My Life Monday: Arizona & Weekend Fun

Hello Friends!!! 

I have decided that since my weekly blogging is going so well (yay!!!), I am going to try to blog more than just once a week. I am going to shoot for 3 times a week and go from there. 

 I decided that Mondays are going to be My Life Mondays and so this will be the day where I share whats going on in my life with you. I have plans for the other two days each week but you will just have to wait and see what those days are as we get to them this week. :)

ARIZONA

At the beginning of January the hubs and I went to Arizona for a week long getaway. I have been meaning to blog about this trip forever but I kept forgetting so sorry its so late. Anyway we stayed in Phoenix but while we were there we took day trips to Sedona and the Grand Canyon. While there we celebrated our 10 year dating anniversary by taking a Hot Air Balloon ride and we spent some time with my Best Friend from college and her beautiful family. It was an amazing trip. I had never really spent time in Phoenix before even though its only about 6 hours from where we live in Cali. It is a beautiful state and I am so glad that we decided to plan the trip.

 (Hiking in Phoenix)

 (Went to see "The Fighter" with my very pregnant at the time Best Friend Lisa.)

 (Lisa and Luke's adorable first born Logan. This was my first time meeting the little guy and he was just too cute for words!)

 (Another day of Hiking)

 (I took this picture on one of our hikes.)

 (Joe golfed one day while we were there and I acted as his driver on the course. Surprisingly I only have a few close calls and I didn't hurt anyone or anything...hahaha)

 (Out and about in Phoenix...it was so nice to be away for a couple of days with my love.)

 (I had never seen the Grand Canyon before. It lived up to the expectations I had and was as breathtaking as everyone claimed.)

 (Hot Air Ballooning was INCREDIBLE!!! I definitely recommend it! We were up for about an hour and then we ended the adventure with a picnic at sunrise after landing. We even got official certificates!!!)

 (On our way home we stopped in Sedona. The beauty in this place was mind blowing. Plus they had a place called PINK Java Cafe which just wins major points with me. Oh and if you are ever in Sedona you have to eat at Red Rock BBQ. The food is super yummy!)

(On our way home we stopped at a Deer Farm....it was a cool and very weird experience to say the least. The deer up there was my favorite deer at the farm. She was adorable. I wanted to deernap her but the hubs said we didn't have room for her in the truck...hahahaha)

WEEKEND FUN

FRIDAY:  We went over to my friend, Catherine's house for dinner and wine tasting. Her sister, who also happens to be one of my best friends, is getting married in July (I am a bridesmaid) and so Catherine is buying the wine for the wedding as part of her gift to her sister. So we all got together to taste and rate wine so she could use that info to make selections. I think we handled picking the reds but we are going to have a second night to pick whites. 

SATURDAY: We beat the rain and got up and went hiking at one of our usual hiking spots with my sister in law and my father in law. After we met up my mom and sisters at one of my favorite breakfast/lunch spots. We ran some errands in the afternoon which included stopping at my best friend Julie's new apartment that she is moving into with her son and boyfriend. She has been through a lot this past couple of years included a horrific almost deadly car accident and a bad divorce so I am really happy for her. It has taken her a lot time to get her life back on track.

Saturday night we ended up going to see "The Lincoln Lawyer" with my sister and Staci. I am a huge Matthew fan but I have to say this was one of his better movies in a while. He is always great to watch and I love listening to his sexy voice during movies, but this movie, more so than some of his others, had a great plot and story. It was a perfect combination of humor, suspense, and drama. And the other actors in the film kicked butt too. Joe even said it was better than he thought it was going to be. After the movie we grabbed dinner and then jacuzzied and hung at my house.

SUNDAY: The hubs had to work so I was on my own for the day. :( It was my Grandma's 80th birthday so I drove down with my parents and sisters (my brother was out of town with my Uncle as baseball spring training) to Orange County to see my grandparents and have brunch. They had a copy of the "King's Speech" and so we ended up watching that before heading home. It was soooooo good! I can totally see why it won so many awards and got so much attention. It was such an inspiring and interesting story and I really loved it. After the movie we headed back and I went home to get ready for Monday.

All in all it was a great weekend. I hope all of you had a great one too!!

Sending love and a good week your way!!!!

xoxoxox

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!!

Did you know that St. Patrick was not born Irish and that his birth name was possibly Maewyn Succat?? You can go here to learn more about the man of the hour and his holiday that is celebrated worldwide. Also did you know that the phrase "kiss me I'm Irish" came from the idea that Irish people were the next luckiest thing to kiss beside the famous blarney stone?

Ok well there's my attempt at giving you a history lesson. Take it or leave it but I'm at least offering it. (Remember I'm a Social Studies teacher so I can't completely control this need to share the history of things with people.)

Anyways on this day, and all the others, but particularly on this one, I am proud to say that thanks to my Dad's paternal side of his family, I am a quarter Irish. (Just in case your wondering I am also a quarter German, half Italian, and 100% American.) I love being Irish and although I'm not a huge beer drinker (I know I would be killed if some of my Irish ancestors read this..hahaha) I still think its a really fun holiday to celebrate. I also think its awesome that they die things green for this holiday. Who doesn't think green rivers, fountains, and beer are awesome?? (Come to think of it, why don't we have a pink holiday like this? I could really really love that!!) But seriously I hope each of you are having a wonderful green filled day!!!

 Here's one of my favorite Irish Blessing's that I share with all my blogging peeps: 
May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam. May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures. May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours! 

  Sending love, shamrocks, and a pot of gold your way!!! xoxoxox

Putting Things into Perspective

Most people are often inspired by and look up to the the people of this world that achieve or have achieved greatness in their profession. And I would say that to some extent I am right there with them. Working hard and being successful in ones professional life is an important satisfying thing. And the people that accomplish this, are people that we can learn a lot from.

However I have come to realize that with too much professional success and too much of a thirst for money and the material things that money buys, comes a sacrifice in the form of ones family and personal life. For me it really is about finding balance. Working hard but still spending time with the people I love, being successful while still truly enjoying the amazing world that we live in. And when it comes down to it I would rather be truly successful in my relationships within my personal life than anything else. I will work my butt off while I am at work, but I refuse to take my work home with me. I want to be present in every moment and every relationship. We only have one life on this earth to live and so we better do it in a way that makes us and the people closest to us proud.

Here is a little activity that really puts this idea into perspective:
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4 Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series Winners.

7. Name at least five CEO's of major corporations.

How did you do? 
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
And these are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies..
Awards tarnish.
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one: 

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time..
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!!
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier? 

The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials..
The most money..or the most awards.
They simply are the ones who care the most.

Someone emailed me this a couple of years ago and I saved it because I thought it was something that I really needed to be reminded of. At times I get so caught up in the idea of keeping up with everyone else and wanting to show off that I think it is important to remember that while these are a super fun part of life, they are hardly what life is all about.

 THINGS GOD WON'T ASK ON THAT DAY

1.... God won't ask what kind of car you drove. He'll ask how you used your car to do his works.

2.... God won't ask the square footage of your house, He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

3.... God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how many you helped to feed and clothe.

4.... God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

5.... God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

6.... God won't ask how many friends you had. He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

7.... God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

8.... God won't ask about the color of your skin, He'll ask about the content of your character. 

When all is said and done I think few if any people on their death bed are thinking "gee I wish I had worked more in my life and made more money and bought more stuff", however what I do think they are thinking is that "I wish I spent more time with the people that meant the world to me and more time enjoying life and sharing God's love with others".  I truly feel the world would be such a different, better, and brighter place if people really stayed true to not only themselves but to God and the people closest to them. 

I hope you feel inspired to go be the best you that you can be. And remember even though we aren't perfect and sometimes we get off track and things get messed up and we get caught up in the things that don't matter in life, God loves you and forgives you. All you have to do is reevaluate and get back on track. It's never too late to start being the person you want to be.

Sending you love and the ability to balance all the things life throws at you!!!!

xoxoxox