hello monday|twenty

hello to being published!  Yes, it is a very small part, but this simple piece of mail art that I created has been published in inchie form in FEATURING magazine. It's exciting and gives me inspiration to send out more of my work.
hello Art Concepts and Techniques class. I am taking an on-line art class through Penn State and am learning so much already. Glad to start somewhere towards some of my larger goals.
hello to some breathing room.  I've been working on MINIMIZING and trying to scoop up a little cash here and there and have been doing a major de-stash of my scrapbooking supplies.  I still had a lot of CM stuff that I was carting around everywhere and I decided it was time to let go.  I need to make room for things that matter and are relevant to what is important to me right now.
hello to getting myself back to moving.  I know I have to get back to a regular walking/exercising routine. I must do it.  I was at the doctor earlier today and my blood pressure was very high. On top of some stress I've been experiencing, I know that the added weight gain has really messed me up. So I must get it together.
hello to a summer schedule.  I love summer break!  I am one of those moms that doesn't mind having the kids home every day! We love it! I let the kids sleep in - something we rarely do in this family, we stay cool by swimming, going to the beach, having picnics... We eat healthier - it must be the warm weather and the yummy, available produce that pushes us to want to eat fresher - cleaner!
hello unknown future.  You don't scare me!

So there you go. hello monday and new beginnings.

Inspired by my friend, Lee at Embrace Life, Hello Monday provides a peek into the coming week - in all its glory. Join us and Lisa for the Hello Monday fun.

Quote I set out for my daughter at her beach themed Grad party.

Catching my breath...

Looks like I have a post in my edits that was supposed to be posted last Monday for "hello monday". Hmmm...
Not too sure what happened except that it has just been so crazy that I imagine I meant to post it and never did.  Anyway, I didn't even notice until I went to check what number "hello monday" I was on...
*sigh*
So, what did you miss? Well... my oldest graduated from High School.

I love that she spotted us right away in the crowd!

That's her!

She has already started at Chaffey College and will be studying Kinesiology  as well as playing water polo for the school.

Some very faithful cheerleaders here...

Daddy's Girl

Halleluyer! WE did it. lol

Me and My Girl

Then the next day, THIS happened

 My Taryn promoted from 8th grade and will be attending North High School next year.

She graduated with honors!

 Naomi ended the second grade with an amazing field trip to a local park that has a splash pad. They played all sorts of games and enjoyed a picnic lunch with all of the other second graders. She had such an awesome teacher this year. Mrs. Hernandez was all about fun + learning.

And lastly, this little man.  He completed his first year of school.  Kindergarten was intense. Each full day was stuffed with learning writing, reading, math and more from the moment they walked in until the time they headed home which was 2:55 just about every day.

Also during the week were award ceremonies, parties and celebrations of course - you get the idea.

It's been wild, but I am finally able to sit down and catch my breath.  Sort of...

Another big huge thing - is that after 6 years of giving it our all, we've closed the doors to our Freedom Church and ministry.  There were many reasons and events that led up to this decision, and although I still haven't been able to process it all, I have faith that it was the right decision.

So as that door has closed, we are watching to see what other doors will open.

We are praying for a job for my husband - his other job at CBU is done for the summer and won't resume until the fall classes begin again.

Learning to walk our talk and trust Him.

hello monday|nineteen

hello monday. you are beautiful.

hello memorial day. So thankful that we can take time to remember.

hello busy weeks ahead. Swim banquet (I'm in charge of decorating), plans for graduation and promotions, dress shopping for Taryn, field trips, family arrival from out of town, prep for end of year celebrations...

hello to new beginnings. With growth comes change and new things - new experiences...

hello to discovering truth and reality.

hello to bottled up feelings that are dying to get out. I am looking forward to more relaxed and unrushed mornings to get back into my journaling regularly.

hello monday mugshots.  We were out of flavored creamer and had to run to the grocery store. My sweet hubby stopped and treated me to a Toffee Hazelnut Latte. Yum.
I uploaded the picture on picmonkey and played with some of their filters. Loved this painty one...

So there you go. hello monday and new beginnings.

Inspired by my friend, Lee at Embrace Life, Hello Monday provides a peek into the coming week - in all its glory. Join us and Lisa for the Hello Monday fun.

This week's quote is one my sister shared with me on pinterest. She said I needed to pin it to my forehead. What?? Well, I can post it here. That's almost the same. ;)

hello monday|eighteen

hello monday! You wait for no one.  *sigh*

 hello monday mugshots.  This is my favorite mug these days and the other belongs to my guy.

He's always my Monday morning coffee date. My sister, Esther, bought this mug for him when she was visiting and he won't use any other mug.  

hello coffee with sugar-free french vanilla creamer. You are so needed today.

 hello piles of laundry to be folded. We had an issue with our dryer, but it's all fixed now, thanks to my amazing Marco and YouTube how-to videos. =)  Just a little backed up on folding, but that'll be caught up today!

hello faithful friend. Our dog Oso. He's a mix of Jack Russell and Chihuahua. We've had him since he was a puppy - about 6 years. This is his favorite place to hang out and that's at Marco's feet whether he's watching t.v. or working in his office.

hello senior pictures.  We drove down to Oceanside and La Jolla for a session with Digilife Photography.

I was able to capture a bunch of shots from the sidelines.  The little ones got to play while Hannah was busy posing.

 Ah. This girl. I love her so much.

 She's a little bit of me and a little bit of Marco and a whole lot of something special. 

I love that she's not afraid to be herself.

 hello to new decisions.

hello being honest about my feelings.

hello to the unknown...

This is my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  No matter what we are doing or where we are, we are first and foremost - FAMILY.

So there you go. hello monday and new beginnings.

Inspired by my friend, Lee at Embrace Life, Hello Monday provides a peek into the coming week - in all its glory. Join us and Lisa for the Hello Monday fun.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

~~Winston Churchill

hello monday|seventeen

hello triple digit temperatures! Looks like the warm weather is here to stay. Got over 100* this weekend.  My husband promised the kids he'd "hose them off" and he kept true to his word. They had a blast.  We sure do miss having a pool.  It's been a couple years, but we still talk about how awesome it was while we had it.

hello first time dentist visit - this would be for my little guy. We are hoping he gets a good report.
hello birthday dinner - We are looking forward to a birthday dinner for my father-in-law this Friday. I have been blessed with wonderful in-laws and love getting together with them when we can.
hello senior pictures - We are headed to the beach this weekend for Hannah's Senior pictures. The family is looking forward to playing and enjoying the beach while she gets her picture taken. It means that announcements will be sent out shortly after!

hello family fitness - We've made a decision to really get moving this summer.  Hannah will be attending school nearby and it will start this summer. She will also be playing summer water polo for the college. The two youngers will be attending swim camp and Taryn will hopefully be playing some volleyball.  We plan on getting out more and MOVING and being ACTIVE.  I am excited about this and really hope we can stick to it!!

hello paleo eating- It's high time we start meeting up again! I was doing so well until sometime around November.  I let "life" and stress dictate what and how I ate and it's time I reclaim that control. It may be slow getting started, but once I'm in - I know I can do it.

hello RLS - why do you have to haunt me?  Hoping the improvement on my eating and exercise will help relieve some stress and in turn relieve some of the RLS.   

hello monday mugshots.   This is how I've got my washi tape and baker's twine sorted.  I got these lovely dishes from a friend in Pennsylvania.  I love them and use them for all sorts of things!  In my mug today is Lipton's Vanilla Caramel Truffle tea.  It's one of my favorites.

So there you go. hello monday and new beginnings.

Inspired by my friend, Lee at Embrace Life, Hello Monday provides a peek into the coming week - in all its glory. Join us and Lisa for the Hello Monday fun.

“If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”  ~~Jim Rohn

hello monday|sixteen

hello rain. As I was shutting the sliding glass door last night, I thought, "Hmmm. It smells like rain is coming." and it made me smile. For the most part, I love rain.  I think it's because I am from Washington state and also because we don't get it too often here in the Inland Empire of Southern California!

When I woke up, I could see that it did indeed rain during the night and probably early morning.  Is there more to come?  I hope so!

hello swim banquet planning. I am helping out with the planning of the banquet and am a little nervous about making things look just right for the team. They had such an awesome year.  The girls got Second Place at the League Finals, while our boys finished in First Place.  They have the CIF championships and that is it for the school year!  I know they will do well!

hello signs of spring.  You are all around me, but I know I have to really look for you sometimes!  One of my disappointments in living in Southern California is that I miss the definite changing of the seasons. Little buds like this go unnoticed if you are rushing here and there, but learning to slow down and look for them has helped me to MINIMIZE in so many ways.
hello mother's day. I was just looking at my pictures and started a file titled MAY 2013 when I noticed May 2012 right next to it. I clicked on it and opened the folder.  WOW. So much has happened in just one year. It really made me stop and think about it all.
I will be trying to get a card or gift in the mail before Wednesday for my mother who lives in Washington.  Not an easy task for me - it gives me some stress, to be honest.  Getting it to the post office won't be the hard part.  Deciding what to give her... That's another story. *sigh*
hello personal decisions.  Time to push the RESET button and get some focus!  Many areas that I am working on and planning with purpose!

So there you go. hello monday and new beginnings.

Inspired by my friend, Lee at Embrace Life, Hello Monday provides a peek into the coming week - in all its glory. Join us and Lisa for the Hello Monday fun.

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.”

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

hello monday|fifteen

hello monday mugshots.  One of my favorite things about Monday mornings is that Marco and I both have that day off.  This means that once the kids are dropped off for school, we have the rest of the day to ourselves. Our weekends are always so busy with working at church, that this comes as a great break for us.  He usually makes breakfast for us too and that's always a plus.  Pictured here is a new mug that I picked up while out thrifting.  I have been obsessed with the turquoise blue for quite a while now. I love the shape of the mug and that's always just as important!
hello CST testing. My 8th grader and my 2nd grader will both have to endure the state testing this week.  I've heard that there's lots of controversy over all these state tests... I just know I need to get up a little earlier on these days 'cause the girls want a hot breakfast to be ready for testing. ;)

hello dark chocolate caramel with black sea salt bar. At first I was just standing there in line at Trader Joe's and then... I don't know how it got in my basket. I don't know... hehe.
hello New Doodle Class. I am so excited about this little on-line class I am taking by Stephanie Ackerman. It is my opinion that we have very similar handwriting styles and even a shared love for red hearts. I can't wait to pick up new tips for my doodles and art journaling.

hello dinner with the mom and pop in-law.  They are coming over for dinner tonight and I have 2 yummy chickens in the oven that have been roasting super slow. I also prepped a bunch of yummy sides and a big 'ole salad.

hello may day.  May already? Wow. Seriously, things need to slow down a bit so I can catch up.  Picked up these potted Sun Stars for my mom-in-law.  Thought they looked really May Day-ish.

hello birchbox subscription.  So I've been wanting to try this for a while. It is a monthly subscription where they send you a bunch of goodies for $10.  There's usually a theme that goes with it and so far, I've liked what I received.  I also feel that - so far - it's been worth the $10 (that's including the shipping).  It's a fun way to try out new products for the skin, hair, body, make-up, etc. I like that I get to try out new perfumes since I've really been out of the loop with those.

On top of all of these products, I also got a one year paid subscription for Women's Health magazine. Love that!

I am looking forward to possibly getting some rest this week.  I've been under the weather and even lost my voice.  I had several etsy orders that all came in at once.  Those have all been sent/or delivered and I am so glad.

So there you go. hello monday and new beginnings.

Inspired by my friend, Lee at Embrace Life, Hello Monday provides a peek into the coming week - in all its glory. Join us and Lisa for the Hello Monday fun.

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." 

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

hello monday|fourteen

hello new week. With the anticipation of Saturday's prom-o-rama, the week just seemed to go on and on! I was exhausted.  All efforts were well worth the trouble.  She looked gorgeous that night and had a great time too!  I look forward to catching up with lots of etsy orders (yay) and chores to be done around the house.

Here are a few pictures from the prom (in case you don't follow me on facebook).

Tried on several dresses that were beautiful, but this one was just right!

So my girl is a swimmer! She's got year-round tan lines and stays pretty buff.  We don't mind at all. haha!

Proud daddy and Crybaby mama. 

Two of her closest friends: Victoria and Brianna

This is her friend and date for the evening,  Joel.

This was the whole group. Everybody looked beautiful!

hello last regular swim meet.  This Thursday will be their last regular meet - her last swim event not counting league championships and all that. All these "lasts" for her senior year. *sniff sniff*

hello hayfever/allergies. I really want to be saying GOODBYE.  Ugh.  The sneezing and the itchy eyes. Oh. Did I mention the plugged ears?? blech. No thank you.

hello kindergarten field trip. I am excited to be able to chaperone a trip to a working farm with my little Marco's class and the other 3 kindergarten classes.  Should be fun!!

hello graduation plans and details. Now that prom is out of the way, we need to plan for graduation.  I was intent on planning a really great party that weekend, but Marco thinks it's better to just have something after the ceremony while everyone's already out for it.  I feel like it will be too late at night and people will have to work the next day and some are still in school... *sigh* We shall see.

So there you go. hello monday and new beginnings.

Inspired by my friend, Lee at Embrace Life, Hello Monday provides a peek into the coming week - in all its glory. Join us and Lisa for the Hello Monday fun.

“Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.”

 ~~Franz Kafka

Hello Monday|thirteen

**I think I may have to start calling these entries "Whoosh! There goes Monday!" Haha! 

I started this on Monday very early in the morning and then I took a break and it wasn't long before I was hearing the news about the tragic bombing in Boston at the finish line of their Marathon.  I didn't watch the news because I did not want to have the images burned into my mind.  I can still picture so much of 9/11 and I just didn't think I could do it.  I listened, with a heavy heart, to the news on the radio as I ran errands with my husband. It had both of us silent as we listened to the details. We are still praying for the city and we are still praying for our beloved country.**

  

hello  Monday Mugshots. This week's mugshot is in collaboration with A Year in the Life of an Art Journal.  They give a prompt every 15th and 30th of every month. Here's today's prompt:PROMPT: What's your Story? (everyone has a story about a person, event, emotion, feeling, whatever, tell me yours)
SHOOTERS Shoot your mug with a stack of books.
BOOKERS: Focus on lots of journaling! Use stencils or masks. If you don't want your journaling to SHOW, journal THEN PAINT! Cover your journaling with your paints and embellishments!! 

hello lifeguard training and summer job!  My Hannah has been attending Swim/Aquatics camp at Lake Perris for the last several summers.  Last year, she worked as a volunteer helper to the lifeguards.  I was so proud of her.  There are two sessions of camp that last two weeks each time. Campers learn to swim or improve their technique if they already swim, learn about nutrition, CPR and basic first aid.
Well, this past Saturday they had their once a year testing to qualify for a possible position in the program for the PAID summer job.  She had to swim 1000 meters in 20 minutes or less and then run 200 m., swim 400 m, and run 200 m. in 10 minutes.  She passed!!  It was no easy task, but she did it.  She got called back for an interview that day and then today they called and told her she had been accepted.  I am so proud of her!  Training starts when school is out.

hello surprise photos.  These are just a few of the photos that I find from time to time on my phone. You can see the two guilty parties due to the "selfies" they took. Haha! Looks like my boy has a thing about taking pics of his toes...sometimes clean and sometimes not! haha!

hello prom dress shopping. Here are just a few of the dresses that she tried on.  Took us two days, but she finally chose THE dress.
hello senior prom!  Yes, my baby has her senior prom this Saturday.  She is going with a friend who sweetly asked her by spelling out "PROM?" with rose petals at school.  Can't believe it's already here. Getting kind of weepy. My baby girl.
hello etsy orders. I am so thankful for them, but what's up with them all coming in at one time? lol That's alright. I will take it!!  Lot's to do still. Mailboxes with affirmation cards, banners, journals and mini journals...

So there you go. hello monday and new beginnings.

Inspired by my friend, Lee at Embrace Life, Hello Monday provides a peek into the coming week - in all its glory. Join us and Lisa for the Hello Monday fun.

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”    

~~Nelson Mandela