November 25th, 2009 by Kateastrophe

I tried all day to come up with the words to express how very thankful I am for my life.  I was having a hard time until I started humming the words to one of my favorite songs sung by Brian Stokes Mitchell.  Then I knew I just needed to share them with you.  They say it all:

Grateful

I’ve got a roof over my head
I’ve got a warm place to sleep
Some nights I lie awake counting gifts
Instead of counting sheep

I’ve got a heart that can hold love
I’ve got a mind that can think
There may be times when I lose the light
And let my spirits sink
But I can’t stay depressed
When I remember how I’m blessed

Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed And duly grateful

In a city of strangers
I got a family of friends
No matter what rocks and brambles fill the way
I know that they will stay until the end

I feel a hand holding my hand
It’s not a hand you can see
But on the road to the promised land
This hand will shepherd me
Through delight and despair
Holding tight and always there

Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed And duly grateful

It’s not that I don’t want a lot
Or hope for more, or dream of more
But giving thanks for what I’ve got
Makes me happier than keeping score

In a world that can bring pain
I will still take each chance
For I believe that whatever the terrain
Our feet can learn to dance
Whatever stone life may sling
We can moan or we can sing

Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed And duly grateful
Truly blessed And duly grateful

Performed by Brian Stokes Mitchell (my musical hero)

Music & Lyrics by John Bucchino

Do me a favor this weekend and hold your loved ones tight and remember to tell them how grateful you are for them in your lives. 

 Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.  I’m grateful for your friendship and your attention and I hope you have a wonderful weekend. 

November 23rd, 2009 by Kateastrophe

I know this girl who seriously has more talent in one little finger than I have in my whole body.

Who is this talented person you ask?  She’s my real life bestie, Jewels (aka Julia Jolley).

I have always been in awe of her ability to create.  Whether it’s food, art, decorations, music, vacations or even PEOPLE (seriously, her boys are to-die-for cute) this girl hits a bullseye every time.

So this year when she announced that she was unveiling something awesome and creative, I waited anxiously for the reveal.  Boy oh boy was it worth it.  What was it you ask?? 

Jewels has started her own card company!  RSVP Invites, Cards & More!  Her designs are so so great!  She’s got such an awesome, elegant, retro style.  I just drool over everything.  I think my favorite is the Bird.  Could you die?  Also her banner?  She did that too.  Mmmm lovey.

Also?  She does designed-for-you custom work!  She may or may not be working on a little delicious treat for my New Year’s Eve/29th Birthday Party.  Mmmmm can’t WAIT!

So I’m thinking everyone needs to go check her bad self out.  Get yourself a cute Santa post card!  Or have her make something just for you to send out to your loved ones.  I promise, you will LOVE it!  Just look at her family’s card from last year.  SEE WHAT I MEAN?

 Go now!  What are you still doing here?  GO!

November 10th, 2009 by Kateastrophe

Last night at about 7:30 after cleaning up dinner my newly promoted, overworked and extremely exhausted husband came over and wrapped his arms around his newly jobbed, overstimulated and extremely exhausted wife, and leaned into the counter where we sat for a good fifteen minutes.  Eventually my legs started falling asleep and my neck was kinked so we had to break it up, but it felt so  good just to BE for a few minutes.

I struggle with my calendar because after work there are so few hours in the day. 

I want to exercise every day. 

I need to attend the LDS Temple more often.  I need to pray more often and longer.  I need to really study my scriptures and increase my spiritual knowledge. 

I want to spend more time hanging out with my girlfriends. 

I need to spend time with my husband. 

I want to get more involved in serving the community and giving back. 

I want to cook a delicious meal every day and cut coupons to help save money on groceries.  I want a clean house.  I want a nice yard.  I want clean, folded laundry.  I want to decorate my house and get the guest room finished up.

My new job has a distinct lack of creative work involved so I need to rekindle my creative side.   I want to take up voice and dance lessons again. 

There’s a very cool Yoga/Pilates/Ballet Bar class I want to take and eventually learn how to teach.  

Someday I want to add kids to the mix and I want them to be active and involved and full of joy.   

Shockingly, when I think of all of these things, my head explodes.

I realize nothing I’ve said is anything new to any of us.  Especially at this time of year the whole world seems overwhelmed.  We’re gearing up for the Holidays and the stress/fun that comes with them.  We’re working towards closing the chapter of 2009 and starting fresh in 2010.  I’m very not alone in the head exploding.

Despite feeling like my huge list of things to do will never get done and having moments where I feel like a complete failure, sitting with Matt last night helped me realize that sometimes I just need to just be still.  I need to make realistic goals.  I need to do one thing at a time.  I need to work hard not to overwhelm myself with expectations.  I need to allow life to ebb and flow and go with it a little bit more.  I won’t give up my goals or my expectations of myself, I will just be the boss of them, rather than feeling that they are the boss of me.

Starting tomorrow, I am going to work on BEing.

November 1st, 2009 by Kateastrophe

Fun FAIL:  Went to bed at 9:30 on a Friday night after changing into my pajamas the second I got home.

Cooking FAIL:  We had leftover soup like five nights this week.

Celebration FAIL:  Remember that awesome surprised I referred to like a month ago?  Yeah, my husband got a HUGE promotion at work which went into effect on the 22nd.  We were supposed to celebrate Friday night after his first paycheck with his raise came in.  See “fun fail” for more details on why I suck.

Cleaning FAIL:  I’m not really sure when I last mopped my kitchen floor.  The laundry is piled two basket heights higher than the basket it’s in and my kitchen is still reeling from all the soup I made this week.  And don’t even get me started on the bathrooms.  (Toilets are clean.  It’s just everything else . . . )

Chili FAIL:  I made my awesome chili for a church party/chili cook-off on Monday.  I won third place, which I consider a fail because second place wasn’t even chili.  It was a goulash.

Red hair FAIL:  I dye my hair red because I love it but it’s been over two months since the last time I did it and my blonde roots are coming in making me look like I’m going grey.

Exercise FAIL:  It’s been three weeks since I worked out so yesterday I punished myself by doing an hour of cardio and an hour of Yoga in the morning.  I can’t move my shoulders or legs.

Thanksgiving FAIL:  My entire family on my Dad’s side (all four thousand of them.  Even the one that lives in Brazil) is going to Columbus for Thanksgiving.  And we’re not.  Because I just started a job and don’t have any time off and tickets from Phoenix to Columbus the day before Thanksgiving are like eight million dollars.  We are the only ones who won’t be there.  Lame!

Blog FAIL:  I believe that looking at the list above and realizing I count this as a blog post makes this one self explanatory.

Oui vei.