Open Letter to Someone I Admire

Day 4 in the Boho Berry December Challenge is an open letter to someone I admire.

I have decided to write this letter to my mom, who is no longer alive.

Dear Mom,

 

I am writing you this letter to let you know just how much you mean to me.

 

Even though we had our arguments, and didn't agree on everything, I loved you very much; I still love you very much.

 

You had gone through so much in your life healthwise, especially at the end, and it amazes me that you never complained (at least I don't remember hearing you complain!).

 

Since you have been gone, I have looked back on your life, and have been inspired by how you handled everything thrown your way.

 

You never let anything get you down for long, and you lived your life the best you could.

 

You loved your job, which is now the same job, and position, I have.

 

Everyone loved you there, and were like friends to me, since I knew them as well.

 

You passed your love of food on to me, and I am so happy about that! I will never stop enjoying food from different cultures!

 

I wish you were still alive, especially now, as I have had a few great experiences, that either you could have been a part of as well, or that I could have told you about.

 

I miss our mother-daughter conversations, and having you as a confidant. The events that happened over the summer are things I wish you were a part of, or that you could have been told about, as they were amazing.

 

You were alive when I started my college education, but not when I finished. I really wish you were here for my graduation, as I know you would have been proud of me, and you would have liked it.

 

I really wish I could see you again, and talk to you again. You were my best friend, an amazing part of my world, which was taken from me the day you died.

 

I took for granted all the days I had with you, but not anymore. I actually never thought about losing you, but now that you are gone, it is something I think about often.

 

I love you very much, and can't wait to see you again.

The Last Time I Laughed Really Hard

Day 3 of the Boho Berry Challenge is about the last time I laughed really hard.


Hmmm......I have to think about this one.

I have laughed recently, but it's been a while since I've had a really good laugh.

I think the last time I laughed really hard was this past summer, when my niece and nephew were over, and we were playing together.

My niece and nephew are still at that age where they like to play, so it's always fun when they are around.

I am so thankful to be an aunt, and I love it when I get to see my niece and nephew. They bring a lot of joy, fun, and laughter to life.

What I Fear The Most

Day 2 of the Boho Berry December Challenge is about what I fear the most.


I am afraid of a few things, but the biggest fear I have is of death.

My first experience with death (that I remember), was when I was 13.
My maternal grandpa had died, and my family and I went to his funeral.

Seeing him laying there in the casket like that, really scared me.
That image has been with me ever since, and it has made me very afraid of death.

I think what scares me the most, is the thought of not existing anymore.
That death is the final journey in life.

I am trying to believe there is a heaven, as I would love to live there forever.
But I am not 100% sure about it.

I have had several dreams of loved ones who have died, telling me that they are ok
And those dreams make me feel like there is an afterlife
And they do comfort me.
But, I still have that fear of the unknown.

The fear of what could or couldn't be.

Places I Would Like to Go To Within the Next 5 Years

I love to travel, and have traveled a lot over the years, but it's mostly been to the same places. I would love to travel the world in my life.

In no particular order, here are the places I would love to travel to in the next five years:

New York

Florida
Mainly because of Disney World, and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Washington State
I have family here, so this is mainly why I want to go here.

Washington, D.C. (again)
I got to go here in eighth grade, but it was kind of rushed, as it was a 3-day trip. I want to spend more time there, to truly enjoy the monuments, and everything else offered there.

Southern California
Mainly because of Disney Land, of course. I got to visit northern Cali, and absolutely loved it (I do want to go back, but I want to visit southern Cali before then).

Las Vegas

Canada (anywhere in the country)

London

New Orleans

Springfield, Illinois

Boston, Massachusetts

St. Louis
To see the Gateway Arch

South Dakota
To see Mt. Rushmore

Nashville
To see the Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Canyon

Yellowstone National Park

Hoover Dam on the Arizona-Nevada border

I know this is a lot for five years, but I love to travel, and haven't been to many new-to-me places. I want to explore as much of the world as possible in my lifetime, and this is a good start. I might add some more places, but I am happy with this five-year wishlist.

My 2019 Christmas Wishlist

I can't believe it's December already. Where has the year gone?!

I have decided to share my Christmas wishlist this year. I do not expect to get everything on my list; I rarely get everything on my list. These are just things that I would LIKE to get.

In no particular order, here is what I would like to get:

• Hello, Cookie Dough: 110 Doughlicious Confections to Eat, Bake & Share by Kristen Tomlan
• Kawaii Sweet World Cookbook: 75 Yummy Recipes for Baking That's (Almost) Too Cute to Eat by Rachel Fong
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Illustrated Edition book
• The Big Book of Disney Songs: Violin
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Audiobook
• Slippers
• Android wall charger
• Bonanza Season 3 on DVD
• Once Upon a Time Season 2 on DVD
• The Adventures of Mark Twain on DVD
• Downton Abbey Season 4 on DVD
• The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 on DVD
• Wonder Woman on DVD (2017)
• Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace on DVD
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald on DVD
• Disney's A Christmas Carol on DVD (2010)
• UNO Attack! Game
• Joking Hazard Deck Enhancement #2
• The Awkward Storyteller Party Game
• What Do You Meme? Party Game
• Hasbro Pie Face! Game
• Funko POP Doctor Who Tenth Doctor
• WREBBIT 3D Hogwarts Express Jigsaw Puzzle 460 Pieces
• WREBBIT 3D Harry Potter The Burrow Weasley Family Home 3D Jigsaw Puzzle 415 Pieces
• WREBBIT 3D Downton Abbey 3D Jigsaw Puzzle 890 Pieces

If you celebrate Christmas, what are you hoping to get this year? I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!!

Five Things That Make Me Happy

I am participating in the December Boho Berry Challenge, and today's post is about five things that make me happy.

1. Family and friends
   My friends and family have always been there for me, through everything.
2. Baking
   I have loved baking, for as long as I can remember. It feels so good when I get to bake something, and it makes me happy when others enjoy what I make.
3. Reading, Writing, and Photography
   I had to group these three into one because I couldn't list just five in this post. I am a shy, introverted person, so these three are things that make me REALLY happy.
4. Traveling
   I have always loved to travel, and going to different places, and experiencing new things, makes me very happy.
5. Animals
   I am a big animal lover, and grew up with animals (mainly cats).

Things That Made Me Happy in November

Here is what made me happy this month:

• Going to a Dia De Los Muertos event at the library and making painted skull rocks, coloring in a skull drawing, and watching Mexican dancers
• Going to a Christmas Bazaar at a church, with a friend
• Seeing hanging out with, and talking to a friend, whom I haven't seen in several years
• A co-worker telling me that it makes her happy when I talk with her (I am usually quiet, and it is hard me to talk, but when I get to know people, I talk more often)
• Celebrating Thanksgiving with family
• Making pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving
• Getting a Thanksgiving turkey gingerbread kit (yes, there is such a thing!!), and a few milk chocolate advent calendars from Trader Joe's
• Putting together and decorating the turkey gingerbread kit
• A woman on my library home delivery route giving me and the driver chocolate for Christmas (this was the day after Thanksgiving)

This was a pretty good month, and I am really looking forward to next month!

Grateful

Since it is now November, I have decided to make a list of things that I am thankful/grateful for.

In no particular order, here is what I am grateful for this year:

1. My friends, old and new
2. My family
3. Joni and Friends
4. My education
5. My job and co-workers
6. Clothes
7. My favorite foods
8. Knitting
9. Crocheting
10. Long talks with friends
11. My favorite music
12. Baking
13. Photography
14. Writing
15. Hot chocolate
16. My favorite movies
17. Thrift stores
18. Bullet journaling (and journaling in general)
19. The colors of the trees in the Fall
20. Alone time
21. Text messages
22. Hair dryers
23. Cameras/photography
24. Composition notebooks
25. Books
26. My favorite TV shows
27. Animals
28. Horseback riding
29. Coloring books
30. Pinterest
31. Traveling
32. My home
33. Clean water
34. Warm showers
35. Girl Scouts
36. Home cooked meals
37. Chocolate
38. The memories I have made this year
39. Nature
40. Having my own bedroom that I can retreat to every day/night
41. Having another day to live

What are you thankful for? To those who celebrated, I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving!!

My Biggest Dreams in Life

I have many things I would love to be able to do in life, but some of my dreams are bigger than others, and I hope I get to be able to do them sooner than others.

In no particular order, here are my biggest dreams:

Getting my baking and pastry degree
I have my culinary certificate, and am now aiming for my baking and pastry degree, as this is one of my biggest passions.

Live on my own
I have never lived on my own, and I have been at that stage for quite some time. But, things have prevented me from being able to do that. It would be nice to be able to live independently, and to be able to support myself without having to necessarily rely on others.

Getting married
I have always wanted to get married, and start a family of my own. I am more than ready for this to happen, and I hope it happens soon.

Having kids
I have always wanted to have kids, and would love to have my own one day. I want to have at least one boy and one girl, but I do want to have two boys, and two girls.

Traveling to new places
I love traveling, and have traveled a lot, but it was mainly to the same few places. I want to be able to travel to lots more places in the future, especially to other countries, as I have never been outside of the U.S. before.

Writing and publishing at least one book
I am very shy and introverted, so writing is one of my biggest passions. It is probably my favorite way to express myself, as it gives me a place to put down what's on my mind. I have been wanting to write and publish a book for years, but I just haven't been inspired yet.

Becoming fluent in Spanish, Italian, and Sign Language
I have a hard time with languages, but I would love to at least be fluent in these three, as I love foreign languages. I would also love to be able to connect with more people, to be able to have conversations with more people.

Getting my photography degree
Another passion of mine is photography. I love capturing moments, and having those moments forever.

Opening up my own bakery, or at least working at a bakery
I have a dream of opening up my own bakery (with mainly sweets), but I am just as happy to just work at one.

Get better at decorating cakes and cookies
I am not that good at cake decorating, but I think that is because of my lack of practice. I want to be able to feel more comfortable in my decorating skills, and not feel like it's no good.

Participate in Wheels for the World
Wheels for the World is a Joni and Friends event, that collects and gives out wheelchairs to those who are in need of one. I have met people through another Joni and Friends event, the family retreats, that have gone on a Wheels for the World trip, and it looks so awesome!!

Become more comfortable speaking
Since I am so shy, I hate speaking, unless I am around friends or people I feel comfortable talking with. I want to feel more comfortable and at ease talking, and not feeling awkward, or feeling like I am being judged.

Go to concerts of my favorite musical artists
I have never been to the concert of a big musician before, and would love to be able to go to one (or more) someday.

Go to a Broadway play
I have never been to a Broadway play, and would love to go to one (or more!).

Go to a Globetrotters game
Yes, I know they are just a "for fun" team, but I would love to see them in person.

Well, those are my biggest dreams. I hope they come true, and soon. What are your big dreams?

YouTube Channel Favorite: 2 in a Zoo

I have been following 2 in a Zoo for almost a year now (it might even be a year now), and I just love this family!

2 in a Zoo is comprised of parents Mike and Melanie Chandler, and children Timmy, Caleb, Logan, Cadie, and Daisy (who was born early, but is doing good).

They document everyday life, their faith, and everything in between, and had started (I believe) with the adoption of their daughter Cadie (short for Cadence), from India.

I love how real they are; that they aren't afraid to show their emotions, and to talk about the hard things sometimes. It makes them more relatable, more human.

Mike and Melanie take the time to nurture their kids, to guide them through life, to have fun, and to just love. They show their children love and patience, and understanding, and I love that about them.

I came across their channel by chance, when I saw the video of Mike and Cadie talking. He was asking Cadie questions, and she was trying her best to answer them. She didn't know much English then, as it was less than a year (I think) since she had been adopted and came home. Mike was so patient with her, and I loved that.