Ok seriously. The last time I posted was for the 4th of July?

I’m so sorry.

I swear my life is a lot more eventful than just the major holidays,

butI at least need to document those for the time being.

I promise I’m goingto get into the swing of things here again soon!

For now, here are some pictures from the Halloween Dinner I did for my

family (again).We had ‘Eyeball Pasta’ and ice cubes with spiders in them…

it was right up my alley andI loved it!

I was really craving a summer camping experience this year.

And to be honest, I can’t really do more than 24 hours camping,

so this little trip was perfect.

I found the cutest ranch through a coworker of mine, complete

with horses, a general store, and covered wagons to sleep in!

I mean really, who doesn’t love sleeping in a covered wagon?!

Other than Dodger barfing on Tommy halfway through the

night and my dad giving me a borderline heart attack

when jumping off of rocks into the river that were a little too high,

it was a great trip.

Lovin’ summer!

Happy Fourth of July!

I loooove this holiday.

We got back from camping today and I have

a million photos, but I'll leave you with this one

for now:

I LOVE the series of pictures I got of Tommy and Dodger

during our camping trip.

LOVE.

Happy fourth! And summer!

Hello Friends!

What a crazy few weeks my life has had.

I’ve moved, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries, and just plain enjoyed life. I’m in a really positive

place right now, and am relishing in all the little sunny spots in my life at the moment.

Life is truly beautiful…did you know that?

I looked over my New Year’s resolutions earlier today and am quite happy with my progress. Isn’t it funny how by simply

putting a goal on paper as a formality makes you subconsciously aware and working towards that goal? I went into the

event dreading the regret I was going to feel about it being halfway through the year and I haven’t even crossed off a

third of my list. But…to my surprise I am doing so well! And nothing makes me happier than that!

I cannot believe how much I am growing as a person at the moment. I feel like within the past few months a curtain has

been lifted and I am beginning to see what life is really all about. I have a long way to go, but I feel like 2011 is going to be

a huge growth year for me. And for that, I am grateful.

I’ve finally learned how to take control of my thought process and steer myself into a brighter place. Before I mastered this

skill I would constantly worry, fret, think, pray, cry, (and on and on) about things outside of my control and at times, completely

unrelated to anything I’ve ever experienced or will ever experience. It was almost as if I needed something to worry about. But alas,

one day it all clicked and I learned how to help myself help myself, by only entertaining the positive thoughts about life.

Really, this is the biggest blessing.

A lot of my change in my thought process has been through a change in perspective; by really looking at the ‘big picture’,

and forcing myself to see outside of my immediate environment and situation. By doing this I’ve learned that there is a

big world out there (surprise!) and my worries and fears are so, so small in the big scheme of things. Also, I feel that by

learning about others’ situations and lives it has helped me to see that my worries and fears are far insignificant compared to

what other people are going through, and it is SO important to always be grateful for what I have and have been given.

How’s that for some deep thinking? : )

I’ll leave you with a short, simple quote that my boss threw out the other day, which I have been loving and repeating

to myself a lot lately: It’s all about progress, not perfection. Love that!

xoxoxoxoxo

A friend of mine is going through a really rough time right now

and I ached for a way to tell her that it would all be alright, and the trials

of today are but a small bump in our otherwise long road. I quickly remembered

a beautiful statement my boss had given me during a time when I was struggling, and

I know it was exactly what she needed to hear.

I cannot express how much I adore this, and strive to remember the meaningful

words at all times in my life. It is so powerful when you really think about what it

tries to convey, and it is so healthy to have this frame of mind…because of how true

it really is.

♥

What Will Matter

by Michael Josephson

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no more minutes, hours, or days.

All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame, and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear.

So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end.

It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.

Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought but what you built,

not what you got but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or

sacrifice that enriched, empowered, or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew,

but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.

What will matter is not your memories but the memories of those that loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

We celebrated Tommy's 25th birthday yesterday...

oh what fun was had!

Tommy wanted to have a softball game with all of our

friends and family, so a softball game it was!

I, of course, loved planning and gathering little

details to make it extra special and it turned out

great.

What a fun day! Happy birthday to my one and only!

I really, really love him :). ♥

You wouldn’t believe the week I just had if I told you.

But, just for fun, I’m gonna tell you : ).

Within the past 7 days, I have:

Moved houses. Yes, MOVED.

Harbored the most horrible, obnoxious cold.

Coordinated and executed a charity event at the Four Seasons Westlake Village.

Hired and trained a new administrative assistant for our office.

Planned and prepped for Tommy’s birthday party this weekend (SO EXCITED).

Hosted a training luncheon.

Initiated a project to expand our office and add an additional 19 workspaces.

And…organized, cleaned, washed, and repaired just about every belonging I own.

Sometimes I surprise myself with just how much I can handle. I constantly doubt myself and my

capabilities, and after this incredible week I have decided once and for all that it is completely

unnecessary and unacceptable to be so hard on myself. I CAN do it all, and I WILL. It is so

easy to point-out what is wrong, instead of what is right. And really, what good does that do?

So excited that Friday is here. Tommy and I have the next week off to celebrate our

second wedding anniversary, and we have lots of fun things planned. And quite frankly,

we have deserved this time off. In a major way.

Happy Friday! As you can imagine, I am welcoming this one with open arms…

xoxo