What have you failed at lately?

Have I ever told you that I am awful at volleyball?

I am.

My coach in high school told me as a junior (I was the only junior on B-squad, btw) that I would never play varsity and I could run the video camera my senior year.

That's a true story.

So, add 22 years to this body without ever touching a volleyball again and then see how good I am.

I feel sorry for the girl who asked me to join their volleyball team this year.

I feel sorry for her because little did she know I have been searching for a "female-fun" activity amongst this season of baseball, football, fantasy football, hunting, fishing, gym basketball, golfing "male-fun" activities. 

I feel sorry for her because she had no idea that I am one of those rare few who will swallow all of her pride and embarrass the heck out of herself all in the name of getting out of the house for an hour.

Too bad no one warned her that I will do just about anything to make new friends (even if they are 1/2 my age) and have fun!

I wish someone woulda told her that I am really okay with not winning. Ever.

My point of this blog is simply this....  If you, my dear friends, find yourself saying "NO" to an event, activity, friendship, class, etc. etc. because you fear you might not be good at it ~ please re-think your answer.

The inventor of Spanx is known to give tribute to her dad for making her and her siblings try something new every week that they might not be good at. He would ask at the dinner table, "What did you fail at today?" and that gave her great life-lessons that she took with her all the way to the bank!

So, now I ask you...What did you fail at this week?

I would call my first night on a new team (I knew one person) playing a sport that I KNOW I am not good at a total success!

 I had fun!

I scored points!

I burned calories!

I cheered on my team!

I laughed!

I screamed!

I fell down!

I used muscles that I have not used in 22 years!

I had a blast!

Did we win any of the 6 games we played, you ask? I'll never tell.

Now can someone please get my chiropractor!

                                       The boys giving their mom's sore muscles a massage.

A Valentine Gift idea

I made this last year with my 7 year old and 6 month old boys.

First, I found paper that would fit my husband's shoe and then I traced his shoe onto the paper.

Next, I put my older son's painted foot print in the inside of the traced shoe.

Then, I put my youngest son's footprint with a different color paint.

Last, my oldest son wrote these words: Dad, thanks for giving us such big shoes to fill.

I matted and framed it and it was a perfect gift of LOVE!

This year - my husband and I are writing a journal for our oldest answering questions like: I first knew I loved you when....  and  You are so funny when.....      and  My favorite thing to do with you is....
It has been fun to make and I hope it's something he will cherish forever.

Happy Valentine's Week Everyone - may you find love in whatever you do, see, say and experience.

Eyes of a Camera

I spent the weekend in Fergus Falls for the Frostbite Festival and the town was absolutely gorgeous! The frost covered ALL the beautiful trees in town and it hung on to each branch the entire weekend.

My dad was talking about how cool the scenery was while he was out delivering mail and he mentioned how a woman walked out of her apartment and declared how beautiful the trees were and that she would love to take a picture if she had a camera.

If she had a camera.

My dad and I reflected on that for a moment. How sad it must be to not have a camera. More importantly, to not have anything to have a camera for...as we guessed this lady did not.

I am grateful to snap these pictures...

When I throw my hands in the air because I can't deal with the 20th temper tantrum of the day...SNAP!

When my older son entertains his little brother so he will stop screaming for one second in the car...SNAP!

When I am cleaning up the mess of a healthy, abundant meal...SNAP!

When I have 20 loads of laundry to do...SNAP!

When the living room is covered with toys, crackers, cereal, books and 3 boys wrestling amongst it all...SNAP!

Without a to-do list, I would have nothing to do - and no one to do it for. I am forever grateful that I have a list 10 miles long, and will vow to do them all cheerfully and with extreme gratitude.

Some other honorable mentions this weekend captured with a camera:

My beautiful sister with her awesome date at Snowball.
My husband enjoying the company of a dozen other guys at a fishing weekend.

My mom having a "party" at the RedBox movie center.
Me helping my lovely sister getting ready for her big night.
The group of Snowball ready girls and handful of guys as they posed for 2,000 photos.
My dad playing Cootie's with my boys.
Me having a great conversation with a girlfriend I don't get to see often enough.

Kid Clothes Hangers

My 8 year old outgrew his kid clothes hangers. It was actually his older cousins hand-me-downs' fault but regardless, I shed a little tear as the shirt I hung on a hanger slid right off.

They say kids grow up in a blink of an eye - but I think I have just been choosing not to watch!

I turned the other way when his dad referred to him as a "tween" after an emotional dispute.

I chose not to listen when I am pretty sure Ethan was requesting to stay at a friends house instead of hang with us on a Saturday night.

I waived the white flag and told him to "go ask dad" when he came home with homework that looked like this: With a die, you can roll a number from 1 to 6. Predict the number of times you would roll the number 3 if you rolled the die 24 times. Explain your answer.

I am so thankful he still kisses me good-night - and for pictures!

Connecting

Wow! 2012 is here! My mission this year - to meet as many interesting people as possible! So far, so good! I just came from a coffee date with a brand new friend. Someone I had never met before but a trusted mutual friend suggested we meet - and so we did.  On the way there, I didn't know what to expect. If we didn't connect well, what escape route could I take? But I was hopeful and prayed for maybe one good hour of joyful conversation. 

But 2 hours later,  I walked away with so much more!

New books to read! New friends to meet! New ideas on how to achieve personal goals!

I couldn't feel more blessed to have spent 2 hours this morning with this person and it made me take stock of my current circle of friends and family.  Are they "filling my bucket" as my son, Ethan, would say. So thankfully, I am happy to say YES! my circle is unique and wonderful and full of inspiring, up-beat individuals and they paint my world with  the brightest of colors.  However, there is always room for more and my personal mission this year add fabulous people to my circle.

As you - dear friends and family reading this - relfect on your own "circle" may I please offer this challenge to you - connect with someone new this year! You will be amazed at the possible insights, blessings and encouragement they will bring into your life!

Happy 2012 everyone!

Picture Perfect

Notice I haven't blogged in a while? Yes, I have a newborn. Adam Jerome was welcomed August 27th and has captured my heart, my time and my brain cells.

My six week maternity leave has come and gone and today was my last day home. I wanted to conquer the world today - well at least get some of my to-do list done before I go back to work.  (I must insert here that Adam is colicky and most events like going out to eat or a trip to Target include him in tears and us doing everything to not be stared at by everyone in the joint)

So, in a usual moment of insanity I decide today would be the best day for his 6 week pictures. While he screams, I pack his diaper bag and rush out the door. This would be my first experience with Expressions by Ashton photography and my anxiety level is increasing as I realize I am in fact doing this - and without the help of my hubby. Ugh...

I arrive barely on time but Adam is handsome as can be and ready to go in our favorite outfit. Of course he is hungry so I feed him a little while I wait for our photographer.  As Adam is eating, he poops. Poops big. Poops through his outfit. (the only one I have)

So, it's time for our session and Adam has poop up and down his back. Thankfully, our photographer is an old Apple-buddy (co-worker from my days at Applebee's) and I start to feel a little better as she leads me to our private room where I can change Adam and get started with the no-outfit-needed photos.

I clean up Adam and as he is sitting on my lap waiting for his first lights and camera action -  he pees. All over himself, all over me and some spilled onto the studio floor. I am ready to run out screaming but I am here - determined and stubborn -  and he isn't crying so I better take what I can get.

The patient, amazing and beautiful Carmen, (my apple-buddy now photographer) takes Adam from me and BEAUTIFULLY positions him. I can't believe my eyes. He is sitting pretty as a picture, with his tiny hands tucked under his head and his legs perfectly curled. But before Carmen can say cheese - he is crying. Crying to the point we have to start over and now to make matters worse his sensitive skin is breaking out into a rash. Ugh...

The next hour looks like a beautiful dance you would see on Dancing with the Stars with Carmen and I handing off Adam, the pacifier, the props and organizing different positions. The song Carmen sings to go along with our dance is a perfect combination of soothing and distracting and entertaining notes. All designed to capture the heart of a 6 week old.

Even though some of these poses we only had time to snap 2 or 3 shots, I couldn't be happier with the end results. Picture perfect you might say.

I laugh when I look at these, because you would never guess what we went through to get here. It makes me wonder what the "true" story is behind every smile.

(check out the pics - http://www.expressionsbyashton.com/ and click on find photos and enter Heather Ostrowski)