People are a lot like Garbage Trucks...

One day I (well, not actually me) hopped in a taxi (I've never been in a taxi, but I had to share this awesome story!)  anyway, on with the story...and we took off for the airport.

We were driving in the right lane when suddenly

a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!

The driver of  the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy.

And I mean, he was really friendly.
So I asked, 'Why did you just do that?
This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!'
This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call,
'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many

people are like garbage trucks.

They run around full of garbage,

full of frustration,

full of anger,

and full of disappointment.

As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it

and sometimes they'll dump it on you.

Don't take it personally.

Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.
Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets,
so...Love the people who treat you right.
Forgive the ones who don't.

Life is ten percent what you make it
and ninety percent how you take it!



Have a garbage-free day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day Fun...

.

What a fun day around our house...
This is not actually a day that I have typically made a huge deal of, but this year I decided we'd do a little painting and drawing and creative writing....
WHAT FUN!!!
I absolutely love the imaginations of our children...
But what I found, I hadn't quite expected;  the imagination of a certain little one led to persistence like you've probably never seen in your lifetime....
Our littlest one was quite convinced that a trip to the closest grocery store to purchase LUCKY CHARMS was essential on this day...

Because if SHE had LUCKY CHARMS it would make finding that little Leprechaun just a touch easier...he'd probably even come out from underneath the 4-leaf clover he'd been hiding under all day. 

So...

off to the store we went...

Made our way to the cereal isle where she very quickly located the Special Box...

Lucky Charms in hand all the way through the store,

in the car on the way home and

into the kitchen to be quickly opened and spread about...

The plans she was making were something...

I had to act fast!

I convinced her to leave the room for just a few minutes and while she was gone, I quickly grabbed out bowls for all the kids and dumped a bit of green food coloring in the bottom and quite sneakily covered it with Lucky Charms,

I called them all in and announced Lucky Charms would be dinner tonight

(after the initial shock, they were all thrilled!)...

I added the milk and

...voila...

one little person was completely and totally delighted!!!

"The Leprechaun had finally visited us this day..."

NOTE TO SELF ~ next year, do this little duty first thing in the morning ~ doing this might allow for some other sort of activity during the day... or to repeat the fun we had... do exactly as you did today...either way, it should all turn out great!

Dear Blog,

I've missed you terribly!  Even woke up this morning thinking of you...
Must be the day for a little time for US...
(I will not wake up my kiddos ~ my hubby is gone to work and the house is quiet and dark...we should have a little quiet time together!)

So there is a lot of unhappiness and turmoil in the world these days, more than I even care to acknowledge; I'm a little ashamed to admit this, but you are my blog and it is okay for me to pour out my heart to you, right?  Right!
So here goes...I'd prefer to just be wrapped up in my own little world most days and not be aware of all that is happening around us.  Isn't that easier?  Well, I broke out of my little "bubble" and ventured into the world of news; couple that with the news of friends and loved ones and there is so much sadness...

One friend who has just lost one of her children, another who just lost her mother, another who is losing her father, another who just lost his wife, I feel as though I have lost one of my own children (although not really "mine", I've considered her one of ours for several years)...The many people of Japan who, in some cases, have lost Everything...

I have found all of this -- well, I cannot even come up with the right words -- so we'll just go with numbing...  I cannot imagine the pain that some must endure and my heart breaks for each of them, yet I find that as I look at the lives of others, it causes me to reflect on the very life I am living, causes me to really look (not just surface stuff, but deep down)

I have wondered over the past few days if I am focusing on the right things???
Am I worrying about the BIG things, that in reality are really quite small? 
Am I forgeting about the LITTLE things, that when looked back upon, are in all actuality the BIG things to be learned and held sacred in this lifetime?

Do my husband and children and grandbabies know that they are my world?
Do I share that knowledge with them?  REALLY?
Am I living my life in a way that would be pleasing to whom it most matters?

Anyway, I know this isn't probably the happiest post I've ever written, but my mind and my heart have just been swimming.  Any who know me well, know that I cannot stay in this state of mind...I must find a rainbow in all of this RAIN...

I've questioned myself and my "worthiness" in all areas for the past while and all I can really come up with is that I am doing my best each and every day. 
Some days are better than others, but I am still giving the best I have. 
Yes, I may raise my voice more some days than others, I may not be earning "The Mother-of-the-Year Award" every day (or maybe not ever, not any day) but I am, again, doing the very best that I know how to do. 
There are some things that I truly need & will focus on more in my personal world...
ya know the things that are just all about me...
that 'seemingly impossible to find time' for just little 'ol me to work on stuff for just ME...
I'm great with all the family scripture time, family prayer time, family devotional time...
but I stink when it comes to
Stacey scripture time,
Stacey prayer time,
Stacey devotional time...
I just cannot seem to come up with the time for ME. 
I'd like to think that Heavenly Father understands that it is a busy season right now...
that my time is time for being a Mom,
there isn't a lot of time left over for just me...
not sure what to think of all of this right now...
this seems to be my biggest dilemna ~
do I worry over this or let it be what it is??? 
 Do I wake a little earlier?  As I did this morning when you were calling out to come spend some time writing and reflecting?  Most days it is all I can do to get up to get the day going and breakfast ready for this hungry little army!
I cannot stay up any later and have anything of worth happen during those times, I already feel I am dragging by the time my head hits the pillow each night...
I'm sorry if I seem to be complaining, I really am not, I am not unhappy with how my days go...they are just very full...I am happy to be doing the things I do each day, I can think of nothing I'd rather spend my time doing (well, except a little of that pondering, quiet time each day, but aside from that, all is good!)

One thing I do know for sure...I cannot live in fear, it is stifling, numbing, just no good for us at all...so I've moved past the fear stage...life will bring hard times to all of us, but we must have PEACE and trust and faith...forget all that stuff about fear ~ that is not meant for us!  I believe when we focus on the Positive, it will come our way, how can it help but not?  Possibly we are "willing" it into our lives???

So onto happy thoughts today...
I will find a rainbow in all of this Rain...
I will not be troubled that the sun doesn't seem to shine for many lately...
I will make the most of the rain and not be afraid to walk through the puddles that may come our way,
in fact, I think I'm ready to jump in with both feet and splash about...
why not? 
Set the fear aside...
get a little wet...
ponder & grow...
and move to sunnier days...
And know that ALL WILL BE WELL...

As always, My Dear Blog, my time with you was fabulous...
I wish we could visit daily...YOU are so good for me! 
Until we meet again...

Birthdays and Baptisms...

We celebrated our sweet little girls birthday today ~ she is such an amazing little person.  Our little Casserific...short for Cassie the Terrific... is eight today and soooo very happy. 
A family tradition we've had for quite some time is that the birthday girl or boy gets to enjoy breakfast alone with Mom and Dad...Perkins is the restaurant of choice for all the little ones!  Must be that scrumptious hot cocoa and pancakes with whip cream and sprinkles.  I just love this time we have with them.  I think I might just look forward to it as much as they each do.  The only drawback...it is sheer torture for the ones left behind; I always feel just a smidge guilty for not taking them all along, but this is really such special treatment for the one celebrating their day.  They usually start asking if we get to go days before their big day, I find this question is asked more than any other, so this is definitely a keeper as far as family traditions go...
Getting the "Royal Treatment" at least once a year is imperative when you are a little Prince or Princess!!! 
Saturday is another big day for her, one she's been looking forward to for a very long time!  BAPTISM day...we took her out this morning and let her choose a beautiful new white dress for her special day ~ If you are looking for gorgeous little dresses for an amazing price, hit Costco -- could not have found anything better, I was thrilled!

Her Daddy took the day off and our entire family went to Sleigers, well it is actually called something liked Thousand Springs Pool or Hot Springs or Resort???  Not exactly sure, but to our family, it will always be called Sleigers.  What a fantastic day!
 I'm tellin ya we have a bunch of little fish...they are just swimming all over the place; jumping off the low diving board and then the high dive, flying down the water slide and making their best attempt at walking across "the log". 
The little girls prefer swimming around with their floaty-noodle-dealy-bobs...but just before it was time to go, Cassie mustered up some serious courage and made her way down the water slide and then on over to the diving board.  What an accomplishment for her!  How I wish I had photos to share...next time I'll have to sit out just to photograph all the fun...today I was too busy enjoying all the fun with my hubby and kiddos!

A huge thanks to Grammy and Poppa (my mom and dad)...for Christmas they drew our family name and gave us a day out swimming...we also have a day of bowling compliments of them.  Fun times!!!

It seems hard to believe we only have one more little one to be baptized after Cassie...how time flies!  Just a couple more years and then it will feel as if we've blinked and they'll all be grown up.

I am grateful that we have these happy days to enjoy each other...I know these will be the times they will remember...our crazy drives, our lunch from the coolers, our cheering each other as we accomplish something as fantastic as overcoming the fear of leaping from the diving board...so many memories, so many happy times!!!  I love my family...I really love being the Momma!

Family ~ that's really what this life is all about!!!