It’s December and the holidays are quickly coming upon us. Everyone is busy with scheduling, shopping, and singing. Within the tasks of our days let’s not forget the true meaning of Christmas and the holiday season. Let’s spread joy as we complete all the tasks we need to do.
Christmas now surrounds us, happiness is everywhere. Our hands are busy with many tasks as carols fill the air.
-Shirley Sallay
Photo by Nathan Lemon on Unsplash
As 2023 comes to its final month, let us remember that endings equal new beginnings. We have another chance to welcome this new year with open arms. The end of the year is usually filled with hustle and bustle. We are all too busy to just relax and take in the holiday season. We are celebrating with office and holiday parties. We are shopping for the next best gift. We are winding down the school year and our kids are getting excited to go on break.
Although I would like to say to pause to sit down and watch a few Christmas movies on Hallmark or Netflix, I know it’s hard. My Heart and I have three days where we will be at our home in Florida where we could sit down and watch a movie or two. I realize that our movie time will probably end because we have tasks to do and the movies will be pushed off. But I am going to commit to taking two hours this holiday season and watching a movie! I hope that you will join me.
The holidays can be difficult for some. Many people have expectations and when those expectations are not met they become disappointed. They become upset that the day or the event didn’t go as they had planned in their mind. Therefore, they get in a mood and nothing can snap them out of it. Let’s try not to have expectations. Let’s try to just be present in the moment. If the fruitcake burns then let it burn. It is not the end of the world. Laugh about it and throw it away. Get some chocolate out of the cabinet and enjoy your dessert. Let the little things go.
Let’s commit to enjoying each other and not trying to outdo each other by buying things. I believe we probably all have enough “stuff”. Maybe volunteer your time to shop for those who don’t have enough. Donate one of your gifts to Toys for Tots. Let’s spread good cheer this holiday season.
The holidays can also be hard for some who have experienced loss. Remember, there are many things out of our control. All we can control is our reactions to them. Even though we miss our lost loved ones, let’s remember that they would want us to live and enjoy the family and friends we have left. Let’s enjoy those people who want to share in the holidays and memory-making with us. Let the others go. This is not the end. It is the beginning.
My wish for you this holiday season is to slow down, be in the moment, and laugh when the little things go wrong. Enjoy this time with your family and friends. Make special memories and take lots of pictures!
Happy Holidays!
Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash
Sometimes it’s hard not to give up and say goodbye to family members who make things difficult. It can be very tempting especially if they are toxic. And maybe the relationship needs to change and that’s ok. But family is family. Don’t give up on each other.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the eons, it’s that you can’t give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it.”
~ Rick Riordan
Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. Maybe we all don’t agree on many topics like politics, religion, or clothing styles but I think we can all agree that the Thanksgiving turkey, stuffing, and pies are something we all look forward to every year. I wish you and your family and friends the most blessed Thanksgiving Day and weekend.
“The turkey. The sweet potatoes. The stuffing. The pumpkin pie. Is there anything else we all can agree so vehemently about? I don’t think so.”
~ Nora Ephron
The saying goes “opposites attract” but my Heart and I are anything but the opposite! Sometimes I think we are so much the same that we don’t know how to balance each other out. Therefore, we just go, go, go!
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”
— John Lubbock
The problem is we don’t know how to rest. We just go from one event to another. We always have something to do or someone to see. We always talk about how we should stay in one place for a longer period of time but then somehow it never happens. We both seem to be Yes People so it’s hard for us to say no.
The past month has been a perfect example of how we are nonstop. As you know we had such a great time in Park City that we purchased a townhouse that we are now renting on Airbnb. After several weeks of discussion, we decided to drive our Jeep out to our new home. We thought it would be the perfect vehicle as it’s four-wheel drive for the winter, and we can take the roof off in the summer. Our new house has a huge garage so even when renters come they will have room to park.
After a very long drive, my Heart and I worked very hard to get the house painted and cleaned. We had help from some amazing friends who let us borrow ladders and picked up a paintbrush to help us out. We did the walls by ourselves and then had someone come in and do the ceilings. After a week of painting, I have decided it’s probably more beneficial to pay someone to do the whole thing! We had no furniture as it was still on order. We did buy a TV so that we could watch sports as we worked. We slept on an air mattress with a borrowed blanket and some old sheets. But we fell in love with our new house even more.
The new house is in the perfect location. We are minutes from the Jordanelle Express Gondola at the world-renowned Deer Valley Ski Resort and minutes from the Jordanelle Reservoir Marina where you can boat, fish, ski, or paddleboard. Many people don’t think of Park City as a summer retreat but the summer is actually why we fell in love with it. The weather is amazing. The sun is always out. The hiking is unbelievable and the trails are never-ending. It’s also an amazing place to ride your motorcycle if you have one.
We flew to Florida after that week for an amazing Halloween Party and scavenger hunt. We met some new fun friends. Then we took off Sunday and flew to Pennsylvania to pick up our truck, motorcycle, and trailer. We spent one Sunday Fun day then got on the road to head back to Florida. We stopped in Virginia for a quick dinner and softball game with the family. My niece hit a home run her first time up to bat! I am so proud of the amazing player she has become. Then my Heart and I continued on for a few more hours.
We spent the night in North Carolina then pushed on to St. Augustine where we stayed with lifelong friends. We had too much fun and then left the next day. We made it home in time to have dinner with our oldest son. The next day we worked on unpacking and reorganizing our Florida home. We needed to get it opened up for the winter. We worked long and hard powerwashing the pool deck and the dock. We washed cars and cleaned out the garage. We were motivated to get the house back in order because….. we were leaving in two days for a 60th birthday party in Michigan.
Our friend, Jodie, was turning 60 and invited us up for a Swanky Sixtieth. I found a beautiful black dress and some high, high heels. I was excited to dress up and my cute Heart was ready to put his wedding suit back on. We flew in and saw friends we don’t usually see until ski season. We really enjoyed our weekend and had so much fun with Jodie, her friends, and family.
We flew back to Florida and continued working on the house. We wanted to get the yard beautiful and landscaped as the next weekend we were hosting a 60th birthday party for our friend, Tom, and we wanted it to look nice. It’s always good to have a reason to get things done. The party was a little bit of a surprise as he didn’t know who was coming into town or what we really had planned for him. He had friends coming in from all over Florida and one even flew in from Washington state. Some of these guys hadn’t seen each other in over 25 years.
Tom was super surprised and all of his friends were extremely grateful for the gathering. It was a wonderful weekend and even though it was a lot of work it was well worth it. I think my Heart had just as much fun as Tom and it wasn’t even his birthday. We had a great venue at Rusty’s in Cape Coral for happy hour on Friday night, a party at our house on Saturday, and then we went boating on Sunday. A perfect weekend in Florida.
But the journey continues. Why stay in Florida when we have another house to get ready for ski season? Therefore, Monday morning we got on a flight out to Salt Lake City. Most of our furniture was delivered and we were so excited to go to our house and see it. We couldn’t wait to sleep in a real bed in our new home!
We spent another week in Park City getting our new house decorated and ready to rent. We were hoping to get a last-minute Thanksgiving rental, but that hasn’t happened yet. We still have a few things to put together but we are very proud of the way it turned out. After another long week of endless days and social nights, we flew back to Florida. We had a great workout in the morning then went to a beautiful wedding at Sanibel Harbor Yacht Club. On Sunday we had brunch with our son and continued working on our Florida home.
My Heart had a few weeks off but yesterday he left to go back to work. Even though I am sad he is gone for the holiday, I am looking forward to a week of writing, working on Christmas projects, and laying in the sun. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Be safe, have fun, and eat lots of turkey!
This month let’s take some time to show gratitude for the things we have and the people around us. Let’s not judge them because we disagree with their life choices. Let’s love them and remember the quality time together in our hearts and not in our minds.
“Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.”
~ Lionel Hampton
Photo by Kit Ishimatsu on Unsplash
I think for us as humans it’s easy to pass judgment. It’s easy to say they should have done it this way. Or they shouldn’t be doing it that way. But we need to remember we are not here to judge. We are all different and we all make different choices. Sometimes we don’t agree with the choices of others but that’s where understanding comes in. Quit judging and start loving and understanding.
It’s easy to judge. It’s more difficult to understand. Understanding requires compassion, patience, and a willingness to believe that good hearts sometimes choose poor methods. Through judging, we separate. Through understanding, we grow.
– Doe Zantamata
Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash
I know it’s been a few weeks since I posted and I am sorry. We have been all over the country enjoying the fall weather and spending time with family and friends. I found this quote this morning and needed to post it before we take off for another adventure this weekend. We are so blessed in this life with our family and friends. I hope that every time you get to spend time with loved ones, I hope you feel grateful. I know it’s hard but you can’t take these things for granted. One day you will not be able to call up that person on the phone, dress up in sixties gear to celebrate their birthday, or drop by their house to drink too much beer and stay up too late. Be grateful for the times you get to share together and enjoy the many moments of laughter.
“For me, every hour is grace. And I feel gratitude in my heart each time I can meet someone and look at his or her smile.”
~ Elie Wiesel
Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash
Autumn is such a beautiful time of year. The vibrant colors on the trees show us how magical nature is. Then it reminds us that you have to let things go. Don’t hold on to grudges. Don’t fixate on the past. Each year show your beautiful colors then let the things go that are holding you back.
“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.”
-unknown
Picture of Autumn in Park City downloaded from a Facebook post.
💙 Remembering My Dad 💙
Today, I want to take a moment to honor and celebrate my dad. He would have been 72 years old today. Happy heavenly birthday! Words cannot express how much I love and miss him every day.
My dad was my biggest cheerleader. He was at every sporting event I competed in when he could be. He worked different shifts so sometimes he could only be there for his 30-minute lunch break. But he was there. He taught me the importance of kindness, compassion, and integrity through his own actions. His unwavering support and belief in me gave me the confidence to chase my dreams and overcome any obstacles that came my way.
I cherish the memories we shared, from the simple moments of laughter to camping at Kinzua Dam or boating on Edinboro Lake. He never said too much but the conversations we did have shaped my perspective on life. Whether it was playing catch in the backyard, shooting hoops out the back door, or teaching me to drive a stick shift, his presence always brought comfort and reassurance.
His love was unconditional, and he never hesitated to put his family’s needs before his own. He worked tirelessly to provide for us, sacrificing his own desires to ensure we had everything we needed. Even during his nine-year battle with lung cancer, he continued to drive hours to and from work. He never showed us that he was in any pain or uncomfortable in any way. His strength was beyond measure. His selflessness and dedication continue to inspire me to be a better person every day.
Losing my dad was undoubtedly one of the most challenging experiences I’ve ever faced. But even in his absence, his spirit lives on within me. I carry his values, his wisdom, and his love in my heart, and I strive to make him proud in everything I do.
Today, I encourage you all to take a moment to appreciate the special bond you share with your own fathers. Let them know how much they mean to you, for time is fleeting, and we never know what tomorrow may bring. If you have lost your father I hope you see signs from Heaven that he may be sending you every day.
Dad, I hope you can feel the love and gratitude that surrounds you. I hope the family gets together up there for a great heavenly birthday dinner. Tell everyone hello. Thank you for being my hero. You will forever hold a special place in my heart. I miss you more than words can express, but I find peace in knowing that your love will forever be with me.