybe that is what makes life interesting the whole idea that you have no idea how to be or to do this thing called life...we all have that unique ability to learn and understand but to never quite have it figured out???

i guess getting older lends a hand in this belief, b/c i think when i was 20-something, i thought i had figured it out...first let me define my "IT" --> it is knowing what you are doing with your life and who are doing it with, if there is such a person, it is knowing where are going tomorrow, where you have been and where you will be going 5 years from this point...it is knowing your goals and your dreams, and going after what you want, it is seeing what is right before you and thinking this is it...it is having it together, wrapped up in a bow, ready for delivery, it is staying the course b/c that is what you know works...

...BUT as each year goes on, i find myself thinking the complete opposite...and that could very well be the point...(or it could also be that i am babbling, b/c that is what i do best :)...the "IT" is not knowing 100% where you are going tomorrow but rather knowing that what you did yesterday to help you learn for tomorrow, so as if to not to repeat the mistakes but rather to relish & repeat the victories...and that today is where you need to be and that should and will be ok for you, to not worry about the 5 minutes or 5 hours from now but live in this moment, b/c no matter what you have no control in what will happen, but you do have control in the living & being in the moments of now...that in 5, 10, 15 or 20 years you have an idea of what your life may look like, but if it appears to be different that can be ok too...it is loving an accepting those people that you happened to have bless your life and knowing/realizing each moment with them is a blessing and that by having them touch your life, you are that much better...it is still about knowing your dreams and goals, but understanding that dreams and goals can change just as each moment passes by, and accepting what is right now for all that is, right now, but realizing that right now will be so different in a few moments...it is being prepared to jump, to dance, to sing, to listen, to do whatever life calls you to do in every moment...it is knowing that it will not always be put together in a nice box with a ribbon, it can for sure come that way but it could also come in a bag, or not even wrapped but knowing that is what life is at the moment, a life God intended to be lived not planned or figured out...a life He wants to be proud of, but more importantly wants you to enjoy...

...maybe i nailed it, or maybe i did not even come close, one thing i do know is that it is better to stop racking my brains to figure it out and let it just play out and the midst of it playing out, let myself be in all of it...


“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” 
(Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul)

...2014 the year that was...

& 2015... the year to come...

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.” (Allen Saunders)

...well, here i am on the other side of 2014...miss me?  i know i kind of did a disappearing act and now have resurfaced after an amazing year...there was some laughing, some crying, some moving, lots of changing, some more moving, lots of celebrating & so so much more...but i came out in the end...hopefully that much better than when i started in 2014; who knows but let me tell you it was one hell of a ride...& now i am ready for 2015...i am ready for my next adventure, to start the next chapter or rather is this a whole new book altogether...we shall see; i am guessing that it will be an adventure in itself...however for this chapter, or the new book, it is not just me and the world, it is also me & my person (& the world too)...ok God, i am ready to turn the page & ready to see the story that will be written...2015 i am ready...but before we go there, 2014 deserves a little nod (& also a flipagram (i just learned how, 2015 is going to be a big year); check it at the end of the page, yes i am a uber dork, somethings never change)

(a thought, maybe this is my version of the christmas card where you write the letter telling everyone what has been going on in your life, the one you are so excited to get & read...your cue --> to just smile & read on...)

...so 2014 what did you throw at us...well we took lots & lots of pictures (which if you know me i was not so thrilled about) but ohh the memories i will have...i witnessed dear friends & family tying the knot, which i love weddings so i could not be happier to celebrate them....i also traveled to wild & wonderful west virginia (be very jealous); not once but TWICE that was where one wedding happened & i also got to see my sister get honored b/c lets face it she rocks (she is my sister after all) and then i watched my brothers open a 2nd restaurant (shameless plug for business here is there facebook page; HangOverEasy, Cincinnati if you be so kind to like it, i would be much obliged ;) , i could not be more proud of them...i know they will do well & will continue to make moves (again i am their sister after all)...i also attended my first one direction concert & let me tell you the only thing that kept me sane was the fact that my nieces were on cloud 9...otherwise let me just say 1 bajillion screaming girls, teenagers,  & women (yes, i said grown women) all at once, got the mental picture, not enough tylenol in the world...nah, it wasn't all that bad, but word of advice ear plugs...we did quite a bit of celebrating, my niece sabene, turned 1, & francesca turned 4, & the other ones (remember i am blessed to be aunt 8.5 times) turned 7, 11, 9, 5, lots of parties, lots of celebrating life...ohh & we celebrated the end of me being single, it was quite the party, there were scarves, pianos, colorful drinks, and lots of stories (PG people) and of course pictures...& to finish the year, i decided to get myself hitched...NOW that was fun, so much fun that it flew by so fast that i am having a hard time remembering all the events that occurred throughout the day (mental note & word of advice, if i do it again; which i am pretty happy with what i got, so most likely will not, i will be taking pictures myself throughout the day so as to relive it instantaneously)...in all reality, it was one of the greatest days of my life, a day where i walked down the aisle to stand next to my best friend & pledge our love, our life, in front of our family & friends under the eyes of God...from the ceremony to the party i could not have asked for a better day, it was my fairy-tale come true, i was a princess for the day...and all those people, people who have touched our lives that came to be a part of the celebration & TRULY made it what it was, my heart will forever be blessed & will FOREVER hold that memory of november 8th...so how do you finish a year after that -- you buy a house, get a new car & have a baby! --> made you look/read; not at the moment for any of those... :) (deep breaths people, i am so glad only 4 people actually read this otherwise i would be getting some phone calls)...we take it one day at a time, we celebrate holidays as a new family with new traditions, we go on weekend trips, we continue to figure us out, we live...

...so long 2014, you were GREAT, thank you for the memories...can't wait to see what 2015 has in store for us... 

...wishing you & your families a very blessed & safe 2015...CHEERS!

*DISCLAIMER -- YOU HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR, or JUST PERHAPS SCROLLED TO THE BOTTOM, so, THANK YOU, now GO AHEAD CLICK THE LINK, a LITTLE RECAP OF 2014...enjoy, hugs to the faces!!! 

2014...this is it....

“...CARPE. HEAR IT? CARPE. CARPE DIEM. SEIZE THE DAY BOYS. MAKE YOUR LIVES EXTRAORDINARY...” (JOHN KEATING IN DEADS POET SOCIETY)

“YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT REAL LOSS BECAUSE IT ONLY OCCURS WHEN YOU’VE LOVED SOMETHING MORE THAN YOU LOVE YOURSELF.  I DOUBT YOU’VE EVER DARED TO LOVE ANYBODY THAT MUCH.” - (SEAN MAGUIRE IN GOOD WILL HUNTING)

...the saying is something like...life is not measured by the breaths you take but rather by the moments that take your breath away...& at some moments in life, it seems that the breath of life is completely gone when we lose the ones that we love...today, a famous actor passed away, an actor who brought laughter, who brought characters to life, who transformed himself into characters we loved, who we wanted to be friends with...he brought life to television, to the movies...& by no means, but through media, do i have a connection to this actor, my heart goes out to his family and friends;  b/c there loss is great one...they will be in my thoughts & prayers...

...just as this man, and among those other loved ones that left us too soon, i guess it makes us stop and think...did we seize the moment, did we seize the day...did we "make our lives extraordinary..." & for that matter are we taking these very moments of now and living so that when we look back...we have loved, we have laughed, we have cried, we have held on tight until we could hold on no longer, we have taken every ounce and lived...

                                “OUR JOB IS IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE NOT JUST DELAYING DEATH.” 

(PATCH ADAMS IN PATCH ADAMS)

...in seizing this very moment, are we going the next step and improving upon what we have, or are we settling...don't just wake up and do life; wake up and live life, wake up & improve life from what it is...smile because you can, hug because you can love, laugh because life is funny, cry because your eyes need it, dance because your legs want to move, help others because that is what life is about...

...awhile back i wrote a blog post (well most of them read the same; what can i say i am a broken record); about one of my students, saying if i could leave the world one thing what would it be...& there is the answer, simple and as true as it gets, to not only live each moment like that is all i have but to live life by improving it, so tomorrow is better than today...so that like so many others that have touched our lives whether on a daily basis or just like Mr. Robin Williams who we only knew from afar...we are that much richer, our lives are that much brighter, & the world is that much better because of them...

...cheers to the sky for the stars in the heavens are that much brighter tonight...

..."Thank you for choosing "Magic Carpet" for all your travel needs. Don't stand until the rug has come to a complete stop. Thank you. Goodbye, now. Goodbye. Goodbye. Thank you. Goodbye..."

-Genie, Aladdin-

...its the big moments that create life & it's the little moments that define us...

"...most importantly, keep smiling, because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about." (marilyn monroe)

...recently over a discussion about kindergarten graduation that went on far too long than it should have; the topic of celebrating moments came up...my counter part vehemently disagreed that kindergarten graduations probably didn't need to happen &  how we now live in a society where we praise kids to the point they do not even understand the concept of failure (which i do agree with; kids get passed on, don't get cut from teams, etc...but that's another blog for another day)...but to my argument i was not going down that road because otherwise we would have agreed, argument would have ceased and we would have moved on...i chose a different path; which meant we did not see eye to eye; which is usually the case and keeps things interesting :)...

...the topic; yet so trivial is...should kindergarteners have a graduation, or rather should we celebrate those little victories??(now granted my counterpart,  would say that i am spinning it towards me; & maybe i am;), but hear me out)...should we take a moment out of our busy schedule and appreciate and celebrate not just the big ones but all the little ones; not because we have to but because we CAN...because we have the opportunity to be in that moment (yes i said it & they will engrave it on my tombstone, be in the moment) and to celebrate life...life often times sucks, and we always here about the negative why not celebrate all the positives...maybe that is what i was trying to say when i was so effortlessly arguing my point...life was meant to be celebrated no matter the victory or the effort; & that is why a kindergarten graduation should be celebrated or anything that you deem a celebration should be celebrated...

...besides why wait to celebrate...think of all those people that thought or didn't have the chance to celebrate that moment that they thought was so insignificant and would give anything to celebrate the little and the big...they would give anything to do so and we have the chance so why aren't we...for that moment do not worry about what it means; if it is too much or too little just celebrate it...take the moment for what it is and cheer them on, hug them, high five them or whatever the celebration is; just be a part of it, all of it...

...in reference to graduation and being a part of a celebration of life...a few days ago i found this clip (posted by someone on FB) and i thought, "WOW", to be so powerful and moving in such little time, in one minute you can sum up what most people cannot do in an entire, book, article, or even a blog ;)...& the source is even better, usually we are used to mr. jim carrey cracking jokes or poking fun, but here in this 1 minute clip he sums it up...i will not give too much away, but he challenges those young minds to push for being in this moment and taking the path not because of fear but because it is something your heart desires, and exploring this concept that you may fail even if you choose the safe route so you might as well LIVE and take the chance on doing what you LOVE...(** a little ironic kind that i am positing this belief and lesson b/c it came from his father & it's father's day;)....

...do these tie in together, you may see it or may not (& there i am yet again blabbing on & on about my convictions)...however if you take nothing, please take this...don't miss your opportunity to celebrate life in all its capacities, and while you are in the the midst of celebrating life, don't forget to take chances...

...to all the father everywhere (no matter how you define it)...wishing you a happy father's day...many blessings to you always...

don't blink...& life will pass you by...

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.” 

(Allen Saunders)

...i probably have written a blog or two about this very topic...life being so precious, making every minute count, realizing what you have in front of you instead of what lies behind you or ahead of you; being in the moment of now...maybe the older i get the more i realize this, i look around and think what happened to last month, or i see my nieces and nephews and cannot believe how much they have grown; or i see people that i have looked up to and how their lives have changed...or just how much my life has changed as i get older...no, i was not sitting at my desk looking out the window at the rain, & started to think about my life and  how i can't remember the days when i did nothing and had not a care in the world, and then i decided to write a blog and subject you all to, "ohh how time flies, and blah, blah..."  nah, well maybe a little;), or maybe it allows you to take a moment and be in your life when everything else is passing you by...

...kenny chesney (yeah yeah i know not everyone is a fan of country) but he actually has 2 songs that refer to this topic...take a moment and just listen...don't blink  or the good stuff  

...i want to take you back...think about what has happened over the course of your lifetime; you were a kid, you played in the hot summer days and did not come in the house until the street lights came on, all the kids in the neighborhood played kickball or bloody murder, life could not get any better than that, and then in a blink of an eye, you are in high school, going to dances, and parties, getting your drivers license, crushing over and over and maybe falling in like, and then you graduate, and move on to college where you are the ruler of your world, no one tells you when to show up to class or how/when you get to hang out with your friends, you wake up when you want to, shower when you want to go, eat what you want to, take naps as often as you want, go to the bar on a Monday or Tuesday just because; it is complete freedom and eventually you realize you have to decide what you want to be when you grow up & graduate; then you move into the real real world, where you have to pay for things you never knew were paid for, and you get a job, maybe a house if you are real big kid, and maybe get married, have some kids, or not, but you are living in this adult world...and all of sudden you stop and think what happened, i was just 12, riding my bike, or going to the prom, or raging it in college....you never stopped moving and life moved with you to bring you to this place, to this point in your life...

...and now the minutes turn into hours, into days, into months, into years & there you are thinking time stops for no one, yesterday was the year 2000 and now it is 2014 (like who ever thought they would see 20??; i remember people saying earth was imploding in the year 2000; i hope no one bet the house on that one;)...no matter how much you want the moment to pass you by or to hold onto it, it is gone before you know it....maybe that is why this topic is one i tend to revisit so often, why i am obsessed with time or rather the idea of the absence of time...if you know me at all i hate time; it puts so many restraints on living (there is also the fact that i am always late;)...to be without time would make moments last indefinitely...the moments that take our breath away, that make us smile, that make us laugh til our bellies hurts, that even make us cry, that humble us, that allow us to believe and hope...the moments that inspire us, the moments that change us and give us a new meaning...moments that will never and could never be replicated even if we tried; that is why we don't want to let them go...however; i know that is not how God intended it, He wanted us to move forward in time, He wanted us to learn, and realize that life can and will get so much better than what we already think is the greatest moment of our lives...He didn't want us to stay in that moment because if we did, then we would be stuck and nothing would ever grow, & there we would be, just seeds in the ground rather than a tree with branches...we often forget the moments that are no longer there actually provide the solid base for the branches to grow and leaves to change...

...so BE in every moment, stop and SMELL the smells surround you, SEE all that you can see, TAKE in all that your memory can hold, LOVE beyond your hearts capacity, BELIEVE in not just the possibilities, but the impossibilities...do it all and don't wait because before you know it there will be no more time to wait...

happy mother's day...a little shout out...

...the saying is God knew he couldn't be every where so that is why He made moms...

...whether you think that or not...i believe God did send me my mom, God always sends angels to those that He loves & if my mom is any indication of how much I am loved, then I am over the moon and back and beyond loved...

if you actually think about it, moms take on a roll with many thankless days; on days where they get sh*t on, (literally and metaphorically); & they are the only ones there to clean it up, usually ;)...where they do the  background work and then sit back & watch it unfold...where they love so much they know when to hold on and when to let go...where they believe in your dreams  and more importantly just believe in you...

...they wipe our tears, hold our hands, laugh with us, cry with us, they teach us about life and help us to grow...they show us how to be strong and to live by faith...they do without knowing...and without expecting...

...so today and hopefully everyday give your mama a hug and tell her you love her and then look up to the sky and thank God for the angel he brought into your life...

happy mother's day to all moms :)