Jewelry for me...

Many of my glass and jewelry friends will understand this. We have a ton of beads and jewelry around, and most of it is for sale. Well, I have to admit that I don't have lots of jewelry. I have  a few great pieces that go with the majority of my wardrobe, and that is that. So today I have to say that I am feeling pretty lucky. After we got home from church, I changed into jeans and a great new shirt that I received for Christmas. Well, I didn't have any jewelry for it, and you know... sometimes it really does come in handy being a jewelry designer and glass artisan. I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I ran downstairs, and grabbed my favorite heart that I have made. (I have brought the heart to shows, but it never has seemed to make it actually to the table to be for sale.) I really wanted to keep it, but didn't have anything to wear with it. Well, now I do. I turned it into a quick necklace and paired it with some crystal earrings, and a fused silver bracelet that I made before, voila! My outfit is complete!

Shopping... a date with Day

Yesterday was a fabulous day! I hate to admit it, but it has been forever since I was able to just go shopping with one of my girls without a "reason." Normally that reason is a birthday gift for a party they are attending. And lets face it, the boys don't really like to shop. Well, I was on the hunt for white candy for Young Womens and decided to have Daylyn go along with me. We had a blast! We found the candy, Wintergreen LifeSavers, and then we went to the Mall. We found ornaments for us and my Mom's tree for next year at Target, had a yummy chocolate at See's, and found a sweater for Daylyn and Tyler at Old Navy. While we were there, Daylyn ran over to a post to see how big she was, and I just had to snap a picture. I can't believe how tall she is getting!



After the Mall, we went to the Ram's for dinner, which is Daylyn's favorite restaurant because she loves their grilled cheese sandwiches.  It was wonderful to just spend the time with her. We used to take the kids on monthly dates and as life got busier, we got out of the habit.  I think we are going to have to start those dates again. She loved it, I did, and I know that the kids will all benefit from spending one-on-one time with mom or dad.

2010 is here!

Well, I can't believe another year has come and gone. It has been a rough year for so many of us, and I am thankful to have last year behind me. Lots of good things happened too, but I am always ready for the fresh start that a new year brings. Looking back at my last year resolutions, I only did so so, but that is okay. I did what I could, and while it could have been more, that is what life is about, learning and growing.

One goal that I did meet was being able to take the kids on a surprise vacation when we took them to California and Disneyland in April. That was an incredible trip, and we had a blast! My parents came with us and were able to experience the fun of watching our kids discover the magic there. :)

The best part of last year though for me was something that didn't even happen to me directly.  My sister and her husband were chosen by a birth mom, and were able to adopt a sweet little girl.  It has been an incredible  journey for them and I couldn't be happier for our entire family as we welcome Katie into our lives.

For this year? I have many of the same goals. This is the year that I find a better way to balance all aspects of my life. Simple right?

So my goals...

• Fitness - thanks to my friend Annette, all of you can join me as I use her fantastic site, My Fitness Trainer (now Free!)  to continue my quest to get into shape. I will also be going to the gym 3 - 5 times a week, eating healthier, and just trying to "move" more. As I do this, I know I will feel better and have more energy that will help me meet my other goals.


• Business - a simple yet hard goal. List more, work more consistently throughout the year so I don't need to put in 12 - 15 hour days the last 3 months of the year, and try to get more wholesale accounts.


• Family - spend more quality time with them. Sounds simple right? It isn't. Working from home means there are no set hours, you are always "at work", and have you met my boss? She can be slightly demanding at times, okay, most of the time! LOL! It is hard to have set hours to work on the torch or in the office taking pictures, working on listings, etc. I need to find a way to set  hours to work, and try to work only when the kids are at school or asleep. It won't quite work that way, but I need to get closer to that this year.


• Kids - I want this new year to  provide new experiences and opportunities for growth for them. The girls are taking piano lessons, Daylyn is taking violin, and I want to find something that the boys would like to do. Now don't get me wrong, the boys are loving school, involved with clubs there,and of course Young Mens, but if there is something else they would like to do, I want to find a way for them to do it.


• Church - I love my new calling as Secretary for the Young Women in my ward. I want to work harder this year with the girls as they work on their Personal Progress. I want to find fun ways to motivate them, and provide assistance to them as they work towards their goals. It is a wonderful program, and I know I learned so much as I earned my Medallion, and I want the girls to have that experience as well.

So there it is, in black and white for all to see. The kids have their resolutions too, and with hard work, I am hoping we can all achieve our resolutions and goals this year. Good luck to all of you as you greet the New Year too, and may it be a wonderful year for all of us.