Happy New Year Dear Bloggy Friends

"The New Year brings the hope of brighter days and the goal of creating cherished memories." ~Mama HenMy dear bloggy friends I wish you all the very best New Year! May it be filled with great health, abundant love, overflowing laughter and the most cherished memories! Thank you for all of your loving support and great birthday wishes. 2010 brought the world of blogging into my life and I look forward to nurturing the friendships I have made in 2011.

Happy New Year!

40th Birthday and Thanksgiving Thursday

"Birthdays are a time to be thankful for the miracle of life."

~Mama Hen For my 40th birthday yesterday I wanted to go sledding with my family. I thought it would be a great way to get everyone together for a good laugh and a whole lot of fun! I love the outdoors and when it snows I can't get enough of the fresh air and the feeling of being a big kid again as I fly down that big hill in our backyard with my adorable Little Chick. My sister and brother in law brought me 40 beautiful roses and they really are stunning! Thankfully my husband just got out of the hospital and is resting. It was the greatest gift to know he could leave.

My brother in law and 40 beautiful birthday roses!
My sister and I.
This was a really big gift, because she really does not like being out in the cold snow.
Little Chick, her cousin and I getting ready to go down the hill.

Yes, in case you are wondering, those are kitchen bags on my feet under my boots.

They keep my feet from getting wet!

We sled so many times, I can't keep my boots from getting soaked. Ha! Ha!

When you are 40 it is all about comfort and not glamour!

The family together for a fun birthday in the snow!

Little Chick and I love looking up at the sky.
Today we saw a heart floating by. Beautiful!
Little Chick and I lying down in the snow watching the clouds.
Cousins.

If it wasn't for my beautiful mom I would not be here!

Thank you mommy!

For this Thanksgiving Thursday I am grateful for:

1.) Little Chick and my family

2.) My husband feeling better after ten days in the hospital and for the miracle of recovery.

3.) My birthday and having had an amazing first half of my journey here on Earth.

4.) For the desire to learn and want to grow as I move forward in my life.

5.) For all the fun things we can do daily that don't cost a thing: sledding, dancing, reading books and so much more!

The Gift of the Present

"To appreciate and live in the present is the greatest gift you can give yourself." ~Mama Hen

With the New Year approaching, my 40th birthday on December 29th and all the trauma and blessings that have occurred in a short few months, I think it is a good time to reflect and take stock of this "gift" we call the present. Being the Capricorn that I am I have a tendency to want to secure my future and so I can find myself getting lost in the stresses that come with assuring this will be done. Yes, it is very important to look ahead and make sure that we are safeguarding our family's future, but it is also very important to make sure we stay in the present and actually "feel" the gift that is right under our nose. My husband almost dying and still being in the hospital has been a real dose of "reality" for me. It makes me want to fill each moment with as much love and happiness as possible. I look at my daughter and see a cup that I want to pour all the special happy memories and knowledge into as much as I can. The opportunities are there with each moment and getting lost in the stresses of life can take away our ability to create as much happiness as can be. That is why the need to "reflect" is a constant. I want my 40th year to be the year I am inspired through my daughter's spirit to inspire and give as much of myself. We have such little time on this great Earth and it is up to us to create the happiness we all crave by using the "gift" of the "present".

Celebrating Our Abundant Blessings

"Every day there are so many blessings to be celebrated."

~Mama Hen

Little Chick had a spectacular Christmas morning filled with penguins, doggies, games and all the things she wanted on her list to Santa. She was so excited! It made me so happy to see her light up. My husband is still in the hospital and it was important to me to make sure Little Chick had a very special holiday. Today we had our first real snow that we could go sledding! We were up and down the hill in my backyard many times and topped it off with hot chocolate. Little Chick and I dream of snowy days where we can get silly making snow angels and go sledding nonstop. I hope your holiday was a very happy one.

Christmas morning

Yummy hot chocolate.

Between the Chaos

"Between the chaos, life continues." ~Mama Hen Thank you very much to all my bloggy friends who have shown such love and support during such a scary time. My husband is still in the hospital and will be there for a while. Having Little Chick makes it important to keep the spirit going even when it is so tough. To say I am exhausted would be an understatement. Emotionally and physically. However, Little Chick deserves a Christmas filled with love and laughter and this is what we did today. We also made my mom feel special for her birthday yesterday. As hard as it may be, life must move forward between the chaos. My husband is making progress each day and was cracking jokes yesterday evening when I visited. This gave me a sense of relief. I hope you all have a beautiful holiday!

My mom's birthday! Little Chick helps her open a gift.
I did not have time to buy candles.
Little Chick's Pooh candle from when she was three did the trick!

Little Chick and my mom reading by the Christmas tree today!
Cousins!

My baby and me!

Getting ready for Santa! Of course he needs home made cookies!

We can't forget the carrots for Rudy and his pals!

Little Chick puts out Santa's cookies.

All set for Santa!

Santa has arrived!

Merry Christmas!

Family Christmas

"The spirit of Christmas lies within the heart of the family."

~Mama HenFamily is the greatest gift at Christmas time! To give of ourselves and simply enjoy the love that we have been blessed with is the true spirit at this wondrous time. When all is said and done and we look back years from now, it will be the cherished memories we shared that we remember-not the gift we received in a box. May everyone have a glorious week abundant with love and laughter and of course lots of hugs! Celebrating many December birthdays!

One pooped out Little Chick! Little Chick's new Christmas coat! Little Chick and her furry family!

The Gift of Giving

"To give of oneself is the true act of giving." ~Mama Hen

To give is something that encompasses so many things. There is the special feeling of doing something kind for someone else and the joy received when seeing their face light up. It is also something so special for the person receiving the present. A gift does not have to consist of much money spent or any money at all. It is the actual offering of oneself that is the true gift. Sometimes at this time of the year we all become frantic with what we "have" to give and we lose sight of what is truly important. The art of giving should be through one's heart and not one's wallet. I have always liked making things for the people I love. I think it shows that my feelings and soul went into the gift. If that is not possible I try very hard to find a very thoughtful gift. This all takes time and quite frankly should start far in advance to the holidays. At the same time I think it is essential that we should "give back" in some way to those who do not have the same luxuries as ourselves. In celebration of Jesus' birthday, His gift should be forwarded to those in need. How do you make gift giving special?Have a happy Smile Sunday!

Dear Santa

"The magic of Christmas continues through the eyes of a child in writing a letter to Santa." ~Mama Hen

Little Chick had so much fun putting her letter for Santa together. She knew exactly what she wanted to ask for on her list. We had so much fun today! Who says an icky cold has to hold anyone back? We headed to the Maritime in the morning to see Little Chick's friends - the penguins. We also saw an IMAX movie. She loves that! We hope you are having fun getting ready for the holidays!

Putting her letter in the mailbox. She was so excited!

At the Maritime visiting the penguins.

Little Chcik's favorite movie is Happy Feet.

We can never pass this section of the Maritime without her dancing to the video.

We can't forget seeing these furry friends!