For me, this is it.
I wish to just be with my family and friends. That’s it. I don’t long for anything else. I want to see Kimmy and Tricia and Johnny and my mom and dad and nieces. I want to see my BFFS and I want to share life’s experience together.
The simple life is good.
Well, I do long for a beach house so that my family and friends can come hang and relax with me and hopefully someone will bring a guitar.
Life is good. What do you wish for?
nAMaste
I’ve been thinking about opinions lately.
In my family, we have lots of opinions and strong feelings and ideas. We are not afraid to share them and debate them and argue our sides. We are passionate and rather confident with what we each believe, which is healthy and great, but having lots of opinions can sometimes and most times, conflict and bounce against each other creating friction and tension.
I’m not even talking about philosophical opinions. Just basic and strong opinions, like which way the toilet paper roll should hang, or whether we should go for a hike. Sometimes they are over where people should sit. I mean these are really important things to feel strongly about and to discuss and debate, am I right?
The last couple of times I’ve been home, I’ve been practicing having less opinions and listening more than talking. Can I just tell you how much peace I experienced? Maybe I even offered peace to others through my stillness and acceptance of what was and by not reacting to opinions that were different than mine. I actually enjoyed listening to the debates and not partaking in the conversation, except as a listener, smiling and nodding. I didn’t feel any tension or stress and this was an A-HA moment. I let people be and didn’t try to move the ocean current of debate in any particular direction. I was just present.
I thought about the Girls’ trips I’ve been on and how much joy I experienced in this type of setting. One of the reasons why I love them so much, is because everyone just goes with the flow and the opinions about what to eat, where to go and what to do are carefree and easy and there is usually immediate group consensus without conflict. An A-HA connection! Our opinions are in alignment, almost immediately.
Now I’m not advocating being boring and a bump on a log without any feelings or expressions. I’m just wondering if we practice being a little bit more accepting and flowing with other people’s opinions without feeling as strongly about our own or thinking that they are wrong, that we might swirl our ideas together like dance partners and just enjoy being in the moments together a little longer, in sync. We might just celebrate our gifts versus our gaps. Just sayin’
Well, that’s just my opinion. 😉
nAMaste
We bought new board games this break and played together. This made me very happy! I loved watching the cousins play together at my parent’s house and I loved playing at my house too. 
I absolutely love playing games and am so quietly competitive and have been my entire life. I silently laugh when I win and beat my kids and husband. That seems like such a bad trait, yet at least I’m good at something!
My favorite question tonight that my family had to answer for me, wondering what my opinion would be was, “if I could be the best in the world at something, what would I choose?”
What would you choose? What would you want to be the best at?
I thought about my answer while they wrote down their thoughts. I was happy with their ideas on what I might think I’d like to be the best at. They chose: teaching happiness, soccer, and wife/family woman.
They made me smile. I had to pick from their ideas and I chose wife/family woman as my top pick.
I am a wife and family woman and those roles make up my primary identity.
My choice was to be the best me I can be. Here I am.
Of course I picked the philosophical question – next time I’ll pick “what would be the weirdest job” and stump them! 🙂
Happy New Year. Don’t forget to play!
nAMaste
Here I am. There You are!! How are you? I hope you’re enjoying the last few days of 2015.
Here I am, playing and exploring and relaxing with my family this afternoon on the Stanford campus, downtown Palo Alto and at home sweet home. I want to share with you some of the beautiful and fun things we discovered while wandering and exploring and geocaching.
The oval.
Gorgeous light on a naked tree in a green field. 
Exploring the new arts building.
Gorgeous planters around campus. 
Exercise as play. 
Charlie found the smallest geocache ever and was so proud and excited!
Playing with shapes.
Hoover Tower as the sun went down.
Playing together at home.
Life is good.
Happy almost New Year. Wishing you lots of love and peace!
nAMaste
Today I enjoyed family time at the ice skating rink, celebrating the holidays with friends and family. Thanks to K&B for hosting all of us.
Today was good.
I was also thankful that my family helped me wrap all the presents today and we were done within 2 hours. This was a huge change from years gone by and they took the stress away. This made me very happy!
Wishing you a Merry Christmas!
nAMaste
I got to enjoy all my family members, one on one today throughout the day and that made me happy. This is what I wanted for Christmas, and it came early!
Charlie brought his bagel with him to my desk while I was working and decided to just sit on my lap and talk with me. With one hand, he shared a bite and he wrapped the other arm around my neck. I enjoyed his presence and did not rush him off, which felt good. He innocently wanted to be with me and didn’t have to say a word and I heard it.
Christian and I went driving together and practiced his skills behind the wheel, with him driving us to get his hair cut and then to look for new shoes. Â I realize that early next year, he will be able to drive himself and we won’t share these moments as frequently, if at all. I enjoyed his company.
Jeff came home from work before I had to leave and we sat on the couch by our Christmas tree together for 10 minutes, sharing a conversation before the next round of evening events. I loved that we both took the time to just chill and that the kids let us be without interrupting every 2 minutes.
Finally, Juliana came with me to my Christmas gift exchange party tonight and I was elated that she even wanted to come. She’s a high schooler and still likes me!  I loved sharing glances and watching her interact with my friends, and enjoying the evening together.  She is my angel.
Life is good, despite the stress and busyness of the holiday and work season, for those who choose presence.
Be present, BeLoveRs and choose to Be in the moments as they present themselves. Wishing you love and light and presence.
nAMaste
After spending several days with family, eating and drinking and just being together, we are spending our last day of vacation recharging at my other happiest place on earth, the beach.
We got here in time to see the sun setting behind the clouds. Isn’t it just so peaceful to see?
After an early dinner and watching the first half of the Stanford / Notre Dame game, I took the kids swimming and sat by the fire for hours while Jeff and Christian enjoyed watching Stanford win in the final five seconds of the game. Our friends are also staying at the same hotel, which made our shared experience even better. 
They even had s’mores and hot chocolate for the kids and big kids alike. We are so lucky!
This is what happiness feels like and looks like to me.
What does happiness feel like and look like to you?
I wish you well.
nAMaste
This is how Italian’s celebrate together the night before the Thanksgiving feast !
Manga!! Salud!!
May you all be blessed with love and grace. Happy pre-Thanksgiving Eve!!
nAMaste
Today is Veteran’s Day and we all took the day off to remember what this day means to Americans. This year we visited Santa Clara University, where they conducted a brief program, wreath laying, and had a special celebration to mark the 240th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps.
My take away from listening to one of the service men, was that the people who choose to serve in the military, choose to serve others. They choose to sacrifice and give up their comforts and freedom to protect our American values and to represent us and to keep us safe. They go off to Afghanistan and Iraq and other places to fight evil and to protect our freedoms. They give of themselves to give to us. Isn’t this an amazing concept?  What are we doing to serve others? We need to continue thinking about what we can do to create a better world vs. thinking about what’s in it for me?  We get to shape and live our American values through our choices.
Tonight at our children’s gathering at church, the kids and kid leaders worked together to fill over 140 lunch bags with healthy food items and love notes and rain ponchos to give out to others who might be less fortunate.
We are living our values. We are loving each other. We are making a difference, one tiny step at a time. Each child took home 1 to 3 bags so that they could give them out to people they meet in the community who may need loving and comfort. They are learning American values to take care of the less fortunate and to be giving. I am so proud.
So many people fight over religion or race or the color of Starbucks cups, but let’s remember that we get to choose because we are free. We can make the world a better place with one bag, one hug, one smile, one tour, one love. You have power. Use it wisely. Love yourself and love others – love is the great equalizer.
nAMaste and thank you, veterans for your service and for churches who bring people together to serve others.
Jeff and I decided to walk to our downtown farmer’s market this morning.
Surprisingly, all three kids decided to join us. Walking together reminded me of the times we walked together through Amsterdam and I was thankful they were all with me. It felt weird walking a mile and a half through residential streets when most people are not out walking. We don’t live in a walking kind of town, but it felt good to be an outlier.
I loved walking and people watching and tasting fresh fruits and cheeses. We liked seeing all the vendors, fruits and veggies displays, and listening to the music performers.
I loved the lighting on the veggies.
Each of us chose something for brunch and we found a table where we could sit together and share a family potluck meal, even sharing utensils. It felt like we were camping. The crazy thing was that both Jeff and I felt the same way and we both said the exact same expression simultaneously. This was so eerily weird and cool at the same time.
While walking back home, we stopped in to see our friends and shared a cup of coffee. I love that this was even a possibility.
These are the best days, simple and sweet.
Life is good, outdoors.
here i am 