My lil Strawberry :)

Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary.

What we need is to love without getting tired.

-Mother Teresa

AND...

What is up with Rockford car stereo thieves? Seriously people....GET A JOB!

**Update** Apparently the thief was a 12 year old, so I guess that explains why he has no job. Real nice, huh? WHERE are your parents kid?? Probably hitting the next block over......so sad.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave..

I can't even count how many times I have been lied to and betrayed in my life. It's the same for all of us. I've done my fair share of lying in the past. As a teenager, it was my language. The thing is, at some point you have to grow up. I woke up really hurt and disappointed, and worst of all I woke up full of doubt about a person that I love this morning, because he lied to me. It wasn't a big lie, but he looked me in the eye three times and lied to me every time. What do you do about that? I really feel like I've been taken advantage of. I always assume the best about people, and to have that thrown back in your face hurts. REALLY hurts. It makes me doubt myself & it makes me doubt him. That's what lies do and that's why I HATE to be lied to. I'm finding it hard to be forgiving. Last night I felt like I hadn't felt in a really long time, and that's going to be hard to forget.
People don't always want to hear the truth, but they always deserve to know. You shouldn't take away some one's right to make an informed decision about the way they feel by being deceitful. You shouldn't assume that someone is going to react a certain way, and use that as justification for a lie. I'm no perfect person, and I'm sure I'll screw up a lot more in my life, but the one thing I will always do is take accountability for my mistakes. I just feel that if you are going to take deliberate action and do something, then it should be something that you are willing to stand by......otherwise you really probably shouldn't be doing it in the first place.

A little Sunday Inspiration

How startling, and very different our perceptions of ourselves are from the way others perceive us. Some of the strongest people in my life do not recognize the wonderful qualities that they possess, and do not realize what they are truly capable of. My cousin Stephanie often posts this quote, and I find it inspiring, so I thought I would share.........

This is to remind you of that trusting child inside you who learned a long time ago that you have to fall a few times before you can walk.

This is to help you remember the light-hearted, land-on-your-feet spirit that is within you, and the never-give-up prizefighter you can be when you want to.

This is to tell you that you've got what it takes-It's been in you all along, Just waiting for you to believe again.

If you ever forget, just take a look in the mirror at the wonderful, powerful person staring you right in the face-because that's the you that others see, and are inspired by, and love so very much.

-Author Unknown

Great Week!

It's been a great week so far. I've given myself some goals to work towards, and that always feels good! :) Yesterday was such a beautiful day. Brian and I hiked around the lake at Rock Cut after work , and it was gorgeous! The trees are so pretty right now.
I've been trying to think of a short trip to take over Brian's spring break. Nothing crazy, maybe just a long weekend. I'd love to go to Napa Valley. Not really your typical spring break destination, but we are not really your typical spring break-ers. Even if we just end up in Chicago, it'll be fun, AND it gives me something to daydream about and plan! I think my dream job would be as a travel agent, planning trips for people. Thank you Travelocity, Expedia & Priceline for making that job obsolete. I'd also like to thank the recession for making it impossible to make any money off of real estate. That would be dream job # 2 down the hole. Or should I thank George W. for that? Oh well, what's done is done.

Back to daydreaming...mountain views, good wine, excellent food...yep, that's better. :)

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Self-Help

Dear Self,
Get it together baby! It’s time to finally start taking care of some of the things that have been bothering you for awhile now. In fact, I can’t believe some of the things that you’ve just left in limbo!! You should know by now you can’t expect things to just take care of themselves. Let’s start at the beginning:
#1 – Your mother! Start talking to your mother again. It’s been a long time coming, and you keep going back and forth. It goes against pretty much every thing you believe to quit something just because it isn’t easy. Hello!?? When have things ever been easy for you? And don’t you always say that you have to work hard for the things that matter the most? So what if you don’t agree on everything! That would be what makes you different people. Mutual respect will bring you common ground. You only get one mother. Fix it.
#2 – Sister, you need to start working out again. These last 2 months of doing nothing are starting to show. Remind yourself that indoor heating has cancelled out any reason to collect an “extra layer” for winter. You’re not a bear..you don’t live in a cave. Welcome to 2010…the year of the treadmill.
#3 – Loosen up! You think it’s so easy to tell everyone to slow down and enjoy every day, but you are the biggest offender! Especially recently. Coming home and snapping at your boyfriend because you can’t let go of the stress from your work day is not only counter-productive, it’s completely unfair. Be glad you have someone you love to come home to. Don’t ever get in the habit of taking things out on him because he’s the closest person to you. You’ve seen marriages end over that garbage, so rein it in immediately. Not worth it. Also in the category of loosening up would be your overwhelming need for order and lists and control over how things operate in your life. If you could just squelch the urge to get aggravated when one little minute, and probably insignificant detail goes awry, that would be awesome. It’s exhausting trying to have everything “handled” all the time.
#4 – Your job….is just a job. It isn’t the career you want in the long term. Remember that.
#5 – Stop putting yourself at the back of the line! Every once in awhile you deserve a manicure or a massage. Stop putting it off, and telling yourself that money would be better used on something more practical. If I recall correctly, most recently it was furnace filters. That’s sad. Take care of yourself, treat yourself to unnecessary things once in awhile…isn’t that why you keep the aforementioned job?

Let’s start there. And remember: To live for results would be to sentence yourself to continuous frustration. Your only sure reward is in your actions and not from them. (Hugh Prather)
Keep moving forward!

Ralph Lauren Sucks

This is an article that reminded me of the blog I wrote on August 18th. As someone who is,embarrassingly enough, influenced by the media regarding what I should look like, I find this really sad. The model in the article is so pretty with her "real" body!! This makes me wonder....if I ever have a daughter, what will she be looking at as her "ideal?". Little kids get scared of people dressed up as monsters around Halloween, and they have nightmares about ghosts and demons because they see them in all the scary movies and TV shows. No matter how much you tell them "it isn't real", and although they may know it isn't real, it's still SCARY! Same thing with this incredibly misleading advertising. It may not be "real", but if it's in your face enough, it may start to seem that way. My first reaction to print ads with models half naked in them is usually "I will never look like that". And it's true...I never will, and after reading this article I know that she probably won't either! How sad that even the beautiful girls doing the modeling aren't good enough anymore.
Anyway, check it out :
http://astrology.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/was-the-photoshopped-ralph-lauren-model-fired-for-being-overweight-525248/

PS:

Is it just me, or are Geminis just totally bi-polar(ish)??!!!

Not worth it!

Health problems caused or exacerbated by stress:
Pain of any kind
Heart disease
Digestive problems
Sleep problems
Depression
Obesity
Autoimmune diseases
Skin conditions, such as eczema

Stress Warning Signs and Symptoms

Cognitive Symptoms
Memory problems
Inability to concentrate
Poor judgment
Seeing only the negative
Anxious or racing thoughts
Constant worrying

Emotional Symptoms
Moodiness
Irritability or short temper
Agitation, inability to relax
Feeling overwhelmed
Sense of loneliness and isolation
Depression or general unhappiness

Physical Symptoms
Aches and pains
Nausea, dizziness
Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
Frequent colds

Behavioral Symptoms
Eating more or less
Sleeping too much or too little
Isolating yourself from others
Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

WHY would I want to do this to myself??? Over a job? Somehow I don't think that if I got sick the people that I work for/with would be by my bedside. It's time to chill out & concentrate on the things & people that really matter. I work to live, I don't live to work. Money isn't that important and I can't believe that I've let myself get so worked up over it. I wish I could erase this week and do it over, because I failed myself. I've been so negative and angry, and it's just a downward spiral from there. Time to stop and turn it around before it gains any more momentum. YIKES!

Never Never Land

I remember when I was younger I thought I could do anything, any time. If I didn't want to go to work, I'd call in. If I didn't want to do something, I'd blow it off. If my day wasn't shaping up to be fun and exciting, I'd make the changes necessary to make sure it was. I was basically immature and selfish, right?
I'm noticing now that I have gone into some kind of "auto-pilot" mode. When I wake up in the morning I go through the same motions like a freakin' robot day after day after day. It's all very Truman Show-ish. Although I feel under paid and sometimes under appreciated at my job, I can't remember the last time I called in to work. I haven't taken a sick day in over a year. Everyone comes before I do. I'm last on the list. Is this maturity? Does finally just sucking it up and accepting that you have to do things you don't want to all of the time mean that I am an adult now? Is that even normal? At the same token, is it normal to wake up every day and be super excited? I know there is a balance between the two extremes, but I am just not finding it. Something has to change, because I don't think I want to be in this groove forever....even if it means that I never "grow-up".

Newest Chloe Pictures

Hawkeyes Tailgating Awesomeness

Well, we made it back from Iowa! What a great game...the Hawkeyes won by 2 pts and beat Michigan. :) Tailgating at Kinnick was QUITE an experience. Never seen so much black and yellow all in one place. It was madness, and these people were hardcore, diehard fans. The weather was not as warm as we would have liked, but we were just happy it stopped snowing (yes, SNOWING!). A good time was had by all, and we will definitely be back again next year to cheer on the Hawkeyes!

We also got to spend some quality time with Chloe, which was AMAZING. I can't believe she is already pulling herself up. It won't be long now until she is walking around. Unbelievable. Although I never thought it would be possible, she has gotten even cuter.
Can't wait until Thanksgiving when I can see everyone again!

Hmmm..

Sometimes life is just funny. Not funny ha ha, but funny in a way that if you don't laugh you might just cry. The situations that just pop up and hit you like a ton of bricks. Those are the worst. No time to adjust, no dipping your toe in the water...you're just plunged into the frigid reality that things will not always be the way you imagined them. It's HARD to deal with. Not much else to say.