15 Minutes

I hope you did your homework today - I did!  I devoted some time to playing a game on the computer (I'm obsessed with the Sims) and also played an XBox game for a little while.  I also did four loads of laundry and asked Mike to help out by gathering the trash and doing some dishes.

The laundry is difficult for me to put away because the bedroom is a complete mess and I find myself wondering what difference it's going to make to put the clothes away.  I'm working on getting over that mindset and getting to a point where things will be cleaned and organized and Mike and I will work together.  Right?

Well, here are the photos of the artwork I did yesterday.  I hope you enjoy!

"Hearts"

"Purple flowers"
I need to figure out how to mount these like this...

Did you take your 15 minutes to do something for you?  Leave a comment or fill out the poll - let us know what you did!

Remember that it's good to share fun things with your friends and family.  I hope you take 30 seconds to share my blog with someone you care about so that we can spread the word to love every day.

Taking Time for Myself

You know, this blog is something I do because I want to (sometimes). I don't always want to write this - every single day. As you can see, my thoughts and emotions get so overwhelming that I have let this get away from me. I get too immersed in my every day responsibilities and don't allow myself the 15 minutes that it takes to write this for all of you. Don't get me wrong, I like writing. I love it. I feel as though I need to make sure that this is uplifting for all of you. It is about making a decision to love every day. I apologize that I haven't been able to keep up with it all the time for you. I realize that it can be very difficult to do every single day. It's a big commitment.  But don't be afraid.  I'm here for you.  The readers are here for you.  Share this with others so that they all can be here for you too.

So..  About my day...  About what I did to remind myself of the responsibility of loving every day...

I got to sleep in and spend some time alone today.  I went window shopping at WalMart and Target and also stopped at Blick to get a couple of new paint colors.  I painted a little too when I got home.  It was really great to get out and hang out by myself with nowhere specific to go or a specific time to be there.  Now, I'm looking at the clock and realizing that I didn't do anything productive around the apartment but reminding myself that it's okay - even good - to have a day of nothing every once in a while.

My responsibilities for the day were ignored and now have a day crammed with some responsibilites tomorrow. Laundry, getting dog food, getting easy dinners, cleaning dishes, cleaning out the bird cages and vacuuming. Hopefully, Mike will help me and I need to be comfortable with asking for help. That's my goal tomorrow along with spending 15 minutes doing something that I want to do for myself. I may stop at Payless and get a pair of shoes. Or I'll paint. Or if it's beautiful again, I'm going for a short walk with my camera.

What did you do today?  Did you get to spend a whole day doing nothing or was your day filled up with chores and other responsibilities?  If you did have to do responsible things today, did you spend at least 15 minutes of your day doing something just for you because you wanted to? 

One of the things that's getting easier for me to do is doing something that I want to do; something for me; something that I really want to do.  The most difficult parts are feeling okay with doing these things and reminding myself that I don't have to justify how I feel.  I have a right to feel like doing something - or nothing - and there isn't necessarily a reason. 

I have a homework assignment for those of you who have a similar problem as I do.  Take 15 minutes out of your day tomorrow and do something that you want to do.  Read, write, draw, paint, drive around town, stop at the mall, get a vanilla shake from Portillo's (which I almost did today), go for a walk, close your eyes, play with a child - with permission.  I don't care what you do - do something for you!  Then get back to your responsibilities but remember why you stopped in the first place.  Loving every day is what it's all about.  Without love, there is no life.

Sending Love Your Way

Wednesday was kind of a downer of a day.  A customer called in to work and was upset about the emails that he received and was very cruel.  He was yelling at me for nothing and even though it was completly ridiculous it still bothered me.  He was very upset with me about something that I had no control over and we didn't even do anything wrong.  It kind of put a damper on my day even though I knew it was silly to let him bother me.

It's days like these that make it difficult for me to find something positive and I did struggle to write this one.  While thinking about the good thing to post about, I began thinking about the past.  I thought about how I called my husband right after dealing with this terrible customer and how great it was to speak to him.  He can be such a loving, supportive man.  I remember the day we got married...

Mike nervous before the ceremony.

I remember the love that we had for each other...  I remember the dedication that I felt to him on that day.  The vows that we said, the ones that I spent months putting together to describe the way we feel about each other, really moved through my heart.  I loved him so much.  I was SO nervous!

Me getting ready before the ceremony.

I remember our family being there to share our day.

Me with my sisters.

Us with our parents.

Us with my step aunt & her husband.

Us with Mike's aunts.



Us with my step-grandmother.



Mike with his grandparents.


So I think about this day in the past and I remember...  Then I realize that I love my husband more than I ever did.  He and I have grown so much closer together through the ups and downs of only four years of marriage that I cannot fathom how much more we'll grow in the next 40 years.  Thinking about our future together and the love that we share makes me happier than words can describe.

Sending some love your way...  Have a wonderful day. :)