Not my favorite subject, but necessary...

I know this topic really isn't favored by many of us, but I just wanted to put this out there for any of you who are reading this or even care.
This past month and a half has been a very real reminder to me that Dave and I need to make sure we have "all our affairs in order" so to speak. The subject of dying isn't a popular one that's for sure, but since the death of my sweet friend Jenna and now her husband Eric, it has left me reeling. Jenna had been battling cancer for almost 4 years, so her death wasn't necessarily a surprise. Eric passed away just a few days ago, a little less than a month after Jeanna from an apparent heart attack, that was very unexpected. Now the family is scrambling because they did not prepare a will or give specific directions as to where they would want their two boys to live in the event they both passed away. No one could have imagined this scenario, no one ever does.
So, my post is merely to remind you, if you have not prepared something that is legally binding, directions about where your kids will go, who you want them to live with and other important information, please do something NOW!! Do not hesitate or put it off any longer. There are even online resources that aren't super expensive to get your will drawn up fairly quickly and painlessly!
I realize this post isn't super reflective, spiritual or encouraging, but I do believe with all my heart that it is important and that's why I am writing this. I promise the next time I post, I will write something light or enlightened!! (I can't guarantee it, but I will try)

Conquering Fears

So, I thought I would be able to post an entry each night, but that didn't go as planned. Way too tired. So here we are on Day 5 in Maui and what I think I will do is give a little recap with a couple pictures to highlight our trip so far. First, the weather has been really wonderful. It has showered, but as everyone says here..."Maui makes its own weather"! So true! We initially thought we would be disappointed because of the rain, but it really is refreshing and the clouds make the most amazing sunsets! The temperature has averaged 85 degrees and with a nice breeze and a quick shower or two, it has been so comfortable. On Day 3 we hung out around the little touristy town of Lahaina. It was cloudy, but still 85 degrees. Dave then took the kids into the ocean out in front of our condo and gave them some snorkel lessons, they did great!
Day 4 has been our favorite so far! We went on a snorkel excursion to Molokini Crater and then a Luau. It was a day for many little victories to say the least. I faced my fear and got on the boat, no panic attacks or anything!! I never got into the water with Dave and the kids to snorkel, but that's o.k., because I was on the boat and it got a little rough in places and I did fine!! Yeah Me! Annie then faced her fear and got into the open ocean, she did fantastic. Hailey then tried octopus at the Luau!! We all were quite proud of ourselves. I am so thankful for this time to make memories, we all know what an incredible blessing this is...Mahalo, Lord! I will write more tomorrow evening after our adventures from Day 5 & 6.

ALOHA!

Wow! It's hard to believe we are here in Maui! We have been saving and dreaming about this vacation for so long, it always seemed to be way far off on the horizon. But here we are, our first day in Maui and loving every minute. And feeling way beyond blessed! Our flight went well, for the most part, only one minor inconvenience, for Dave that is. Unfortunately, he had to endure the entire flight next to an older gentleman who apparently did not believe in deodorant or showering for that matter. I didn't realize it until we were about 2 hours into our flight and I caught a whiff. Being the empathetic wife that I am, I had an extremely difficult time controlling my laughter! I know, my compassion just shined through at that moment!
I think the highlight of this day had to be the sea turtle who came to greet us when we arrived at the condo this afternoon, so cool! Then a close second was the view from our Lanai', truly tropical! I will continue this little journal each evening. I'll try to pick out the highlights, not to make anyone envious, but just cause I love sharing my thoughts and hope someone might enjoy it!
I learned something during the flight, just a little nugget. There was a little turbulence during the flight and my fear started to get the better of me. But, what I realized when that was happening was that just as in life, the minute I feel out of control in a situation, I have to remember who is at the wheel, Jesus and I can completely trust his direction and control in my life! It was fun to see the parallel and it actually help me keep control of my fear! I thought it was cool!

This Parenting Journey

Well, I am hoping that in some small way my blog will encourage and inspire those of you who read it. I am also determined to try to write something each week about my thoughts on this wild and crazy adventure called "parenting". I am not even really sure anyone reads this, but even if one person does and feels some encouragement, I will be blessed.
So, here it goes....
I have been on this little parenting adventure for almost 16 years. It is so hard to imagine that when Dave and I first learned that, Yes, we would be parents back in 1994, our lives would look like they do today. I really don't believe any of us can truly imagine what parenting will be like and what a crazy ride we are about to embark on. I know many of us "dream" about being parents, about not making the same "mistakes" our parents made and all that...but could any of us really know what we were getting ourselves into??? I think NOT! I can honestly say that I have LOVED being a parent. Now I am not saying I have LOVED every minute of it, I am just saying I love being a parent! I admit, I do not miss potty training or the tantrums or the power struggles of the will. I can still feel the helplessness when one of the kids got hurt, Praise God we only had 2 emergency room visits...so far!
But there has been such great joy and even a little pride as I watch each of our children grow into becoming young women and men of character. I realize that I have many years ahead of me, more heartache and more joy...but I can honestly say so far, this has been an amazing journey. So let me encourage you if you are just beginning...parenting has so many wonderful, amazing, joy-filled moments, don´t let those days where everything seems to go wrong and you are tired of being needed, physically, get you down. There will, for sure, come a day where they need you less...less clinging to your leg or on your lap and they will need you more, emotionally and for coaching.
It´s a wonderful progression.

Weekly Craft Post...

Recipe/Picture Holder

Well, I have been thinking a lot about different things, so I thought I would try to share a weekly craft I have either found or actually come up with myself, some may be both. I love finding an idea and then being able to "tweek" it a little. I hope you enjoy this, I would love to get your feedback on what you think of these. There have been a couple ideas that I have toyed with selling at local bazaars, but am not sure if they are something anyone would actually buy!
This first craft is a variation of a combination of ideas I saw at Craft Warehouse and something I received several years ago. This holder is made from a pretty heavy gauge steel, I had to get it from a friend because none of the craft stores carry the gauge I wanted. I love the ability to personalize these holders for peoples decor. I wanted to come up with a food related saying so I used "Eat your heart out", I also wanted to be able to use a variety of symbols or items to write out the saying so I used the dictionary definition for EAT, the a heart button for HEART and so on. I made the magnets out of different materials as well, and those are a craft for another week. :o)
Well, that's my idea for this week, let me know what you think!!