Life is an Amusement Park

"Life is like a trip to the amusement park. You are given opportunities to enjoy the view from way up high, take joy in gliding along the twists and turns, savor the sweetness of a myriad of treats and have fun playing all the games. Make sure to enjoy all that it offers while you are here." ~Mama Hen

When Little Chick woke up this morning we looked at how nice it was outside when we let our little doggie out and I asked her if she wanted to go to Six Flags. She did a dance and her face lit up, so I took it as a yes! I love taking a drive with my daughter to lots of fun places. Having season passes makes it easy for us to pick up and go this summer! What more do we need? It is a beautiful day, we have each other and it is always fun to take a little jaunt up North. Little Chick considers an hour and half drive a "trip" because she gets to watch a DVD for part of the drive. We are living in the moment and loving our super fun summer!

Come and join me in Thanksgiving Thursday tomorrow! Just grab my Thanksgiving Thursday button in the left sidebar, write five things you are thankful for and let me know so I can add your link.

Time

"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you."

~Carl Sandburg

Time. It is something I have written about quite often since I have started blogging. Finding balance in the time we have, cherishing moments, and simply holding on to the “now” as much as we can. But in reality I think as much as I write about it I find myself a bit frightened by the fact that it really does seem to fly by way too quickly. I see it in how fast Little Chick is growing, in my Dad’s passing, my mom’s aging and when I look in the mirror. No, this post is not meant to be about gloom and doom, however the contrary. I have been really thinking about what it is that I need in my life to truly capture the moments and hold on and savor them long enough to say that I “truly lived in the moment”!

My dear friend George passed away last year at 94 years of age. I had gotten to know him ten years prior and I adored our conversations about his life. He was a young man trapped in an elderly man's body! He lived a full life! He had known true love (his wife passed away shortly before I met him), had a beautiful home which he shared with his friends through many parties and he had traveled quite a bit with his beloved wife. I often looked at his eyes and wondered what it was like to have such a full spirit, yet to have a body that was giving out.

When I look at my own life and how much I cherish being a mommy I often wish I could just slow it down a bit! Time really does have a way of passing quickly and I don't want to miss a second of it!

My mom, George and I.

Mom and Dad not too long ago!

Cherished Moment Monday

"Time is a companion who reminds us to cherish every moment because it will never come again."

I can remember a couple of years ago Little Chick and I were playing with some paper in the kitchen and I started to make silly hats for us out of the paper. It was an impromptu moment and the hats were as silly as could be, but we had such a fun time! I remember Little Chick and I laughing and laughing as we walked around making funny faces at one another sporting our new hats. It is a cherished moment I will always have and my daughter may not recall, but I will share the pictures with her and remind her of the silly time we shared.

Have a great Monday!

More people sharing cherished moments: Articles from Addington , Spice Up Your Life , Cassiopeia Chats

Smile Sunday

"A warm smile is the universal language of kindness."

~William Arthur Ward

It is Smile Sunday and guess who is riding her bicycle?

Little Chick got a new bike and just got on and started riding!

She loves it and can't stop smiling! Have a great Smile Sunday!

Little Chick's new silly face!
Every time I say "smile" she puts this funny face on!
More people spreading smiles:A Practical Mom, The Farris Wheel, Cassiopeia Chats, Nostalgic Marveling, Underneath His Wrapping

Come join me for Cherished Moments Monday! Just grab my Cherished Moments Monday button in the left sidebar, write about a cherished moment and let me know so I can add your link!

A Good Old Laugh

"Laughter can relieve tension, soothe the pain of disappointment, and strengthen the spirit for the formidable tasks that always lie ahead."

~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Did you ever notice how wondrous a thing laughter can be? It can immediately break tension, reduce stress and simply brighten up one's day! Little Chick's laugh is contagious! I find that when I look at her or hear her laughing I instantly smile! I think all children have such an innocence in their happiness and laughter, the people around them can't help but smile or giggle! But how often do we find ourselves truly having a good old belly laugh each day? We get so caught up in schedules, daily tasks and simply getting things done, that we may miss plenty of opportunities to lighten up a bit and let out a good hearty laugh! I try to be silly as much as I can with Little Chick, but there are times when I know I might be missing the chance to giggle because I am trying to get something done. As I watch my daughter's birthday coming up and how fast the time has zipped on by, I realize that "getting something done" is nowhere near as important as the opportunity to have a good laugh!

Come and join me in Smile Sunday! Grab my Smile Sunday button in the left sidebar, write about something that makes you smile and let me know so I can add your link!

Dance As Though No One Is Watching

"Dance as though no one is watching you, love as though you have never been hurt before, sing as though no one can hear you, live as though heaven is here on earth." ~Souza

It is such a blessing to have my mom live only five minutes away! She is such a huge part of Little Chick's life. We look forward to her visits all of the time. When Little Chick gets a boo boo she always asks for her Omi (grandmom in German). So we call her and she feels better immediately. Yesterday Grandma Hen came by for dinner and read some books afterwards. Then Little Chick said, "Let's dance!" She grabbed my moms hand and Pooh bear and they danced the early evening away! If you were a fly on the wall you would have giggled at how silly we all looked, but we sure had fun! I am so grateful to have such an amazing grandmommy for my Little Chick!

Thanksgiving Thursday

"Grateful for the blessing lent of

simple tastes and mind content."

I think that stopping to give thanks is a way of humbling ourselves in order to view the blessings in our lives as a true gift and not something that we are owed. Not everyone has the same gifts. I want to remind myself that there are people who do not have the luxuries of my "problems". There is always someone who has it more difficult than me. I have known my share of pain and loss, but I have also been given a life filled with spectacular treasures in the people who surround me, the opportunities that have been given to me and the overall life that I live. I need this reminder so that I can be truly grateful!

The five things I am thankful for are:
1.) Little Chick and my family.
2.) Friends, both new and old, that are there for me and love me unconditionally.
3.) My ability to evaluate my actions and try to improve when and where I can.
4.) My never ending strength to get through things, no matter how difficult or how alone I might be.
5.) Rain after a long dry spell and for puddles that Little Chick can have fun jumping in to!

Great friends! We miss you George!

More people giving thanks:

Jinnia Low .Com , Cassiopeia Chats, Artistically Amy, Our Happy Home,

Hey everyone, please go and visit my great blog friend Ashlee at Love Comma Ashlee! She went through a rough patch as we all do sometimes and it would be so nice if we could show her some blog love! You will love her blog!