2013

     Oh what a hard year it was!  I like to think that I have a Pollyanna type outlook on things but there are moments in 2013 that were absolutely unbearable.  January 17th started it all when I got the call that one of my best friends in college had passed away suddenly.  We had the same name, were involved in the same activities and were suite-mates in the dorm.  We stayed friends throughout the years.  I had just messaged with her on Facebook about an upcoming visit to Mississippi and then...BAM She's gone!!  She was only 47!  Her personality was vibrant, she was over the top in all that she did.  She made you feel loved - she made you laugh - she made you feel special!  We even looked a lot alike.  People would think we were sisters until they heard we were both named Tammy and just to let you know she was Tammy Lyn and I'm Tammy Lynn.  Crazy, huh?  This picture was taken of us on our last girls weekend together in Biloxi.  We had a blast!  Just like it is always said, tell those around you how much you love them because you just never know.  It's so true!  You ... just ... never ... know!

     In the summer we moved to the Outer Banks of NC.  It was a crazy awful and crazy wonderful move!  We have been sick over leaving family and friends...mostly sick over the norm that we had created.  Our norm was comfortable but yet we felt we needed to make this change.  14 hours is a long way!  We have grown to count our blessings, appreciate our now, thank God for all we have and not what we feel we've lost.  We have an amazing view from our rented town home.  We had 4 choices for rentals when we moved here.  I was perplexed over the first one, the next two made me cry and the 4th was this one and I swear I heard the Hallelujah Chorus start singing when we walked in.  :)  It had wide stairs....I could finally see how everything would fit.  They didn't allow dogs (non of the rentals did) and so our $1000 shelter dog is now staying with my girlfriend and her family.  She calls me with foster dog reports.  So sweet!  

     My mom has been irreplaceable with all of her help toward getting our stuff to us and getting our house on the market.  Money cannot repay her for all that she has done.  We could not have made it this far without her!!   

     We had a rough start however God has directed us in such a way that we are truly acclimated and feel apart of this community in the short time that we've been here.  I have gotten the opportunity to sing several times.  I  was able to play a couple of games of softball.  Steve and I will play together in this next season starting in May!  We are a part of an awesome church.  This church personifies the meaning behind having a church family.  They have already shown their love for us in so many ways.  The girls got the best First Grade Teacher and Kindergarten Teacher.  The personality of their teachers fit right along with the personality of each of our girls.  Such a HUGE blessing!  I have gotten the opportunity to substitute teach at a Christian Academy and will be taking the substitute teaching class starting next week so that I can teach for the county in the public school system.  We have some of what seems to be lifelong friends in the making!  I have 3 besties - one that reminds me of my girl that's listed in the beginning of this post, one that has 4 girls that we have enjoyed numerous playdates with (and a BIG DEAL to me as a momma is that I trust her with my girls and she trusts me with her's) and then my other bestie is the same age as me with a girl in Madi's class and we just clicked.  Each of them a huge blessing in mine and my family's lives!  

     I have been slow to getting stuff done but I am now almost done with putting Christmas away.  Part of me what's to beat myself up for taking so long to put it away and the other part of me is just so happy that it's getting done that I can't do anything but feel grateful.  For the first time, I actually went through what was in the boxes.  I am getting rid of an overflowing bag of Christmas stuff that we no longer need or use.  Yea, me!      I hope you are having a fantastic beginning to 2014 and I wish you blessings throughout the year!

     

Love It or Let It Go!

     Life is in constant motion...it's up to us to decide how our journey will go.  I don't mean that we have power or control over our journey.  What I am saying is that we have control and power over our reaction to how our journey develops.
     The everyday moments are what truly help me to look at all the blessings of my life.  Just recently, I was putting together rose bouquets for my hubby's work and my girls were helping me.  It didn't take long before they started working on some art projects of their own.  Ya know, big girl crafts aren't fun sometimes.  They took one of the reindeer ornaments, traced it and then created winter wonderland works of art.  I love that they can see past the paper, crayon, marker and trace of the reindeer to see a wonderland of possibilities.  They love to add lots of color.  Taking the time to notice the "moments" is the part of my journey that I enjoy the most!
     In our every day life, almost anything can be turned around to be a blessing.  For instance, the other day I was volunteering in my daughter's class.  It was a rainy day and so umbrellas were needed.  I did my hour with the children and then went on to pay the cafeteria some money and then I checked out.  It was then that I realized I had forgotten the umbrellas and so back into the school I went to retrieve the umbrellas.  Tucked nicely back into my van I realized my phone was not on me.  Back into the school I went to find my phone...it was no where to be found.  Yikes!!  I walked backed out to where my van was at first to retrace my steps.  On my way back into the school for the fourth time, there it was under the bench on the concrete.  So where are the blessings?  1) I found it  2) The screen didn't crack when it fell  3) It didn't fall into a puddle or get waterlogged.  Huge blessings!  My cell phone is probably a little too important in my life...LOL
     Since moving to NC from FL, from 2,700 square feet to 1,500 square feet I've been in continuous overwhelm with all of my stuff!  It makes me lag behind on normal chores when I'm spending so much time trying to find something through this maze we are calling a home right now.  My goal of the century, okay really my goal for January is to find a place for everything!  I have to!  For the love of my family and the need for some simplicity in our schedule so that we can ENJOY more, I absolutely NEED to get some of this stuff out!  Please pray for me as I make these very difficult decisions so that I can free myself from the clutter!  The clutter in my home, the clutter in my body and the clutter in my mind!  2014 is my year to LOVE IT or LET IT GO!!
Don't forget to look at the little moments that create joy in your journey & live 2014 on purpose!