Everyday Thoughts ...

Love:  Morning coffee.
Peace: "The Land"
Happiness: Being surrounded by encouraging family and friends.

It was a good day.  It was a networking kind of day.  Where did it go?  I thought last week was a busy, challenging week; and this week wasnt any different; but my attitude was!  It is amazing how your thoughts and actions changes everything.  I am grateful for a loving God that is constant; always there and always present in my everyday and EVERY thought! 

Thoughts from the little ones ... (& Me!)

Love:  Joey loves family and friends.  Luke loves family.
Peace:  Great Day At Work.Joey says that peace is quiet.
Happiness:  Joeys says happiness is happiness. Luke says it is the opposite of sad. 

It was a very good day of love, peace and happiness.  I am grateful that my mother came over early so that I can go into work early. Thank you, Mom!!

Love.Peace.Happiness

Love: Family, Friends, March, Spring, Hearing birds chirping

Peace:  Productive, Fun, Mondays at Home, Work, Church, Home

Happiness:  Paul scrapping my snow covered windows in the a.m. & Filling my van up with gas, Hugging and Kissing my family goodbye in the mornings, "Have a Good Day," Sending handwritten letters in the mail,Yummy Bagels and Cream Cheese, Seeing my Adult Day Center Participants & Compassionate Co-Workers, Productivity, Helping People, Potato Soup, Studying the Bible & applying what you learn to your everyday, keeping in touch with old friends and getting to know new friends.

Discipline

Today, I will make a practice of disciplining myself to keeping up with this blog on a weekly basis. I have found that it is a great place to keep track of our daily life as a family. To the right; you will see a Year of Peace; which is a group of pictures that I am hoping to upload in the same format at the end of the month and the Year of Happiness will be a recap of the current month activities. I am hoping to post more scrapbooking pages,daily life of our family, friends, national headlines and life, in general.

Let us remember Chile:

terremoto santiago
Originally uploaded by todosnuestrosmuertos

Let us keep the country of Chile as well as Hawaii in our prayers tonight.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of chldren; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." Ralph Waldo Emerson

While I am waiting ...

for Paul & Luke coming back frow Wooster (Goodwilling, Shoveling Snow for his parents, and shopping) I am learning and trying Digital Scrapbooking ...

Snow Day

Well, today the boys had a snow day and they didn’t even do the Snow Day Ritual last night. Do you know what that is? Well, in our house it is:

• Wear your pajamas inside out and backwards
• Flush three ice cubes down the toilet
• Do a snow dance outside
• Sleep with a spoon under your pillow

I was grateful that I could work from home today. I was able to listen to the boys laugh and giggle as I was busy uploading, making scrapbooks for our Hospice Make It Happen events, working and enjoying the beautiful snow outside falling softly.

Thank you for this time!

One Word Update: Humility

The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have. by Norman Vincent Peale

This week started off alittle tired; alittle challenging, alittle busy, alittle exhausting, alittle bit of everything! But, today; as I googled a quote on Humility; I found this one and thought to myself; "wow, how true is this!" As I look inward and yearn for God's Holy Spirit to fill those empty spaces; I gained more energy for those challenging, busy, exhausting experiences and became renewed with God's greatness and reminded that if I only GO TO HIM in adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication; I come out feeling refreshed and filled with more energy and knowledge!

I have so much to be grateful for and my blessings are so many! I've learn to ask daily; second by second, minute by minute and hour to hour and HE will give me what I need! I just need to ASK!!

With the craziness of Monday; I missed my weekly Beth Moore Bible Study called "LIVING BEYOND YOURSELF" at my church. Wow, how fitting this quote is with the Bible Study. As I was JUST typing the title; I had a A-HA moment ... I really lived beyond myself this week and was quietly reminded of our Great Father above!I was reminded just today of the Fruits of Spirit and challenged to look at myself and ask myself if I have the Fruits of Spirit in my daily walk.

May you discovered an insight like I discovered; even tough its Thursday and the week is almost over; does that matter? Nah, as long as you keep growing and learning!

Its Monday and its Over!

Rainy.Cold.Busy.

Have you ever had one of those days when you JUST DID NOT WANT to get out of bed? Well, today, I did! I wanted to stay at home and IN BED! I was thinking of my day ahead and wanted to stay in bed. It was going to be a busy, tiring, and late day of work! It was good work; the kind that makes you appreciate what you do on a daily basis is good. The good work of God. The work that God places before you to let you know that you are in the right vocation. The kind that makes me PASSIONATE for people and their families. The kind that makes me LOVE MY JOB!!!

Helpful.Husband.A Fixed Tire.Driving.Good Friends.Make It Happen Events.Lunch.Adult Day Centers.Old Stories.New Stories.Love.Family.Caregivers.Traveling Mercies Home.Dollar Trees.Hugs from all of my boys.Forgiveness.Grapefruit Spoons.Sugar on Grapefruit.

Peace.Comfort.Relaxed

Tuesday=Another Day

A Month of Lovely Things

A good friend asked; "Mrs Massaro, you havent update you blog in awhile .." Well, that has prompted me to do so; but, I really wanted to start journaling and telling our story! I found these great websites/programs called www.smilebox.com and www.picnik.com. I found this collage design that I am going to REALLY try to use each month to tell my story.

I love my God, my husband, my journal and my family and friends. I am passionate about scrapbooking, taking pictures, documenting every detail, my job as an Adult Day Director/Hospice Volunteer Coordinator for Senior Independence. I am also passionate about reading, growing as a Christian and a person and choosing a word each year to work on.

Some of the things that happened this month were: keeping up with a gratitude journal, finding new quotes, writing, finding new pens, going back to things I love like buying/writing in a daily/monthly Franklin Covey calendar for home and work, using pens I like, reading new books, asking people to pray for me, taking part in my children's activities; Creating Valentine's with a friend and Joey. Attending Joey's Valentine's Day Party, Blue & Gold Banquet, and taking a step in allowing Luke to soar on his own (somewhat). He went on a Boy Scout Skiing/Snowboarding Day at a Brandywine/Boston Mills Ski Resort. Thank goodness for blackberries and friends that took pictures to give me a sense of peace that Luke was okay. Paul and I went on a Valentines's Day Date/Dinner. A giving mother that watched Joey overnight.

It was a month of LOVE. More to come ...

My One Little Word : Story

My One Little Word : Story

Posted using ShareThis

2010 Word

I have chosen the word "Humility." What does it mean?

Definition of Humble
Resource: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Humility
Main Entry: 1hum•ble
Pronunciation: \ˈhəm-bəl also chiefly Southern ˈəm-\
Function: adjective
Inflected Form(s): hum•bler \-b(ə-)lər\; hum•blest \-b(ə-)ləst\
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin humilis low, humble, from humus earth; akin to Greek chthōn earth, chamai on the ground
Date: 13th century
1 : not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive
2 : reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission
3 a : ranking low in a hierarchy or scale : INSIGNIFICANT, UNPRETENTIOUS b : not costly or luxurious
— hum•ble•ness \-bəl-nəs\ noun
— hum•bly \-blē\ adverb

Main Entry: hu•mil•i•ty
Pronunciation: \hyü-ˈmi-lə-tē, yü-\
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
: the quality or state of being humble

Christmas 2009

"When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the... broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among others, To make music in the heart." --Howard Thurman

Journal Your Christmas 2009

Every year, Journal your Christmas includes daily prompts from the 1st of December to the 6th of January, the twelfth day of Christmas. The 37 illustrated PDF files are delivered straight to your inbox so you can read them over your first cup of coffee and mull over each topic for a full day. There's also an archive of the class materials online in case you can't get to your email or in case something dreadful happens to your computer. And like every year, you can go it alone or be as social as you like, with a private discussion forum where you'll find other Christmas journallers who will cheer you on and share your excitement, but if you prefer to stick to the prompts only, that's completely fine too. And like every year, if you're participated once, you can join us every Christmas for as long as you like at no extra cost. In addition to ideas for writing topics and styles and notes on photos not to miss, the 37 prompts include more than 300 scrapbook pages to inspire your crafting creativity. Of course, every Christmas needs a little something new, so this year's additions include: …a guide to preparing your album this month so you can scrap through the busy schedule of December …a printable Christmas planner to help keep things from getting crazy in the countdown to the big day …new printable accents for paper scrappers …a digital kit absolutely crammed full of papers, templates, overlays, lettering and embellishments designed just for the class …a bonus workbook on getting the best photographs possible this Christmas, with advice and examples from dozens of professional photographers. so there is plenty to keep things exciting whether this is your first Christmas journal or your fifth. Like all online scrapbooking classes at shimelle.com, Journal your Christmas includes …permanent access to all class materials …private forum for discussion and sharing your work …prompts delivered straight to your inbox …ongoing membership — pay just once and participate as many years as you would like at no additional cost.   http://www.shimelle.com/classes/624/an-online-class-for-the-holidays-journal-your-christmas/ I cant wait to start!    Daphne

Saturday Happenings

Flavored Coffee Local News Uploaded Pictures Laundry Orange Cinnamon Rolls Pajamas Reading Riddles Scrapbooking Playing with friends Sloppy Joes and Tator Tots Ice Cream

I am grateful for ...

In-Laws
Family
Closeness
Good Food
Good Fun
Laughter
Health
A job that I enjoy
Husband
Children
Aunts, Uncles, Cousins
Parents
Foose Ball
Leftovers
Little boys that make me laugh
Why? Luke and Joey were playing downstairs as I am uploading pictures; I heard Luke telling Joey that he was going up to tell me ...
Joey: No, dont tell her what I said.
Luke: Mom, as we were playing Joey said his dog will be pissed off if he does that. I just looked down at him and said, "what did you say?"
Joey: Mom, I didnt know that ...
Mom: Know what?
Joey: That it was a bad word.
Mom: Dont say it again! It is a bad word; where did you hear it from?
Joey: TV
Luke: Probably Uncle Tim or Grandma.
Innocence
Babies
Blogs
Journaling
A great day full of gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving!

I move through my day to day life with a sense of appreciation and gratitude that comes from knowing how fortunate I truly am and how unearned all that I am thankful for really is. To have this perspective in my everyday consciousness is in itself a gift, for it leads to feeling "graced," or blessed, each time. ~Jean Shinoda Bolen Happy Thanksgiving to my dearest family and friends! I am grateful for you!

October 2009

Click here to view these pictures larger

Luke getting braces
Lesson in discipline and humility
Joey's 9th Birthday Party
Camp Butler Haunted Hayride
Carving Pumpkins at the Battig's
Joseph's 1st Acrolyte Debut
Sandy B's Haunted House Party
Cricut with Aunt Sandy
Seville School Halloween Party
Halloween Night: Ozzy and the Reporter

November 2009 A Month Of Gratitude

What is Gratitude to you? I love this time of year. I love leaves, the colors, the cooler weather, the holidays but most of all the time with family and friends. I started a share website on Shutterfly and I was diligently keeping track of the things I am grateful daily and last night as I was updating the webpage; I "accidently" erased what I wrote each day; I was so upset; I almost cried!!! I am trying to find my way in this daily journaling of keeping a record of our stories.