Renew your dreams... Hitch your wagon to the stars...and carry love with you where you go!!!

I feel like if I tell you my "New Years Resolutions" they won't come true. Kinda like the treats you got as a kid for telling your birthday wish after you blew out all your single digit candles. I think I want to keep these locked up tightly and smile at them once in awhile and celebrate with everyone when they are accomplished. I'm not trying to tease anyone. At the same time, I like not getting mine or anyone's hopes up by ruining it.

Happy New Year everyone! 2009 - you were a hell of a year. New houses, new friends, new pets, and new reasons to smile. You balanced yourself with equally challenging and rough times but balance is necessary to avoid utopia and contentment.

If I had any expectations for you 2010 it would be to give me many reasons to write in this little blog everyday, let me notice the small victories more, introduce me to new experiences, challenge me to become the person I want to be and in doing so help me discover myself even more-so than I already have. I already know this year is going to be tough. 2009 has set me up for some trying moments - but I also know the years before that have given me friends and a strengthen family to pick me up and hold my hand.

Alright time to take a deep breath! Time to be bold and jump into the cold water!

Happiness is: nap time with sleeping pups. Daisy climbed right up on my legs and started snoring. I feel so loved.

Waiting For Me At Home Was: Giant snow mountains to conquer!

It's the little things that make us smile. I hope one day when I am 85 years old I will be a happy little old lady who has passes her time tending a garden, still falling in love and laughing with her devoted husband, playing word games, and (still) collecting treasure. (I know it's hard to see but on the lamp there is a toy soldier, a rock, and a blue gem.) I hope I still smile everyday and share my love and joy for life with my family and friends.

The photo is of my Grandmother's table. It's such a collection of her and the items that make her happy. My grandmother has taught me so much about life, love, forgiveness and generosity. She has always been such a huge influence on my character and how I hold myself. If I turn out any bit as wonderful as her I'll be happy for life.

Waiting For Me At Home Was: Amazing and genuine Philly Cheesesteaks! I got mine as soon as I got two feet on the ground and walked out of the airport. There is something so absolutely wonderful about a big, nasty, cheesy slice of heaven in a bun!

Waiting For Me At Home Was: SNOW! It's been awhile! The air is definitely crisp, cold, and wonderfully fantastic!

Happiness is: going home for the holidays to cold air and familiar back roads.

Happiness is: Puppy Presents.

Oh Starbucks! There is a reason you have a space reserved in my heart. Starbucks and Star Wars, without a doubt a winning combination.

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have. Happiness is an inside job. It has everything to do with your thinking and attitude.

Vegas was hard work! We had some down days but for the most part we were shooters on a misson!

Vegas bound! I'll try to update this blog with sparkling lights and winning numbers!

Today I Would Much Rather: Be twirling somewhere.

Old Photos Make Me Feel: Like nothing has changed. I still learn everything from my father and he still does everything in his power to make me smile.

Old Photos Make Me Feel: SO happy and grateful.

Look at how happy I was as a little barefoot girl on the beach with my loving parents. I had no idea what this old world was going to have in store for me and to be honest I still don't. Luckily, that has never scared me too much.

If I could go back and tell her something... I'd ask her to build a sandcastle with me and give her a high five. I would tell her to keep her eyes open, that smile on her face, the laughter in her voice and the warmth of the sun on her shoulders.

I'd also tell her parents that they were doing such an awesome job. I'd tell them that times are going to get tough and she is going to say mean and nasty things but believe me when I say that she never means it. Never.

Fry's Guide To Comfort: find a window and watch the day go by.

Happiness is: New shirts in my mailbox!!

If I Was Home: I'd be making hot chocolate and snowmen!

We kinda love each other...

Happiness is: Sidewalk chalk. In twenty different colors.

I can't even begin to describe how content and happy this photo makes me.

For those of you who need some christmas decorating encouragement (like myself). I think this week I'll untangle some lights and try and give Clark a run for his money...or maybe just a single Magnolia tree... ;)

Happy Memory: At the end of the day in elementary school there were chores that needed to be done. One of those chores was clapping the chalk out of the erasers. A pair of students would walk out the back door and clap the erased lessons of the day out of old, worn out erasers. A layer of white and yellow dust would fall on our green plaid kilts or navy blue pants and our hands would smell like an old chalkboard. When we got lazy or after 4 claps and our arms were ready to fall off we would clap them against the red brick wall of St. John the Baptist. Without fail we would get in trouble the next day and some of us repeat defenders would get demerit points and a trip to the principle to explain our unintentional graffiti.

It's something that now, at 24 years old brings a smile to my face and the urge to visit the old school just for a chance to walk down the hallway and laugh at our silly antics.

Dear Santa Claus,

Last night I helped do the dishes so can you please leave this under the tree for me?

Thank you!

Michelle.

Just because it's monday and that might mean you need a reason to smile.

Happiness is: putting on the Fraggle Rock record while sitting at the bar watching Brad make Chicken Gumbo, and the pup is laying on the futon. It doesn't get much better than this.

"Without me you wouldn't

have anything to blog about." - Brad.

"That's a blog!!" - Me.

Happiness is: Chick-fil-a in my tummy! (and an iced unsweet tea to last me the rest of the day!)

If You Look hard Enough You Are Sure to Find: Armless football players.

You do the math. It all adds up to the making of an awesome fireplace filled evening full of warmth, comforting smells, and roasted marshmallows. Sign me up!

My thanksgiving wasn't spent eating turkey or cranberry sauce but s'plorin' with Brad and the Pup. We climbed over cement slab mountains, through palmetto brush, across puddles, and down in to a swampy little heaven. It was our secret little get away. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Happiness is: Evening fires on a rainy night.

Happiness is: a playful puppy waiting at home for you.

Sometimes there are days when wearing sparkly shoes is all you need to feel stunning.

Dear Blog,

I am sorry that for the last three days I have given you minimal love. You see early in the week I purchased Left 4 Dead 2, and have been keeping the XBox Controller tight in my little zombie massacring grip. I realize I have probably earned the name "junkie" and will try to make it up to you next week.

110 more gamer score points later,

Michelle.

Happiness is: Lunch in the grass with two swell dudes. (one photo'd, the other photoing)

This is my favorite picture of me.

Not because I think I look good.
Not because I like what I am wearing.
Not because I love the person I am with.

This is my favorite picture of me because I love how it makes me think about who I was back then and who I am now. Back in high school I had so many different plans for my future. I knew what my career was going to be, who I was going to marry, where I was going to live, there was no way I would ever get a tattoo, and tons more tiny uncontrollable details. All of what I knew and decided when this photo was taken are completely different. I changed my career path, I don't talk to my would be fiance, I live in Florida, and have two tattoos. This picture reminds me to never think I have life figured out. I need to just keep walking the path and loving the opportunities I am given and allow them to change my mind.

I love how happy I am in the photo. I am glad of all things that didn't change.

"If you are happy, you are successful."

Fry's Guide to Comfort: Car arm rests make excellent perches.

I bought a record player today! First thing I listened to was "Singing in the Rain" and, man, did it make me smile bigger than I have all week! Oh you have no idea.

Fry put his paw on the couch and looked up at me. He then cocked his head to the side and layed it on the couch and then looked at me again.

I had to say yes.

Steps to Achieving Instant Happiness: Wearing bright pink high heels. They make my heart sing! I love these guys!

You're playing so cool / Obeying every rule / Dig way down in your heart / You're burning, yearning for some / Somebody to tell you / That life ain't passing you by / I'm trying to tell you / It will if you don't even try / You can fly if you'd only cut / Loose, footloose!

No shoes AND a tutu!? What...a....bitch!

My jealousy is just a tad out of control over this photo.

This is what I'd rather be doing today. Not work.

Every once in awhile I have days where I catch a quick glance at my tattoo and fall in love with the memory of getting it all over again. I absolutely love everything about it. The placement, the size, the content. It's perfect!

Happiness is: scarves and easy days at work!

Oh side-swept bangs, you are the cat's meow.

Leaving now to trade my 80 degree weather for 40 degree weather. Check for updates! West bound!!

Brad made the most amazing from scratch chilli Sunday night. It was so good! It stayed warm in my tummy hours after we ate. Mmmm!

I'm traveling to Denver tomorrow for work. I am actually very excited about it. I am only going to be there three days, but I'll make sure to breath so deep the cold air will tickle my nose and sting my chest. I am going to be sticking my feet in snow piles, constantly watching the cold air make wispy spirals out of my breath, and drinking copious amounts of coffee and hot chocolate!

And yes, precipitation permitting - I'll catch a snowflake on my tongue.

Happiness is: Halloween costumes!

No one got a photo (not even myself) but Fry and I just went for a walk, me as Clark Kent/Superman and him with a blue collar and red leash. I chuckled to myself the whole way. We got many different looks, 2 laughs and an exaggerated double take and every one wanted to be us!

We were quite a sight to be seen!

I love Umbrellas. I love decorated trees. So naturally this is something out of my favorite dream. There is something so absolutely fantastic about this.

Oh yes.