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!

Proud Mom

As a mom, I try to do my best at that role for my kids. I give them tools to make good decisions, knowing that I won't always be there to tell them what to do. I give them hugs and tell them that I love them, knowing that I won't always be there to make them feel loved when others try to make them feel unlovable. I give them encouragement and support, knowing that I won't always be there to give them confidence when they are in a challenging situation. I give them guidelines for life, because I know that I won't always be there to make them follow the rules when others tempt them not to.

My heart feels happy when I think of my kids. They are kind, smart, hardworking, courteous, loving, and more. As much as I know this, it is really nice when others notice it too. Good behavior is almost never recognized, and I love when someone other than “mom” reinforces how important it is to be a good person. The other day we were invited to a ceremony honoring STAR kids at school. STAR stands for Students Taking Active Responsibility (Displaying traits of Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Honesty, and Good Decision Making). Kids are nominated by teachers and only a handful of kids are selected each year. I was honored to have BOTH of my kids selected for the award! At the ceremony, the principal said something that really resonated with me. He said “You don't have to be the star of the sports team, you don't have to be the star of the play, but just by being you, you are a star every day.” I am proud of the job I've done so far as a mom, and I am proud of my stars.

=J