Good Bye My Precious Pomeranian 1997 - 2010

My precious little 4 pound Pom died yesterday. She was 12 years old and a little ball of fur. I got her before I found out I was pregnant with Clifton. She was so little. Brookley and I went to a lady's house to see her. She was six months old and had broken her leg. The cast was off and she was running around everywhere. We took her home and she has been with me ever since.

She was really my friend. All the long hours I sit and work on school work, she was there. When I go to bed, she would follow. I even had to move her bed beside mine because she was trying to make a bed on the floor to be near me. When I would get up in the mornings, she would be ready to go outside. When back inside, she would stay with me in whatever room I was in, no matter what. She loved going to the mountains. Durning the long drive, she would sit in my lap.

I think she loved me a lot. I am going to miss her so much. I told my son today "don't forget to let Foxy out" before I realized what I had said. He looked back at me and said, "it's okay Mom, I know what you mean."

This is going to take some getting used to. Tears come when I think about her, but it is okay. I will forever miss my loyal pomeranian.

Beautiful Day

Ah, the beauty of the mountains. I am sitting watching a butterfly flutter around a beautiful pink azalea bush. The sun is shinning down on white pebbles lying quietly on the ground while the trees are making shadows all around. The American Flag floats in the wind across the road on a weather beaten porch. The creek is rushing down the winding path. The sound is music to my ears. The girls are passing the football and Clifton is fishing. He has caught six already today. I love being in the mountains on this beautiful spring day. These pictures were taken while walking along a path in the woods. Just beautiful!!!

Prom '10

Today has been a fun day. My daughter has been getting ready for the prom. Of course it reminds me of my proms. Going out to eat then to the dance. It was fun. I remember picking out the dresses. The one I remember the most was a red dress I loved in the store but it was missing something. I took it to the dressmakers shop and had rhinestones placed on it. It was perfect then. Proms are fun. It has been 24 years for me, but I still remember it well. Now I have a beautiful daughter going to her first prom. It is amazing how fast times goes by. It is true that we must enjoy every day, minute and second of our time together. Good memories are a treasure, to be sure!

February Beach Trip 2010

Myrtle Beach in February? It was great! We stayed in a 2 bedroom condo that was just beautiful. Our friends, Mitch and Vanessa went too and it was just "fun". The weather was 61 degrees so coats were only needed in the mornings and evenings. We shopped, swam, walked on the beach and ate way too much food! lol I love weekend trips away, but I am never ready to come home. I love the beach! Brookley and I are trying to figure out how to move there. Who knows, maybe we will find a way! Till next time.....

The First Date

Oh my! What to say. Brookley is 17 years old and just left for her first date! I know it is time to let her 'branch' out. She came to me last night and ask if she could go out with Christian tomorrow for dinner. Of course, I said yes. I mean, she is bright, beautiful, smart and is just a great girl. Christian is a good guy. I know they will have fun. She and Christian have been talking/texting for 3 years. He has come over here and she has been to his house. We have all went shopping and out to eat together. They spend holidays at each other's house. I guess it is time for them to go out alone.

She left at 4:00 and should be home by 6:00. Our family is going shopping in Spartanburg SC later and she said she wanted to go. I think, for a first date, 2 hours is enough. She seemed very happy with that. I do love my child and I hope she is having fun.

Goal Setting

This was an assignment for one of my classes that I thought was good to remember, so I am posting it here. Maybe it will help someone else out there!

What is the difference between short- and long-term goals?

Short-term goals are goals that we set in the near future. Long-term goals are those that may take years or even a lifetime to complete. Short-term goals help us to see the progress of the long-term goal and give us confidence that we are getting closer to reaching our goals.

How does a person align his or her long-term goals to their personal values?

Personal values are important so we are making the correct choices in setting our short-term and long-term goals. In my life, I want to always work with children and their families, but not just as a foster parent. I want to work with them in counseling situations that will benefit their lives. I want to see the breakdown of families start to turn around for the positive. I need my long-term goal of education to meet the desire of my personal value of working with families.

What are some strategies for prioritizing short-term goals?

Strategies include breaking down the goals into smaller parts. The smaller the part is, the closer we get to completion, which will help us to see the end. This way, short-term goals get completed faster and the end process seems to get here quicker. When I think of short-term goals for myself, I look at my course calendar and plan my days for education. After I complete the short-term goal, I quickly mark it off and then I am able to move forward with the next goal on my list.

What are some techniques for maintaining focus to achieve goals?

Remembering to keep the important things first is a good technique for maintaining focus. When I think about my values, I know what I want to do. I have no doubt that I want to continue working with children and their parents. By remembering this, I stay focused on my goals.

My personal situation is being a wife of 18 years, a mother who home-schools two children ages 11 and 17, fosters children in the community, works full-time, goes to the gym daily, and is completing a college education. Techniques that make this possible, is prayer and organization. My life is laid out from 4:00 am until 9:00 pm. My days are full, but very enjoyable.

Although my time commitments are strict, I make time for movies on Friday nights with my family and church on Sunday. I must keep my values a priority in order to reach my end goal.

Busy, busy, busy!

Wow, what a busy weekend!

I went to my nephews basketball game yesterday and it was great! He scored! He is so cute running around out there. Reminds me of Clifton being that small. Time sure flies!

Bob and I went out (by ourselves) for dinner to the Olive Garden. We had to wait for an hour to be seated, but it was worth it. The food was great!

Brookley and Clifton went to a movie and to Subway for dinner. They are the greatest kids in the world. Who would think that a 17 year old girl would be happy taking her 11 year old brother out to a movie and to eat? Well they were happy! They saw the Tooth Fairy movie and they said it was funny. Now I need to go see it. LOL.

Today we had a New Member's meal at church. I had to speak. I always get nervous when I have to speak. You would think I would be used to it by now, with Pastor Terry always making me do it. I don't know if I will ever get used to it, although I have always wanted to be a public speaker, if you can believe that!

I just finished writing three papers for my communications class. I am so tired of writing papers, but I am learning a lot in the process. I like being back in college, but it sure is time consuming. I am going to make it! : )

Did I leave anything out? I am sure I did, but it is time to get ready for another day! Blessings!