What If Money Didn't Matter, What Do You Desire?

I came across this video today which blew me away.  Not that we all haven't heard it before but this video truly hit home.  There was a time in my life when a co-worker asked the question:

"what if there was no such thing as age, if age didn't matter, would that change the way you think about your life or the decisions you make?"

From that moment on, it changed the way I viewed my life.  Watching this video did the same for me today as that question did back in 2004.

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a Cosmetologist.  Back when my oldest daughter was maybe 2 years old, I received a full grant to cosmetology school but decided it was best to go to work and help provide for our family.  I turned down the grant and walked away.  The desire is still there.

If I could choose something today it would be writing and inspiring others with my life experiences through this blog or however the opportunity presents itself.

If you choose what you desire and what you love, there is always a way to monetize it you just need to figure it out.

I urge everyone to watch this.  Take a step back and look at your life.  Make the changes you need to make to break the cycle.  Teach it to your children.  Pass this message along.

What if money didn't matter, what do YOU DESIRE?

What changes are you going to make to be truly happy in your future?  What do you love to do?

Letting go

As summer comes to a close and another little one is heading off to school for the first time, I am faced again with the process of letting go.  To have one of my babies head off into the hands and trust of another.  It is so hard to release my kids into the world knowing they are being influenced by others.  I know that ultimately God is in control and that everything will be fine but the thought of knowing my kids will be influenced by others and are so quick to absorb not only the positive but the negative, scares me.

Having 3 adult kids I have been through this before.  But knowing what lies ahead causes me to cringe almost daily.  It's not easy to let go.  I must let them have the experiences they need so that God can mold them in the way He needs to.  Something I had to learn along the way with my older kids.

Today Dakota had her Kindergarten testing.  Although she's been so excited to go to school for the past 4 years, over the summer she's been protesting aggressively on not going.  She cried herself to sleep last night hysterically and would not get ready to leave the house.  She finally cooperated when I told her I would ask if I could be in the testing room.

I was surprised that when they called her name from afar, she took off running to this person she has never seen before.  She has so much fun and was so excited.  When she came back to me she told me "Mommy school is GREAT!!!"  The look on her face was so precious.

Now with one more at home who doesn't start school for 2 more years, I'll be enjoying my last baby years by watching her intently in how she responds to the world more closely.

I know when they are all grown up and moved out I'll look back at this time and see the way all of it played out knowing it was all that God intended, good or bad.  But even though they are grown, as my first 3, it's still hard to let go.  With every stage of life there is something new to learn as a parent.  You never stop worrying, being scared, or trying to move mountains so they don't have pain.

Letting go will never be something that can be learned.  It's something I'll need to continue to do for the rest of my life.

Source: everythingfab.com via Salena on Pinterest

A Little Piece of Me

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Something to Celebrate .love and faithfulness.

On April 12th Rudy and I celebrated our 15th anniversary.  My mom came over to watch the little girls and we had no plans, just happy to have alone time to enjoy each other's company with out distractions.

The girls did not want us to leave and they put up a good fight when we tried to leave.

I remembered to take a photo!  Yay!  Thanks to my mom, she captured this lovely shot of us while telling passing neighbors that it was our anniversary, the reason for the photo shoot in front of our place.

We ended up at Kunio in Waikele, my favorite Japanese restaurant.  I love their salmon and tempura combo dinner.  Their california sushi rolls are amazing!

We stopped over next door for dessert where the cashier charged us for 3 instead of 2 cups.  Luckily we caught the mistake before we drove away.  Rudy went back in and opted to get the girls the 3rd as take out and surprise them in the morning with strawberry ice cream. :)

Hayden woke up before we arrived home, then Dakota woke up shortly after my mom left.  Hoping to continue our alone time was interrupted by baby girl and daddy cuddle time on the couch.  How precious is that?

Lately, life has taken over and things have not been easy with us.  Having raised my 3 adult kids who were between 7-10 when we got married, and now having 3 little girls ages 2,4, and 6 after 8 years of infertility and 2 pregnancy losses... so much has happened that has changed us.  Distractions come easy and time slips by.  Before we know it, we haven't had alone time to connect and work on us and on our marriage for a very.long.time.  My mom was gracious enough to watch the girls last week and this week on Thursdays so Rudy and I could take time out to re-connect.  It was nice.  We held hands, focused on one another, had nice conversation, all without stress, arguments, or getting short with one another.

We know these times for just us are important.  Having these two days for just ourselves has brought refreshment to us and have reminded us why we came together in the first place.  We do have a beautiful partnership and connection aside from our kids and family.  In all the chaos that is our life and with time sucking opportunity away from us, I will make it a point to fight for our alone time so we can be the best for our kids and family.

Here's to many more years to come, learning and growing together as ONE as God intended for us to do.

xoxo, Salena

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Embracing Your Life

I have been blessed with many kids.  I have come to believe that it is God's way to teach me the lessons I need to learn and to keep me grounded.  Although being a mother is a very hard job, it keeps me focused on what is most important.  In the little everyday simple things such as watching my little ones sleep or being next to them when they are falling asleep and snuggling into my arms or into their comfy beds.  Watching them get so excited to just do a simple nature walk and collect things that God has created and come back home to make a collage.  It is through my kids that I have learned how to Embrace Life the most.  God has used situations with my kids whether joyful ones or the down right traumatizing ones to point me in the direction I need to go.  In all the joys and heartbreaks of being a mom, it brings me back to enjoying every detail that most people would not.

Photography by Eddie King

It's not about having money or having all the material things that some work so hard for.  It's about stopping, being still and listening to one another.  Engaging, making eye contact, being attentive to those around you.  Connecting to others and letting them know you are there for them and are truly listening and care about who they are inside.  Life in general distracts us and God uses the things in our life to wake us up and to focus on what's important.  He reminds us that there is a great life that he has given us if we look beyond the distractions.


What about  you, how are you Embracing Your Life?

xoxo, Salena

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5 Moments I Would Live Over Again {Listable Life}

My wedding day

I would have done things differently for sure like put more money into a photographer and do a video.  Mostly I would have enjoyed every single moment.  The day went by so fast I could hardly remember any of it.  I would have made the day longer rather than rush through it like we did.

The birth of my six kids

I would love to live over the moment when each of them were placed in my arms and on my chest for the first time.  The moment we first met, it's the most precious thing ever.

The moments before Dakota's accident

I would like to go back to that moment and make a change of being at the pool with all of them and making sure I was helping to keep them safe rather than sitting by Hayden in the bassinet because I wasn't feeling well.  I could have been sitting on the chair besides the pool resting like Ashley said.

The moment I screamed at Ashley for leaving Dakota alone the day of her accident
I wish I could re-live that moment and have been in a better frame of mind.  I'm not sure I would have done things differently in the state of panic and shock I was in but I would take back the way I treated Ashley if it was at all possible.

The day of, and weeks after losing my babies
If I could live this time over again, I would have taken better care of myself and my husband in that moment.  I would have asked for help with my other kids, I would have taken as much time as emotionally necessary off of work with no excuses.  I would have allowed myself the time with my husband to mourn, cry, be still, and grieve alone.

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xoxo, Salena

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Treasured Time

 

I got to see my granddaughter Aaliyah twice this week.  I don't get to see her often so it was fun to have her over two days in a row.  She had fun playing with Dakota and Hayden while Aleshanee was at school

Dakota and I had one on one time and had fun together building a house for her little toys and then a witch house.  Not sure how she came up with that one but it was so much fun.

When Hayden woke up from her nap she put on her (well, mine but they took them from me and they think it's theirs) high shoes (that's what Aleshanee calls my heels), grabbed one of her many bags and was having fun walking around the house by herself.

Later, Aleshanee came home from school and while Dakota was napping... made this box car for Hayden and pulled her around the house for  a little while.  It's so nice seeing them play nicely together.

Daddy surprised us with a night out.  Money is really tight right now so these times have been scarce lately.  We got to go to Aleshanee's (well, my favorite now too) favorite place, Menchie's for yummy yogurt.  I could eat there everyday, I want some now.  :)

We strolled through our neighborhood mall for the evening.  The girls stopped to watch the fishes.  It was so cute because that's the first time the three of them sat together like this to watch, so quietly.  It was so cute to see Hayden pointing and trying to tell us something about the fish.

The girls stopped for a hula hoop session.  Aleshanee is a pro, and I don't mean that lightly.  She is a super pro.  Dakota, not so much.  She hasn't learned how to do it at all yet but she has fun trying.

Towards the end of our night, the girls spotted these green chairs.  They loved it so much they had to ask Daddy if they could get it.  I had told them no but they had to ask Daddy just to be sure.  I thought they were $18 each, crazy!  So we told them that if it was a few dollars (which we both knew it wasn't) that they could get it.  Took it to the price scanner, they were all excited with their hopes really high..... scanned.......... $23 each!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  What?????!!!! The girls were disappointed to say the least.  There were tears involved.  =(....  Daddy settled on a couple of stickers then they were happy.  By the way, those chairs were salon chairs for dolls.  What will they come up with next?

We all had fun.  It was nice to get out of the house for a change.  Having a tight budget, sky high gas prices, husband's work hours and overtime slowing down... these times are treasured.  Just being together, experiencing life, and being able to witness the girl’s reactions to things around them is just so precious.

All my heart…

Salena

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take time to smell the flowers

While rushing back from a potty break during our time at Costco, Dakota yelled out to me “Mommy, can I smell the flowers??!!”  At first I told her no because I wanted to get back to daddy and the girls to finish our shopping, it was closing time.  She again asked me “Please, can I smell the flowers?!” then it hit me.  What am I doing?  Why am I always in such a rush?  She reminded me that night to stop and enjoy the beauty around me, yes, even inside Costco.  Also to pay attention to my child who already has the heart to notice and allow her the moment to do so. 

My sweet Dakota… thank you for your innocent loving heart and for reminding me to stop and smell the flowers.  Such a simple moment but it was a beautiful one we enjoyed together.

All my heart,

Salena

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