My Face Tells the Story



Maybe it is because I recently had another birthday. Not a milestone birthday, but I'm still another year older. Maybe I'm just a little vain. In either case, I looked at myself in the mirror recently. Not just the "does my hair look ok" or "does this dress make my butt look big" or "do I have on way too much makeup" quick glance, but I took a good long, close look at myself. Something I don’t do often. And I was thinking to myself: Here I am. At 31.

My body has changed considerably since carrying my baby inside of me a few years ago. My hair's texture has too. It is my natural color and I've accepted that. I don’t spend hours each day trying to style my hair in a way it doesn’t naturally want to as I realized there are better ways to spend that time.

And my face...it's older. The dark circles are there from staying up too late: cleaning, rocking my little girl, reading books, blogging, creating things, spending time with my husband, and having those incredible conversations that seems so much more apt to happen in the hours long after you should have been asleep.

The creases (ok, the wrinkles) are there and there to stay. When exactly did that happen? Yes, I noticed them a few years ago when I traded in my tanning lotions for anti-aging creams with SPF... But this time I noticed a few more...the crease wrinkle in my forehead that is even more prominent when I worry, am running hard, thinking hard. The creases at the corners of my mouth that are ever present when I think, read or type...my face showing the emotion of me just being.  And my eyes. The creases there (sometimes called crow's feet) that I refer to as my "story lines."  They tell the story of my life. The creases are there when I smile those big smiles that are reserved for those BIG moments in life and when I laugh, which I do often. The creases are also there when I'm stressed, feel pain and sadness, and when I am overcome with compassion for others. I am terrible at hiding my feelings. I always have been. My face tells the story of exactly what I am thinking and feeling at any moment in time. I am animated when I speak, sing and laugh.  Often, I come across a photograph that has been taken of me and feel the expression that can be seen on my face. My face tells the story of all of those moments. And I would not trade those creases for life experiences. I like my story.



via Real Simple

~Angela

Music to soothe the soul

In one weeks time, my only grandma and both of my husband's grandmas have been in the hospital. It's been a time of prayer and relying on family for support, updates and hope for the best.
On a visit to the mayo clinic to see my grandma with my family, we stopped at the piano in the lobby to play the piano and sing. We are all terrible singers (it must be genetic) but this was such a fun family memory for me.

- Angela

Birthday sushi

Sushi is one of my favorite foods so our family day started with a (shrimp tempura, avocado and eel) sushi lunch to celebrate my birthday!












Bundle enjoying her egg drop soup.




More food pics- another fave of
mine -pad Thai.
My husband was a part of the family day, he was the guy behind the camera.
~Angela
Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A year in review: 2012- The year I almost gave up blogging

2012 was the year I almost gave up blogging.

I had someone I considered a friend say some very hurtful things to me, among them, that "it is very hypocritical of me to blog about a simple life when not everything I do is simple." hmm... though provoking... and yes, somewhat true. Not everything in my life is simple. Obviously. I live in a face paced, first world country. I work full time in a job that is constantly changing. I am a mom of a very busy, very smart toddler because we spend large amounts of time playing and learning together. We own a business. I am slightly obsessed with having my house organized which often creates extra stress. All of our family and many of our friends live far away, yet we manage to stay in contact with them. We travel often.  I have more hobbies than I really should. I enjoy technology and try struggle to keep up with how quickly it changes. I often overschedule myself.

I am not trying to falsely portray that my life is as simple as it could get or perfect. It's not. I do not try to falsely portray anything about my life. But I blog because I like to keep track of our journey in this life, the same reason I scrapbook. I also get a lot of ideas from other blogs and enjoy sharing with those who are interested in our lives what we are up to- whether it be my simple (or simple-intended) DIY projects for gifts and home décor, the simple unexpected gifts that nature gives us and my attempt as a friend, a wife, a mom to create memories and make people's lives better.

But I kept on blogging and I am glad I did...I documented the ways we have simplified our life, our races, craft projects and traditions.  My posts became more about crafts/projects and less personal after I felt like I was being judged so intensely. I stopped promoting all my blog posts on Facebook.  I learned more about the technology and web coding behind blogging (definitely NOT simple). I improved the quality of my photos.

I kept blogging more out of spite because I wasn't going to let someone bully me into giving up something I enjoy. Like the time my high school art teacher told me I had no talent. After shedding many tears, I tried harder and harder. I won state art competitions and went on to college to obtain a degree in art. Or the time an ex-boyfriend told me I could not possibly skate in an inline marathon with the little training I did and I was fat and out of shape, I funneled that anger into energy that led me to the fastest race I'd ever done. I could certainly do with less negativity in general, but that is not realistic. People will not always like me, agree with me or say nice things. I am not responsible for their actions, but I am responsible for how I react to them.

I think often people say hurtful things because they are not happy themselves. They compare their lives to others. I don't do that. I am content with who I am as a person, trying to be the best mom/friend/wife/employee/neighbor/member of society that I can be. I am not saying it is easy. It is a lifelong goal that I am constantly working towards.  I have feelings. I wish I could say that I did not care what other people think. That would be a lie. I do care. But I truly believe a positive attitude wins in almost any situation. And that is a simple concept that is hard to be taught.

~Angela

Here are my 3 favorite blog posts of 2012:

1. I Know What it Means to Love

2. Our 7th Wedding Anniversary that did not go as planned (told you my life was not perfect!)

3. This is a home where a child lives

Using an old ladder to display child's artwork

My daughter makes a lot of art projects. She creates at school and we love to create together at home, so I am always looking for new ways to display some of her masterpieces.

 

I found this beauty at a garage sale and it is rustic (as in, I would not climb on it).

 I bought these rings and punched holes in her artowrk to hang them from the rungs

~Angela