November Minus Four

November Minus Four, Day Four is where I left off...

Well... December has landed and I failed to keep up with my November "What I am Thankful For" posts. OK, fail is a harsh word, especially since I have a very good excuse for not posting.

November as a whole was a fantastic month! My mom walked my sister Lisa down the aisle and gave her away to marry her incredible husband Adam. It was a beautiful celebration and we all felt my dad's presence there from beginning to end. My sister was a gorgeous bride wearing my mom's wedding dress and Adam made a handsome groom in a traditional Filipino Barong Tagalog. We had a ball meeting new family members, especially since we all are dispersed around various States. We ate, we drank and we were MERRY!

The lovely Bride and Groom

Our entire trip was wonderful! I was able to visit my dad at the cemetery for the first time and had a chance to really spend time with our loved ones. I am truly thankful to have an amazing, supportive family. I was thankful for every minute I had with my sisters because we are not often together in the same State at the same time. It was great to just sit and relax with them.

The month of November also brought with it a low maintenance Thanksgiving celebration. We spent our Thanksgiving with our lovely neighbors. The whole of November, I owe to them. They are an amazing family and I am thankful to have them in my life. They have taught me so much and have grounded me in a way I need the most. They are a military family whose entire focus is FAITH and FAMILY. With four children, they home school, raise chickens and have a garden in the backyard. The kids are seen playing outside at the park on a daily basis and technology isn't on the forefront of life. I admire our neighbors for being so grounded and laid back. They truly focus on the most important things in life and I thank them for showing me that.

I have to say that it is a wonderful thing to be disconnected from technology every once in a while. We are so bombarded with social networking, blogging, e-mail and surfing the internet. Life around here has been so much more enjoyable without being attached to a computer or smart phone. I'm not completely cutting myself off, that would be silly! I hope to just adjust my screen time and enjoy the simple things.

So November was dedicated to things that matter to me most: Family, faith and the positive people in my life. When you have the things that matter most, the regular daily distractions eventually fall into place without a whole lot of stress.

So here is December with nights filled with longer hours! Cheers!


" How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?"
- Dr. Seuss -

Day 4: Quiet Time

Quiet: (adjective) To make no noise or sound.
(verb) To make tranqil or peaceful, pacify.

What a treat I had today to get to have some quiet time. It was one of those moments where there was too little time to do something and too much time before having to be at your destination. I had one of those moments today and it happened after lunch and before having to pick up the kids from school. I had about 40 minutes to spare so I decided to just park in the parking lot and read my book. It was a beautiful day outside with a nice cool breeze and a warm sun. I rolled my windows down and opened my book. Even though I was enveloped in my reading, looking back on my day I have to appreciate the fact that there are such rare moments in time where people take time out for themselves. It's amazing what a little quiet time can do for your mental sanity!

Some people take quiet time every day to pray. I admit that I try to be one of those people, but once that alarm clock rings I am up and away! Evenings are also good for quiet time, but I can't seem to quiet my head to even have quality quiet time. So today I am thankful that I got to have some quiet time. It was refreshing and I think I need to start making time for it everyday!

"We need quiet time to examine our lives openly and honestly... spending quiet time alone gives your mind an opportunity to renew itself and create order."
-Susan Taylor-

Day 3: HOPE!

Hope: (noun) The feeling that what is wanted can be had or the events will turn out for the best.
(verb) To look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence.

Today I am thankful for hope. Truthfully, I have had a lot on my mind and I am HOPEFUL that everything will turn out just fine. I have a long list of things that need to get done and I have been quite stressed about doing them. Just getting the dishes done stresses me out because they've been stacked up from being so busy! So why am I at the computer?? Hee, hee!

Everything will get done. I am positive. It will be done right and it will be done on time! Hope gives me the extra nudge to get started because I know that the end result will be fantastic. Hope puts a positive spin on the things that need to get done, even though I dread doing them. Hope also puts to rest bad feelings and negative thoughts. Hope means that the world isn't going to end!

On that note, it's time to knock out a few things on my To Do List...

"There's always hope... When you have lost hope, you have lost everything. And when you think all is lost, when all is dire and bleak, there is always hope."
-Henri from the book I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore-

Day 2: Family

Family: (noun) A basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group; whether dwelling together or not.

Today I am thankful for my family. Specifically, my mom, my dad (rest in peace), my 2 sisters, my husband and my 2 kids. Sure you could throw in the in-laws, cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents. But today I am thankful for what I consider my "immediate" family. Without my family, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I have been blessed with a wonderful childhood, a loving husband and children of my own.

My parents are my foundation. They raised me in a strict atmosphere, but made exceptions when I deserved it. Being as strict as they were gave me the self control I would need growing up and the confidence to get though the tough times. My dad taught me about working hard and my mom taught me about faith. Together, they taught me to be an optimistic person.

My own sisters are my anchors. I love that even though we all live far away from each other, we still manage to keep up with the daily ins and outs. It's amazing what social media, text messages and email can do!

My husband, who I have known since high school is my daily reminder of thanks. We are a team and best friends. He loves me completely and that's all I can ask for...

My kids... What to say about my kids! I am so thankful for them because without them I don't know where I would be. They are my reason for waking up in the morning and my excuse to watch cartoons. They remind me to forgive and to be patient. I want to raise my children to be good and honest people and in order for that to happen, I have to be a good and honest person too.

Where would we be without our families? There will always be tough times, but somehow we get through them with the help from our family.


"Family is just accident... They don't mean to get on your nerves. They don't even mean to be family, they just are."
-Marsha Norman-

November is the Beginning of the Holiday Shuffle!

I'm not exactly sure if I'm ready, but I suppose since time doesn't stop for anyone I'd better just hang on and enjoy the ride. It's November and that means that time will be moving at an accelerated pace until maybe March!

October was a wonderful month! Lily's birthday, Halloween festivities and cooler weather brought with it somewhat of a slower, more laid back approach to life. Although it seemed that way for about a week! Honestly, I'm not sure what I'd do without always having something to do. As a stay at home mom (always), fitness instructor (partially), novice crafter (almost entirely) and wannabe Super Hero (overall) time is never on your side. I think as long as you're having fun with what you're doing, even if it entails just a little bit of stress, it's always worth doing!

Everything I do is for these crazy kids... I wouldn't change a thing about it!

So I suppose in honor of the lovely month of November, everyday I will post something I am thankful for. This small but significant task to do everyday will keep me focused on the good things in life. Much like prayer, I think that if we can think of just one little tiny thing to be thankful for we can learn to be more compassionate, patient and most importantly, happy.

So this being the first of November, what I am thankful for today is life. The miracle of it and the path of it. How should we live our lives? How do we affect other people's lives? In the daily commotion of it, how do we make life worth living? Food for thought...


"It isn't what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful. It's what you have in your heart."
-Anonymous-

Happy (Official) Birthday Lily Billy!

After a whole weekend (and then some) of celebrating Lily's birthday, the day is finally here! Lily was excited to go to school today to be with her friends. She's a big kid now! SEVEN!

Happy Birthday Lily Billy!!

Seven Is Halfway to Fourteen.

Happy 7th Birthday Lily!

I remember when I first learned that I was pregnant with Lily. We had just moved from FL to CA and we were living on a sailboat in downtown San Diego. I remember being so nervous about being a mom and thinking that I was crazy to be having a baby at 24. On October 26th 2003 we had our first little girl and named her Lily, after her Great Grandmother Lillian.

It's been seven years since she was a little newborn baby in my arms and celebrating her birthday this weekend really made me think about how fast time flies. On Tuesday, I will officially be a mother of a 7 year old and a 4 year old. There is not a baby bottle or diaper in the house. Both kids are able to play with the small Legos without the threat of choking and both kids are able to maneuver scissors in the proper manner. But there is something about Lily that makes me wonder where the time has gone... She's not a little kid anymore. She's almost a "tween" which means that she is halfway to being an official teenager!

Lily was the first grandchild on both sides of the family. She was so spoiled and is still to this day! I love that she's a unique kid with her own thoughts and ideas. She is logically smart and artistically inclined. She got the best of me and her dad. She walks to the beat of her own drum and she is fine with that. She is becoming a confident young girl who sticks up for her friends while staying level headed. She reacts well to change and typically keeps a positive outlook on things.

"Lily Billy" and her dad at her first hockey game.

Since Lily's birthday lands on a Tuesday this year, we decided to take her out for dinner with our close friends and then to her very first hockey game this past Saturday. Her birthday is so close to Halloween and various Fall Festival activities that she decided that it would be OK to have her birthday party in November instead of cramming everything in on one weekend. Like any other milestone a baby or toddler makes, this was the first time that I heard Lily make a thoughtful and insightful decision on her own. As a parent, we're so used to telling kids what the plan was and that was that. For the first time, I saw that Lily took the initiative to plan things out. Wow! It was like watching her take her first baby steps again. I wanted to capture it on camera...

The Russell Family Four!

Well at any rate we cannot control time. We can only let things happen and enjoy the good, cope with the bad and experience everything in between. Adults grow up and tell their kids funny stories about when they were kids and they will do the same when the time comes. We can only hope for the best for our children and once in a while give ourselves a pat on the back for being a good parent. Cheers to being seven!

"Growing old is mandatory; Growing up is optional."

- Chili Davis -

The Stillness of October Gold

Summer is over... Did I mention that I love Fall?

Honestly, for me there is no other Season that evokes more life in me than Autumn. It's quite ironic that I come alive when Mother Nature starts to hibernate. I take pleasure in the cooler weather, the brilliant golds and browns that take over my surroundings. This is the time to start over, to be quiet, still. This is the time to listen to your thoughts in silence and to follow what your heart wants.

It was almost like the month of October hit and I ran into our attic to search for those wonderful orange and black plastic containers that hold the pure happiness of Autumn. The boxes exploded with pumpkins, silk maple garlands and those pesky plastic spider rings. Right away I cleaned the front porch and hung the Fall garland around the front door. I arranged the silk flowers in the red Radio Flyer and when it looked the way I wanted it I sat at the porch and admired it!

A week later, the inside of our house looked like an Autumn tornado hit. The stairs have lovely golden brown leaves wrapped around the rails and every table has some sort of Fall decoration. I really can't help it. I wasn't lying when I said that I love Autumn!

Perhaps my most favorite time of the Autumn Season is the fact that I can submit myself into my crafting again! My knitting basket will come out of its holding pattern that Summer brought with it and my sewing machine will soon begin the chatter of constructing Halloween costumes and trick or treat bags.

Its the small indulgences that I love about Autumn! You can drink hot coffee in a warm mug. You can turn on your oven and bake tasty treats. Give in to scarves, jeans and sweaters. Listen to music, read a book, snuggle in a blanket with your husband and kids.

Autumn is enchanting! It's time to enjoy!

"Delicious Autumn! My very soul is wedded to it.
And if I were a bird I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive Autumns."
- George Eliot -

Happy Birthday to Lolo!

My dad.

Happy Birthday to my Dad!

I miss you so much. You were an amazing father and role model.

Isn't he handsome?

You are forever in my thoughts...

"And in the end, it's not the tears in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

- Abraham Lincoln -

A Mother is the Truest Friend We Have

My mom left today from a wonderful 10 day visit. We spent most of our time eating, drinking wine and spending time with the kids. I always love having my mom visit. It makes me think about all of the nutty stuff I put my mom through growing up and now being a mom myself, how valuable it is to have the relationship we have.

My mom and I actually always had a funny relationship. I was the youngest of 3 girls and both parents worked full time jobs. I was never a "bad" kid; I followed the rules and did what I was told. It wasn't until my sophomore year of high school that I did my own thing. I wasn't rebellious, but I embraced the grungy, non-conformist ideas of the early 90's. It's hilarious to think back on the things I thought were worth fighting for! I never thought of the bigger picture or even my life past high school.

My mom, being the tolerant, patient, faithful woman she was pulled me aside one evening to ask me why I dressed the way I dressed. I don't remember what I was wearing, but my uniform those days usually consisted of black. All black. Maybe some striped tights if I was feeling up to it. My mom's inquiry wasn't an accusation or anything negative, it was a regular question that warranted a regular answer. I didn't get defensive, but I remembered the answer clearly. "I dress this way because no one else does." My mom accepted this answer and we went about our ways.

This is the funny relationship my mom and I have. In my adult years, I've found that our relationship is still the same. I rarely see my mom get too emotional, nor does she ever see me get too emotional either. Things are always good and we always have something to talk about, but seldom do either of us see the other facets of ourselves. I suppose that's because both my mom and I are alike in so many ways. My mom taught me to be tolerant, patient, to love God and to be accepting of challenging situations. The sides that we don't see or will not normally point out are the things that give us extreme joy or extreme sorrow. By nature we are guarded. I can't say that this is good or bad, it's just the way we are. I don't feel that our relationship is lacking at all, rather we love each other without words. We understand our own unspoken language.

As a mother myself I see that my children are just the opposite, although it's not hard to relate to them differently from how my mom relates to me. My children need constant reassurance that I'm there. That's just the way they are. I tell them that I love them every chance I get. I'm always telling them how proud I am of them and that they are good people. Maybe it's an age thing, but I don't ever remember my mom being this way. I just knew. And maybe that's just it: that my mom was confident in the way she raised me. She knew that I would be OK. She led by example and I followed.

My mom taught me that I need to stand on my own two feet even though my dad took care of her every need and want. She taught me to be kind and loving even to those that will take advantage of me. To me my mom is the essence of confidence. I watch my mom volunteer every spare moment of her time to her church and with Meals on Wheels. I watch her in the quietness of her garden sanctuary, tending to her plants and cactus. I watch her with my kids, as Lola, grandmother. I watch her walking into the airport, declining my request to walk with her to help check her into her flight. My mom is amazing and I love her for loving me just the way that I am.

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavour by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.

-Washington Irving-

Blogging Again? One Year in Many Paragraphs

It would be silly to say that nothing has changed, especially since I haven't posted in almost a year! In fact so much has happened I don't know where to start.

I guess I'll start where I left off: Last October...

October came and went so quickly! Lily turned 6 years old and was enjoying Kindergarten, making new friends and doing a wonderful job playing piano.

Lily's Special Birthday Dinner at Cafe 501

Sophie was enjoying her first year of Pre-K. She loved playing with her new friends and going to school like her big sister.

Sophie's Pre-K Graduation

We also spent our last snowy Winter in OK last year. It was wonderful!!!

My Little Monkeys

The New Year was in full swing and we were as busy as ever. Teaching Zumba Fitness became a large part of my lifestyle and I took the opportunity to teach whenever my schedule allowed. The ups and downs of being a Navy spouse soon became a part of a regular routine and oddly enough we were happy!

Spring, however, evolved into a different story. It started off with a fantastic beach celebration of my sister's graduation from PT School. For the first time in years, we were all able to meet up in one place to celebrate Lisa and Adam's accomplishments and for a family reunion of sorts! The kids loved running around calling Lisa and Adam "Doctor Tita Lisa" and "Doctor Mister Adam."

This photo makes me laugh every time! We were all set and posed for a family picture and just as the camera snapped the picture, the banner of Lisa's school came crashing down behind us!

While we were enjoying our own family reunion, were also able to meet and celebrate with Adam's family. Spending quality time with family and extended family really made the trip a memorable one. It was one huge celebration everyday with something hilarious happening everyday! Everyone enjoyed themselves and the company we were surrounded with.

As always, all joyful things must come to and end. We packed up and headed home, looking forward to Matt coming back from yet another deployment. Lolo and Lola were able to spend a couple of days with me and the kids. I was excited to have this time with them since my dad rarely travels and this was the first time since I was a kid that I remembered both of my parents so relaxed and in the moment.

Lola and Lolo: Proud parents!

It was April and we were getting ready to wrap up another school year. We were also waiting to hear what and where our next orders were going to be. We were finally going to have Shore Duty! We had so much to think about in such little time and that's when a bomb dropped and exploded right in my face. Obviously God wanted me to pay attention to something more important...

On April 24th at 7:16am I received a text from my sister Karen that she, her son and my parents were in the Emergency Room in Palm Springs, CA. My dad had stopped breathing. I refused to believe it. That's not like my dad to go down without a fight.

And he didn't...

Instead he decided that he would stick around a little longer; at least to say good bye. After weeks in a coma, a shunt put in his brain, a tricky surgery to close off a bleeding blood vessel in his brain, the Lord decided that He needed my dad.

On May 5th 2010, my dad passed away peacefully with his beautiful wife, his 3 children and one of his sisters at his side. Just like the jovial person he was, he passed away on Cinco de Mayo. Just another excuse to celebrate and have a beer in his honor! I don't think my dad would have wanted it any other way.

The following 2 weeks were a blur. Between finding out how to transport my dad from CA to AZ where my parents live, to getting Matt and the kids out to join us and finally keeping my mom comfortable. My sisters and I grew very concerned for my mom since we all live in different states.

As a woman who puts faith in God I knew that there was a plan for all of us. Dad took very good care of us and it was our turn to take care of our mom. Once we came up with an action plan for my mom, my dad focused our attention on ourselves. My dad always took care of himself, mentally and physically. Although he battled his own insecurities and anxieties, he always worked on them. Little by little he would overcome those issues.

Life has not been the same since my dad passed away. The kids often ask about him and there isn't an hour that passes that he isn't in my thoughts.


Summer quickly reared its lovely head and we were off to warmer, more tropical weather. Shore Duty brought the sunny skies and sandy white beaches of Florida! A whirlwind of goodbyes in Oklahoma closed another chapter in the book of my life.

We moved to FL 2 weeks before Lily started First Grade! I don't see it on a daily basis because she's my baby, but this picture of her first day of school tells the tale:

She'll always be my baby...

It wasn't so long ago that this little girl was just a little baby! She's a sponge for knowledge and she's adjusting to her new school. Even more shocking is Sophie. She still has that cute little baby face, but her words and sentences are clearly those of a 4 year old!

Big little girl!

We had to improvise a birthday party for Sophie. We hadn't met any new friends yet, but we made the most of it with some cupcakes from a local cupcake shop and breakfast for dinner, per Sophie's request! Luckily, we were able to celebrate her birthday earlier in the Summer with GrandMa, GrandPa and Great GrandMa in Oklahoma.

All in all things are shaping up quite nicely! The events of the past year has taught me to look at the bigger picture. To spend quality time with my family again, to reignite my love for crafting again, to focus on what my family needs from me, to focus on myself as well.

I have said many posts before that blogging is quite cathartic for many people. Myself included. Even though I skimmed through most of the details of my dad's passing and my mourning, it still feels better to see it written (or typed) out. I am currently only teaching one Zumba Fitness class right now. I feel that my family needs me now more than ever. It's time to mend the giant hole in my quilt of life and I need my family to help me do that. I pulled my dusty sewing machine out of it's box (poor thing) and I have selected an old favorite book to re-read. They say that time heals all wounds. I believe this to be true, only we have to heal on God's time. It won't be tomorrow, it won't be next year, but rest assured it will heal.






"Healing takes courage, and we all have courage, even if we have to dig a little to find it."
- Tori Amos -