Dear Younger Me

Dear 17-year-old Candi,

Wow, I can't believe you are turning 49 in just a few days! Where did the time go, seriously!?! 

The first thing I want you to know is time will start flying by (just like your parents said - believe them!) Because time really does go by quickly I want you to live in the moment! Stop worrying about tomorrow or regretting things in the past! Live for today and enjoy where you are at all times! Even the bad days will have some good mixed in them. Be sure to look for the good in all situations. We don't usually have trouble with that but there are times when we get bogged down in the bad and can't find our way out. 

Another IMPORTANT bit of advice for you is do NOT be afraid to ask for help. If you are overwhelmed talk to someone! So many times we bottle things up and think we can fix them or change them by ourselves and trust me it is much easier if you share the burden. 

Marriage: It is a beautiful part of life but it is no walk in the park! Marriage is hard! However, it is worth the effort! Put in the work. Open up more, learn to communicate, and learn to actively listen! Trust your spouse to be your partner in life and lean on him when things get hard! Also be there for him when he is struggling! I can guarantee you will not give or receive 100% all the time. As long as you both push yourself to give as much as you possibly can,  and you are giving each other grace when you can't give as much as usual, you will make it!

Children: I know you want to be a mom more than anything. Be patient! Your time will come. It will just not be as soon as you would like. Trust that God has a plan and a reason for that plan. When you have a precious baby love every moment! Don't get distracted by life and things around you. Stay in the moment. Even the terrible 3's have moments you want to hold on to. Every stage has something incredible to experience. Every stage has something you are going to look back on and miss. You won't even realize it but suddenly you will wonder when the last time you did _____ was. You will wonder why you didn't know it was the last time you were going to do ____ so you could savor the moment. 

Aging Parents: Your parents are not as young as they use to be. They will not be around forever. Don't let the past keep you from building and repairing your relationships with them. Your parents love you even when they don't know how to show it. They love you even when you don't feel like they do! You are loved and they want what is best for you. Let the bad go and focus on the good. Don't wait for them to get sickly to start mending fences! Spend as much time with them as you can. Time is something you won't regret.

Aging ME: Again, I can't believe I am turning 49! Love yourself through the good and bad. Give yourself grace when you don't do what you should but push yourself to do better. If you stick with something long enough it will get easier. STOP drinking soda! Just don't do it!!! When you get Covid don't sit still and get pneumonia. Your feet will never be the same after Covid, or at least not a year later! Get in shape before you get there because it just gets harder! Always love yourself! You are beautiful! You are smart! You are worth it!

Enjoy your life! It is a good life. You will have some good adventures and make some great memories. Love God, love people, think before you react, and always choose things that bring you peace and joy! Buckle up buttercup it will be a bumpy ride!

Love Always,

Older Candace

What would you tell your younger or older self?

Mornin All

Well, it is 4 am and I am sitting here at the computer waiting fairly impatiently for it to do what I want it to do. I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep because I kept thinking of all the things I need to get done today. I decided I better get up and do something. the program that I am using for the slide shows I am doing for everyone takes forever to do everything. So I thought I would say good morning to all of you even though you are all probably in blissful sleep. I think the best part of this is that it is pouring down rain and I tell you there is nothing like listening to the rain making music. It is desperately needed of course and that makes the sound even sweeter. I would love to have a tin roof so that we could really listen to it.

So yesterday I didn't get much accomplished. I got Anna's last gift which (don't laugh) is a Tonka truck! She loves those things and I figure her dolly can ride around in it lol. I finished what is to be mine and Chris's gift from Anna (another slide show) it is my favorite of all them I have to say. It is set to great music - Baby, Baby by Amy Grant cause that was our song oh so long ago, Angel Eyes by Steelheart and I Need You Now by Winger. Great music from the good ole days ya know. By the way I found a great site to download free music! It is awesome they have a wide variety of stuff and I personally recommend it! Anyway back to my day lol. I started cleaning out the fish tank and did a load of laundry but other than that I don't know where my day went. One minute I was full of hope for all the things I would accomplish and the next it was time to head out to our party. Which was a lot of fun by the way. It was at Denise's house. Anna fell in love with the blow up Christmas thingy in her yard. It had reindeer and Santa and a snowman and the best part it was a light show with music! We couldn't get her out of the yard between that and all the balls. Not to mention the boys out there letting her play with them. It was a wonderland for her.

Today we have to run back over to Denise's house because we left one of Anna's favorite dolls over there and I am afraid of the moment Anna starts looking for her lol. We still need to clean house and laundry and stuff and I have got to finish these blasted slide shows. I am beginning to have a love/hate relationship with them. They look so good but they are a pain in the you know what. If our computer wasn't so slow it might not be so bad but it is so... The good news is if I can email them to hubby I can have them put on a DVD so we can watch them on tv instead of a computer! So I am excited about that but I am worried the files will be to big or something so we will see.

Gosh I am starving this morning. I wish we had some yummy junk in the house lol. Nothing like munching on some junk food at now 5 in the morning lol. Well I guess I will go do some laundry or something productive while I wait for my file to do its thing. Hope everyone has a lovely and productive day!!! If you have time pray for me that I will cause it will be only by the Grace of God that I will accomplish my to do list!

To give you guys something to wow you this morning~

1991 Senior Prom with now hubby

1996 Wedding pic

So youthful!!!