Play! Play! Play and then Play some MORE!!!

I am having so much fun these days just playing. Playing with my kids, playing with my husband and playing with my friends. I have learned to slow down and just enjoy each day for what it is. Which to me at the moment is an reason to play. I have cut back on the time I spend at work and plan to play away the summer with my family. I know we are going to have so much fun.
It takes a lot to learn that everything doesn't have to get done at once. That the house doesn't have to be spotless. That everyone is really not counting on you to do everything. You don't really have to write something new on your blog everyday. That sometimes it is more fun to hop on your motorcycle and go for a ride instead of weed eating the yard. That if you only learn to laugh more then more people will be laughing along with you.

I read a quote once that said. "I don't regret the opportunities I have taken only the ones that I didn't take. So know I take every opportunity I can. " That seemed like a great way to think and that is the way that I look at the world. My husband says we are "What Next?" kind of people. Not the kind of people to live in the past, dwell on whats been done and relive our regrets. We are the kind of people who are wondering what we are going to experience next. I just love the way he thinks.

Wow, that was me feeling a little philosophical. Hope you enjoyed it.

Here is me on my brand new 2009 KLR650

My husband was a sweetie and did this video for me. On Monday I took a big leap and got a 2009 Kawasaki KLR650 Dual Sport. It is my first running motorcycle and I am having so much fun learning to drive it. My husband got the same bike last year and is just loving it. It goes on and off road which is great because we have tons of off roads to travel. When I learn to ride it a whole lot better we will go on road trips together. I am really looking forward to it and I feel really cool having my own motorcycle. We are also hoping to document a bunch of our trips. My husband has his bike and helmet decked out with cameras so we can record all kids of stuff.

Its the End of Something Big and the Beginning of Something BIGGER

Today is the first official day I am without my family consignment store. I turned in the keys over the weekend and filled up my storage with all of the stuff I just couldn't live without. I feel like it is the ending of something that was really big for me.
I bought a children's consignment business last year because I thought it sounded like a lot of fun and a great new experience. I had no prior knowledge of retail and my only knowledge of consignment was from personal shopping experience. It was an absolute blast. I meet so many nice people and had so much fun going threw new items people brought in. I had fun doing the displays and deciding on sales. I worked six days a week and I worked really hard from the time I got there to the time I went home. The hard work never bothered me. I enjoy working hard at something. The entire year I didn't get paid. The store covered its own expenses until about October of 2008 and then it started to go down hill. Sales were really slow and I couldn't figure out a way to change that. After a couple of months of no sleeping and being completely stressed out my family and I decided it was time to close the store. I had gotten an evening job and was doing the store all week. When the decision was made I felt a huge weight lift off me. I always feel better when I have made a decision and can go forward in that direction. I just spent the last two months notify all my consignors, getting things in order and saying good bye to everyone. I believe I will miss all of the wonderful people I met more then anything. I have made many new friends and learned lots of new things. I feel sad and happy all at once to have closed that chapter in my book.
Now I plan to spend time with my kids and hubby, paint a whole bunch, plant a garden, fix things around my house and just enjoy being me. I am only going back to work part time and I feel everyone will benefit from me being around more. I have all these great ideas for things to do with my kids this summer and all these fun projects to start. I also plan on cooking a whole bunch and learning a new skill. I just haven't decided what. I hope that our company Gwynn's Gifts will get back on track and I can take it to the next level. I am just plain excited.

The list of things I am Thankful Could go on Forever

It is the time of year where we all start thinking about what we are thankful for. It is so easy to remember what sucks but it is so much more gratifying to think of all the wonderful things we are lucky to have in our lives. I am, by nature a very optimistic person and I try very hard to only think of the wonderful things I am lucky to have. Sometimes it is harder then others but most of the time it is so easy. I just look around at my wonderful family, friends and the world I live in. I go to bed each night thinking I what a lucky person I am and my dreams are wonderful.

When I was younger and used to get frustrated or down on my luck about situations or family I would turn on Jerry Springer and it would work magic. If you ever thought your life sucked then you just had to watch Jerry Springer and realize that life is not so bad. My brother wasn’t sleeping with my sister, my mom wasn’t sleeping with boyfriend and my husband and my friends hadn’t all stabbed me in the back. I know it was probably not healthy to feel better because other people had such miserable lives but it certainty put things into perspective back then.

I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving holiday and may all the things you are thankful for make you feel fortunate and loved.

I am 85% Sure. Really!

I just read a very interesting article in O magazine. The question people had to answer was what are you sure of. There where some incredible answers but the one that spoke to me the most was the answer . I am 85% sure and that’s okay. That of course is not a direct quote but what I summarized from the article and I love it. That are so many things in life that you can’t be 100% sure of and if you are 85% sure then that is great. For some reason I found that to be a very comforting thought. There are really lots of things I know for sure.

I would do anything to protect my children
I have found the love of my life
My family is always first
My family is always there when I need them
I really like who I am as a person
We are all going to die someday and it is okay
If we try our best and fail the world is not going to end
A baby hug is the coziest hug in the world
Yellow is not a good color for me because it makes me look ill
Singing in the shower is good for your health

Now on the other hand there are so many things I don’t know for sure but feel pretty comfortable with. All of those thoughts, plans, dreams, hopes, and concerns are going to fall in my 85% sure of column and it is all going to be okay because at the end of the day, my life is GOOD!

Enthusiasm Rocks!!!!

I studied the lives of great men and famous women, and I found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had of energy and enthusiasm.
Henry Truman

The Freedom of Riding on the Back of The Motorcycle.

Do you every dream of a place with no worries, no concerns and no interruptions? Well I have found that place. It is riding behind my husband on his KLX Motorcycle. I never thought riding behind someone on a motorcycle could be so much fun but I am so glad that I did it.
When I swing my leg over that seat and snuggle in behind my husband I know that for a little while I don’t have to worry about a thing. I can’t talk to anyone, I can’t answer the phone and I can’t accomplish anything. I just have to be, relax and enjoy. I only have to hold on and move with the bike which just comes naturally. I feel the most protected and safe when I am riding behind my husband. I trust him completely to take me wherever he wants to go and that he will protect me at all costs. You would think that be that exposed would be scary or terrifying but it isn’t for me. It is like a whole new world has opened up. I feel like I am floating on a cloud of pleasure and just soaring thru the atmosphere. I can feel every change in the environment. I can feel the shade of the trees cooling my body and the heat of the direct sun warming me up again. I can smell all the wonderful scents of summer, the flowers, the trees, the grass and the BBQ’s. I can’t see what is ahead of me but I can see all around me. I have nothing better to do then simple enjoy the experience.

We are going to get me my own bike but I am in no hurry. I know I will enjoy it but for now I am more then happy to strap that helmet on and just hold onto my husband and experience the open road with the one I love.

My husband and I at the top of a mountain we rode the bike to.

The "happy" Tomato

I just thought this tomato I found in our garden was funny. So I took some pictures of it. I hope you get a good laugh.

Treasury Love on Etsy

I am in love with Treasuries on Etsy. I feel like I won the lottery when I get to make one. I always sit here anxiously waiting for the little box to pop up so I can fill in my Title and start sharing all the great people I find on Etsy. I usually get them out of my Favorites and they also just happen. I don't usually have a plan. I met some nice people recently and I wanted to showcase there work. I ended up doing a purplish silver theme and I am really pleased with the way it turned out. I also get really excited when I land in a treasury. The gold star makes me smile. I have added a link to get to this Treasury, it will be good for a few more days if you want to post a comment.