2 STEPS forward... 1 STEP back!

Today as I sit down to do up yet another blog...
 I am sipping my yummy hazelnut-vanilla coffee out of the black polka-dotted mug 
with the saying inside....


"KEEP IT SIMPLE" 


My morning oatmeal package today said this...


"One small change can lead to big health benefits."


it also said this...


"Leave time to Dream!"


I received an email forward the other day with these quotes on very cute paintings by an artist named Jane Seabrook...


"I would be unstoppable. If I could just get started."


"Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections."


And this quote was posted on FB yesterday...


"I believe life is to be lived, not worked, enjoyed not agonized, loved not hated."
-Leland Bartlett

My cute munchkins after their little sleepover on sunday...
I am sort of missing them this week!
They have both taken STEPS in different  directions this week...
BEAU to daycare, and MARIAH to kindergarten.

Beau and me at Jana's last sunday when we were there for supper.
Friday would have been a babysitting day for me, but not today... he is now at daycare!
I do miss him... but I don't have to worry about him on our STEPS any more...

SHUFFLE is always ready to go when I say WALK!
We have taken many STEPS FORWARD this week...and she is loving it1 

YIKES...... nope this is not an episode of HOARDERS!!!!!
This was my garage yesterday before I took some STEPS to clean it up!

Many STEPS later... making some progress! 

A found TREASURE!
These POINTE SHOES of STACEY TOOKEY'S
would have taken many STEPS!!!
She gave these to Jana signed with a message when Jana was a teen.

Jana idolized STACEY TOOKEY as a dancer growing up, so when STACEY signed these and gave them to JANA they hung in our basement for years! The message on the right shoe says...

"JANA:
Your a great person and a wonderful dancer, don't ever change and don't let anyone tell you any different....."
And the message on the left shoe says this...
Believe in yourself and the SKY is your limit!
Come visit again!
Luv always,
Stacey Tookey
P.S. BLONDISSIMA!!!"


Well where do I begin??????
This week has been a mixed bag...
sort of all over the map!

So lets begin with the trips I made to the gym... Those STEPS were the forward STEPS!!!
I am making a real effort to get there more often and to more classes again now that I am not babysitting as much.
I enjoyed BODY FLOW and BODY VIVE at GOODLIFE GYM so far this week...
hope to do more too!


I have also tried to get SHUFFLE out walking daily too, which we are both loving. I enjoy our walks in the park, the weather has been
SUN-SATIONAL and I love hearing my tunes on my ipod along the way as I think about the STEPS I will be taking each day!

I do get sort of sidetracked along the way, though... hehehe
 sort of 2 STEPS forward and 1 STEP back...
thus my title for today's blog theme.

I have had lots of mixed emotions lately with the start of a new season and new chapter in my life. I'm not going to lie... I do miss my little BEAU... but I knew it was time for both of us for his daycare to begin. I get to pick him up today, though, and I know there will be other days when I am needed along the way,
so I will still see him lots.

I talked to MARIAH on the phone today and she was doing an impersonation of her kindergarten teacher for me ... apparently her teacher has an English accent, and Mariah can say "KINDERGARTEN" with this accent...
so adorable! She is such a little actress!!!!



Now that my days are not as filled with babysitting, it was time to set foot into my disaster of a garage and
begin to sort out my life!
I have so much stuff out there...
How does one accumulate so much STUFF?????

Jana was over yesterday hunting through the basement clutter to find something and came across the pointe shoes she received as a gift from her idol STACEY TOOKEY
when she was a teen.

Those shoes meant so much to her growing up. Now we watch STACEY as an accomplished "Choreographer- extra-ordinaire"
On the American and as well as the Canadian versions of  the reality TV series
"SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE"
... in fact this coming Sunday, STACEY'S choreographed a piece for the top ten dancers for the finale show of the
Canadian SYTYCD
 show for this season.
I'll look forward to that!

Jana was telling me I was a HOARDER and needed to get on cleaning and sorting... so with that tip... I got right on it...
I spent the entire afternoon in the garage yesterday. I made some progress...
but it is going to be a process!

This afternoon I am attending a funeral for a dear friend's father who passed this last weekend.

This evening we are attending a charity dinner ... so the list of things to do is endless...
sometimes it is hard to stick with any project until it is done, but I'll continue to plug away at it,

2 STEPS forward and 1 STEP back!

Life presents so much STUFF along the way,
Something to deal with in each new day.
But STEP by STEP, it will get done,
Some days will just be way more fun!
And when the stuff is sorted out,
The fun will likely start... no doubt!
Never a dull moment, not too slack,
Moving 2 steps forward,
and 1 step back!