So special

I had one of those moments today.

One of those moments that makes my life worth while.

It was so little and so short, but so special.

We were running around our house this morning trying to get things done. You know, it's Saturday and we have a checklist a mile long. We DVR Glee and watch it after the kids go to bed and Steve thought Reagan would like the finale as they did these long medley's with dancing, singing and costumes. If you have seen it, you know what I am talking about. So Steve turned it on while I was in the shower to keep the kids occupied for a bit. As I came out of the shower I saw Reagan frozen standing in front of the TV staring with mouth open at all of the dancing and singing on the screen. It was classic. Crew was sitting on the couch also mesmerized by the scene playing for him. I hurried and dressed and joined Crew on the couch. The scene ended and Reagan quickly asked if they could watch it again. I happily obliged.

This is where I had my special moment. I was watching the show, just as lost in the show as my kids, when I looked down to see Reagan and Crew dancing, all out, Reagan's arms waving, Crews bum swinging. They were laughing and smiling and completely enjoying the music and the movement it brought to them. I just watching and laughed with them. They spun around and when Reagan tried to sing along so did Crew. It was so fun.

I love these kinds of moments. I love that music moves my kids like it moves me. I love that I was able to witness this particular moment. It was completely special and I always want to remember.

Quotology

Going along with yesterdays post...

Thank you Mr. Shakespeare

YES YOU CAN!!!

I've been thinking a lot about dreaming. Wishing. Wanting. Hoping. Not just every day kind of dreams like I have every day like "I hope I can get the kids bathed, ready and fed before 10:00" kind of dreaming. I mean like "I would love to be a rockstar" kind of dreaming.

Do you have those kind of dreams? When I was young I can remember a lot of dreams I had for myself. Some are a little silly, like being a princess. (My daughter has that dream right now, and I thoroughly love that about her). It's not a dream I have anymore but was extremely important at the time. I REALLY wanted to be a famous singer when I was in high school. Oh, if only. That would have been the coolest thing EVER! Getting paid to SING? Seriously? Count me in. For as long as I can remember I dreamed of going to the Temple and starting a family with the man of my dreams. That dream came true and I am living it every day. So thankful for that.

Do you have dreams? Did you used to have dreams that you let go as time has passed by? There are some dreams that have taken the back seat in my life. I haven't fully let them go, they're still there, I just can't give them the attention that they need to grow.

 photo courtesy of gemicek.deviantart.com

Having children has given me a whole new perspective on what I want for my life and for theirs. The dreams I hope they have and the ones that someday I can achieve for myself. There are days when I feel like my life is not my own. It belongs to my family, church, neighbors, clients. Days when I get very frustrated that I have not done one thing for myself. Days when my dreams get just a little more dust. But those are usually the days that I have been able to do something for someone else, or my child thanks me for something little I have done for them and I know it is a day that matters in my life.

I keep telling myself that someday in the future I am going to have the time, energy and focus to make my dreams a reality! I have all of those thoughts like "If I can just wait until..." or "As soon as..." you know the ones. But I am beginning to realize I don't want to wait. And I don't think I have to. If I can do a little at a time, one day I will get there! I can achieve my dreams!

Now even though my dreams have changed and transformed they are still there and still very important to me. There is so much that I want for myself and that includes helping my family become all they want for themselves. I truly believe if we work hard, try harder and DREAM BIG we can achieve all that we want for ourselves.

I can do it... and so can you!

What are YOUR dreams? I'd love to hear about them!!!

Adoption

Have you ever seen the pictures I have taken of this sweet little boy?

I have been privileged enough to take his photographs since he was a newborn and boy is he handsome! Beckham belongs to a dear friend of mine who I truly love and look up to. You would never know it by looking at their little family, but Beckham is adopted. Josie and Micah were blessed with Beckham last year and he has been an incredible blessing in their lives and the lives of all of us who know them.

Bechham is ready to become a big brother. Josie and Micah have been working very hard to get everything in order to adopt another little one to add to their family. This is never an easy process, but one that is simply incredible. Check out their adoption blog here and pass it along to anyone you may know who is looking for the right family for their child. They couldn't find more love than they would in this home.

How to: Martha Stewart Pom Poms

Do you remember awhile back when I posted about the bridal shower I threw for my close friend and the pom poms we made to decorate? If not, or if you would just like a refresher, click here.

Well, I received a number of inquiries about how I made the pom poms. So I thought I would share my experience as they are super easy and super cute!

I actually found my "how to" on the Martha Stewart webpage. Her directions are clear and very easy to follow. So click here if you want to see how I did it. 

Here are things I learned that they didn't mention on the how-to...

- There are different sizes of tissue paper out there so be sure to get the recommended size. I tried to use a different size and it didn't go all the way around. It was more like an hour glass.

- Also, you can get it in small packages like tissue paper you would use for a gift or you can go to XpedX and get it in larger quantities and the tissue does NOT have any folds in it. Smooth and nice. I used the folded kind and mine turned out great, but I would probably go with the XpedX paper next time.

- The folds do not need to be exact. I spend a lot of time measuring and trying to make my first pom pom perfect, but that was completely unnecessary. I don't think anyone could tell the difference between my first and last pom pom and there was no measuring on my last pom pom.

- When cutting the ends you can do all sorts of fun things. Round, pointed, zig-zag. It was fun to see the different sizes and how they looked finished.

- When pulling the tissue paper apart, be careful. It will rip. I had that happen a couple of times. If it does happen try to tape it back on, that worked for me.

Any questions? I would love to hear any tips you may have or any other fun party decorating ideas! I really had fun making these and the result was perfect! I was wishing the whole time that I had known how to make these long ago for other showers/parties I had thrown! So dig in and have fun!

One Sweet Proposal...

I know I have been MIA for much too long. And I have soooo much to say! Don't worry, it's coming soon. But to hold you over until then I thought you would enjoy this great video of a proposal. I don't know these people, just love the idea!