haPpY 12th haleigh!!!

i can't believe that my baby girl is 12 today!!! i remember delivering her like it was yesterday. she is growing into such a beautiful young woman and i am honored and blessed to be her mom. we have been really busy lately so her video is coming. here are a few of photos of her. isn't she stinkin' cute. i love you boo bear and hope you have a great day!! love, mom

the song she chose to play for her post...blue, da ba dee!!

a wonderful start to mY sunday...

i couldn't sleep last night and was up rather late. my kiddos were so amaZing and let me sleep in. haven't done this in a long time. what woke me this morning? the smell of french toast, my favorite!!! these two little kids of mine made french toast for me. dallin even remembered to add cinnamon. what more could a mom ask for! i am truly grateful and thankful for all 4 of my children. we are eNjoYing a wonderful day together. these are precious and priceless moments. ones you never want to loose and never want to forget. have a super sunday all!! *hugs*

edit: i was just informed by my little boo bear haleigh that it was her idea to make french toast. it was her that remembered the cinnamon. she wanted to do it all by herself but, big brother dallin just started the grill. as haleigh was reading the blog she let me know of these details. thaNks haleigh...love you!!

{an amaZing day}

today was a beautiful day. unbelievable as yesterday and last night was bone chilling cold. haleigh and dallin had their soccer game today and did amaZing as usual. they one 1-0 with dallin scoring the only goal in the 1st quarter. he played goalie twice and forward twice. my miss haleigh did great as well. blocking the ball and kicking it hard. i love watching all my children in all of their activities. it makes me a proud and happy mom!! to see them eNjoYing what they like to do and loving it. what more can you as for?



after soccer we had haleigh's birthday party. usually it is really cold and we aren't able to do it outside. though today mother nature was on our side. it was the perfect day!! she had 3 girls show up and they had a blast. i gotta share my favorite photo of them with you. is this just the cutest picture you have ever seen. they are so stinkin' cute!! all 4 of them played so well together. played football, played on the playground and on the swings. it was so fuN to watch them be little girls. it brought back memories of my youth and what i was doing at the tender age of 12. where does the time go? we had to kill bees which was so funny at times that i just can't remember the last time i laughed so much. thanks girls and thanks boo for sharing these wonderful, kind girls with me today.




as my day slowly ended i was reflecting on myself. which i really don't like doing. realizing that i am the type of person that would do anything for anyone. i would give you my last dollar so you could use it for what ever purpose you needed as i would go without. i am that person that can so easily relate to many. i have been through a lot in my 36 years on this earth. if it weren't for our bumps in this life, our journey would be rather boring. i know for myself all these life lessons and trials have a purpose. we are to learn. whether we find the good or bad in them, it is our choice, our own decision on what we do with them. i am that kind of person that when i see someone fall, i want to catch them. though i realize that sometimes it takes a fall for them to see what is important to them. i can't fix everything {though i want to think i can}. i can't help everyone all the time. at times i can't even help myself. we all have mountains we must climb. we all stumble along the way. it's what we do after the stumble that counts. do you knock yourself down again, or do you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, put a smile on your face, remember to breathe and take that first step forward? it's hard you see...i want to pick you up. i want to carry your weight. i want to fix it all. make it all go away and move forward. if i can't do it on my own i surely can't do it for someone else. so for any of you out there feeling like you have hit rock bottom finally {cause you do have to hit it before you change directions} what are you waiting for? you have to do it yourself, baby steps. no one can do it for you. we may want to, but we can't. we all must travel certain paths alone. it's scary i know i have been there. though the path you choose has to be yours and no others. when you do take that first baby step, breathe...then take a deep breath, pat the dirt off and smile. you did it!! now what did you learn? i hope you learned that you are worth it and so is this messed up kind of life. hang in there...it may take longer than you think but, you can do it. i have and continue each and everyday by finding the good in everything that has made me smile. i don't regret anything...i just move forward and smile. night all. much love. *hugs* connie

{live BIG enough}

"if you're NOT pissing a few people off,

raising a FEW eyebrows,

you're not LIVING big enough!!"

~erin brockovich

have a terrific thursday everyone. may you find what you are looking for in this life and live it to the fullest. live big enough to be noticed! {be} who you want to be and live it well. *hugs*

{touched by the blog world, AGAIN!}

good morning! to start my monday off i did my usual blog lurking. tOdaY i went to the andy and jodee dillard family blog. as i was catching up i noticed 2 post down, jodee had posted about the nielson family silent auction. a young couple, the neilson's with 4 children who were both in a serious plane crash up where i live. i heard about it but, didn't know the 3 in the plane so my life went on it's way. as you check out the {video} that andy made and follow along to all the sites and youtube links i hope you too will be touched today to share this story.


tOdaY as you go about your day...reflect on what is important to you? what are you blessed with? how has your life been touched by others, that you may never meet?


i don't know how to post a youtube video that someone else made. so please check out this link and be touched to share. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGuMxj9mGS8

you never know when someday it might be your story. please do all you can to support this family. *hugs* connie

{mY message for tOdaY}

i am smiling tOdaY. why? cause it is up to me to make my own happiness {as my mother reminds me constantly}. sometimes you just get tired of all the tears, heartaches, disagreements and drama that life brings you. even that can make you tired, lol. so today as i was checking my emails i ran across this quote.

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.

i know i posted something like this awhile back but, it just struck me today. thank you lhindah. then kristan sent me an email saying it was nice to see me posting again. you know what? it's nice to be doing it. great therapy for me.

today i am wishing all mY family & friends a wonderful day!! i know everyone has their own baggage in life to deal with...kids, money, friends, sickness, health, family issues, other drama, stress issues and the list can go on. believe me, i am right there with you. i just know that you can only do so much. you can only handle so much. that sometimes just taking the first step, WILL be the path to your new life, that is awaiting you!! mE it is just remembering to breathe then take those steps, lol!

so today...

"never frown because you never know

who might be falling in love with your smile".

~justin milton

playing catch up...

back from ckc-hartford and i am still adjusting to the time change. jet lag and 3 hours different really can mess ya up, lol! i just have to say you ladies and gentlemen in hartford were so kind and friendly. what a great city to meet some amaZing people. i met a mom/daughter and they were the sweetest ever. every time they saw me they continued to comment on my classes. i can not tell you how wonderful that is to hear. i am honored and blessed to work for sei. i am hoping that some of you will send me some photos. i love posting them and sharing my love of the industry with others. it was a bit different than most shows for me. i usually teach 5 classes a day teaching the same classes both friday and saturday. ck for some reason cut back our classes. i guess due to lack of spacing. we were not the only ones they did this to. anywho, i am hoping to see many of you next year! if not then hopefully valley forge or manchester.

i left wednesday to fly to hartford. can i just say....southwest airlines, you roCk!!! flights were on time, snacks & drinks were provided and i met some amaZing people as well. the flight attendants going to and coming back awesoMe!!! it was such a riot to have some kick back, funny, outgoing attendants on the plane. lisa d, shon and i am sorry about the other guy were terrific!!! i will choose southwest over any airline any day if i have my choice.

i have to say that this trip has really done a number on me. i missed my kids, met new people and realized i am d*mn good at what i do! i know my kids were in good care but, i think it was just being so far away. trev had a band competition, d and boo had a soccer game and austy had voice lessons. i feel like i missed out on a lot with being gone just those few days. i love, love, love meeting new people. you know we all come from different walks of life. never knowing what is behind that smile or sarcasm. though if you put your best foot forward you will always come out on top no matter what the outcome. the people i met on these flights i hope i continue to stay in touch with. they all have so much to offer and a life that is waiting for them. just as i know mine is as well. i also realized that i am a friendly, very like-able person. i am very hard on myself, always have been. i am trying really hard to look at the positive things that i contribute to this world and mY life in general! i have a lot to offer and a lot to learn. i am up and ready for the challenge. now lets not have it all at once, lol. though i am ready!

thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to read my ramblings.

"only you have the POWER to unveil the lights within you

and share it with the world."

~author not known

new hair again...

some of you may have noticed my new picture. yes, i did it again. i cut my hair shorter and went back to my natural color. i am lovin' it! it has taken about a week to get use to the darkness but, now...it's all good. i love playing with my hair and changing it up every few months or so. guess that's what you get when you go to cosmetology school, lol! wanted to share a few of my do's through out the year. wonder what i will do next. all i know is that when i get it done...i feel like a new womEn!!! thanks rhonda. eNjoY!!

{happy birthday dad}

wow! three birthdays in a row. i didn't get a chance to actually talk with my dad today. he lives in pa and there is a 3 hour time difference. when i thought of calling him he was still at work. then tonight the phone was busy and then it was to late. so i am wishing him my best here. i love and miss you dad!!!

may you have a good birthday! you deserve it.

this song just so reminds me of my dad. zz top lovin', biker dude, mountain man. i don't care...anyway you look at him, he is mY dad!!!

haPpY biRthDaY little BRO...

today is my brother's birthday. this is a difficult one for me. he turned 34 and he is not with his family. last month or so he decided to enlist in the army. he did so well on his test that instead of leaving in october he left last month.i know for me it was very difficult to understand but for him it wasn't a hard choice at all. he will be able to provide for his family of 5 kiddos and his wife,do what he loves and serve his country. he is not the first to enlist in mY family. he is just another one of a long list... siblings, a father and father-in-law, grandfather, aunts, uncles and cousins. i just wanted you all to know how much i love him and how very proud of him i am. happy birthday

jeremy!!! you are in my thoughts and prayers daily. love your big sis

ps. thank you!