Operation Beautiful!

Recently I have been very involved with Operation Beautiful, it is a mass movement started by Caitlyn Boyle. She started it mainly as an out for the negative feelings she used to have. This one note started the snowball effect.

Eventually woman all over were taking part in Operation Beautiful by posting uplifting notes for other women to find. Post-It-Notes actually took part of the movement. Women would write a note on a Post-It, take a picture of it and e-mail it to Caitlyn. She then turned around and made a book out of the positive words.

This past weekend I have carried a Post-It-Note pad in my purse along with a Sharpie so I can randomly write a positive note for someone to find. When I write one and it stick on I don’t think of how it will effect me other then feeling so happy I am passing on the positivity. I am actually thinking how will this person react when they find it, and what will they do with the note. Will it move them to take part in the movement?

I started taking pictures of the notes I leave and I upload them to Facebook under the album Operation Beautiful. It is a very uplifting feeling to pass on the happiness!

operationbeautiful.com become part of the movement. 

Th1rteen R3asons Why By Jay Asher

Yesterday I finished Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. This was his first book and was released 2007. I purchased it after Selena Gomez posted on Facebook that she received her script for the movie. It is a little bit sad that I trust a famous persons review of a book over that of friends and acquaintances, but that is not the reason I am writing this blog. I am writing this because after reading and feeling both perspectives of two different people it has had me thinking. Thinking and asking questions that I will doubtfully receive the answers for. So lets dive in!

I think I will start by giving a synopsis of the book just incase you haven’t read it. It will also help you understand this blog. Hannah Baker recorded seven tapes, each side of the tapes was a story about a person who took Hannah for granted. The tapes were sent out the day she committed suicide. There was no return address on the box that the first person received. Once they were done listening they were to send it on the next person. While reading the book through one of the characters thoughts you read the tapes and her story. It was a massive snowball affect.

After reading it I was not only heart broken that no one saw the blunt indications, but I wondered if I had missed some signs of people screaming out to me in high school.

The book was beautifully written. Especially with how dark its intensions and truths are. A lot of people don’t know what goes on in the mind of someone thinking about suicide, the readers an inside look at what may possibly going on in the mind of the person.

Suicide is a very real, very tragic reoccurrence. In many cases no one sees the signs and if they do they don’t know what to do with them. It is a very fragile topic, saying the wrong thing may or may not push the person to think more deeply on it. So what can we really do? We can listen to everything, expressions, emotions, changes in personality. Once we get that we can show our concern by being more opened to them confiding in us about their troubles.  Once we do that maybe just maybe we can be the light and tether they need to keep going.

I am asking anyone who reads this to look around and be more open to those friends, acquaintances, co-workers, fellow students. If you see someone who looks like they need a shoulder then reach out to them. Show them you are different then those who belittled them.

Summer has come and now it is leaving!

I can’t believe how fast Summer has come and gone! It doesn’t even feel as if it has started. I don’t think we have done much of what we did last summer. It could be primarily because of Ski’s job and of all the appointments he has had in Denver.

Ski was having some dizziness,sometimes he felt as if he was going to pass out. He can’t drive at night without getting a headache. If I drive he gets a nasty headache. So he started to make appointments with the VA clinic in our city. Well they don’t know what is going on so they started making appointments in Denver. In July I believe we had three appointments in Denver, two in August, so far one in September, one in October (so far) and one in November (so far). They also have put them on more medications. He is on three right now and at the rate of the appointments he may be on more. I don’t really like that they cure everything with medication. It just causes more problems with him later on. They don’t really think of the later they just think of the now.

I have been busy doing the usual work, working out and trying to keep my house together. I am also going to physical therapy for my scoliosis. I am not allowed to vacuum, if I do my pelvis will pop out. The more it pops out and the more I have to put it back in again the more movement it gets and if it moves more then it should it will never stay in position. Your pelvis and hips aren’t supposed to always reposition. The only time it should is when I give labor if I ever choose to have children. 

Well I guess that is it for me!

Day 1 Of Our Very First and True Vacation

YAY! Today is the beginning of our vacation. The very first vacation we have taken that we have free roam of what we want to do when we want! It so far is amazing. 


It was a 6 hour drive from Colorado Springs, to Albuquerque NM. It was very hot yet enjoyable. Hot because well I don't have a window and running AC in my V8 Land Rover it sucks it dry faster then it already does. The scenery was amazing to look at. 


We sadly drove past the area that was affected by the wildfire. I could have cried thinking about all the animals that have to relocate. A lot of the animals are mating and having offspring. Hopefully they will not try to make it across the interstate it is very dangerous for them. 


We are staying in the Adobe Nido Bed and Breakfast. It is owned by a husband and wife they are just the sweetest couple ever with the cutest dogs. They bark at you for no reason and wag their tales. We will be keeping our door open so they can come and visit us. 


Here are some pictures of our room. 

The bed! (Duh)

The shower/tub with jets!

Cute little toilet, the doors look like those of an old saloon. 

Just Meh

So today, the government announced that any government employee will only receive half of his/her paycheck and will not receive a paycheck until the government comes up with a plan on how to make more money. Apparently the government is broke and they need to take their employee's money to make money. The positive is they will owe all the employee's back pay for their time working for FREE. 


Ski has been hit with this and it sucks, but I keep trying to think positively about it. Hopefully they will make a plan and we can get paid and just move on with our lives. 


Now here is when I start to complain. Everyone and I mean everyone is complaining that the SOLDIERS need their pay and deserve their pay, but it isn't just the military taking a hit! It is also civilian workers that have a contract or have been hired by the government. They are getting it even worse, they no longer are getting paid vacations or sick days, they may not even make the lost wages back. No one cares about that though right no they just care about our armed forces taking a hit. Don't get me wrong I love our military, but this time it isn't all about them. The armed forces are taken better care of then our civilian government workers. My husband will get his back pay because he is mission essential  worker but the other civilian workers are not mission essential. So let's react to the many civilian workers loosing money as well. 

What happened to February!

February flew by so fast! My mom's birthday came and gone with a blink of an eye. Now March is almost over, I just can't believe it. I remember when I was little and time went by so slow that I wished it would go faster. Now I am 25 and can't seem to slow time down. 


I started a 30 Day Journal Challenge, and I find it quite fun and relaxing. I am not sure what I am going to do once the 30 days are over with. I may start looking for a new one or just find a challenge and make it a journal challenge. 


As you can see nothing much has really been happening in our lives. Everyone is doing great, Ski is getting ready to graduate with his bachelors degree and start his Masters degree. Which will be nice for him he will be able to get a better paying government job. The bunnies are wire terrors and we have had to replace our Wii sensor board, my PS3 wires and now we may have to replace one of our surround sound wires. We are now in the progress of making "gate" so they can't get to the wires anymore. 


That is it for us, hopefully there will be more exciting news in April. 

Grandma A, my best friend and a huge part of my life.

When I was born in 1986 my mom wasn't allowed the maternity leave like most moms. She had to got back to work two weeks after giving birth to me. She worried and fussed over who would watch me. She found this amazing woman my grandma A. She took me and become a motherly figure to me, as I grew she became my grandma and her husband my grandpa.


Now that I am almost 25 years old she has become my best friend and woman I want to be like when I am 83 years old. She has had ten children and watched most of them die before they should have. She has witnessed wars and devastation. She watched has her husband fought his battle with cancer and was defeated. She herself fought her own battle and has defeated it with no help of chemotherapy. 


I received this news that she was in remission on Thursday afternoon when she gave me a ring. I was thrilled absolutely thrilled to know that she defeated it with living her everyday life. She says she feel like an 83 year old that is fit as a fiddle and I couldn't be happier. 

My little world is pulsing with frustrations!

This past week I have been more open about my little world and the people involved in my world. I also have been more sensitive to pet peeves and irritations that arise in my life. 


Don't get me wrong I love my family, they are my everything. I have lived with my immediate family that their quirks, thoughts, and ideas don't bother me. They are a very positive source for me and a way to nurture my soul. My real hindrance is my family that I am not close to like uncles, aunts, cousins, even my in-laws. Don't get me wrong I have a lot of positives when it comes to my family, but right now on this day the negatives are overwhelming more then the positives. I am sure that over time the balance will be back to positives being more abundant then the negatives, maybe they need to step up to the plate and stop living in their selfish little world.


Ski will be graduating college with his bachelors degree in June. I couldn't be a prouder wife of his accomplishments, goals and his will power to continue on to get his masters degree. When I talked to my mom-in-law about his graduation, she said that she may not come due to her granddaughters school schedule. Her granddaughter is four years old, I honestly think that she can miss a week of school for her uncles graduation, it will not deter her progress in Head Start. It shocks me to know that his mom wont even consider coming out for her sons graduation. Ski will never graduate with a bachelors degree again! I just can't stand it.


Now my family has their panties in a wad because Ski's graduation is the exact same time as the family reunion. It is one day that Ski gets to beam about his accomplishments, and they are whining because my immediate family will miss one day of the reunion! Grow a pair and get over it, I will miss a reunion day so I can help my husband shine. Really the reunion happens every year this event doesn't. 


I think that is enough whining and complaining coming out of me about my families. Lets get onto something positive and happy. 


I am "taking" English 122 over, because my teacher last semester taught me nothing. I haven't become a better writer I don't even know what my strengths and weaknesses are. I am taking this class with a wonderful lady named Cheryl, I have gone to her class twice and I already love it!  She is so positive and uplifting. I can't wait to learn and grow more with her class. This will be a positive in my life and I hunger for knowledge and a wider vocabulary. Sadly because I am not "enrolled" in this class I will only be able to make Wednesday's classes. I have discussed it with her and she knows that since I am not active in the class that I will only be there once a week. 


I am stating to kick Zumba's butt and I can see Debra enjoying and concentrating really hard on her moves. It makes me giggle watching her concentrate so much on wiggling it. It brings me so much joy! I always end up cracking up watching me trying to wiggle my middle like a cute little Mexican (you would think since I am Hispanic I would be able to wiggle it, nope can't do it!) It is definitely a good way to keep me busy and toning my belly up. 


My friend Nik-Nak is such an amazing friend and I wouldn't be who I am supposed to be without her. Lately I haven't felt like I have been a good friend to her as she has been to me and this weighs heavily on my heart. She is truly a crowned jewel that you will never notice because she fits in so well with us coal pieces. If she reads this great if not, it is okay I am sure we will talk about it soon enough. 


Now I will finish this with sending my thoughts and love to my friends and hitting publish before I have time to re-read it and delete it all.

The New Year so far....

So far the New Year has treated Ski and rather well. At the end of the year I cleaned out my friends, and realized that the number of friends I have doesn't amount to the same as if I had two very close friends. 


One of my dearest friends I met Niki her freshman year of high school, my junior year. After I graduated we stopped talking and grew apart. About a year ago she found me on Facebook and we never really talked much at all. Around October/November we started talking via Facebook more and more often and made a promise to text each other once a day even if it is just to say I hope you have a good. Ever since then we text each other everyday and have on and off conversations until I fall asleep. Since then she has helped me become the woman I want to be, confident, feeling beautiful in my body, being unique, lucky and so much more. I hope we will grow together and be each others rock. 


My other dearest friends is Debra I met her when she opened a mailbox at my dad's store. She did 6 years of traveling and we grew close, by phone conversations. She just settled down in the Springs and we are now work out buddies. We go to the YMCA on Monday's for Mindfulness Meditation Intro, on Tuesday and Thursdays we do Zumba. We have a blast I have never had so much fun working out before (okay that was an exaggeration, I had the best time with my mom when we did Yoga). So far Zumba is kicking my butt, I am ready and well prepared to kick its butt! 


Those are my two closest friends that aren't my "family". 

I haven't updated on my Grandma A's cancer condition. As of Christmas Eve 2009 we found out her cancer is not attaching to any organs, it is active cancer cells that are just floating around. She continually asks her doctor if she really does have cancer because she just doesn't feel it. She is going to the doctor sometime this month and I hope nothing changes for the worst. 


So Ski and I were able to finally buy a second car and we bought a 1999 Land Rover, Niki has named her Josephine, I call her Josie and my dad calls her Jo because he says a SUV can not be a girl. I think differently and so does Niki. It runs like a dream for being a 1999 it runs like a brand new vehicle. The only downer is we will have to replace the windshield. There is a massive crack that goes right through my viewing area. 


Ski is graduating in June with his Bachelor degree in Criminal Justice, as he is graduating he will be taking some of his Masters courses. I can't explain how proud I am of my husband! We are crossing our fingers that he gets a Summa Cum Laude (which means that he has a 3.9 or higher of GPA). One of his courses this quarter is kicking his butt, not even I would put all the effort that is desired by the teacher into that class and I am a 4.0 student. 


That is about it so far for the New Year I am sure there will be lots more to come! 

Christmas, New Years, And A New Beginning!

I was ecstatic for Christmas this year. This year has been an amazing year for Ski and I, and this was just the topper of the year. Ski and I have been talking about getting another pet, we love having pets they make our lives complete. Our dog is our baby so to say. This year Ski got me a bunny and himself a bunny they are about six weeks old and aren't old enough to tell the sex of them yet. We are hoping they are either both boys or girls so we don't have the problem of inbreeding. I got him two cases one for all of his medals and one for his coins from the military. I also got him awesome dragon slippers that he loves. I got a video camera and tons of movies my favorite things. 

Sadly Christmas didn't seem like Christmas this year, Ski had to work and there was the absence of snow on the ground. Over all it was a very lazy day for the family. We did our personal presents at our place then went to my parents and had breakfast and opened their gifts. After that I took Ski to work and then it was time for dinner/lunch. My sister, cousin and I took Ski a plate for dinner. 

For New Years Ski had to work again, which wasn't bad he dropped me off at my parents house and then went to work. He got off at ten and was able to celebrate New Years with us. It was overall a very lazy good day. 

I am excited about this new chapter of our lives, to work on our fifth year of marriage, to celebrating birthdays together. I hope that this year beats last year by a mile.