What Do You Wish For?

"Take a chance! Make a wish! It just may come true."

~Mama Hen

What do you wish for? Every time Little Chick and I see a fountain I give her three coins to throw in. We both start singing Frank Sinatra's "Three Coins in the Fountain." Yes, Little Chick loves Frank, Dean and Bing! We love playing their music loudly in the kitchen and dancing around the table while I make dinner! Little Chick learned to kiss the coin first and then throw it in from my Mom! Grandmoms teach the best things, don't they? I think she only saw my mom do it once and ever since she has always kissed each coin and with great gusto throws it in. Although I am abundantly blessed, there are a few wishes on my list. One, as you all already know, is that I pray and wish to have another child so Little Chick could have someone to go through life with. I mean, who is she going to complain about me to? All jokes aside, that is my greatest wish (after of course, wanting health, happiness and lots of love for my entire family). What do you have on your wish list?

Cherished Moments Monday

"There is no fonder memory then that of an average day simply being spent with a loving family."

~Mama Hen

For Cherished Moments Monday I want to share a picture I came across the other day. This is my sweet Dad, Opi (grandfather), Mom and Omi (grandmother) in the photo above sitting around our pool in 1992. Just looking at this triggers a host of emotions! We used to have so many family dinners at that table (which I have now). I would spend the entire summer swimming in the pool, which my Dad appreciated, because no one else really went in as much as I did. I was like a little fish that would turn blue before you could get me out of there. I remember my Dad singing and dancing as he flipped the hamburgers on the grill and my Mom and I would bring all the plates and fixings out from the kitchen that was upstairs and seemed so far away in the eyes of a teenager. Ha! It was a happy time for my entire family! I really cherish those memories and miss those days!

What Cherished memory do you miss?

Smile Sunday

"A smile is contagious! Smile as often as you can and you will see the world brighten all around you!"

~Mama Hen

Have a happy Smile Sunday!

No need for a post, I think this picture says it all!

More people celebrating Smile Sunday: Wilborn-White News & In Defense of the Christian Faith

Where is the Heart?

"Take the time to stop, it may save a life."

~Mama Hen

Today I saved a dog! It is not the first one I have saved and it is not the only animal. I will always stop the car when I see a dog in the road, a bird that has been hit yet still lives and so on. I was, however, very disappointed in how people reacted to only a couple of minutes of their time. I was driving my mom and Little Chick on a very busy road that leads to my mom's house. The speed limit is 45, yet the people drive 55 and over at times. A few houses before my mom's driveway I saw a black dog walking on the side of the road. I immediately turned the car around and parked it in some one's driveway. I got out to get the dog and to hold up cars that were speeding along until I could get this animal off the road. Another car stopped after a couple of minutes. Then there were about eight cars stopped on one side of the road and maybe seven on the other side. The dog was still wandering in the road and barking. He was big and I had been bitten by a Doberman a few years back and I was gradually trying to help him. Here is the part that amazes me. One guy had his window rolled down and yelled at me saying "What are all the cars stopped for?" I said that there was a dog that needs to get off this busy road before it gets hit. He yelled at me, "There is no need for this side of the road to be stopped!" I said, "I tragically lost my dog who got loose and ran into this same road and died because someone did not stop! We are trying to save a dog!" He yelled at me again about holding up the traffic. Unbelievable! Here I am risking my own life in the middle of a very fast and busy street and this is the attitude some people have. Even when I told him that I had lost my own dog a few months ago because a car had hit him this guy still yelled at me. Tell me, where did he have to go so urgently that he could not wait two minutes? It really was not much longer than that. It made me sad, because he and some others showed no heart. As I get older I often feel so hurt by the lack of compassion and empathy from so many people I encounter. Is it me? Or are people so self involved that they have lost the ability to simply "feel"? The owner of the dog came and he was saved! I had not been so lucky with my beloved dog, Cuddles, who was left to die by the car who had hit him. He was 14 and very special! That is Cuddles in the picture above! We miss you!

My Favorite Pair of Pants

"Change is gradual, but in order to see results, you have to start somewhere."

~Mama Hen

OK it is absolutely time to set the game plan about the excess fat that I have around my, well, lets say, everywhere! There I said it! Now what am I going to do about it? I am setting my goals for each week as I start this journey to get back to the fabulous me that I felt comfortable with. I want to be able to wear the clothes I have saved hanging in my closet the past couple of years. I have some pants that are beckoning me to wear them again. My favorite pair may be a bit outdated, but they are my favorites and I have made fitting into them my goal. You can see them in the picture to the left. That was taken about six years ago. They are a size 4 and so help me I will fit into them again.

So here is the starting plan:

1.) I will drink 5 (8oz.) glasses of water a day. I know it should be 8 glasses, but I want to start with something reasonable and anything over would be a bonus. Ha!

2.) I will start powerwalking (my knees are bad and I can't run any more) 30 minutes a day for five days a week. I will also use free weights 3 times a week.

3.) No more late night snacks. That is where it all began to expand my waist! Snacks will be veggies or fruit.

That is a good start, because I have not done these in a very long time. By starting with reasonable goals I think I will be able to get the motivation to stick.

Anyone up for taking on any of these goals with me? Let me know so we can support one another!

Thanksgiving Thursday

"Celebrate each day as a holiday - Thanksgiving! Recognize the daily blessings and give thanks."

~Mama Hen

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful and to state what you give thanks for. I believe that we should celebrate Thanksgiving every day! There are so many things to add on to our blessings list daily. Here are my five:

1.) Little Chick and my family.

2.) Kindhearted people who give of themselves without asking in return. They are the strength and hope that makes the world go round. In a self consumed world they may be rare, but they exist. A huge thank you to my many blogging friends who commented on my post yesterday about my Daddy! Your kindness and empathy is so appreciated!

3.) For windy days and cool nights. I love opening the windows at night and sleeping to the sound of the rustling of leaves in the wind, crickets chirping and cool fresh air whisking in.

4.) Thank you for the lessons learned and strength it takes to overcome the bumps in the road.

5.) For the time I shared with an incredible Daddy! I know that it was a precious gift. I am truly blessed.

More people giving thanks: Jinnia Low.Com & Wilborn-White News

My Whole World Stopped

"One person can be the light that carries you through life."

~Mama Hen

I can remember that day so vividly when my Daddy passed away twelve years ago. My whole world stopped! I was doing my internship for teaching and I happened to wear a pretty skirt that day to school. On my way home something told me to stop an exit early off the highway and visit my Dad's office so he could see me dressed up. I am a bit of a tomboy and love wearing comfortable clothes. I knew my Dad would get a kick out of me looking all dolled up (yikes, the tears are coming down as I write this post). I can remember the sun filtering through the windows into his bright office. I walked in and like always ran to him for a hug saying, "Daddy, I love you!" He was such a light in my life and whenever we would see one another my face would beam with happiness. That particular day was a very special one for my father, because he had worked so hard to start up a new bank (which today is very successful) and he was being honored at a banquet that evening. He asked me if I would sit and listen to his speech. Being the typical young self consumed kid I normally would have said, not now Daddy, I need to go. However, that day I sat down with such an eagerness to hear him practice his speech. I starred at him with awe and love and such a proud feeling within. He kept looking at me with such a huge smile as he spoke. I couldn't stop eyeing his cuff links. They were a beautiful light blue stone and I kept thinking about how cute my Daddy was to match his tie so nicely with his cuff links. While doing his speech he cracked a joke and asked me what I thought of it. He said, "The people are really going to like this one" with a radiant smile and giggle as he said it. When he was done I praised him and gave him the biggest hug. I wished him well and I went home.

That night I was with a friend of mine out to dinner. I kept complaining that my heart hurt and I felt sad. I told her I did not know why. I went on and on about feeling so much pressure in my chest and sad. When I got home the phone rang. It was my godmother. She said something happened to my Dad and that she would pick me up and take me to him. I screamed and cried all the way to the hospital. No one told me he had passed away (from a heart attack). When I saw him I asked why he was asleep. Talk about traumatic. I won't go on because it is so very sad and I went through a very difficult time after that.

What I wanted to share in this post was how God gave me the greatest gift of being able to see my Daddy one more time and to really be there for him and listen to his speech. I will never forget his smile as he gave his speech to me in his office. He was so incredibly important in my life and I see so much of him in Little Chick. Believe it or not, he died while cracking that silly joke during his speech! That is my Daddy! Making people smile all the way to the end!

Bumps in the Road

"As hard as we try not to go over the bumps,

they are still there and often can not be avoided."

~Mama Hen

"Mommy, don't go over the bumps!" This was something Little Chick said a few times on our car ride up North for our vacation. She was practicing writing her name in her car seat and didn't like when her marker slipped. The first time she said it I immediately replied with the quote above. Very profound I thought to myself immediately. So in Mama Hen style I wrote it down (after we stopped of course). It was interesting what my own response had triggered in my head as I was driving.

Life is interesting and there are so many facets that make us who we are. It is the bumps in the road that make us stronger and wiser. They are lessons we are given so that we may learn and carry on inspired and more knowledgeable. There have been some bumps in my own life that I have questioned and wished I had not taken a particular road. However, I try my best to accept what the challenge was and to stay positive through it. I know they were for a reason and I would not change things, because they have lead me to where I am today. Perhaps there are one or two roads I wish I had turned around much sooner, but as I said, I am where I am because of those bumps I had to hurdle over.

Have you ever wished you had taken a different road?

Cherished Moments Monday

"You may not recall the day and time, but you will remember the "feeling" the day and time left you with."

~Mama Hen

I really don't remember a lot of details from my youth, but I sure do remember the sweet and safe feeling of being loved. I find it so interesting that we live so many moments, yet can only recall a few from our childhoods. Some may remember more than others, but ultimately it really is the strength we have gained and comfort we have known from being truly loved. This Cherished Moments Monday I have a picture of my big sister and I on the teeter totter with my Opi (grandfather) holding on tight to me. I feel so blessed to have had such fond memories of simply playing in the backyard. What do you remember from your childhood that leaves you with a comforted feeling?

More people sharing Cherished Moments Monday: Fabulous Finds

Smile Sunday

"Fill your days with an abundance of smiles! It is what life is all about."

~Mama Hen

This week has been such a great vacation week with so many smiles and laughter. Here are some pictures from a restaurant we went to a few times because Little Chick loved feeding the birds. I think most of our meals ended up over the rail so she could feed her little feathered friends. Look at the beaming smile on her face as she throws the food. Have a great Smile Sunday!

Come join me for Cherished Moments Monday!

Grab the button and let me know so I can add your link.

More people spreading smiles: At Last...We are family!

Vacation Fun!

"Act like every day you are on vacation!

Laugh, play, explore, learn, relax, and have fun!

Today is a gift we have all been given."

~Mama Hen

Ready for the beach!
Little Chick likes to take charge of the beach paraphernalia.
Little Chick finds a crab!
On the beach with mommy!

Dancing the night away!

Dancing with mommy!

Little Chick makes smores at a bonfire on the beach.

Off to the pool!

Little Chick swims from morning to dinnertime!

Playing on the beach at sunset after dinner and dancing!

Little Chick is beautiful!

One more yummy ice cream cone before we go home.

One pooped out Little Chick!

This was such a great vacation!

We are happy to be back home.

Come and join me for Smile Sunday.

Grab the button and let me know so I can add your link!

Thanksgiving Thursday

"Gratitude is the memory of the heart."

I am doing Thanksgiving Thursday early because my internet service will be less accessable the next day or two and I don't want to miss this post. I will return all the bloglove to all of my super bloggy friends who are making such sweet comments while we are on our trip. Please also visit my blog network, Mama's Little Nestwork, and see the fabulous bloggers being featured. Have a great Thanksgiving Thursday!

Here are my five:

1.) Little Chick and my family.

2.) For magnificent vacations with Little Chick and for indoor pools when it is rainy or too cold in the outdoor pool!

3.) For the absolute joy I feel throughout when I see Little Chick smiling while she dances!

4.) For my ability to continue to feel empathy and compassion for people who have not been as nice to me.

5.) I am so grateful for when Little Chick says out of nowhere each day, "I love you so much mommy!"

Vacation fun!

"Live, Laugh, and love. Enjoy the present, it is a gift you open every day."

Out for lunch on the water.

Fly like a seagull. It is fun!
Little Chick plays miniature golf for the first time.
What a pro!
Out for a fancy dinner on the water.

What a fun day!