Every year for as long as I can remember, I would coordinate a great Christmas Card from the Club.  I would send it to tons of people and that was my Christmas Card.

So this year it felt weird to not have a card.  Then I started feeling sad as cards came in with cute pictures of people with their kids and husbands and pets.  And I have.............textbooks.  And nephews.

But that's what makes me ME.  So instead of being a sad girl, might as well celebrate it in!

So here's my 2015 Christmas Card.

My nephews.....this week.

Traditions

I LOVE everything about traditions.

Since Alexsia was 4, I've had the pleasure of taking her to see the Nutcracker.  She gets a fancy dress and we have a lovely time.

This year, I had the honor of taking Lane with me as he's 4 and he was wonderful.  I love everything about this little person and he loves his Minnie.  I tried explaining to him that this was a story that doesn't have talking and he asked me if they were going to speak Spanish.  He's so funny.

Lexi at the Nutcracker over the years.............My little Munchkin Face!

Right where I need to be......

Today is October 10.  It marks so many things to me....

1.  Today is my sisters birthday!  Mrs. Danielle Elias Nez came into this world and was chubby and cute and 1981 seems like forever ago.

2.  Today is also the birthday of the Williams Campus Branch.  15 years ago, I opened my first Clubhouse and completed one of my dreams!  I miss that old Clubhouse that still sits empty BUT it produced so many amazing Club Kids that are now adults and I am proud to watch them flourish in their lives!  

3.  Today was a wonderful AUNTIE day for me!  I took Lexi to The Chuckbox for lunch and then to see Sideway Stories from Wayside School (the play).....Lexi and I had read it together a few years ago and it will always be one of my favorite stories.  I actually remember reading aloud from this book at Williams while the staff cleaned and mopped after lunch.  That's what you did when you had a multipurpose room.

Then we went directly from there to see Disney Live with Lane & Colt.  Nothing like having my favorites in one spot!  Colt was playing peek a boo with me on his own.  So precious!  

And tonight............I'm home.  I use to LOVE the auction.....going back to the days of the 1980's when I was a dancer at the event to when I had kids dancing in the event (Chorus Line Production!).  Even last year, getting all dressed up!  But it's so different now........everything is different.  I drop Lexi off at the curb and she runs in.  No more getting off and spending hours talking.  I'm home on this auction night.  In my pajamas watching Little House on the Prairie waiting for my final grade on two accelerated classes at ASU.  Yes, I am right where I need to be in life.  

 

Finding my worth....

In the past four months I've had to reevaluate my worth.  I've lost a career, my purpose, many, many friends.....and yet I've grown to be a happier, more fulfilled ME.

Don't get me wrong, I still have bad days....when I come across a picture on Facebook or receive a text about Keystone.....I still hurt.  But I've also learned to control what hurts me.  I recently took TimeHop off of my ipad because it was too much sadness, too many memories.  But that's the beauty of being in control......I don't have to see the sadness.  Don't go looking for the sad.

More importantly, I've learned and remind myself daily....I'm not disposable.  Despite being tossed aside by friends of many, many years and an organization I adored, I am valuable.

I give a tremendous amount of gratitude to my family for reminding me of my relevance.  And my good friends, many from high school and my first round of college who message me encouraging words or ask about school.  And my old friends who send me cards in the mail and text me crazy nonsense when I should be reading about the suffrage movement.


So in the end, as I've lost so much.....I've gained so so much more.

My New Title................

So this is suppose to be about my adventures....right???  

Well I just embarked on a new journey, a new adventure.  Which means I have a new title.  

It's called.....

STUDENT!

I'm super excited, very nervous and very focused on obtaining my degree.  I have 21 credits until graduation.  

Now I know that if it wasn't for the lifechanges in my life in April, I would NOT be where I am today.  I'm excited to be where I am today.  I now fill my days with books and learning, with the laughter of Lane and the squishy smiles of Colt. 

Yes, I'm right where I'm suppose to be.  

Being Minnie

Tonight we closed out one weeks worth of celebrating Lane.  I wish I could list all the reasons why I love this little boy so much.  Here are just a few reasons I can think of.

1. He randomly breaks out in song.  My favorite is LET MY MUSIC CRUSH YOU DOWN.

2.   He thinks it's funny to poke  my nails.

3.  Today he told Captain America, "My name is Lane.  L-A-N-E"

4.  I volunteered in his classroom this week. After the teacher introduced me, he had a VERY MAD face.  When I asked him what's wrong he said he didn't want the class calling me Mindy.  He wants them to call me MINNIE.   So I told our table my name is Minnie. He was all smiley after that.  Later I asked him how his day was and he said at first he was having dirty looks and was angry but then he was better. Ohhhh this boy.

5.  He loves fruit.  And hot dogs.  Pb&j.  Lemonade.  Goldfish crackers by the boatload.

6.  His friend Zophia was sick and missed two days of school.  He says to me very seriously, "maybe his mom doesn't know about the oils".  Lane knows about essential oils!

Here are some of my favorite pics from the past few weeks.

Well Hello There..........

So for those of  you who don't know me, welcome..........for those of you who do.....welcome back!  I felt that I needed a NEW blog to tell my story from here forward.  My old blog which I LOVE is here...  Mindye.blogspot.com  

That tells a lot about my old life. My old career.  Who I used to be.......

Now I'm on a journey to find out.....WHO I AM NOW!?!?!

I post ALOT of pictures of my nephews, my family, my friends.  I like random!  

So you need to be prepared for RANDOM!

Feel free to leave comments or email me :)  Let's have some FUN!

~me