Cherries

Monday, November 24, 2003

MM 11/24/2003

Only 32 more shopping days until Christmas!

I don't know about all of you, but I am not doing much shopping this year. For a number of reasons, but mostly because I am still not yet adjusted to my new life. I know everyday the routines will come together that will one day make me wonder how I ever did it any other way. For now, I am still learning from the difficulties that I need to find a new way, all the while having to clean up the mess I just made.

I am talking to Dave daily and he sent out an update to his list. If you would like to be on that list, let me know and I will make sure you get added. If he has access to e-mail over seas, he will send a periodic update of front line information, at least from where he and his men are.

Mason is growing like a weed and I have given him the loving nickname Tank. He is just as solid as a rock and certainly great for any of you who do not have much baby experience. You will not feel as if he is fragile or you will break him by any means!

Speaking of Mason, I got the gift of a lifetime this weekend. My dear, dear friend Dahlynn came over and spent a full 24 hours (more actually!) with me and Mason. She played with him, fed him, changed him, and can you believe, moved his bed into the living room and stayed with him through the night! This of course gave me the opportunity to clean my bathrooms, do laundry and actually put the clothes away, cook, run some errands, write several legal letters, and pay my bills (even reconciling Quicken!). THANK YOU, is just not enough but all I have. Apparently, she enjoyed this time and even went as far as to call it a mini vacation! Whoo-Hoo! Any of you who would like to take a mini vacation can call me now, I have openings and am taking sign ups today! Laughing! We wrapped up our time by taking a walk through the Mountain Mandarin Festival in Auburn. We did a little shopping but mostly just really enjoyed our time together.

I have a fussy baby to get back to, the junior Crabby Crab looks just like his father in the morning!

As far as a motivator today, I am feeling strongly about "What You Put Out, You Get Back." With this, I must have put out some really good friendship love because I am feeling so much of it coming back to me. Thank you!

Lots of love!

Kathy

Monday, November 17, 2003

MM 11/17/2003

Welcome to a rainy, Fall Monday.

Of all the things it seems we can be certain of, it is that a new day will dawn. No matter what life brings you, joy, sorrow, hope, sadness, a new day comes and somehow puts a damper on over excitement, and a calm on grief. This morning I woke up (the real time, when it was time to actually get out of bed.... not the 2 AM, 3:55 AM or the 5:30 AM) and felt exhausted from the emotional drain of the weekend, lack of sleep, and the mere sadness of seeing Dave off to war on Saturday. With sore, crying eyes, I still have to smile that Riley wants to play, Inca seems more cuddly than ever, and Mason is happy just to have his most basic needs met. My favorite of those is the cuddles and kisses.

So today is back to real life, paying bills, grocery shopping, trying to put order in the house after being away for 4 days, all the while dealing with animals, the baby and an attempt to get some sleep.

Some good news, Dave will be able to be home for 2 days for Thanksgiving and it looks like he may have some leave over the Christmas Holiday as well. It seems they are not scheduled to ship off to Iraq until sometime in Feb. 04 so with all my might, my intention is strong enough, he will never see Iraqi soil. He will be disqualified for some minor health issue and sent home to us and all the mundane things that make up our life together. I'll keep you posted!

This is the perfect Motivator for me today, I hope you find some value too!

Lots of love

Kathy

Face the day

Relax. Whatever anxiety you may have about the day ahead, let it go. You will get through this day. There will be joys and there will be difficulties. There will be pleasures and there will be challenges.

Take each moment as it comes. The energy you devote to worry and anxiety will serve no purpose, will bring you no benefits, and will probably make your situation worse. Let go of your worries and free yourself to live. Put your effort and energy where they can make a positive difference.

You can handle whatever comes along. You've made it this far and you'll do it again. Step back from yourself and look objectively at your situation. See yourself living the true adventure of life, with all its ups and downs. Consider how fortunate you are to have such an opportunity.

Today won't be perfect. Yet you have what it takes to make it great. Live it with all you can be.
Ralph Marston from The Daily Motivator
with permission http://www.dailymotivator.com/

Monday, November 10, 2003

MM 11/10/2003

Hi Guys!

It is Sunday night but if I don't do this now, it won't happen tomorrow. I have another appt with Kaiser regarding this burn on my back and the possibility of having it biopsied to determine if it was in fact a thermal burn, or it could have been a chemical burn from the tape. Who knows! All I know is I have an appt., an actual time I HAVE to be somewhere and it being on a Monday morning, it will be a great feat for me to be on time.

This weekend has been quite the emotional event. For those of you who do not know, we got the call on Tuesday that Dave is in fact being deployed. He will be leaving on Saturday the 15th, spend several months here in the states being trained, and then at least 12 months in Iraq. There is so much to do to make sure our affairs are in order that all the crying I have been doing is not helping. As odd as it seems, it is kind of like being told you have 6 months to live...I don't mean to be morbid, it is just that you try to do all these things, take pictures, fix things, call people you don't usually talk to, look into insurance and beneficiary information, you can see what I am talking about. Just so you know, I am not afraid of Dave being killed and not coming home. In reality, it is as likely that he perish in an auto accident on his way home from work. I just know that I am going to miss him like I have never known missing.

We went to dinner tonight to celebrate our anniversary. We arrived early at the Rainbow Lodge in Soda Springs and took our family picture in the snow. It was lightly snowing and we set up the tripod with the river in the background. Hopefully one will turn out and be worthy of the Christmas Card. Dinner was outstanding and there were lots of enjoyable conversations surrounding the newest addition to our family. Mason has so far been a joy to travel with and
no problem at all out to dinner. So with the trip to Utah under our belt and several gatherings planned for the next week, we are preparing for a whole new adventure in our life. I'll keep you posted!

Lots of love,

Kathy

Dealing with uncertainty

Courage is not the absence of fear. Those with the most courage also know the greatest fear. Courage is the determination to act in the face of fear, the ability to learn from fear, to be energized by fear, and to use that knowledge and that energy to move successfully through the fear.

Action does not assure success, and yet directed, focused action is the only way to achieve success. We live and grow and prosper and find fulfillment because of the risks we have taken, because of the challenges we have accepted, because of the fears we have transcended.

Life is a process of successfully dealing with uncertainty. Our bodies are designed for it, our minds are made for it, and our spirits are energized by the challenges of moving positively ahead, whatever the risks may be.

Ralph Marston from The Daily Motivator
with permission http://www.thedailymotivator.com/