My new ride!

Woo hoo! Check her out..she is sweet and sassy, fast and fun.....and...ALL MINE!

Good bye Honda...hello Nissan. That little car was so good to me. So many great trips up to the cabin and never once a problem. But she had a lot of miles on her...174k. I figured it was time to move on. So, I said good bye. I think that was actually the longest I have ever held onto a car. January would have been 6 years.

My new ride is a 2005 Nissan Murano. It has low miles and is in great overall condition. I am very happy with my purchase, I got a great vehicle at a great price. Its definitely a buyers market out there.

I haven't had time to do my first road trip yet but we will...soon.

Just horsing around!

I had the pleasure of going horseback riding Saturday in the beautiful Superstition Mountains. It was fantastic! The weather was perfect for a morning out with nature. It was a two hour ride and there were 3 of us plus the tour guide.

My horse was named "Mouse" he was mellow and well behaved...thank goodness! We started out at about 8am and it was a little cool at that time, but the sun was just about all the way up over the mountain so I knew it would warm up soon enough.

The owners of the ranch also have a bunch of cattle so we had some visitors as we were out there as well....They seemed a bit put off that we were riding in their spot.

They started picking up their pace as if we were chasing them. It was really funny...we just wanted them to move aside so we could pass.

A good time was had by all. It is hard not too when you surrounded by such beauty!

I am always amazed by horses and think they are just beautiful animals. Even though I am not an overly experienced rider, I really enjoy it.

It is really great down time for me...to be able to out in the wilderness...enjoy the beauty around me and feel peace in my heart.

Heading to Nashville....

As some of you may know. I have been working diligently, for the past few years to get all my debt paid off. It has been a very long and rewarding process but I made it. I now only owe money on my home. I am very excited and learned so much in this process. The next step, and its a big step, was to get certified to help other people. I sent my application, with the help of my friends and their letters of recommendation, to the Dave Ramsey group and after 6 weeks of waiting I found out that I have been accepted into the program. I am going to Nashville in January for training. If you are interested in learning more about what I am going to be doing here is a link to the website. I would be extremely grateful for your prayers and support as I start this new adventure in my life. I am very excited and really feel this is a great fit for me. I will be back from Nashville and will be able to start helping people at the end of January. I am in the process now of establishing a business name and website so when I get back from training I can hit the ground running. A special thanks to Evie, Jessamyn and Kristine for writting such amazing recommendation letters for me. I am blest to have you all in my life.

Walk with me....

...through an enchanted garden!

I came upon this wonderful garden while at the Jersey Shore with my family this summer. We were walking through a little town and this garden was next to a fantastic antique store. They had so many wonderful beack finds and nautical antiques. Of course its a little hard to shop when you can only bring one suitcase on the plane, but beleive me if I had more room and a larfer weight limit I would have had some serious fun shopping! I was taken by how abstract and gorgeous this little garden was. It was so peaceful and you could hear and smell the nearby sea. I sat on the little white bench for a few moments and enjoyed this little garden. I hope you do too.

September 11, 2008

'MEET ME IN THE STAIRWELL'
You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news On September 11, 2001. Neither will I.
I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say 'Good-Bye.' I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, 'Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK..I am ready to go.'
I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.
I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to Me for help. 'I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!' I said. 'Of course I will show you the way home - only believe in Me now.'
I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.
I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the believers there, comforting and assuring them that their faith has saved them.
I was in Texas , Virginia , California , Michigan , Afghanistan . I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news. Did you sense Me?
I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name - though not all know Me. Some met Me for the first time on the 86th floor.
Some sought Me with their last breath. Some couldn't hear Me calling to them through the smoke and flames; 'Come to Me... this way... take my hand.' Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me. But, I was there.
I did not place you in the Tower that day. You may not know why, but I do. However, if you were ;there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for Me?
Sept. 11, 2001, was not the end of the journey for you . But someday your journey will end. And I will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may be found. Then, at any moment, you know you are 'ready to go.'
I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.
God During the next 60 seconds, stop whatever you are doing, and take this opportunity. (Literally it is only 1 minute.) All you have to do is the following:
Stop and think and appreciate God's power in your life, for doing what you know is pleasing to Him. If you believe 'Yes, I love my God. He is my fountain of Life and My Savior. He Keeps me going day and night. Without Him, I am no one. But with Him, I can do everything. Christ is my strength.'

My best friend Evie sent this to me and I thought it was a perfect reminder to post on my blog in honor of the victims of September 11, 2001. We all remember where we were that day, let's never forget!

A week at the beach with my family...

August 9-16, 2008~

I flew out to the east coast to spend a week with my family on the Jersey Shore. We rented a cute beach house, thanks to my sister. The location was wonderful we were just 6 houses away from the bay where there was a playground, swimming area, fishingdock and a glourious little garden, a beautiful place to watch the sunset and see the storms roll in from the mainland. The ocean was only 3 blocks away, it was a quick little walk. We spent most days at the beach soaking up the sun, enjoying the surf and spending quality time with my family. My neice and nephew really enjoyed playing in the sand. Vincent loved the waves and wasn't scared at all, Carley on the other hand would not go anywhere near the water at the ocean. We took a few walking adventures to find seashells and other beach finds.

The house also had a nice big backyard, which was great for the kids to play in. We barbequed a lot and had a few late afternoon cocktails on the deck. It was so relaxing.

The town we were in was Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island. It was a great area. The Island had so many little towns each with their own beaches and towns.

We walked around a bunch of cute small towns, went out to dinner, stopped at the ice cream stand, took long walks and just had a really great time.

At the far north point of the Island was the barnaget lighthouse. Janice, Dennis, Vincent, Carley and myself climed all 217 stairs to the top and got an incredible view of the entire island.

I walked down to the ocean one morning early, to see the sunrise. It was so neat to walk in the dark with a cold breeze in the air. It was incredible. The beach was so quiet and peaceful at that time of morning. I loved the serenity of it. It was a cloudy morning and it was just gorgeous.The sand seemed to glow with the low rays of the sun. I got back to the house in time for everyone to start waking up. It was an awesome to start the day.

Is was a wonderful week with my family. Vincent and Carley are at such fun ages and had a blast with them. I went on many walks with them through the neighborhood, played at the park, built sandcastles, played games and loved on each other. I was so glad I was able to make it for the week. We are already planning for next year.

The colors of my garden

August in the garden...usually not much color, mostly half brown plants struggling to make it through another Arizona summer...Aren't we all?

Well thanks to a wonderful storm and a soaked backyard my rose bushes all have tons of blooms. I guess they just needed a good drink. It gave me hope that my garden will be beautiful again...I can't wait for fall...my garden needs some love.