A WHIRLWIND of ACTIVITIES!

Today as I sit down to write my blog... I am reminded of the whirlwind of activities always going on in and around my life, and just how SIMPLE can really be SPECIAL!


I'm enjoying my vanilla hazelnut coffee with honey out of my red polka dot mug that says...
"LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT"


I just had my maple and brown sugar flavored quaker oatmeal with yogurt and blueberries. 
The Happy Heart Tips for today on my package were these...


"Simplify your life. Prioritize what matters most."
"Invest time in friendships."

A photo of Beau and me
by my "happy flower pot" in my flower bed!
My friend, Gailene, snapped this one just
on wednesday while I had Beau 

Me giving BEAU a little shoulder ride
My Brother, Brian snapped this one,
on wednesday, too!

I LOVE this one...
it speaks for itself!

Beau on wednesday was a
happy little soul, full of life
and lots of activity!

Mariah came with her mom to get
her brother after my day of babysitting!

My deck this morning after the rain...
Shuffle just waiting to get into my flower pot!
Check out the cute little SPOTTED pots
on my table, too.

Another pic of Brenda and me
from her show last weekend.
Her dress was stunning!

A photo from before mother's day of my
dear Aunt Frances holding her card
I made her.
I have been wanting to put this in for a while.

My friend, Gailene, practicing her
"GRAMMIE" skills with Beau!

Another photo I have been meaning
to get into a blog for a while
My Auntie Mary here with my cousin Bev.
I delivered a Mother's day card to her in
early May, and she was so sweet!

First of all may I say THANK YOU once again to all and every one of you who take the time to TAP into my SiMPLE life and read about what makes it so SPECiAL to me!

I am constantly thinking of my "NEXT THEME" for my blog... and yesterday as I turned on TV in the morning to watch ELLEN, as I always do...her show was pre-empted for coverage of all the tornado devastation in the states.

So although I feel my life is sometimes like a
"WHIRLWIND"
I cannot even imagine what the people who have had their lives literally "BLOWN" away are going through at this time.
My heart goes out to each and everyone of them and to anyone who is going through troubled times of any kind.

I have been truly evaluating my life a lot since I began doing this blog on December 31,2010.

Since then ... now 98 BLOG POSTS later...
I realize a lot has gone on in my life!

Just preparing for this blog I decided to look through my photos from the month of MAY to see the stuff that has "WHIRLWINDED" through.

May is often a busy month and this year was no exception to that rule!

In that month alone I took a total of 856 photos... crafted 22 cards...created a hard cover book... celebrated mother's day for the first time without my mom.
I also celebrated an engagement, a wedding shower, 2 babies births, a 5 year old birthday, a pre-school grad, a dance recital,
2 memorial services...
in and around my daily life which includes lots of babysitting and hanging out
with family and friends!

... And as I turned my page on my little crafted calendar from May to June the little saying for that month says...

"Don't forget to have fun!"- Anon

Well I try to make each day include some FUN!!!
Yesterday was my first day in a long time without any major commitments so I met my friend Brenda for a Starbucks, a little shop at Costco and then a lunch at a new place to us, called AUNTIE B'S!...
It was a fun time and I always consider myself lucky to have a friend like her. My life is not busy at all compared to what she crams into hers... but I love any chance I have to catch up with her! She is an inspirational friend for sure.

The day before while babysitting Beau, my brother popped by for the morning and hung out with us. Brian is really bonding with Beau and Shuffle lately! We all love it when he stops by.

My friend, Gailene, also stopped by on that afternoon. I love when she comes over for a latte and visit, too. She loves to take pictures...(as do I)... and she snapped several of me and Beau out in the back yard, but too many to include in the blog!

Gailene just became a proud grandma again on the weekend, when her daughter AMBER gave birth to her little girl ALEXANDRA RENAE about 10 minutes before the end of the dance recital in the afternoon. So I know she, too, will be a little dancer! Both Jana and I taught Amber dancing and now Amber is one of Mariah's dance teachers... and the circle of life continues again!

Today I look forward to another fun filled day with my little BEAU MAN!... He is now nearly walking... but can sure get around fast by crawling.

Tonight I am looking forward to a jazz CD release party with my cousin Gwen. It is at the local jazz club called "THE BASSMENT".
I always have fun when I get together with her!

Beau has now arrived for the day... so I imagine it will be a WHIRLWIND of fun...

Around here there's been some busy times...
But I still have some time for rhymes!
In and around the many things,
In my life and all it brings.
Celebrations of every kind,
Lots of grandkid bonding, too, I find!
But my life seems so very mild,
Compared to where the weather is wild...
From earthquakes, tornadoes, floods and fires...
With hurricane winds wrecking people's desires.
It's times like these,with this crazy weather,
That the whole world needs to pull together.
Try to bring back hope filled days,
With what ever we can do in so many ways.
Extend all our love to show that we care,
To all going through devastation out there.