My Inner Child

Last night, I had the strangest dream.  I dreamt that I was at my junior high school looking for the younger version of myself.  I knew exactly where she would be and when I got to her I stood in front of her.  I was a head taller than her, so she was looking up at me smiling, but I could feel that there was nothing behind that smile. I proceeded to hug her tightly and said "You are alright.  Everything is going to be alright" and then I woke up.  What's strange is that I knew I was dreaming and that I had to find myself to console my inner child who still struggles with childhood wounds in order to heal as an adult.  But I didn't have enough time.  I didn't get to tell her that she was perfect the way she is, that she was good enough, that she was accepted, that she was worthy, that her opinion matters, that she was not to blame for other people's mistakes, that she didn't have to carry the burden of taking the role of a parent when she was just a child, that the world wasn't a scary place, and that she deserved to be happy.  I didn't get to teach her how to express herself through words instead of throwing a tantrum or pouting, to love everyone as God loved her, to feel comfortable in her own skin and run her own race, to forgive and receive forgiveness, to dream big and then pursue those dreams, to stand up for herself and what she believes in, and to value herself enough to never let anyone make her feel any less than AWESOME.  I didn't get to share any of this with her, and so I hope that she will one day find the strength within herself to dig deep and overcome all her brokenness and be able to live fearlessly all the days of her life.

Inspiring Quotes

If you ever need a little bit of a pick-me up, Pinterest has a lot of great inspirational quotes for all aspects of life.  A lot of the ones from someecards.com made me laugh out loud while others really put things into perspective.  Here are some of my favorites:

This one made me chuckle the most (this is the original).  I really feel like that is my life lately!

Robot Themed Baby Shower

This past weekend, I along with five other girls threw our gal pal a robot themed baby shower.  Everyone did an amazing job in welcoming her baby boy.  I was very pleased with how uniformly and seamlessly everything came together even though we all had our own tasks and worked independently of each other.  

 Welcome baby boy Lee!

 Drink bar with fresh fruity water and lemonade

 Fun party favors

Amazing dessert bar!

Planning crew plus the Momma to be (and someone's kid?)

With J - I have so many wrinkles now! :(

Ojai Valley Inn Part Deux

Visiting Ojai Valley Inn is starting to become a tradition for us.  This time around we only stayed for one night and surprisingly, it was plenty!  We rented a cabana at the adult pool and lounged for the day then got up bright and early on Sunday for a massage followed by a complimentary breakfast outdoors before heading over to the onsite pub to watch the World Cup.  We wrapped our trip up with a stop at the Camarillo Outlets for some goodies.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

We booked a last minute flight to Buenos Aires two days before the plane was to depart.  That is how I like to roll - totally spontaneously!  But in all seriousness, I was trying to avoid traveling for work again (especially on an international flight), but alas I succumbed to the pressure from my boss.  Lucky for J, I gave up my business class ticket in exchange for two coach tickets, so he was able to come with me.  We didn't do too much touristy stuff since I was there for work, but we did get to visit the burial site of Evita and get a taste of an Argentinean steak.

At the Recoleta Cemetery

 Evita's burial site

The cemetery was really beautiful - not creepy at all!

World Cup fever in Argentina!

Dinner @ Cabana Las Lilas - Delicious!

#100HappyDays - June

In order to channel more positivity into our lives, my friend and I decided to jump on the bandwagon and capture 100 days of things that make us happy each day.  I have to say that I started doing this a long time ago before it became popular, but never publicized it, so I'd like to think I started this trend.  Teehee.  Here are my first thirteen days in June to share!

Day 1: Getting a prime parking spot at work even though I was super late!

Day 2: Running into my good friend and her two girls while on an errand at the mall

Day 3: Trying out a new restaurant Bistro 21

Day 4: An awesome message at church!

Day 5: Having my sweet Echo in my life

Day 6: An awesome workout

Day 7: Toned arms

Day 8: One of my favorite meals: TenRen's joypot and iced green tea with lychee jelly

Day 9: Bible study with a friend who invests in me

Day 10: Finding a new scarf I had forgotten I had

Day 11: Arriving safely in Argentina with car service to boot!

Day 12: Free dessert at Campanas Las Lilas in Argentina

Day 13: Uggs to keep my feet warm in the frigid cold