“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans” ~John Lennon "A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow" Do you ever find yourself so wrapped up in planning that you don't get around to doing? For instance, as a kid I remember playing with dolls or cars and taking a ton of time to set up and build the perfect house or city, yet I would "play" just a little? Or in college, I would spend lots of time making color coded study schedules for different classes when really I should've just been studying. Well right now I am falling victim to this planning vs. doing. If you visited before you may know that I've really been trying to embrace "now" (trying not to worry so much about the past or wait for the "perfect" future). But I seem to be slipping into old ways. I find myself reading books, writing lists, watching tv programs, and following websites about living a healthy and happy life. I am reading

Here I am! We are back from spring vacation. Okay we've been back since late Sunday night, but Monday was filled with loads of laundry and grocery shopping. Yesterday and today have meant school and work for everyone and I must say it's hard getting back into the swing of things. I keep reminding myself that happiness is a choice, but I must admit that sometimes that's easier said than done. I'm not so much sad, just a bit wiped out. That must mean our vacation was a success, right? So I wanted to still share a happy thought for positively Wednesday. When on vacation, my family and I painted ceramics together and I made a cute tile that said "Be Happy." I was excited to share it with you today, but you know what? In the morning rush to get everyone to school and work, I forgot it so I can't photograph it for you yet. Soon! So instead here are my two cuties in their new Vegas shirts. That should be good for a smile :)

As I mentioned, we're on spring break at my grandma's house in Boulder City, NV. Today we took the girls to the Natural History Museum of Las Vegas to see the dinosaurs and my daughter lost her third wiggly tooth there. Such a simple thing brings with it so many emotions. Rebecca is beaming. Excited for the tooth fairy. Excited to tell her friends. Proud to show off her new smile. And I can't believe my "baby" is loosing her baby teeth. She is growing up so much each and everyday. Wow! You can't get more positive than the magic of childhood, from both a child's and a parent's perspective. Happy times!

This week is spring break and we are enjoying time with family. We are many miles away from home (we're at my grandma's house) but I still had to sneak in some creative time. Here's some little scrapbooks I just made with lunch bags. Should be fun to fill with our vacation memories. Happy times everyone!

Head in the Clouds I know my Positively Wednesday post is a bit late. Between the Create With Me article and the lovely Courage to Fly blog hop and preparing for our family vacation this spring break, I've been a bit distracted. My head has been in the clouds. What's not to love when it comes to clouds, right? They're so pretty and fluffy. And you can't help but notice them when you're dreaming...... and flying, right?

Today I am joining the Courage to Fly blog hop over at Stephey Baker's blog, Marked by the Muse . I am so honored to be joining this amazing group of women. So much wisdom and inspiration has been shared and I thank my lucky stars that I get to be a part of this. Be sure to check out past posts as well as future posts here . What message is your heart eager to share? Recently I have found myself on a journey of self discovery. I suppose in life we are always learning more about ourselves, but lately it's been different for me. It's been more than that. My discoveries have been more meaningful and powerful. My life has become clearer. Even though life itself has essentially remained the same, the way I look at it and the way I approach it has changed. And this is what my heart is eager to share...... I have a choice. For too long I had focused on the aspects of my life that I wanted to change. The things that made me unhappy. The stuff that made me feel trapped. T

Today I would like to share a wonderfully inspiring blog post written by Stephey Baker over at Marked By the Muse . The post is about that big question, "Am I an artist?" I have struggled with my response to this question for quite some time. I know that I am creative. I absolutely love making things. In fact, I have too many hobbies and interests to count. But it's been hard to embrace the title of Artist. I'm not sure I can explain why. Maybe it's because I don't have artwork hanging in galleries. Or maybe it's because I don't paint on an easel. Maybe it's because I don't make a living making art. But with time and the help of my young daughters, especially Rebecca, I have begun to realize that my definition of an artist was entirely too limited. Life is art. It is everywhere we look and in one way or another, we are all artists. So please enjoy reading Stephey's post and join me as I declare "Yes! I am an artist!"

Opening up I have so much I want to share, but right now I need to write. My daughters and I were fortunate enough to have artwork chosen for Stampinton's new children's art publication, Create With Me . So as much as I'd love to sit and share the thoughts and stories that are building up in my mind, I need to finish writing our article.  And can I just tell you how excited we are about this opportunity?!  But before I go, while I am here sharing, you should go visit Debra at Prairie Songs . She's written a beautiful poem inspired by my recent Ranunculous photo . So very inspiring. Now I must use that inspiration to go write......

Side by Side , originally uploaded by  byjen Here we are, another month into the year. It's One Little Word (OLW) Blog Hop time. It's time to check in with my OLW for the year, Clear. March seemed to bring less clarity for me than January and February, just as Ali Edwards mentioned. I seemed to lose touch with my word and became scattered in my thoughts and actions. I haven't completed March's OLW project on paper, but I did try to "take one little action." My action was to start clearing out my bad eating habits. I needed to focus on eating less fat and sugar, and eating more fruit and vegetables. The first little step I took in the month was a shopping trip to Costco without the cheap hot dog for lunch. I've also been reading books that have me examining my troubled relationship with sugar. I'm a healthy eater for the most part, but when I do run into trouble, sugar is almost always involved. Yet it's hard to imagine giving up sugar comple