I Knew it Would Be Good...

So, last year at this time, I said “goodbye” to 2016. It had been a really tough year—with my thyroidectomy, knee problems, and my mom’s rapidly failing health after two broken hips in a row. When she died in September of 2016, I knew it couldn’t get much worse. 

But I was positive that 2017 was going to be a better year, and man, did it ever exceed expectations! Now, I’m sitting in a hot bath after two days of driving  and dropping callie off at the airport, and reflecting on the year.

2017 began with a silent prayer—asking God to forgive me for my moments of ingratitude and self pity as taking care of my mom’s needs began to take its toll. And I thanked Him for the extended period of gentle and loving goodbyes we got to say to each other before she passed away in her sleep. 

And then I thanked Him for granting me a New Year, with new chances, new friends, and new opportunities. I thanked him for blessing my kids. And for the blessings I overlooked while looking after my mom. 

And this year, I thank Him sooo much for the reprieve from stress and strife that I’ve enjoyed this year. 

And I thank Him for bringing an amazing man into my life—the man who I’ll spend the rest of my life with. 

And I pray that if it is God’s will, this year will continue to build on 2017’s successes. Opportunities seem to be opening up left and right, and I’m feeling in a much better place than I was last year. 

The holidays were especially wonderful this year, as I reunited with family I’ve truly missed, and I was also able to spend real quality time with all three kids , as well as with James.

Oh! And we visited Monet!!!

You might ask if I have any resolutions for the New Year. Not really—I guess my resolutions are to keep having fun doing things I love, with people I love. I want to step up my boxing routine, and be in the best shape of my life by springtime. Other resolutions are to make sure I help Callie where I can have a smooth transition into college—whether it be Berkeley or Brown...

Here’s Callie and Joe in A’Viking:

Another is to get Joe driving. I recently had the Rav detailed for him—he’s just got a few more hours to log before he gets his license. Joe will also get an opportunity to be a foreign exchange “diplomat” to New Zealand this summer, and I’m excited about that! Here is the letter of recommendation his guidance counselor wrote for him. I think that it was an amazingly generous thing for her to do—to take time out of her busy schedule to write such a personal letter of recommendation. 

And of course I’m excited about starting my job. Everything about this practice seems perfect. 

The Naples house is coming together nicely, and I’m looking forward to a pool/bbq/friend filled summer.

So, Welcome, 2018! May your days be bright to continue to light my path, and guide me down the “meaningful,” not “moneyfull” path. I’m excited to see what opportunities open up as I gain confidence and some kick ass. 

I hope to be a little more lenient on the bitter less fortunate, and a little more “fun.”

Anyway, New Year’s Eve is calm, with the distant sound of fireworks like a calm foreshadowing of some wonderful things coming to light in the months ahead. 

I pray you all have a happy and blessed New Year!

Happy Day

UPDATE: ChaseChat is down due to malware on the host server, and will be back up soon. Mr. Anonymous, I wish you would stop implicating yourself every time the site goes down. Makes you look stupid. More stupid than your usual poor grammar indicates. :)

A good day in the making! 

So, for the last few days, I’ve had three extra boys—Joe’s friends from NSB, and it’s been fun watching them have fun. They cooked, played lots of pool, swam in the swimming pool, and watched scary movies. It was comical to hear their comments throughout the movies. 

Anyway, I’m driving them back home tomorrow, which will also be a good thing. Lol. Time to rest a little from all the action...

Oh! And they went to the mall and Joe got me something I’ve been looking for for a LONG time in the US:

I promptly ate it. 

And I’ve thoroughly enjoyed having Callie for her visit. I’m taking her to the airport Sunday. She spent a lot of her time here filling out college paperwork. I’m so proud of her!

And...

https://goo.gl/images/ujuvoU

Yeah, Man, Good Stuff Coming

And no, I’m not going to trash anyone. I’m just going to make you think. At least, I hope to make you think. That’s the goal.

I’m going to tell you cool stuff about why the majority is always wrong, and how to be in the 3% that actually do things right. 

And more stuff...to make you think a little, and hopefully, enable you to see things in a clearer light.

Yeah, buddy! 

But first, I have to take four boys to an escape room and Star Wars and what not.

Merry Christmas Eve!!

We’re heading north for a vacation home so we can spend a very merry Christmas with all three kids! Peace to you all!

Flattery

If reading someone’s forum and posting about it is the “highest form of flattery,” I know of one blog that is all about flattering me and flatters me several times a day. Especially when they say my blog has “no readers.” Well at least they got it partly right. There are a few “nobodies” who read my blog several times a day! And how about this absolute gem— a forum supposedly about FF and the Chase NEVER TALKS A BOUT THE CHASE. To me, that’s hilarious. I get way more press time than F does on a blog supposedly about F and the chase. And at present, I’m not even “chasing” right now. My daily life appears to be very important to some. And some seem to revel in a false belief that my world is crumbling all around me. Yeah, okay. Remember that shirt that said to just sit in your wrongness? Lol! If constantly posting about a particular person is “flattery,” who “flatters” me the most?

Oh, and Christmas is almost here! I’m excited for a fun time with my family. You know what’s funny, though? That other blog will post about me posting negativity at a time of a year that should be promoting good will. While they keep on with their daily character assassination. How is that not hypocritical?

I Heard...

I heard that some people want to buy me gifts for Christmas. That is very thoughtful! However, I like to collect shirts with numbers on them (I think its an Asperger's thing).

I took the liberty of finding the ones best suited for me.

And I like tee shirts that say a little something of my ancestry:

And as my Viking blood courses through me, you all know I am not afraid of a good fight:

This is one I'd proudly wear as a message to some guys out there:

And sometimes, you just gotta block out all the delusional loons that screech every time you post something happy in your life:

Other days, this is what I'd wear as my message to them:

And I ALWAYS remember the One who gives me strength:

And one that shares a little bit of what makes me stand out in a crowd:

So there's some ideas for ya. You can ship them to The Winner's House, Naples, FL 34120. The postman will know who you mean. :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS! May we all find a little light and laughter this holiday season!

Christmas Time

Update: I’m going to be busy through Christmas, but I’ll be updating on Instagram and maybe Twitter, so feel free to follow me there. :)


We won one of the prizes in the holiday Christmas house decorating contest! Well, I should say James won, because he did 99.99% of the work. We/he won the prize for "Best Theme." We tried to go with the nostalgic Christmas TV specials, and I guess it was a hit with the judges.

While the outside is decorated to the hilt, we like things a little simpler inside:

Zuri likes to hang out on the rug by the tree. She reminds me of when I was a kid in the days before Christmas when my mom would have Christmas music playing and I would lie down on the carpet by the tree, breathing in the blue spruce-y scent and finding a kind of cozy comfort in the twinkling lights and festive sounds. 

We also have a Charlie Brown christmas tree, which reminds us to treat everyone with kindness.

James gave me my Christmas present early. He went WAY overboard, but its something we can all enjoy:

It is a very peaceful and contented time of the year, but I will miss my mom especially this year. My mom was responsible for some of my best Christmas memories, and I know she knows that. That's comforting to me. 

So, in the spirit of Christmas (which should be all year), let's take a break from the back and forths. and enjoy time with our friends and family. Let's concentrate on spreading joy, not gossip. Let's open our hearts and not so much our mouths. Let's take the time to reflect on the gift God gave to save us from ourselves--Jesus Christ.