And This Momma Makes Her Stage Debut

I decided to join in the Much Ado About Shakespeare fun this year. Coral has performed with this group for the last 4 years. After the first few years it sparked her interest enough that she has expanded her wings into auditioning and performing in musicals as well. Nishan gave it a try last year, but decided acting was not for him.

Being the 10th Year Anniversary for Much Ado, they offered a parent class for the first time. I enrolled under the assumption it would be FUN, add some much needed excitement and humor to my life, and give my family a good laugh.

Cast as Puck I performed along side my very funny friends in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

It twas fun, it twas humorous, it twas exciting, and I do believe my family and friends in the audience laughed along side us.

In the end I would definitely do it all over again, as all goals were met!

Our Diligent Dancer

Lillitha has been attending Ballet classes for just about 6 months now. This last week was parent preview week. We has not seen our little dancer dance since The Nutcracker. What they say is true, absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder.

Our little gals 6 months of hard work has allowed her to make "leaps and bounds" in her ballet dancing. I cannot wait till June 5 for her spring performance.

Love thy Nerd Demetrius

I love this girl more than words can express. I love her as Coral, I love her as Lord Montague, Touchstone, Hero,

and Demetrius.

We bring to you a few snapshots from

Much Ado About Shakespeare

A Midsummer's Night Dream set in the 1950's

These kids rocked it!

I laughed, laughed, and laughed some more!

I do believe that the laughter was just as wanted as the applause and I did a whole lotta that too!

Our weekend was filled with performances. I plan on highlighting each performance this week. Stay tuned!

Today is the Beginning of a Whole Lot of Goodness

When all else has failed, one must make the choice to change something...

Sometimes I "know" things, well probably all of the time, if I were to always pay close enough attention. Than there are the times where I am screaming at me with a knowing. If I were perfect, I would always listen to me and what I "know", but I am not. Sometimes, I choose to ignore what I "know", unfortunately even when it is screaming at me. My mom used to "know" things just because she was my mom, she would share her "knowings" with me, and of course being me, I would ignore her. ALWAYS, seriously, ALWAYS to learn later that she was right. You would think I would learn to listen to myself and well, my mom, but like I said I am not perfect. Not only am I not perfect, but I think I am beginning to think I am drawn to learning the hard way.

I am so over the hard way! 100% completely over it!!! I am in route to the easy way, things are going to be easier beginning today, because there is no other choice. With easy will come better days. I do not expect to not have sadness, heartache, and frustrations ever, without these we would not know how to truly enjoy the blessings. I am just looking for a reprieve from the self inflicted chaos.

We make choices, each of us in our family of 6. Every single choice each of us makes affects ALL 6 of us. My husband and I have a responsibility to model positive behavior for our children. Not only that but, I feel it is our due diligence to create a house full of blessings for our family. The past has shown that by straying from my instincts we have not done so. I must listen to myself and not stray, because as the story goes, I know myself better than anyone else. My instincts are strong, in hindsight they are usually right on, and if that is not enough of a push to begin listening to myself than I do not know what is.

It is hard to ignore the outside noise and walk my own walk. But today, is the day, when I will begin this journey and do as me heart tells me.

Underneath a Grey Cloud Covering

I lay on my back day after day staring at the dark grey looming over our heads in hopes of finding at least a single ray of sunshine. My heart tells me we will see brighter days, others tell me so, but I am losing hope, hope for that single ray, hope for brighter days, it feels as though the grey is engulfing me to later spit me out in a shower of hail. Maybe than will I wake up and this all have been part of a very bad dream. Our lives have been blessed with overcoming all of the mishaps thus far. I yearn to walk away from this and tuck it away as another chapter we overcame.

The very small company my husband worked for is closing until further notice. He will have a few hours sporadically until the last two jobs are completed. He has applied for nearly 65 jobs and here we sit.

The rhythm of our days is sporadic just like our income, we still smile, we still love, we still live, but there is a a dimness that is settling deeper and deeper. Emotions are full and fragile, they have become entangled in an ugly mess.

Time will tell where our journey is leading us to. I am finding the most painful part of this to be, my father cannot lend me a gentle hug or more simply a listening ear. I feel lost, confused, and most frustrated with feelings of not being able to provide for our 4 beautiful children.

Day in and day out I scour resources, as we have a responsibility to keep on truckin'. I am not one to easily give up, I do not like to be defeated, and I do not like the word, "No!". Although my ego is dinged and battered, it can still take more bruising, it will forever be intact and fight. I will raise to the occasion, even though it is not the most magnificent of them. I will gain composure and I will raise above the very thick grey fog we are overwhelmed by right now. I will shed many more tears, spout many more frustrated words, and need more tender loving care along the way, but we will indeed make it....

{This Moment}

{This Moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Inspired by~ Amanda Soule

The Man I Call Dad and My Kids Call Papa

David L. Abelson

August 31, 1943 - February 20, 2011

My father set out to teach me only a few things, and the rest he left to living and learning.

1-Family is everything, it is the only thing you will have in the end.

2-If you are lucky you will a few friends less than you can count on one hand who you will consider to be family.

3-Respect...not the kind of respect you beat out of someone. Just good wholesome treat and speak to others as you would like done to you.

There is no denying that I relied on him for much much more. As I grew up, he continued to grow wiser. My husband and I joked that he was the Wizard of the Wise. He was the man we went to when we were lost, which was much of the time. He is the man I went to all of the time, whether it be a shoulder to lean on, a good laugh, or somebody to chat away the day with. And no matter where he was, at work, at home, or on the phone, I kid you not he stopped what he was doing and always, always gave me a few moments. ALWAYS, his world stopped for just a few minutes to hear me out.

He was a really really good father to me and a most wonderful grandfather to his grandchildren. He was the first to greet Coral out of the womb. Nishan, Lillitha, and Zari it was again meeting them for the first time when his heart melted. We visited him frequently in these past 5 years and he was insistent that before he left he would teach the kids manners and respect. He must of felt confident enough that I could handle the "Family First" bit.

We are all heavy with emotion in these parts. Tears well up in our eyes at the drop of a pin. Memories are sparked throughout the day, prompting us to call my Mom (the kids Nana) or that dear friend (we are lucky enough to have). Our days have a different ebb and flow than previously, not good nor bad, just different. Life shall continue...

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