Take Note!

I've shared with you our heartbreaking story of how my daughter Lexi lost her Flute. And how we thought she would have to give up something she loved so much, since my Husband & I had both lost our jobs & there was no way we could afford a new Instrument. And the miracle that followed. You can read all about it here!

Well I have a little update for you . . . since that time, Lexi has been practicing non stop. She finds popular songs she likes on the Internet, prints out the sheet music for it & sits for hours at a time learning them (Just for fun!) It's Zach on the guitar all over again! I've heard her in her room playing Bruno Mars, Kati Perry, Paramore, Taylor Swift & the song from Titanic! :)

And here's the exciting part: She made FIRST CHAIR! Yay Lexi! She just had her first Band Concert & there, next to her name in the program was an asteric denoting section leader! We are so proud of her. And I just had to share her good news! Of course I let the friends of ours who gave her the Flute know the day she found out she had made first chair! :)

300!

Yes! This is my 300th Blog Post! Can you believe it?! 300!

I officially Launched my Blog on June 6th, 2008. With my very first post Why This Blog. Seems like a lifetime ago, yet just like it was yesterday! Though I don't have the time to put into it like I would like to, I just love Blogging. I read that Blogging is a Continuing Conversation. I like that. I've been continuing this conversation for Two and a half years now! :) Glad you've stuck around & continue to converse with me. Or for those of you who are newer to the Blog, I'm so grateful you have joined the conversation. Another quote I've found is A Blog is a Tool that lets you do anything from change the world to share your shopping list. (haha how true!)

Google Analytics keeps track of everything like how many views my Blog has each month, and which posts they are reading, which web sites my viewers come from, key words people search for on Google that brings them to my Blog, etc. Most months are pretty much the same, I get viewers coming over from My Husbands Blog, from some Group pages for Pastor wives I'm a part of, from other Blogs I read & comment on. From Facebook and Twitter, and a few even find it on their own!

This past December I had over 1200 views! My biggest month EVER! And the funny thing is all I Blogged about that whole month was The 12 Days Of Christmas Movies! I wanted something fun & different and knew I wouldn't have much free time to come up with Blog Posts since starting a new job in a very busy store during the Holidays! (And you know how I love all things Christmas!) But, now, with all those people reading my posts, I'm wondering if I missed my calling in life & I should have been a movie critic! :0

My Number One read & commented on Blog Post continues to be Teens & Tattoos! It may slip into the number 2 slot for a month, then it goes right back up to the top slot! People are brought to my blog if they search for things like parenting Teens, Jr. Highers, Twins, Boys, Girls, Pastor's Kids, etc. (I guess I've got them all covered!) I see many people who search Thyroid Disease and find me. And the most (& pretty much only) disturbing thing about my Blog is there are people out there who search the Internet (pretty much every single month) for: mom son sex. And I think it is hilarious that Google sends them to my little Blog about trying to raise good kids! I'm sure those people don't find it funny, but do I care what they think? Um, NO!

But, I don't only "converse" about my kids & my life, People also find my Blog, by looking up information on Books or Movies, if I've Blogged about them, they get sent here! The most found in the Book category is my Lessons Learned From Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons. And the most found Movie is It's Kind Of A Funny Story. And you know, I'm always reading! There are so many more books & movies to explore! There I am back at being a movie critic!

So, who knows what my Blog will look like in 300 more posts! (or 100 for that matter!) With my kids getting older, things change. But, I will try my best to keep the conversation going! And I hope you will continue to join me, YOU make the conversation so much richer. I can't thank you enough.

Talk with you soon,

Love, Star*

My Changing Roles!

I've been thinking lately about how much my life has changed over the last couple of years. And it has caused me to reflect back on how we as women are always changing the roles we lead in life . . . we are a Girl, Daughter, Sister, Friend, Girlfriend, Woman, Fiance, Co-worker, Wife, Aunt, Mother, Grandmother, this list is endless!

In my little niche of the world, For the last 20+ years, I've been a Pastor's Wife. Working in the Church, Teaching Classes of all ages, Working Camps, Leading Groups, Organizing & Running Events, another endless list. But this too has changed. During all this time I was an At Home Mom, raising my kids while doing all the above.

But as my kids got older, I was ready for something different. So, I went back to work in a part time job. That soon put me on a Career path. And I now find myself working full time in management. I Love my Job! But it did change things, both at home & at Church. When I'm not working, I'm with my family. They always have been my priority! That's one thing that hasn't changed. The Laundry though, is never done. (oh well, I'll never cry over that one!)

I am still part of on line groups of Pastor's Wives, but I kinda feel like a fraud. Because though I am still technically a "Pastor's Wife," I'm not really working in that role much anymore. I don't have time to teach classes, lead groups or organize & run events. (I don't even have time to just attend many of those events!) If I make it to a service each week, I'm happy!

If someone would have told me a few years ago this would be my life, I don't think I would have believed them. It's so different. Yet both are rewarding & fulfilling! And it's funny how they both seem to fit me. I wouldn't have thought I would be a Career Woman, yet here I am. Just the other day at work a customer I was helping told me I had helped her once before during Christmas time when the store was extremely hectic, she said "I've taught Customer Service to corporations for years, and I just wanted to tell you, you are good at it!" I thanked her & continued to help her find what she needed, but later as I thought about it, It dawned on me that maybe it comes naturally to me because of my "former life." I mean if you work with people in one area, you probably can in another, right?

Weather it's in the Church world, the Corporate world, or at Home, people are people. They just want someone to listen to them. Some things are universal. I am a people person, and where ever I am, I guess it works for me. I miss some aspects of being at home full time & of working more in the Church, but I'm really enjoying working. Maybe some day that will change again. But there's an old saying:

This is me, just trying to Bloom wherever God sees fit to put me!

What roles are you playing at this time in your life?

Be A Fan!

Now you can become a fan of my Blog on Facebook!
I know, your super excited! Right?! :)

Well, one of my New Years Resolutions this year
was to create a Fan Page on Facebook for my Blog.
Hey, it's only almost the end of February & I've already done it!

(Well, okay, I've started it!)
(It's definitely a work in progress)

But, I wanted to post it on here so you can "Like" it to help me get it started!
Just click here to find my page!
Or you can always friend me as well,
After all it is called Social Media!
Let's be social! :)

I Love Us!

Look at Us: Then & Now!
Still Together!

I Love Us!

Happy Valentines Day!
I Hope you all are having a wonderful day celebrating Love today!

A Scent For All Seasons!

I was recently helping a customer who wanted to find what she called her "signature scent", she wanted to find her favorite fragrance. One that she would wear all the time & when other people smelled that fragrance they would think of her! We were successful in finding her fragrance. I on the other hand, prefer a variety in my fragrances. I have favorites that wear at certain times of the year . . .

My fragrance right now, in the winter, is Midnight Pomegranate! I Love it!

A nice light fragrance to wear in the Spring time,
for me is Cucumber Melon.

My favorite in the Summer time is the Coconut Vanilla!
I can't get enough of it! Good thing summer in Arizona is long!

A good one for the Fall is Warm Vanilla Sugar!

And I Love wearing Twisted Peppermint,
and smelling like Candy Canes all throughout the Holidays! :)

And with Valentines day soon approaching,
my favorite fragrance from Victoria's Secret is called Love Spell.
Good thing we are owned by the same company,
so I get my employee discount there too!

And Red Door is my favorite Perfume!

And of course my girls (& their friends) love that I work at Bath & Body works too! And we have some soft light fragrances that are great for young girls as well. My girls favorites are:

Secret Wonderland!

And Sweet Pea is another good one for that age group!

I have a coworker who always picks out a new fragrance to take on a trip with her. That way it is forever burned in her mind, that when she smells that smell, she will think of that trip! For instance, she's going to her daughters wedding back east in a few months, and she has a new fragrance already bought that she's never worn before. So now & forever, when she smells it she will think of her daughters wedding! I think that is a pretty cool idea!

What is your fragrance? Do you wear just one? Or do you change with the seasons? Or better yet, with your moods? :) There are of course many more to choose from than I've listed here! And you would think every fragrance known to man has been made, but they always seem to come out with new ones! So to get yours, come see me, I am after all a paid professional! :)

And To Think It Happened In Public School!

We have always had our kids in Public Schools. My Husband & I are Products of Public Schools. (no smart remarks here, please) :) Some states we've lived in have had better schools than other states we've lived in. And at times, in the Church world, there has been tremendous pressure to place your kids in Christian Schools, or to Home School them. I feel strongly that each family has to do what is best for their own Children. For mine, I knew Home Schooling would NOT be what's best for them! If I had had to Home School my oldest son, one of us would probably not be alive now! :) And as a teenager, I think I would have loved to be in a Christian School!

But as a parent, & for our kids, Sports & Music Programs were & are VERY important to us! And many private schools don't offer those things. And as a Christian, I couldn't help but think if all Christian kids are put in Christian Schools, who's doing what we were put here for, which is to reach the world?! Starting in our own neighborhoods! If every Christian our neighbors know segregates themselves to their own Churches & Schools, Social Clubs. etc. What's left? We should be part of the world around us. There is a saying "no one will care how much you know, until they know how much you care."

But, back to Public Schools . . . My kids have had to wear School Uniforms in some of those schools. They have had GREAT teachers & some not so great! (and some pretty bad!) But, most teachers are really good, & are there because they love kids & love what they do. It's certainly not for the money! Unfortunately we do not pay teachers what they deserve! I think we should switch pay scales between Teachers & Professional Athletes! After all who deserves our praise & pay? The educated one that is teaching our children & preparing them for the future. Or someone who can play a game? Don't get me wrong, I love sports! I'm just saying I think we have our priorities a little out of whack here!

I'll never forget my oldest son Kyle's first day of Jr. High School. It was a new school for him, he hadn't gone to elementary school with any of the kids in this Jr. High School since we had just moved to the area. I pulled into the school parking lot to pick him up after school & I spot him standing on the sidewalk waiting for me, WITH A TEACHER! I thought Oh Great, what has he done already? It's the first day of school remember. The Teacher walks up to me & says "Hello Mrs. Forbis, we had a little problem in class today," ( I can't remember if it was Math or English, or what class exactly this had occurred in) "Kyle said the word 'Crap' more than once!" Maybe I was wrong, but I felt relieved! I was proud of myself that I did refrain from laughing. If that is the worse my child does, than that is a good thing in my opinion! In the car, I asked Kyle what had happened, he said he said "Oh crap" about something & all the kids laughed. So he, who likes to be liked, continued to say it & to get laughs. He did say his teacher was a religious person, and this word offended her. Understandable. We now joke about this incident, that as soon as she told me what happened, I should have yelled at Kyle: "What the crap did you say that for?!" haha And keep in mind this was a large public school in a large metropolitan area. It just seemed a little funny to us that this is what a kid would get in trouble for when there are kids using real swear words, not to mention drugs most likely. But Kyle never said crap in her class again. :) And has gone on to make us proud & to get good grades in College!

My second son, Zach who is in his first year of College on an academic scholarship. Got a letter last night informing him that he has been inducted into the International Honor Society for Community Colleges! Which can lead to more scholarships in the future! What a Brainiac! (He didn't get that from me!) :) We are so proud of him! And again he is a product of Public Schools!

And now my baby girls have started Jr. High School. It's a big scary world out there! I was surprised to receive this E-mail from one of their teachers this past Friday:

Happy Weekend!

I wanted to take a moment to celebrate and thank the parents that do so much for their kids. The ones who have the patience to work through homework every night, drive their kids around everywhere, and never give up on their teenagers who sometimes might drive them crazy. You are doing a great job- I know this because your child comes to school each day ready to learn, has amazing classroom behavior, works hard on their assignments, and is someone I can trust to be a responsible leader in the classroom. I give so much of my time emailing about concerns and problems- and not enough pointing out the wonderful job you and your child are doing. I know that great kids are a direct result of great parenting. SO THANK YOU…IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO TEACH YOUR CHILD!

Now if you are a mom, you know you usually only hear from a teacher if there is a problem with your child. (like with Kyle above!) :) It was so nice to get something positive. I'm grateful for & thankful to, all the great Teachers out there! Keep up the good work! Our kids & our future depend on you!