A Rainbow

The beauty and wonder of a rainbow.

A rainbow is a beautiful expression of God's love for us.

Genesis 9:12-13

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations:I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth."

What are you going to do now?

Lately the question everyone is asking me is, "What are you going to do now?"
My answer continues to be, "I'm going to take care of me."  How I envision taking care of me isn't exactly the way it's going. That vision is so much easier said than done.  But I have been doing little things every day, like my silly shower workout and my stability ball exercises.  The weather is so crazy for September it's just too hot to go for a walk.

Truthfully though to answer the question.  I am doing the things that I didn't have time to do during the day when I was subbing.  I am washing breakfast dishes before lunch. I am doing laundry before it piles up. I am doing the checkbook and paying bills.  I am staying home most of the day and not feeling like I need to go some place.  I am writing.  I am playing piano.  And do you know what...I am loving it.  I am so much more less stressed.

The roles we play

What are your roles in life? Are some more important than others?  How do your roles define who you are?  My roles in order of how they happened are daughter, sister, friend, wife and mother.  For me the order they go in are wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend.  But I have many roles that define me.  I am a child of God, a niece, an aunt, Eagle Scout Mom, Girl Scout leader, neighbor, American citizen and host mother.  I used to also be a den leader, substitute teacher,  PTA board president, vice president and secretary over the years.  When my husband and my sister threw me a surprise 40th birthday party a few years ago, my sister made me this collage.  She made me feel very valued for of the roles that define me.  My blog profile I define myself as "Happy to BE an artsy wife and mother, sister, daughter and friend."  I think that by giving up subbing and PTA I have become happier.  I am really enjoying my time at home, not running around trying to make everyone else happy but making me happy.

Time To Push the Reset Button Again

Time To Push the Reset Button Again

I was doing so good and then I had to prepare for the Girl Scout Trip to Beach Jam at Morey's Piers and I got sucked in to other things and away from my daily day 1 habits I was trying to do.  So today I'm starting over again, I'm pushing the reset button.

I have to be honest, for the last 2 weeks, the week leading up and the week after the trip, I was off.  I actually didn't get too off in my eating but I did stop my little exercise routine.  As silly as my little routine is I noticed a difference this past week so I'm starting over today.  Ever since sleeping on the ground my body has been aching.  My husband says I need to stretch.  I tried and it was very PAINFUL.  So this morning I tried a heating pad and it seems to have loosened up my pain hopefully enough to now do the stretches and my silly exercises.

I listened to my motivational song just now and it made me think of this picture that I took a few years ago while camping at Caroga Lake State Park.  The sun was coming up and peaking through the trees and the morning fog.  I call it "God's Eyelashes" because he's always looking down on us and the sun rays make me think of heaven.  This is one of my favorite photos.  If you haven't watched the music video for Mathew West, "Day One" here's the link.

Every morning

Every morning

Sun's coming up

The beginning has begun

It's day one of the rest of my life. 

One Leaders Guide to Scouting

For years my husband had been telling me I should find a way to share what I do as a Girl Scout Leader.  In 2017 I started another blog called "One Leaders Guide to Scouting," today I am transfering it over to my artsyBE blog and will be labeled "Scouting."  I will continue sharing my scouting experiences and ideas, Girl Scout, Cub Scout and Boy Scout.  As a parent of both girls and boys and being involved in both organizations I felt that I couldn't just say Girl Scout even though my days in Boy Scouts have ended since my son is an Eagle Scout now.  I am always drawing on my knowledge and experiences from Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts when I am doing things for Girl Scouts.  I believe that's how it should be.  Robert Baden-Powell and Juliette Gordon Low were friends and shared ideas, that's how Girl Scouts was started here in the United States.  I hope that people will find my other blog useful.

My children, my world, watching them grow

My children, my world, watching them grow and then someday watching them walk away. I have always lived by two sayings as a mother...

The 1st is:

Give your children roots and wings.  Roots to grow from and wings to fly.

& the 2nd is:

Cleaning and scrubbing

Can wait till tomorrow...

For babies grow up

We've learned to our sorrow...

So quiet down cobwebs...

Dust go to sleep...

I'm rocking my baby

And babies don't keep!!

--by Unknown Author

I was given this saying framed when I had my first child. I have treasured it.  Even though the frame broke I put it on my bulletin board and it has moved with me 3 times.  

My children are growing up. Sometimes it doesn't seem possible. How can I have an almost 19 year old son, an almost 16 year old daughter and a almost 12 year old daughter.  My babies aren't babies anymore.

We can only hope that we are giving them all that they need to succeed in today's world.  When I say that I don't mean the newest phone and the hottest style clothes.  We are teaching our children the value of money.  If they want something more expensive than what we are willing to spend then they need to pay at least half.  Hopefully we have shown them how to have a successful marriage and that its not at 50/50 relationship, it's 100/100.  We have taught them to believe in a greater power and have faith in God.  We tell them to always do their best in everything they do and with faith and prayer God will do the rest.  They know how to cook, do laundry, and sew a button, not because of FACS class in middle school but because we showed them how.  It's all part of being in a family, everyone has to help each other out.  You might not like each other all the time but you love each other.  You aren't going to live together forever but your siblings are your siblings and you don't know how long is forever.  It always amazes me how my girls can be fighting one minute and then helping each other the next.  An amazing thing to see was this summer at the ocean in Rhode Island the girls jumping waves together and even holding each others hand for the big waves.  I love just watching them.  It also shows how much my son has grown into a man when he is standing next to my husband, his father.  I can't believe he's taller than both of us.  My babies are really growing up.

My hope for my children as they continue to grow is that they are healthy, happy, have love and keep their faith. I pray,

"May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; May the Lord lift His countenance upon you, and give you peace."  Numbers 6:24-26

Life is an adventure, enjoy the ride

Life is an adventure, enjoy the ride.  Take chances and try new things.  This past weekend I did just that.  I took my daughters and other girls from their Girl Scout Troop to Beach Jam at Morey's Piers for the first time.  I have to say it I was nervous the week coming up to the trip.  Morey's Piers is in Wildwood, NJ a 6 hour drive from here.  We slept on the beach in tents. Which is fine as I am a camper, but I took a lot less than usual as I knew we would have far to carry our supplies.  Normally I sleep on an air mattress when I camp but this time I used a bed roll or camp pad.  UGH - needless to say I didn't sleep well.  This body of mine is not made for sleeping on the ground.  I can get past the sleeping arrangements as it was only for 2 nights, I went there for my girls, not for me.  Nothing makes me happier than when my girls are happy.

I will admit there were moments of unhappiness on the trip.  Everyone was sore and tired.  And I will speak only for myself saying that my anxiety goes on over load around amusement parks.  My younger daughter isn't afraid of anything and I am a worrier.  So at one point I went a little crazy in public and that is not me at all.  So even though it is my right to get mad I was embarrassed since it happened in public.  But all is good now.

So many great parts to the weekend.  My favorites are when I went shopping with my daughters and had lunch just the 3 of us.  When our troop won the Saturday Stake out Flag contest.  AWESOME!
When my older daughter searched for a sweatshirt she had seen and wanted that says, "My lifeguard walks on water. Matthew 14:22-32".  She is proud of her faith not afraid to show it.  That made me so proud.  My last favorite moment was when my youngest got her hermit crabs to bring home.  She had the biggest smile.  Which made all the soreness and tiredness worth it.