It's not just the day after my birthday...

Today is not just the day after my birthday or the day I think of how many presents I got, or who called me and who didnt, or the day that I start writing thank you notes to people...today is more then that.

Today, June 28th, marks the day that my cousin/godmother/mentor, pasted away in car accident 4 years ago with her little girl.

Now I am not going to go into the story and explain to you all the sad feelings I have or the hurt that is inside because today I want to just remember the good times! I have come to peace with the fact and have realized that it is not about sitting around and watching life pass by but to live life to the fullest. You cant just sit and soak in sadness when these types of things happen, yes you need to grieve and go through the steps, but your loved ones would want you to get out, live life, and move on. 

Kari was my cousin first and foremost but then she received the responsibility of being my godmother and then over time she became a person I look up to. Below are some photographs that I hold near and dear to my heart. The photographs that reminds me of how much fun we had together. The photographs that help me to never forget, and the photographs that show me how much she loved/and still does love me!

Kari and me when I was born

Kari and Matt's wedding

Keira(Kari's daughter) and me on the last day I saw them

This day will never be the same for me, I lost a very important person in my life this day 4 years ago and it has changed me, but it has changed me for the better.

I love you Kari and miss you every day! Cant wait to see you again in heaven!

So Hot But So Cool!

A place I have been going to since I was little. A place that I can enjoy the sun. A place where I can play in the water and show off my water sports skill. A place where I get to drive jet skis and our family boat. A place where I have family. A place to relax and not worry about anything. A place I'd like to call "So Hot But So Cool" or as most people would call it Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Partying, drinking, skimpy bikinis, London Bridge...this is what goes down in Lake Havasu and this is why I love it so much. HAHA Just Kidding!!! I DO NOT go there for the partying, or drinking or the skimpy bikinis (by the way my bikini is completely tasteful and is approved by both my parents), I go there to enjoy the lake! To get away from the Orange County life, relax and have some fun. With the weather above 100 degrees, and the water cool, it is a completely different atmosphere. Bathing suits, sandals and cover ups are our items of clothing and the make-up is left at home! This is why it is one of my favorite summer spots! Though I do not get to enjoy it everyday of the summer, it is such a great place to get away to.

I started out my summer here and these are just a few photos to show why I love it so much! 

Jen, Me and Alaina 

Alaina, Auntie Barb, Me 

(Blurry is a normal since the water was choppy and the boat was moving)

Confidence

Confidence can be defined as full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing. Or it is the belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance.


So are you really Confident in yourself? Do you really believe in your own abilities?

I recently learned that I am confident about 80% of the time but there are those 20% times when I feel inferior to others or not good enough. Now maybe those percents waiver here and there but that was the quick numbers I came up with. I learned that in certain situations I will put my self down or get scared and not realize how great I really am. Now I am not writing this to "toot" my own horn (side note: my horn sounds like a big vessels horn, and when I say "toot my own horn," I hold up my right hand as if pulling a string and pull it down twice while making the noise.) but to be honest with my self and others. I know that I have been blessed with many talents, from being artistic to computer savey and  many others, but there are those times when I just don't feel like I am worth it.

For instance at my job, I am the newbie, the low man on the totem pole and recently something went wrong with our monthly numbers and it had to do with my invoicing. I was taught a certain way to invoice and I do just that, no changes, no additions, I do exactly how I was taught. Well this problem came up and it came back on me, and the first thing that ran through my mind was, "O whatever, I am so great, I know I did this right..." haha I wish but no, what went through my mind was, "O crap I guess I did this wrong and I messed up big numbers, I am going to be fired." AKA low confidence in myself! So I was ready to get sent home. 

This is not how we should live. God created us to be wonderful and confident. He made us in his image and we should be happy for how he made us and what he made us for! You should be confident because no matter what happens God has a plan, whether you get fired from your job for a dumb mistake...which by the way I DID NOT, I still have a job!...or a boy/girl dumps you, He has a plan, so be confident in that! Be confident that no matter what, God has got your back and it will turn out great! You will get another job, you will get another boy/girl friend and life will be great!!!

So today I am going to change that percentage to 98% haha cause lets be honest there will still be those time when I feel less then my best, but that is when I will turn to God for help!

A favorite quote of mine says this, " No one can make you feel inferior with out your consent." By Eleanor Roosevelt. I think that is a good one to remember when put in a situation where you are feeling not confident. 

Not Just the Roaring 20's

June Ninth Nineteen Twenty....Something....yep something, sometime during the roaring 20's my Grandpa Hart was born. Maybe that is why I love him so much because if I could go back to any decade it would be the 20's. The decade of the speakeasies, prohibition, flapper dresses, and jazz. But no that is not the real and only reason why I love him, I love him because he is one of the greatest men of all times! Yep I said it the GREATEST, if you had the chance to know my grandpa you would agree, maybe Time magazine or stuff like that would not think so but who cares what they think, to me and to many people he was a GREAT man!

The Hart's seem to always play the spoon game...how long you can keep one on your nose. 

 Grandpa reading to little Me

 Me Grandpa Grandma and Alaina

Grandpa and I dancing the night away!

My Grandpa Hart happens to be one of my other mentors. From the time I was born till the day he died he was an active man and had an amazing heart for the Lord. I think the best thing I could take away from my Grandpa is his open and willing heart to do God's work on this earth! As long as I have known him he was doing work for the church! Whether on some committee for his church or traveling around the United States, in his motorhome with my Grandma, building churches for others, he was always praising the Lord. 

But it wasnt just his love for the Lord that made him so GREAT, he was so active and involved in my life growing up that looking back on it I am so lucky to have a grandparent like that, and I hope to be that someday! Growing up my grandparents would always come to our house or us to theirs and he would always be ready to play dolls, house, build forts, play card games or board games, go on walks, or just run around making Grandma go crazy. I think he also, actually I know, loved the fact that my sister and I had somewhat of an eating schedule, meaning we needed a breakfast, lunch and dinner and some snacks everyday, and well my Grandpa sure did like his meals at specific times :). He always knew how to make you feel special and how to make you laugh. You were greeted and said goodbye to by the best hugs and a "I love you kiddo," words that will always be near and dear to my heart!

So here's to you Grandpa on your very special day! You are missed a bunch!
I love you!!!

Someone I look up to!

There are always those people in your life who you look up to, who you admire, who you see a quality in them that you wish you had, and though there are a few people in my life that I could name this person tops the chart!

Kind, loving, humble, quiet, mentor, teacher, faithful, pretty, smart, great listener and so much more...are just a few words to describe this person! She has been there for me my whole life, always cheering me on, encouraging me and believing in me. We have gone through some rough times but she seems to always look at the bright side and remind me that God has a plan. I do not know who I would be today if she was not in my life, for she has made a huge impact on it.

Who you might ask...if you havent already guessed...is this person??? 

My Sister! Alaina Hart

You might think I say this just because she is my sister but to me she is more then that, she is my best friend! I have been blessed with such a wonderful sister who I get along with so well! She has become such an amazing person and such a wonderful woman of God that I would be foolish not to look up to her. We are so different in many ways but that is why I can learn so much from her and that is why she is one of my mentors!

I am so proud of her and the work she is doing and can not wait to see where God takes both of us in the future!! I love her with all of my heart and am thankful for her everyday!! <3

The New Job

After looking for 4 1/2 long months for a job I finally found something, or more like God finally placed this job in front of me!

Side Note--Job Hunting is a Job and it is the worse Job you could ever have!! Even worse then working at McDonald's...and yes I just said that.

Ok back to the new job...I work at Fortress Eyewear Group. It is a Christian sunglass company that sells men's and woman's sunglasses. We have two main brands, Krush and Creed, and then under each of those we have started a Hawaiian brand and a high end brand. We also do some contract work for other companies, designing their snowboard goggles.
I am the administrative assistant. I know nothing big but it is a start and a foot in the door! I have my own office though, complete with a door and four walls...NOT a cubical!!! I have great co-workers and we all,so far, work really well together!! My bosses (the two head guys of the company, who started it back in 2002) are rarely in the office it seems. They both travel a lot and most would see that as a blessing but I actually like when they are in the office.
This might not be the ideal job that I had plan for my life after graduating college but so far I love it. It was placed in my life at the perfect time and it is flexible which right now in my life is necessary. Since I already had a 2 week missions trip planned in August, my dad is having surgery at the end of June, and still fitting a family vacation in there somewhere and my best friend and I taking a graduation trip, this job is willing to work around my schedule as long as I hit my amount of hours promised a week. God knew I needed something like this right now and I am so grateful for this opportunity!

Check us out @  http://fortresseyewear.com/