Bright Side Friday - I Didn't Deliver My Baby In My Sleep

While reading through the posts on Twitter this morning, two things caught my attention.

First, was that it is Friday! I can't believe it's Friday. My week has felt like a series of Mondays.

Second, was a post by a friend, Mandy (@HasAPeanut)(http://precisiondecisions.blogspot.com/) who had a weird pregnant dream. Her post immediately brought to mind a weird pregnant dream I had over 13 years ago. Yes Mandy, sorry to say, but that traumatic dream you had will stick in your mind forever! lol

When I was pregnant, I had all sorts of weird pregnant dreams. A particularly vivid one was where I could see the baby through my stomach. But the one that I found most disturbing involved me delivering in my sleep.

In my dream, I woke up to not being pregnant anymore. My DH was doing his normal routine and acted as if it was normal that I just woke up after what had to have been several days. I asked about the baby and was given a very flippant answer of all being well, which confused me. How could I have slept through all of this??

Then the next surprise, even though we thought we were having a boy, we had a girl. A GIRL?????? We hadn't agreed on a single girl name. I asked my DH about her name and again, flippantly (I hate that), "Ya, well, I had to name her and you weren't awake, so I picked Elise Lilac." ELISE LILAC????? The name kept running through my head with a WHAT????? attached to it. As gently as possible I asked my DH if it was still possible to change her name after we discussed it a bit and he responded "Fine, but we are keeping Lilac. That's a family name." In my head I was not questioning whether or not Lilac was a family name, but instead thinking, "OK, I can put up with that as a middle name."

When I actually woke up, I was SO relieved that I was STILL pregnant!

Oh, and I delivered a boy, while awake.

=J

Bright Side Friday - Free Warm Goodness!

Today's Bright Side Friday has to do with one of my life's simple pleasures: a Venti Soy No Water 7 Pump Chai.

Now I know, I sound obnoxious. I feel funny even typing it! But my girlfriend, who is a barista, turned me on to the "no water" and the "7 Pump" part. Anyways, to me, it's like having a glass of heaven.

But wait, it gets better... a girlfriend treated me to it! A completely surprising random act of kindness. And do you know what? It made my day. It is STILL making my day, even thought I've long finished it.

So that's why this Friday's Bright Side, is dedicated to Free Warm Goodness because both my friend and my favorite drink filled me with a special warm feeling.

=J

What's your Bright Side Friday? Do you have something that gives you a lift?

Bright Side Friday - Happy Families

My husband and I often lament over the fact that time goes too fast and that our boys are getting big so quickly.  I know this is universal.  We did realize that unless we were actually doing more outside the home that when we looked back on the years, we would see a bunch of wasted time.  We do tend to be home-bodies, but we are trying to change that. 

We have now made a few additions to our schedule:  our older son is now in Cub Scouts and the younger one is eager to join in 6 months when he'll be old enough, the boys are in weekly swim lessons, we have gone rock-climbing, and we have gone swimming on the weekends.  So far, we have been out of the house a lot more.  There are days/nights that we just want to stay home, but once we get out, we have been happy that we went.  It's the old adage of a body in motion stays in motion. 

I hope we are able to keep up the momentum as it gets colder and more challenging to leave the house after a long day.  I know the boys really enjoy it and we are spending a lot more family time together instead of in the house all doing our own thing. It's actually how I always envisioned my family would be.  I'm just so happy that we're making it happen!

S-)

Now it's your turn. What is your Bright Side? Have you had family resistance to leaving the house and then all being happy you did?

Bright Side Friday! I'm Not Cool and I'm Cool With That

I'm not cool. Ask anyone, really. I don't think I fit the terms geek, nerd or square, but I am a little of each of those. I'm also creative, smart, inventive, and many other great qualities, but cool just doesn't describe me.

Before you start trying to tell me otherwise, let me assure you, I'm O.K. with it. I've been this way all of my life. Back in high school, while the kids were having booze and pot parties, I was mostly oblivious to it. I was never invited to one of those parties, which made me feel a little like an outsider. But when I thought about it, "would I really want to have been there?" I knew my answer was no. It was like I was past that without ever having to had gone through it. Let me assure you, I'm no saint. I did my share of drinking in college, but I never regretted not being included to those parties in high school.

When other girls would be referred to as sexy or hot, I'd be referred to as cute, sweet, and apple pie faced. I looked like the innocent girl next door, and that suits me just fine too.

The reason I'm even explaining all of this to you is because of something that happened recently. A cool rocker friend of mine, I will call her Roxy for the sake of simplicity, and I went out. We met up with a rocker dude, let's call him Joe, that we knew from high school MANY years ago and hadn't seen since then. Well Roxy, Joe and I all had a fun time but I was SO aware of my uncool status in the situation. Roxy and Joe went back and forth about bands and singers and guitar players and songs. It was like they were speaking a foreign language. I had absolutely nothing to add, but I was still glad to be there. I could tell that Roxy and Joe clicked, not in a romance sort of way, but they just "got" each other.

Well, Joe went back home to another state. Time passed and Joe would contact me to talk about a business venture we have. He would tell me about his problems. I became part of his support system and cheering section.

Yesterday, I got a message from Roxy. Knowing that we were working on a project together, she finally needed to tell me something about Joe. She told me that Joe had been texting her since we met up. Telling her that he misses her, etc. She too tried to be supportive and told him about his nice qualities, but a relationship between them would never work. He then proceeded to send her a photo of his man part. WHAT???? Roxy's husband was understandably upset and told off Joe. Joe then tried to bribe Roxy by telling her he could get her tickets and special back stage passes for a certain concert she wants to go to IF she sends him photos of her upper and lower woman parts!!!! He followed that up with 3 more photos of him holding his man part. SERIOUSLY????

And then it totally hit me. I'M NOT COOL!!!!!! =) I didn't get dragged into such disgusting behavior because I'm not cool. Joe thought that he might have a chance with my cool rocker girlfriend, but he kept all of our conversations to business and strictly friend like. Did Roxy deserve it? NO! But being uncool, saved me from even having to deal with it. When I think back, there are SO many other things that I never had to deal with because I'm not cool. All of the situations I didn't get involved with in high school, and now via Facebook, I have found out things I missed in junior high too. Why did it take me until NOW to realize how great being uncool is? I am embracing my uncool status with renewed appreciation.

=J

Are you uncool too? Have you been treated differently because of how you're perceived?

Bright Side Friday! Small Victories

My Bright Side Friday has to do with small victories. My son has struggled with speech/language/reading/ phonological issues ever since I can remember. I am thankful that we live in a great school district that has been able to provide him services, because we never would have been able to afford all of the work they have done with him.

Even so, over the years, there has been SO much frustration on his part and in turn, on mine. He is a very smart boy with a road block.  If I'd ask him the question, he could answer it right away. If I made him read the question, he couldn't even begin to figure out what is being asked. His teachers would say "He's a hard worker, but he's a slow worker". I finally realized it was because he spent most of his time trying to figure out what the words on the page were asking him to do.

This poor kid, who knows the answers, but gets them wrong because he doesn't understand the written question. Frustrating results time and time again. Spelling words made no sense to him. He memorized the letters as a picture or pattern. Sounding them out did him no good. He wasn't even capable of doing so. Every reading assignment a struggle. Every vocabulary lesson just torture. And now, that he is older, it has impacted ALL subjects. How can he describe facts about his Social Studies chapter, when there were so many new words in there, he was trying to figure it all out by context?

My heart wells up with pride for my son. This loving child with a hard head. Who could easily have given up long ago, yet for some reason doesn't. For all of the times he has felt defeated and frustrated, for all of the times homework has ended with one or both of us yelling or in tears, for all of the A+ papers his older brother has achieved with seemingly little effort, for all of the hours I have sat by his side and read his book to him so that it didn't take him hours to get through the chapter just to answer 4 questions on a work sheet, for all of the recesses and fun classes he has had to miss to get assistance, he never gave up.

And yesterday, as I sat at work, thinking about a million other worries, I got a call from one of his aides. My heart fluttered at the thoughts in my head. Would this be a call with good things or bad things? Is he struggling or worse yet, are they dropping him from the program? She was full of compliments about my son "kind, caring, loving, helpful, well liked" and compliments for me too on my part in how he has developed all of these wonderful traits. It made me feel good knowing that she REALLY cared about my son and his success. She then proudly told me that my son had exceeded his benchmarks for the time frame and she would only need to see him 2 times per week instead of 4. She felt confident that he had secured enough skills to build on moving forward.

In the past, I have had to be his advocate and fight for evaluations and services when I knew something was not right and he was slipping through the cracks. But this time, the news didn't hit me like a ton of bricks, it made me happy. Homework time has gotten SO much better. It is a little easier for him to understand. He has fewer questions and fewer melt downs. His road block is finally getting smaller and he can see over it now.

I am so thankful for small victories. What's yours?

=J

Bright Side Friday! Opportunites and Hope

OPPORTUNITY

COMING THIS WAY!

This week's Bright Side Friday has to do with opportunities. When things are looking bad, all I hope for is an opportunity to make things better. As everyone knows, the economy hasn't been that great lately. It has really impacted my business, which my husband and I both work at, and hence our family counts on income from.

Lately we have been noticing more and more new customers. When we ask how they found us, sometimes it's by accident - they were just passing by, and other times it's because one of our other clients recommended us. Now that's a feel good. It's not just that they HAVE to use us, there are competitors fairly close. They CHOOSE to come to us AND tell their friends to do the same! Awesome!

Having business pick up a little bit is a relief to us, but having the opportunity to gain clients is wonderful and renews our hope.

Just last night, a friend asked if I could design a logo for our local travel soccer team. I still need to get her a quote, and I'm not guaranteed the job yet, but it's another opportunity. It makes me happy that the opportunity was presented to me. If I get the job, will it make me rich? No. But it gives me hope that more opportunities will come our way.

What opportunities have come your way that were unexpected or made you feel good? Here is hope for you, that even more opportunities will come your way. Make the most of them.

=J

Bright Side Friday! My Network of Support

My Bright Side Friday this week is about my network of support. I am surrounded by so many people that are willing to help me out if I need them to. Looking at others around me, I see that I am really lucky to be in this position.

This morning, I contacted a PTO friend about my volunteer position on PTO. Not only did she offer to do something for me that I NEVER would have asked anyone to do, she followed through with it and went above and beyond to make things better for me! I couldn't believe it.
 
This evening, I was supposed to coach a soccer game, most likely in the rain. But, my co-coach stepped up and told me that I didn't need to go, he would coach for me. Yes, my son is injured and wouldn't be playing in the game, but still! Someone actually took something OFF of my plate instead of adding something. Of course, that time slot was quickly filled, but that's besides the point.

My schedule is crazy and I can always be available to get my kids to here or there. Yet there always seems to be a friend that offers to pick up or drop my kids off when I need it.

I'd like to think it is a mutual network of support and I hope they do too. I do try to reciprocate whenever possible.   A friend once offered to help and I told her that I wouldn't be able to reciprocate in that particular situation. She told me "Don't worry about it. I had to be there anyways. Besides, you've done plenty of other things for me." That made me feel really good. Finding friends that don't keep score and you can count on because they can count on you... now that's perfect. Not sure how we would navigate without this network.  The quote "it takes a village" sure rings true for me.

Hope you have a network too. It might be just a person or two, a family member, a sitter, or a whole bunch of friends. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it and offer help when you can. Some of my best friendships have blossomed from my network. Please share your stories of times you've helped out others or others have helped you.

=J

Bright Side Friday! Perspective

My Bright Side Friday has to do with perspective. It seems every Monday, it's SO easy for me to think of a Monday Vent. Friday's I tend to struggle to find my Bright Side. I guess it's probably true for most people, that they get overwhelmed with all of their own chaos, that they forget to appreciate all of their gifts.

Today is one of those days when I have been given the gift of perspective. I'm going to look past my chaos to appreciate my gifts. I just found out that a classmate, of one of my closest friend's kid, just died this week. He was playing The Choking Game. He was a good kid. He didn't mean to kill himself, but he did. PLEASE watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpugH4AJJFI (Also above) if you have never heard of it. Add it to your list when you have a conversation with your child about drugs and alcohol. I can't even imagine what that family is going through right now. In spite of that, they have posted on his obituary page, that Youtube link, in hopes of saving someone else's kid.

Which brings me to my Bright Side, if I can even call it that right now. Perspective. My kids are safe, healthy and alive. I know I should appreciate that daily, but it's news like this that makes me realize that I'm taking it for granted.

My niece lost her life at 13 months. That's is as close to the feeling of losing a child that I want to get. My husband's twin had severe medical problems since he was 9 years old and passed away at the age of 42. I pray that is as close as I'll ever be to having a child with medical issues. Just listen to the news, sadly, the list goes on.

Slow down and get a little perspective. Grab your kids, hug them tight, smother them in kisses even if they resist. Appreciate the moment. Smile and tell them that you love them. They already know it, but tell them again.

Sending you all a little perspective, love and hugs.

=J

Bright Side Friday! A Little Peace

 

My Bright Side Friday has to do with having a little peace. As a busy mom, a little peace can make a huge difference.

After hiking in the U.P. a few weeks ago, my SIL and I pulled out the cooler with the food we had packed. Due to the bugs, and our exhaustion, we some how squashed the cooler between us in the front so we could dole out the food bug free and seated. Once we had the kids settled with their sandwiches, drinks and snacks, we finally both were able to grab our sandwiches. Almost in unison, we sighed as we ate the first bite. And then we laughed. There we both were grubby as can be from a hike, exhausted from corralling and cajoling children, each with less than a full seat to sit on, wedged between a full size cooler and the door, and we simultaneously enjoyed the peace. A moment when everyone was content, no one was in need of our assistance, and we were in one of the most beautiful places on earth. A moment of wonderful peace.

Now, if you have read my Monday Vent, you will know that the start of school has been anything but peaceful for me. However, things have started to fall into place, all of the Open Houses are over, there is no Friday night soccer game tonight (we play Saturday morning), and in the midst of all of this chaos, I have stumbled on a moment of peace. It is wonderful. Yes, I just heard my cell phone battery die, and I should be shutting down the equipment here at work, and left the office 11 minutes ago. However, just for a minute more, I'm going to enjoy a little peace.

Wishing you little peace too.

=J

What's your Bright Side? Have you been lucky enough to find peace?

Note: I have noticed a lot of traffic to this post for people looking for a peace sign image. It made me realize that I did not credit the site that I borrowed it from. My sincerest apologies to that site as they deserve full credit for the image. The peace sign was originally on: http://coloringpagesforkids.info/peace-sign-coloring-pages/

Monday Vent - School Started!

So, my girlfriend S-) wrote a Bright Side Friday post about school starting. Hopefully, you had a chance to read it. When I read it, I was reminded once again, that even though S-) and I are good friends, we are not the same. Perhaps that is partly why we are such good friends. But honestly, I could not share in her optimistic view of school starting. At the time of her post, I promised a Monday Vent with the opposing view. I think it speaks volumes that it took me another week to finally be able to write this.


When school starts at my house, chaos starts. It doesn't just mark the beginning of the school year, it marks the start of a million other things too. S-) is happy for the routine, while I'm frazzled by the additional places and things we are expected to be at or do at certain times.

- Sleep: I like staying up late. The kids and I slipped bedtime a bit later over the summer. Convincing my tweens that it is time to go to bed is super difficult, when they are not tired and I want to stay up and watch my late night shows. This becomes a bigger problem when it comes time to wake them up and I don't feel like waking up at 6:00 a.m. This past week, my internal clock has been waking me up a few minutes before my alarm, but I'm not happy about it. They have been better than me at jumping out of bed to get ready for the day.

- Packing lunches: I always have to feed my kids, but now I have to make sure that we have their packable lunch items. Do I have fresh fruit for today? Do I have fresh lunch meat for today? Did we run out of bread? Any non-school day, no big deal if we do or don't. On school days, I need to provide my kids with a decent lunch, that they'll eat AND will keep them energized for the school day. As I'm typing this, I am remembering that I need to buy apples for tomorrow... ugg!!!

- Soccer: I volunteer to coach soccer every year. This is obviously something that is optional for me, but I enjoy the sport and spending time with the kids. Problem? It starts the same week school starts. What's the rush? Oh yes, we play late into November! This becomes a 2-3 time/week responsibility. Thankfully, I'm co-coaching this year, so it's a bit more flexible.

- PTO: I am on the school PTO Board. Most of the year, I have very little to do. However, the first week of school is insanely busy. Again, another volunteer position that I could have just said "no" to, but I didn't. In another moment of weakness, I agreed to take over their e-mailings to the families of the district. Of course, a ton of those happen at the beginning of the year too.

- Homework: This ultimately should be my kids' responsibility, I am aware of that. Some how I still needed for setting up projects to be printed, purchasing supplies for projects, helping with the confusing questions, and reminding them (on weekends) to get their work done. Then I worry how they are doing, encourage them when they are worried about tests and quizzes, and become their cheerleader.

- Band: This also starts at the beginning of the school year. Of course, they both needed things for their instruments and I had to make a special trip to the only music store open late on a Sunday so they would have it. Back to "encouraging" them to practice and remembering to put their instruments at the front door and music in their backpacks. Again, it should be their responsibility, but I really don't feel like making the drive to school when they call and say "Mom! I need my instrument!" And I could, do the whole "natural consequences" thing, where if they forget it, they just don't have it that day. However, my kids get thrown so easily. Not being prepared for even something as simple as band, would mentally screw them up for their entire school day. Just not worth it in my book.

- Bus: Making the bus is something that my older son wants to do daily. The younger one would love it if I drove him to school everyday. I encourage making the bus. Mostly because, aside from it being a huge waste of gas, I'm usually still in flannel pants at that point. I have been there, where I thought, "who will see me?" Only to have to get out of the car with my uncombed hair, flannel pants and over sized t-shirt because my kid needed me to sign him in. Awesome. Just don't speak, or they'll know you didn't brush your teeth either.

So, there you have it. I am probably one of the few moms that don't look forward to school starting. I love being able to relax and have fun with my kids. I like letting them do their own thing or to up and do something cool just because we have time to do it. When school starts, all of that changes. I get the same sick feeling in my stomach that I did when I was a kid and the school year was starting.

When's our next day off?

p.s. The photo is from our fun, relaxing, no-schedule, trip this summer to the U.P. of Michigan. That's the stuff that summers are made of.

=J

Now it's your turn. What's your Bright Side? Is the start of school a Vent or a Bright Side at your house?

Bright Side Friday - School's Back

Since I work in an elementary school, I am very lucky that I don't work over summer break.  I thoroughly enjoyed being with my two boys all summer long.  We had a great summer.  We spent alot of time outside when it wasn't too hot.  We had quite a few picnics.  We slept in a few times. They both learned to swim.  We participated in the library reading program.  We had a very full and satisfying summer.  Even though I enjoyed all the unstructured time, I am quite content to have the school year starting again.  The boys are excited about school and really enjoy going to the after-school program, which alleviates guilt for me since I can't pick them up right after school.  Their bedtime has moved up a little bit so that they are rested for school, which gives me some more time in the evenings to collect myself and get organized for the next day.  We're falling back into a comfortable pattern of purposeful activities.  I'm looking forward to hearing about all the new things they'll be learning and all the things we'll have to talk about.  Happy Friday of the first week of school!

S -)

What is your Bright Side? Are you ready for school to start?

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on www.DiscoverySchool.com
or http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/clip/back-to.html

Bright-Side Friday - A new job

It is the Friday before I start a new job on Monday.  I am very excited yet very anxious.  I am so thankful that I was offered this position.  It is exactly what I had been looking for.  The butterflies in my stomach have been getting quite a workout in anticipation of my first day and now here it is before me.  For me, changing jobs at this point in my career has significantly changed my career direction.  It was quite nerve-wrecking to go through the interview process but I firmly believed it was the right time to make a move.  Now, I will get a glimpse at whether or not this decision was the correct one.  Hopefully, my first day won't turn into a Monday Vent!!  I'm just kidding, I don't think it will.  That will come later after I've been there long enough to see the flaws in the organization. :)  Have a happy weekend!
S -)

Now it's your turn! What is your Bright Side Friday?

Bright Side Friday! Friends

My Bright Side Friday has to do with my son and his friend.

When my son was 3, he was in pre-school. He made friends with a boy named Ryan. My son and this boy were inseparable. At times I was worried that my son would never make friends with anyone else because he and Ryan were so attached. Before my son could start his next year of pre-school, we found out Ryan was moving. My son was crushed. He started the school year sure that he didn't have any friends. It was a really rough time for him, and me. I had to constantly remind him that EVERYONE liked him and that he should just play with everyone. So tough to do when the children, who had obviously noticed the exclusive pair the year before, would just assume my son still wasn't interested in playing with them. Heartbreaking to watch when they are only 4. After a bit of encouragement things worked out better for my son that year, but he never stopped talking about Ryan.

I spoke with Ryan's mom and she told me that Ryan never stopped talking about my son. They still had family in the area, so when they came back to visit, Ryan's mom suggested we get together. When the two boys saw each other, it was like they had never been apart. We realized that this is no ordinary friendship, it is something special.

It is now years later, and the two boys are still best of friends and look forward to the visits. In fact, Ryan just left our house last night after staying with us for 1 week. Two buddies, never leaving each others side, staying up late, for 7 days and not one disagreement. Smiles on their faces the whole time.

It still amazes Ryan's mom and me. When she came to pick up Ryan last night she said "It's like they knew each other in another life." The friendship is amazing and I'm so happy that my son has been able to experience a friendship like it.

=J

Now it's your turn. What is your Bright Side?

Bright Side Fri...day, umm... Saturday!

FRIDAY! SATURDAY! Yes, a day late with my Bright Side, but I think it's never too late to share something positive with others. My Bright Side is that I am dog sitting. It's not just that I am dog sitting, it's that I am dog sitting an abused rescue dog.  I can see the notches in the backs of her ears where someone took a razor blade to them. She won't take food out of a bowl and will only eat food that you hand to her or leave on the floor. She is terrified of nearly everything around her, but she has blossomed nicely in our home. She is one of the sweetest dogs on the face of the earth, and all she wants is love and snuggles. It makes me feel good that I am able to be part of the positive part of her life. I am so mad at her abusers and I can never undo what they did to her. But, I can add happiness to her life now, I can give her a loving environment to stay in while her owner is away, and I can comfort her when she is scared. Truly unconditional love from her to me, and me to her.

Now it's your turn. What is your Bright Side?

=J

Bright-Side Thursday Night

My bright side Friday occurred on Thursday night.  I was watching a show on TV in my bedroom.  There were only a few minutes left and one of my boys climbed up on the bed.  I told him he could sit with me only if he didn’t talk so I could hear the end of the show.  It was just before bedtime for the boys.  Moments later, my other son climbed up, and then my husband joined us.  It turned into a tickling, giggling, hugging, kissing time. It was great.  The thought crossed my mind that this is one of those moments that I will look back on again and again as long as I live.  Having my family all together, healthy, happy, laughing, and just enjoying being together is an amazing blessing and a wonderful memory to carry with me.
S -)

Bright Side Friday! Florida Fun

My Bright Side Friday has to do with Florida. My parents brought our entire family and cousins to Florida 8 years ago. It has been on my mind the past few years, thinking about how fun that was, and how young my sons were when we went. Finances have not been such for us to take my sons back. I was wishing there were a way to take them back, before they get past the "magical" age of the parks there. My dad surprised us with a trip back there this summer. I was really excited and thankful. Even though I had to cut my trip short, because of work, my sons were able to stay and continue their fun with grandparents and cousins. In fact, they come home tomorrow, so hubby and I will have a chance for date night tonight too! =)

Now it's your turn. What is your bright side?

=J

p.s. The photo is of my sons waiting to board the plane for Florida. I wish I could have heard all of the excitement going on in their heads.

Monday Vent - Snarky Friends

 

It's Monday, and right now, I'm laughing because on Friday, my Bright Spot was about how great my friends are. Now it's Monday, and my vent is about how snarky my friends are. OK, so admittedly, MOST of my friends are great MOST of the time. However, every now and then the snarky side sneaks out. I honestly don't have time for snarky friends. Rather, I don't have time for my friends when they are snarky. I usually set them straight and move on, or give them an eye roll and walk away. I can count on an apology within 24 hours. Which, unless they were down right mean, is OK with me.  What really annoys me is the drama. I don't DO drama. Like me or hate me. Pick one.

Now it's your turn. Vent, scream, get it off of your chest, and move on!

=J

p.s. This is a photo from the 4th of July fireworks. We set up blankets way ahead of time to mark our space. Notice how ugly this one is? No one else would dare claim it! This is a photo of my niece enjoying the fireworks with me and my friends (snarky and otherwise).

Bright Side Friday!

It's Friday, and we have managed to not post anything since last Friday... oops! Things have been a bit crazy to say the least. The 4th of July weekend was wonderful and fun, but it seems like it has taken all week to recover and catch up from it.


I will be honest and let you know that I am having a difficult time coming up with my Bright Side today. It's not that I'm not thankful for all of the things I have, like a roof over my head and a loving family. I just like to find a Bright Side that is something other than that, otherwise that is ALL you will hear from me every week! =) Some days it's easier for me to come up with SEVERAL Monday Vents. This is one of them.

So, after much thought, here is my Bright Side:
Reflecting on the 4th of July weekend, I am glad that we live in such a great community of wonderful people that have become our friends. Everywhere we went, we ran into people that we knew AND liked (lol)! The kids all had fun and so did the adults.

Now it's your turn! Share your Bright Side!

=J

p.s. This photo is from our 4th. If you look over to the left the the fireworks, you can see the crescent moon. I don't ever remember seeing the moon in our fireworks before. It turned really orange that night!

Bright Side Friday! Happy 4th of July!

It's Friday AND it's a LONG weekend for us in the U.S.A.!


So THIS one is EASY!!!!!
My Bright Side: I am looking forward to a fun and relaxing 3 day weekend with family and friends, watching the parade go by, and sitting under the stars to watch the fireworks. BONUS: I don't have to work on Monday! OK, so Tuesday is going to be a bit painful, but it is ALL worth it!

Happy 4th of July to you. Hope it is safe and fun for all.

Now it's YOUR turn! What is your Bright Side?

=J

Bright Side Friday!

I know that I usually start out by commenting, that the fact that it IS Friday, could be a bright side on it's own. I'm still standing by that. This has been one of those weeks that I have felt like I was just trying to survive each day. I didn't even realize I had made it to Friday until I got on Twitter and saw all of the "#FF" and "Happy Friday" postings. I'm still trying to shake off the sleepy from a terrible night's sleep, but knowing that it is Friday has given me strength and a renewed drive. Or, it could be this second cup of coffee that I added chocolate milk to...

Anyways, here is my Bright Side Friday. Please post yours. It makes us all feel better hearing about happy things.

We had terrible storms hit a few days ago. Most people in our area lost their power. We did not. This is a switch as we used to be the ones who ALWAYS lost our power and everyone around us was on. I can't even remember how much food we have had to throw away over the years. This time we were spared. I almost felt a bit guilty. Some were out for 36 hours and others more than 48. To top it off, trees were down all over, including in our back yard. Someone was watching out for us, because it fell parallel to the power lines. Absolutely unbelievable. Thankful. Truly thankful.

=J

P.S. This is a photo of the tree that broke off about 30 feet up. The trunk is on the left between the lines, and the top 60 feet of the tree is on the ground going off towards the right. Weirdest thing about this, is that ALL of the trees in the neighborhood that went down, are pointing in the SAME direction!