Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Miss Audrey!


All my life, I dreamed of what my future family would look like! Then as each of my children came along, that dream came true. Now as we have waited anxiously for each one of our Grandchildren...it brings on a whole new dream alive. We love them with a love we can hardly express with words. Each one of them come with such a unique spirit and personality, which adds to the fun and the chaos to our family.

I am not sure if it is the 3rd child but Audrey sure has come with a strong, fun and sometimes crazy personality. She reminds us so much of her Aunt Lauren ( also my 3rd child ) that sometimes that is what we call her when she is in trouble! :) But I always remind Amy to look at how wonderful her sister Lauren turned out...so there is hope!

Her faces just make me laugh!

She wants so bad to be just like her older sisters.
She is sooooo strong willed!
She is funny and never stops moving!
And she loves Christmas ...just like her Nana!
So Happy Happy Birthday dear Audrey Jane, I can 't believe you are three already! We are soooo glad you came into our family! 

We sure love you!
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Monday, April 25, 2016

Missing these little faces!

Well, I am sorry to say that I did end up catching Jeff's flu virus. I tried so hard not to, but between him and Lee being so sick last week...I don't think I had much of a chance.
Anyway this weekend has been not quite I expected, I had so much to do but really haven't felt much like doing anything.
Highlight of my weekend was doing some face time with these guys.

We are so excited that in a few more weeks, we get to see our grandkids



They are coming here to visit. It is so hard living so far away. But look at those sweet eyes...can hardly wait.



Kai is such a great brother to Miss Oakley.
Oakley is a lucky girl to have a Big Brother who will always watch over her!



Kai likes to create, can't wait to do some fun things with him.
A cute sign for a new big brother.  "Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero.":

Grateful for these sweet kids in my life!

Sunday, April 24, 2016

How could he be this old?

Today is Lee's 23rd birthday! How can that possibly be that old? I still remember he and Lauren sitting on the porch, proudly showing the pumpkins they picked out.



Then it seemed like before I knew it... he was getting as big and tall as his older brother Brad!


Now on his Birthday, he is with Lauren again, but this time she is with him and Caitlin, taking their engagement photos. He is our last to be getting married. Oh my goodness, the time has flown by. How we love our boy! He has grown up into an amazing and sweet young man, and I am so grateful to be his Mom. We are excited about welcoming in Caitlin into our family. Now a new chapter begins for him and for our family!


How blessed we are to see these sweet kids ...grow up, and meet such amazing people. Just to have the chance to watch our family keep growing, makes me grateful for the opportunity to be getting older myself...thought I would never say that..but I am!
Good Night dear friends!
And Happy Birthday sweet Lee, we love you more than words can say!

Friday, April 22, 2016

"I told you so Mom"

For the last week or so, I have been waking up every morning with this feeling of panic. I keep looking at my list of things I need to do before launching my business and it feels just too BIG for me to do. There are so many things that I need to do, that I really don't understand. Social Media is such a big part of it and the future and yet...I feel like I was born in the wrong era!. Still my kids seem to just know it and do it naturally.

My kids really think that I can do these Online Quilting and Sewing Classes, they believe in me.

As we talked about a Mission Statement for my business, all I could think of were the reasons that I would like to do these classes... I would like to be able to teach anyone, who would like to learn how to create. Creating is something that literally made all the difference in my life.
When I was young and my abuse was going on. The only way that I could get out of the situation or at least get my head out of the situation... was when I was creating. It took me to a whole other world...one that was happy and one that gave me hope, hope that my life in the future would be different, better and safe!
Then as I grew up, it continued to create and what even made my life better ...was to not only create, but to share what I created with Others. The feeling that you get when share with others, is just the best!  Knowing that something you created, something from you personally ...could make someone feel special, happy and  loved is truly what I think we were put on earth here to do!

So scared or not, I am going to start LynnMade Online Classes, and hope that someone, somewhere will need them, and learn how to create for themselves! And by creating something beautiful...I hope  that their lives will become even better
What do I have to lose, except Fear itself!

I have to remember all of these things so that I don't freak myself out each day. Truth is, if this is suppose to be, it will be. I need to turn it over to the Lord, and have more faith in myself, my talents and my family! When I do this, I wake up excited and ready to work!

I do hope it works...wouldn't that be neat? I don't think I will even mind...years from now when my kids say "I told you so Mom! " :)

100 Inspirational Quotes That Will Give You Strength During Hard Times:     Inspirational Quote about Life:

I hope this quote becomes true someday of LynnMade!
How true is this, especially in the intensely-personal retail world of consignment, resale and thrift!   (Jay Danzie's Facebook page.):
Good Night dear friends!
Thanks for believing in me!

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Boundaries...everyone needs them!

Oh how I wish I would have learned this lesson when I was much younger. I have struggled with setting Boundaries my whole life. I have tried to teach it to my children for their safety, and for their well being. But I am afraid much of it, they had to learn as they watch me suffer from not setting boundaries at times. I think the best few lines that she talked about were this...
"Empathy w/out boundaries is not empathy...compassion w/out boundaries is not genuine, vulnerablitiy w/out boundaries is not vulnerability. Boundaries are RESPECT."
We need to be able to say " Here is whats okay with me and here is whats not!"
I hope you take a minute to watch her short youtube clip...
Watch it HERE:
Choosing authenticity is not an easy choice.  E. E. Cummings wrote, "To be nobody-but-yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody but yourself-- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight- and never stop fighting." "Staying real" is one of the most courageous battles that we'll ever fight.:

Sorry you haven't heard much from me. Lee was home for a week and Jeff has been sick. Trying to get my ONLINE LynnMade Business up and running very soon...so lots to do!
But I will survive this...right?
Night dear friends!

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

This is soooo important to remember!

For many years now I have said that I wish that we could sew clothes out of Wipe Off materials. That way we could see what everyone has been going through that week, that day...even that moment. Then if we know what they had been through, then maybe we would give them a little slack or at least have a little more compassion and understanding. Because I believe that everyone has a story, everyone is going through something..sometime in their life they will have to fight a battle!
But watch this short video...that is exactly the purpose of my Wipe Off Board outfits! Hope you take a minute to look at it...
you can watch it here:

The down side of these clothes would be ...you might not want to have everyone know your problems are...but the solution would be...don't wear it  until you need to!
But most people could use help, love and compassion sometime in their life, it just makes life better to have someone who can be on your side and be there with you. Life is hard and no one should have to do it alone.

I need you to love me a little louder today.:

Monday, April 11, 2016

I found my peeps, and I don't mean the candy ones!

Today I went swimming all alone. My swimming buddy was busy, so I had to just MAKE myself go back to the pool this morning. After dropping off my car to be fixed... after being hit in a parking lot while I was shopping. And no, they didn't admit that or leave us a number or insurance information...so we had to pay the deductable ourselves in order to get it fixed. :( Oh how I wish I would have been hit by someone HONEST!
Anyway I finally did get to the pool and even though I wasn't looking forward to being by myself but I was pleasantly surprised to meet some incredible ladies. They were doing their own exercises, but after we got out we were able to talk in the shower room. I found my peeps! Women who have lived a lot of life and have such an amazing attitude about LIFE!
Remember last week, I was worried about going swimming again and feeling bad about my body and having had a Mastectomy and all?
 The first lady that I met was a 4 time Cancer survior, she was 78 years old  and she was such a happy and grateful lady and she was swimming without any prosthetics... so she made me feel silly for worrying about just one prosthetic! Then another lady I met told me all about her exercise routine and then she shared with me all that she has been through. Knee replacements, shoulder surgery, 2 new hips and she contintues to keep coming back to swimming because in her words " You just have to keep going". The 3rd lady I met was 91 years old and she totally didn't look like it. She said that she was grateful to be able to come swimming 3 times a week, and was proud that she still could stay in her own home, take care of it by herself and also her yard. As I listened at all the stuff she does... I realized that she does way more than I ever do! She was happy and told me all about her family, children and grandchildren. She laughed and smiled alot!
So I guess this quote that my Grandmother always said to me "If everyone's problems were hung out on a line, you'd take yours and I'd take mine"... is so true! After listening to these amazing ladies, I realized that I have much to be grateful for!
I was able to do 18 laps today, ( don't get too excited ) I did some in Aqua jogging, kick board and crawl strokes...but it was a 1/2 mile. Still it felt good and I am glad I am finally back in the water.
Good night dear friends!

Thursday, April 7, 2016

A Bigger Than Me Day!

Today I went to a Public Pool with Amy and the girls. It was fun being with them but as always it is tough to be in a bathing suit. I remember after I had my mastectomy, I thought I would never put on a suit again...then 3 years ago, I started Weight Watchers and lost 21 lbs. I felt better about my weight and thought that I possible could get the courage up to get back in a swimsuit. And I did, with my sweet Lauren by my side. She promised me that if my prosthetic fell out, she would just go get it for me! Now that is a good daughter.
Then for the past few years I have had pneumonia and so my Doctor asked me to stop swimming during the winter and flu seasons. I also have been going through Menopause and my body is changing once again and not in the way I would like it to.
 So this year, I decided to take a different approach for my health, thank goodness it is working and since July... I have been pretty healthy. Oh, I have had the flu and a cold every now and then but so far... I haven't had pneumonia. So I decided that I needed to get back in the pool this Spring, regardless of what I thought I looked like.
I have gone twice with a friend of mine, that has been fun but yet... I still struggle when I have to get into a swimsuit again. The mastectomy took much more that just my breast, it took alot of muscle and tissue out and so in a suit, it is much more noticable that I had surgery than when I have regular clothes on. When I decided to get back to the pool, I had to go to a special place to buy the swiming prosthetic and that was costly,  but the special swimsuit was even more. I have to admit that it sure seems that it costs a lot of money to have anything made special for your Cancer. I really don't like that, don't like the fact that someone is making money off of people who have this terrible disease. I can't even imagine how hard it is for women who don't have very good insurance or insurance at all! Doesn't seem quite fair doe it?
My dear friend who has had a lot more physical limitations, more than I have ever had; was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and had a mastectomy about a year ago,  and she has done it with such grace and courage... that I am ashamed to say that I have not been near as brave as her.
So today when I came home from swimming and feeling pretty sad for myself, I thought about her and felt ashamed that I even complained at all. I have so many things to be grateful for and I had the whole day with my sweet daughter and 3 beautiful and healthy granddaughters. I have many friends, who just wish they could have grandchildren.
And I am healthier than I have been in years... so I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and be very, very grateful for all my blessings!
With that said, I will get up in the morning and go back to the pool and try again! And I will be grateful for the chance to get up and have another day!
 I will also remember so many of my dear friends who have passed away from Cancer, and realize in their honor... I need to be grateful for every single day and make the most of it!
Today was just a Bigger Than Me Day, and I just needed to say that outloud and get to bed. Tomorrow will be another Beautiful Day and a GIFT!!!

Good Night dear friends!

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Something I needed to remember today!

I am grateful for this simple reminder today!
I definitely needed this!
Good night dear friends!

God never loses sight of our eternal potential, even when we do.  Carole M. Stephens:

Friday, April 1, 2016

Adopt a Grandparent Day!

Today I had the opportunity to be an Adopted Grandmother for a sweet young friend of mine!

What a treat it was to be there and to spend that special day with him!

It was fun to see his picture he made of himself ...this is what he thought he would look like when he is 100 years old  ( I think he looks pretty good for being that old ! )
It had 3 questions that they asked the kids about being 100 years old.
This is what he said...
When I am 100 years old:
I will PLAY ALL DAY LONG!
I will EAT EVERYTHING!
I will NOT CLIMB A MOUNTAIN!
After having lunch together, we went outside in the beautiful sunshine and they got to have recess. He and his best friend, never left each other's side!

Thanks Suchen for a fun filled day!



So grateful that I got to stand in for at least one day... for the Champions in this sweet boy's life!