Ballerina!

Keira took her first ballet class today! She's been sooooo excited about becoming a ballerina. The outfit was very important....of course it had to be all pink. She was very serious and attentive to everything her teacher said. I can't believe my baby is big enough to take ballet already!

Happy Birthday Kim!!

My dear friend Kim turned 40 this week!! To celebrate we had a 1970's Dance Party! Blue eye shadow, polyester, gold chains and disco ruled the night.
Everyone had so much fun and totally got into the spirit of the night. Of course, the free flowing spirits helped quite a bit. A bit too much Tanqueray and Tonic on my part......slept until about 3 today.....but hey, that was partying in the '70's right??!!??

Happy Birthday Breck Girl!!

My Precocious Princess

Oh My Darling Daughter! I'm never sure what she will do or say next!

This morning we had 30 spare minutes between dropping the boys off at school and having to drop her off at school. That's plenty of time to run to the grocery store and Starbucks.....until I run into a friend I haven't seen for awhile. While she and I chatted, Keira began expressing her iritation at the fact I hadn't bought her a muffin or coffee from Starbucks or doughnuts from the grocery store. Gema and I were just ignoring her ranting until, in her lovliest voice, Keira says, "Mommy, don't make me fire you!"

Ah ha! So my friend gets to see the "true essence" of Keira and me....well we jumped right into the car, zipped up to her school and blessed her teachers with her presence this morning.

Oh So Sad

This is my dear friend Julie .... She's 28, a wife and mother to 2 beautiful little girls.

Julie has always had asthma but right before Thanksgiving she really began having trouble breathing. The doctors upped the amount of meds in her inhaler and some other things but nothing seemed to be working. In the last few weeks every breath has been a struggle for her. Yesterday she had to be taken to the ER and through the course of this weekend the news is this.....

Julie basically has end stage emphysema...she's never smoked or lived with any smokers, never has had any jobs that would put her lungs at risk....it's all baffling to the doctors. When I left the hospital today the Drs. were in the process of getting paperwork filled out to get her transferred to a lung treatment center.....in a nutshell that means she will be on the list for a lung transplant and it needs to happen sooner than later.

This has happened so rapidly....all of us that love and care about her and her family are trying to rally around and support them with positive faces and attitudes.....but at the same time we're struggling with what the future holds for them.

If you are a praying person could you please lift them up in your prayers? Julie is a true woman of faith and knows that her God is in control of all of this and His will is what will be done. But as for me, my will is that she will be healed fully and completely and soon.

My Next Tattoo

I really think I need to get a tattoo that reads

JUST SAY NO

Why is it so hard for me to tell people NO??? I think I am just one of those "people pleasers"....never wanting to disappoint anyone but then totally burning myself out because I can't say No when I should.

Maybe if I learn to say no in some foreign languages it might make it easier.....any suggestions?

I've Quirked My Son!

Yes! My poor son is going to turn out as quirky as I am.....is it because he's the first born and I just coddled him too much or (spoken with horror) is it because he's like me?!?!?!




He's no Monk but here are some examples :

- He agreed with me that color coding his Legos was a good idea so we have a box for each color
- He won't let his friends come into our house unless they take off their shoes first
- He's totally grossed out if someone puts their hands or mouths on a faucet
- He can only sleep if he's given the "tight tuck" first
- Shoes cannot be tied and if they are they have to be tied around his ankles

I know some of these things seem totally normal, but he's only 7 and I listen to him talking to his friends about some of these and other things and his friends just look at him like he's from another planet!

I Resolve to Resolve

I've never made New Year's Resolutions....I've always thought that if there was something about me that needed to be fixed I should do it right then and there....not wait until the New Year.

Last year I did this layout for the Diva Contest at ScrapAddict
but I hadn't even thought about it until today. Looks like I went 1 for 3, Greg went 1 for 3, Keira went 2 for 3 and Kade went 3 for 3! Leave it to my overachieving son to meet all this goals!!

So this year I am actually going to come up with sincere resolutions and consciously try to achieve them. I think 4 will be enough - one for every three months. So here we go.....

1. Lose 8 pounds - harder than 5 but easier than 10 and doesn't everyone have some kind of weightloss goal??

2. Be a better listener - really try to hear what other people are actually telling me

3. Get a layout or project published....I guess this is my selfish goal....I think it would be very cool to see something I have created in print

4. Trust and never doubt my faith

So what about you??

No More Coincidences

The word coincidence is officially gone from my vocabulary. I am convinced now more than ever, that every step we take is directed. Every missed offramp has a purpose. Every annoyance that slows us down was placed there with a mission. Curious as to why....here goes.....


Kathy, Letty, Cathy and I went to P.F. Chang's to celebrate my birthday the other night. We had a great dinner but lots of little things happened which seemed totally inconsequential at the time, but now I realize they were HUGE factors in the Holy Cow portion of the night.

Some of the little things - Letty hit every red light on her way to pick all of us up making us 20 minutes late for our reservation - the appetizer chef was backed up so it took us longer to get our Lettuce Wraps than usual - in all we ended up spending 4 hours at the restaurant but it was 4 great hours!

Now the little things on the drive home - Kathy had to pick up Ken's car on the way home(because she didn't have time to do it with him that morning) so we we're trying to figure out which off ramp to take. She said "take off ramp #1" I said "no it's off ramp #2" so we bypassed #1 and got off at #2, which of course was the wrong off ramp (#1 was right - oops!).

Now the Holy Cow! - As we started trying to back track to where we were supposed to be we came to a red light at an intersection of a freeway overpass. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something move, then the light turned green and I realized it was a person, over the fence standing on the edge of the overpass! I told the girls and they were like "are you sure?", "now way".....so we proceed to pick up Kathy's car and decide to drive back that way just to make sure that I was wrong. But I wasn't wrong - there was a guy standing on the edge of the overpass looking down, drinking a beer.....I freaked! I called 911 and we went and parked in an alley where we could still see him. It seemed like forever before the 1st sheriff arrived and even then the guy would not get off the overpass - he was a jumper! So we pulled out of the alley so we could ID ourselves to the police if necessary. They closed down the freeway...more and more police came....they were down on the freeway....on the hillside leading up to the overpass....around the guy trying to talk to him. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity - he got down! I can even find the right word to describe how this all felt!

Looking back on all the little things that happened I realize we were meant to be there. The red lights, little annoyances....if they hadn't have happened who knows...........


But leave it to Greg to be able to make me laugh last night - while we were in the alley waiting for the police to show up I called him. Told him what was happening and he says "Honey, you don't have to call and make up some crazy crap about why you're late. Just say you're late." Right about then the cops showed up and Kathy was yelling "there's the cops! they're going over to him!" Greg says, "See, I can even hear Kathy in the background egging you on."

Yesterday we found out that the guy is on a suicide watch somewhere. I'm praying for him, whoever he is, and his circumstances.

So my big point of the day.....Don't get mad when you hit all the red lights - there may be someone around the corner who needs you to be there!

The Birthday Tattoo!!

I did it!! Greg took me on my birthday for my new tattoo!!




Here I am at 36 with my first tattoo!! A 36 year old, Volvo driving, suburban mommy and wife - some might say this is one of my unpolitically correct moves -- but I LOVE IT!

There's a story behind this of course. I'm really tired of people being judged based on the outside. I have some really Godly friends that are inked all over....and just because they have tattoos they are preceived as being "less worthy of salvation"...hmmmm.....I have actually had a conversation with a friend who thought my tattoo was a sin....but then we talked, read the Bible and amazingly enough...not a sin! In fact, I think of my tattoo as a form of silent witness. Now, I haven't been to church since I did this so I'm sure there will be more to tell!!

We all just need to look at a person's heart and inside....not how they look on the outside!

Merry Christmas!

I saw a great sign today - it said "Merry Christmas Spoken Here" ... it struck me since it seems that 'Merry Christmas' is being replaced by 'Happy Holidays' in an effort to be politically correct.

As I sit here tonight and reflect on the day and who I am, I have decided I am probably totally politically incorrect as someone can come...but I am happy with me, comfortable and secure in what I believe...and my kids seem to think I'm okay! Greg only had to throw things at me a couple of times during the holiday dinner table to get me to zip the lip, but hey, he loves me anyway! :)

Some think I'm an enigma or oxymoron - (don't really like the moron part of that word!), I'll settle for woman of international intrigue and mystery.... well, I'll keep telling myself that anyway!

As this new year comes upon us I want to wish you all the Lord's abundant blessings and peace in your life. Seek Him and you will find it....it's not easy....but then again things worth having never are.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

Yes - today is the day......36 years!! Wow - where does the time go!!?? For some reason this birthday is bugging me....is it because I'm halfway to 72...move into a new age bracket....realize that when my mom was 36 I was 18... Who Knows!

Oh well, had a nice morning...got a fuzzy new robe, original artwork by Kade and knives, if you can believe it. Greg actually got me knives! I'm not even supposed to cut things if he's not home....to many sharp object accidents you know!

Here is a layout I did for the Junkitz DT Call about who I was at 35....who I was....yesterday.....still pretty much the same today....but I think an at 36 layout will be showing up in the near future!

I've Been Tagged!!

Got tagged by [url=http://deannakroll.blogspot.com/]Deanna[/url] so here we go!!

The rules for this particular tagging are as follows:

Remove the blog name in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add yourself to the bottom slot.

1. Kdubs
2. Courtney
3. Beth
4. Deanna (View of Life)
5. Julie B

Then you get to select five people to pass the love on to.

1. Anita
2. Laura
3. Jill
4. Cynthia
5. Meghan

Now, on to the questions!

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Enjoying my first year of marriage!

What were you doing one year ago?
Same thing as today, living one day at a time!

Five snacks you enjoy:
1. Nacho Cheese Doritos
2. Sweet Pickles
3. Almond Joy
4. String Cheese
5. Cashews

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
1. Barney Theme Song
2. This Woman's Work by Kate Bush
3. Dora the Explorer Theme Song
4. We Will Rock You by Queen
5. Blvd. of Broken Dreams by Green Day

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Pay for my kiddos college education
2. Go on a shoe shopping spree
3. Donate $ to an AIDS Orphanage in South Africa
4. Help our the homeless in my own community
5. Vacation!

Five bad habits:
1. Potty Mouth
2. Paying no attention to my budget
3. Being a little judgemental
4. Buying to many pairs of shoes
5. Binge eating

Five things you like doing:

1. Scrapbooking
2. Sleeping
3. Spending time with family and friends
4. Enjoying a great meal
5. SHOPPING!!!

Five things you would never wear, buy, or get new again:
1. Lycra bike shorts
2. Leather Maternity Pants (yes I did!!)
3. Crop tops
4. Polyester
5. a really little bikini

Five favorite toys:
1. DSL
2. TiVo
3. Cell Phone
4. i Pod
5. Caller ID

This Guy!!

I have to give a huge shout out to my honey! He has truly kept the Bergman house in working order the last week. The kids have been gotten ready for school and bed, bathed, read to, prayed with, played with - (not sure what they ate ;) ) and my kitchen is totally clean!

Greg - I LOVE YOU! I APPRECIATE YOU! You are everything and that is enough!

Two Posts in One Day??

How could that be?? Well, when I was blog surfing I came across this fun quiz in Carolyn's blog. So which reindeer are you?

You Are Prancer

You are the perfect reindeer, with perfect hooves and perfect flying form. Why You're Naughty: Because you're Santa's pet, and you won't let anyone show you up. Why You're Nice: You have the softest fur and the sweetest carrot breath.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

The Upside of Illness

Day 5 of being in bed with some viral nastiness!! Honestly I can never remember being this sick in my life!! I find myself wallowing in self-pity, missing the kids Christmas programs, holiday parties, a surprise party for my birthday that some friends at work set up......so to snap out of it I decided to list some of the good points!

1. 5 days of not eating - a great head start to the "lose weight" New Year's Resolution.

2. The kids are actually depending on Daddy to read goodnight stories, help brush hair, etc. Cool!!

3. My skin looks great! It's super hydrated since all I've been doing is drinking!!

4. Haven't done any housecleaning, laundry......but the house is still clean and the laundry is done - thanks Mom and Greg!!

5. People bring you soup. Delicious, homemade soup....my friend Lynette did this Chicken Enchilada Soup last night....oh my gosh...fabulous!

So I need to focus on these!! But still...Santa, could you bring me my health back??

Bleech!

Kade has had a funky cough for a week...he's been feeling fine other than that....yesterday morning Keira woke up with a 102.5 temperature.....very sick! Now this morning Mommy has the funky cough....lucky Daddy....he's out playing golf!

But sick or not....we've got things to do!! Our home has been missing one essential Christmas element - the tree!! So today is the day. Last year we did the Lowe's Christmas Tree Hunt. Here's the layout from that.






This year I think we'll be giving the Home Depot Lot a look!

the X marks the spot game

Okay - I'm getting hooked on these funny little getting to know you blog games. Got this one of Felicia's blog...after you've read mine....do one of your own. :)

Silly little thing, just put an X next to what you HAVE done

(x) smoked a cigarette - I was trying to get a guy to quite liking me, thought maybe this would do it
( ) crashed a friend's car
(x) stolen a car - but it was with my best friend and it was her mom's car
(x) been in love
(x) been dumped
( ) shoplifted as a chil
( ) been fired
( ) been in a fist fight
(x) snuck out of your parents' house
(x) had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
( ) gone on a blind date
(x) lied to a friend - big mistake!
(x) skipped school
(x) seen someone die - the most impacting moment of my life
( ) been to Canada
(x) been to Mexico
(x) been on a plane
( ) purposely set a part of yourself on fire
(x) eaten sushi
(x) been skiing - water and snow
(x) met someone from the Internet - all my SA friends!
(x) been at a concert
(x) taken painkillers
(x) love someone or miss someone right now
(x) laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by
(x) made a snow angel
(x) had a tea party
(x) flown a kite
(x) built a sand castle
(x) gone puddle jumping - want to do it again if it will ever rain in SoCal
(x) played dress up
(x) jumped into a pile of leaves
(x) gone sledding
(x) cheated while playing a game as a kid
(x) been lonely
(x) fallen asleep at work/school
(x) used a fake ID
(x) watched the sun set
(x) felt an earthquake
(x) slept beneath the stars
(x) been tickled
(x) been robbed - at gunpoint - it SUCKS!
(x) been misunderstood
(x) petted a reindeer/goat/kangaroo/deer Goats...
(x) won a contest
(x) run a red light/stop sign
(x) been suspended from school - for coming to school drunk on a double dare
(x) had braces
(x) felt like an outcast/third person
(x) eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
(x) had déjà vu
( ) danced in the moonlight
(x) liked the way you looked
(x) witnessed a crime !
(x) questioned your heart
( ) been obsessed with post-it notes
(x) squished mud through your bare feet
(x) been lost
(x) been on the opposite side of the country - DC and CA
(x) swam in the ocean
(x) felt like dying
(x) cried yourself to sleep
(x) played cops and robbers
(x) recently colored with crayons
(x) sang karaoke - cover your ears!!
(x) paid for a meal with only coins
(x) done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(x) made prank phone calls
(x) laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) danced in the rain
(x) written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) watched a sunrise with someone you love
(x) blown bubbles with the kids
(x) made a bonfire on the beach
(x) crashed a party
(x) gone roller-skating
(x) had a wish come true
(x) jumped off a bridge - not off a bridge but out of a plane


WOW! This makes me feel like I've done a lot of fun stuff! Some good and funny memories came back from doing this.

I'm Still Not Asleep......

Surfing my friends' blogs........Kim had this cool quiz......

Check me out!!


You're a punk rock mommy! DIY is probably your
motto, because you're a punk mama at heart.
Your kids are getting your independent spirit
and guts, and learning to solve problems
themselves. You love it when they show their
independence, even when it's breaking your
heart.


What kind of a freaky mother are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Fun quiz!! Try it!

I Can't Sleep!!

Doggone it! I am so tired..........so tired that I can't sleep....must be up in 5 hours....I'm sure I'll be sleeping well then.

Do you ever wonder why some people just seem to have a negative personality? Take joy in making others miserable? Complain about little insignificant things? I've been wondering about this a lot today - probably because a person like this has been affecting me today......probably another reason I can't sleep....trying to formulate some kind of response to this person.

What I really want to say and what I will say are two different things....so I'm trying to take the raw emotion and turn it into something that could become productive and not actually fuel this little insignificant fire. Oh I could go for the 5 Alarm Fire and blow this baby up! But we're really trying to teach Kade to let the small crap roll off his back....if I'm going to preach it I better live it!

So what do you think - I will see this person on Friday (along with about 30 others) and could do this face to face or I can email tomorrow and try to smooth out some of the rough spots. What would you do? What sucks is that this also is affecting a very dear friend who shouldn't have to be dealing with petty stuff right now!

Okay I've rambled enough..............back to my warm cozy bed........

The Sun is Going Down

on another Sunday. What a week! I have felt like I was chasing myself trying to catch up all week long. And yet....here I sit....definitely not caught up!

At church today our youth pastor taught and he was on fire!! He was so passionate about what he was teaching....but I felt sooo bad for him because I was feeling like a lot of it was falling on deaf ears. Greg and I were sitting in the very back and I was just not feeling the love...but then again, I shouldn't be judging because who knows what was going on in people's hearts.

That's a tough thing for me....not judging others.....it's in our (or at least my)nature to do it.....I really need to make a more concious effort to stop it! You know - whatever you judge by is the same measure you too will be judged.

So from now on I will try to make this a non-judgemental blog!