reverb10*31

December 31 – Core Story

 

What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world?
 
 
i guess my 'story' is that i love being loved and love TO love. being loved is the greatest high a person can ever achieve and i have it from a lot of different angles. in order to BE loved, one must love and boy do i. i love my boys, my family, my friends, my things - i love it all and i express it well [or at least, i think i do]. when i find something that tickles my fancy - i love full force. there is no half way here! so, love makes my world go round!
 
 
ALSO - i decided after this 'challenge' that it will be my last written one, at least for a while. it seems not many people are interested in reading these challenges so i'm going to steer away for a while. i will more than likely continue to participate in photo challenges [decembers will be up soon, promise!] because everyone, including myself, loves pictures and i find myself more passionate about those than these writing prompts!
ALSO ALSO! since i totally FAILED at the 365 project last year - i am starting it this year. it's going to be a 365 days of kullen project. i'll take one picture a day for the next year - definitely won't be hard! it's on my day zero project so i REALLLLLY want to complete it this time. anyone else up for the challenge?!

reverb10*30

December 30 – Gift

This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year?

gosh, this one is hard. i got a lot of gifts this year and they were all pretty awesome. my family and friends are great people because they pay attention when i say 'i want that!' and just know me and know what i like!

i got a beautiful necklace from mandee that i loooooove!! it was an owl one so you know it's right up my alley!

my friend aub got me this awesome marilyn monroe book! it's a book that was published containing all these poems and exerpts from journals. she knows i love marilyn and knew i would love it!

i got photoshop from my MIL and hub for my birthday! plus a cute owl charm for my pandora :D

my mom and sister got me a kitchen aide mixer!!!!!!!! that one was a big unexpected surprise! they both knew i wanted it and didn't say a word about getting it for me so when i got it, i was extra surprised!

my friend sunny gave me a pair of CAPS tickets! she is a season holder with AHHH-MAZING seats and was generous enough to let me go to a game - for free!

i also got a plethora of gift cards which are always super awesome! =D
i'm sure there are things that i'm forgetting, in fact i know there are but since i'm running short on time and want to get this posted - i'm going to end it with the ones that i've named. they are all pretty awesome and i'm super thankful for them all - including the ones that i didn't mention!

reverb10*29

December 29 – Defining Moment

Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year.

there have been a few things that affected my life this past year and the main on that comes to mind is something i don't wish to write about. to be totally honest, i don't know what keeps me from talking about the situation. maybe it's fear that someone in my family will read it and judge me and world war III will start. maybe it's just i don't know the point of talking/writing about it.
regardless - it's changed me. it's a process and life wouldn't be life without change.

reverb10*28

December 28 – Achieve.

 What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.

well i think this one is fairly obvious. the main thing i want to achieve is a new addition to our family. while kullen keeps us on our toes and completes us, we want to expand. i want kullen to have a sibling [more than one actually] to play with. i really want another little boy for him to play/wrestle/learn with!

once i find out that i've succeed, i will definitely feel happy! i will feel complete as well but i know that i want more kids so it's hard to say i will be TOTALLY complete. i'll also feel free because the stress/chore of trying/charting/learning will be gone!

well there isn't a thing i can really DO today to experience that feeling. there isn't a feeling in the world like KNOWING that you're pregnant. i actually get butterflies in my stomach as i type it. it's amazing and i can't wait for the moment when i tell my husband: 'i'm pregnant!' :]

reverb10*27

December 27 – Ordinary Joy.

 Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?

the best ordinary momentS were the ones where it was just me and the boys being home and doing nothing.
kullen gets super sweet when it's just us and will be playing and then stop and come over and lean his head on one of our legs, like giving us 'love'. it's SUPER cute and fills me with happiness.
we spent a week together when he was sick and despite him being sick - it was joyful just being with him and having him love on me ALL day long.
we'd spend the entire day on the couch, in our pjs and it was the simplest of things to make a mama happy! :)

reverb10*26

December 26 – Soul Food.

What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul?

oh good Lord, what DIDN'T i eat this year?! you guys may remember these dishes from a couple of my previous posts - swiss steak casserole, white eggplant parmesan, margherita pizza, bbq chicken pizza and fajita wraps to name a few!

 i've been able to cook a bunch of new recipes this year and have enjoyed them all! i love to express myself through food and share my ideas and flavorful dishes with other people!

i've also been to a few good restaurants this year! melting pot being the numero uno on this list :D can't top that!!

but i think the thing that i ate this year that i will never forget was a pig snout! yes, PIG NOSE! we went to our friend joey's beach house for fourth of july and they did their annual pig roast. me and joey made a deal to try the nose and believe it or not, it was bearable! it's not something i'd eat everyday but at least i can cross that off the list.

i also tried salmon roe this year. ICK. taste like a salt lick!

but definitely most memorable was that pig. we saw it roast alllllll day and then ate it. pretty neat experience!

reverb10*25

December 25 – Photo – a present to yourself

Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you. 

the first picture i thought of when i read the prompt was this one! i thought about it for a day and it was still the main one i wanted to use. i told my friend kath the prompt and she sent me the link [from my facebook] of this same picture. i knew it was the one i should use.

my hub shot this picture of me and my boy in september at bowles farm. we were there for a my friend ashley's little girls birthday! it's a great shot of me and kullen both. i squeezed myself in that tiny cart so he could ride the train with the big kids and he was OOBER excited! =D

i guess this picture shows a little of who i am and who i strive to be. i am a mother who is totally in love with her kid! he makes me happy, silly, crazy and everything else! i strive to be an even better mother who does anything she can to make her little man happy, even if it means squeezing my tail into a too small train! just seeing him happy makes me a proud and happier mama! ♥

reverb10*24

December 24 Prompt – Everything’s OK.

 What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead?

i don't think there was one moment specifically but a bunch of little moments combined. watching my son grow and knowing that no matter what i look/smell/act like - he loves me unconditionally was one. just having him alone makes me know everything will be okay. having a husband to support every decision that i make is another. he's a good man and i know he'll always take care of me and kullen even if he works himself to death [luckily though, he doesn't have too just yet]. realizing who my friends are was another. a lot of these people have been around for a while but i was too self absorbed to realize they were actually good people! i was easily influenced by others and often disregarded friendships just because i could. luckily, i have been forgiven and friendships have blossomed and i know that we'll always be there for one another. others downfalls [sadly] have been another moment for me. i've changed in my old age [haha] and i don't always have to learn 'the hard way'! i can and have learned from other peoples mistakes. and if i didn't learn much, i learned that no matter how many days of work i miss because of a sick kid or inclement weather, chances are i won't lose my job. that alone is comforting, i guess.
bottom line is that i have a great life and everything WILL be okay. i have a great support system and because of them, i'll make it through the storms of life!
now - if i could just keep this positive attitude next year, it would save me a ton of stress! ;]

reverb10*23

December 23 – New Name.

 Let’s meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why?

is it weird that i wouldn't pick another name? i really enjoy my name! i am the only kaley amongst my group of friends so there isn't any confusion when referring to 'kaley'. i never heard 'kaley who?' and i like it that way.

my name is different and there isn't another one i'd choose for myself.

ALTHOUGH - when i was younger, i HATED it. i used to pretend my name was victoria. it was queen-like and of course, i thought i was a queen! :)

i guess for sake of answering the question though, i'd take my sisters name! zannie! it's another DIFFERENT name and we know i'm all about different.

[disclaimer: her real name is alexandra but we ALL call her zannie]

i'd love to have that name for all the same reasons that i love my name.

hello, my name is zannie. my sister is kaley.

HAHA!

reverb10*22

December 22 – Travel

How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year?

by car. multiple times. and frankly, i'd like to travel by plane next year. to somewhere out of country! i've never left USA (or east coast for that matter) before. i want to go to cozumel, bad.

i traveled to connecticut a few times and back and although some of the trips were long [traffic] none were extremely bad. PTL. we try to go to connecticut a few times a year to visit with my grandparents, dad, uncle and cousins. they're really the only family that i'm close with anymore. although it's a pain in the butt to travel, it's great to get away sometimes.

we also went to myrtle beach this year! it was kullens first year there and he loved it. we had such a great time there on the beach and relaxing, the only thing missing was more family! we're thinking of OBX for next year - a little more quiet and laid back - but anywhere there is water/beach/pool - kullen is a happy little ham! plus, this way, my mom and sister will more than likely be there and we may even have some friends with us!

reality is - doubt i'll be hopping on a plane to somewhere tropical anytime soon, but hey - a girl can dream, right?! ;]

reverb10*21

December 21 – Future Self.

Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?)

dear mother of four children, a kazi and a scruffy ruffy dog,
 
go kiss your husband and thank him for putting up with you. you've finally gotten your way [as if you ever had doubts] and are a SAHM. he works hard to provide for you, kullen, ******, ***** and *****. [yeah, you have 4 kids now, mama!]. you also have kazi and ******* [a puppy] who fight, seriously, like cats and dogs! you're household is crazy and although you feel like pulling your hair out - remember, you wanted this!
 
you thought a year flew by - try five! keep taking pictures because before you know it, ten years will pass and your babies will be half grown! keep blogging because Lord knows you forget what you had for dinner last night.
 
plant that garden now that you've had a new house built! you have a great backyard so stop being lazy [ha, lazy ... i know, you have FOUR kids!] and plant that dang garden!
 
spend time with your parents.
praise your sister for finally growing into the woman you knew she could be.
thank you friends for being there for you through the ups and downs.
 
again, go love on your husband - he deserves it.
 
love,
5 years younger kaley.
 

reverb10*20

December 20 – Beyond Avoidance.

What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?

i SHOULD have gotten lasik surgery. all of the above deterred me but spending all that money also deterred. i have a credit card for medical expenses and could put it on there but really didn't want to incur MORE debt that i'd be working hard to pay off in 2010.

double edge sword: i don't plan on INCURRING debt in 2010 so i feel like i SHOULD have done it in 2010 and got it over with.

i used to wear my contacts a lot more but within the last year or so i've become a total 4 eyes. i mean, every day. contacts are like make-up now: only worn when going out with friends or hub.

i hate the fact that i have glasses on in my birth pictures. if i had lasik - i'd never have to worry about glasses/contacts AGAIN!

reverb10*19

December 19 – Healing.

What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?

NOTHING! i'm currently suffer ring from a broken [not seriously] neck/shoulder area. i'm BROKE. i don't know WHAT i did but it hurts to breath in or move my arm and/or neck a certain way. i didn't lift anything heavy or anything. it actually started hurting while sitting at my desk on tuesday. i thought it was stress [sometimes that happens to me, weird] but it hasn't gone away, at all.

i'm hoping to be healed before 2011 but if not - i'll be seeking prompt medical attention!

but in all seriousness - i'd say my son has healed me this year! not that i've been in need of healing but anytime i'm mad/sad/stressed about a situation, he can always relieve my mind and make me happy. his tiny little self has made me a stronger and happier person and he doesn't even know it! i am lucky to be blessed with him, bottom line.

reverb10*18

December 18 – Try.

What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it?

the main thing i want to try my hand at is budgeting and saving money! i really do the bare minimum right now and i want to do more. there is no reason for me to spend money just because i have a little extra. i know if i work hard at it, i can live BELOW my means and save up money for a sunny vacation rainy day!

i really wanted to try this in 2010 but i got in excel and got frustrated with trying to make a budget and gave up. i figured i'll start fresh in the new year [can you tell i'm a procrastinator??!!] i am going to figure it out one way or another and learn this budget thing and stick to it! i will use coupons and make my own cleaning supplies, even if it only saves a few cents/bucks - that is money saved!

wish me luck. and any tutorials on excel budgeting or anything else helpful - feel free to send my way. donations are always welcome, too! ;]

reverb10*17

December 17 – Lesson Learned.

What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

i've learned that i'm a very strong person this year. [mentally, obv.]

i've made a few tough decisions this year, decisions that i probably thought i'd never be able to make but i did. i've seen a lot and been through a lot and not [yet] had a mental breakdown.

i've learned that i take on other peoples problems and in turn, create stress for myself. although i don't crack or crumble under the problems/stress like some would.

i wouldn't say it's a good thing that i am so strong because it's not always good to have SO much on ones plate. i ran into a few health problems this year and i really think it was from all the stress of my own and other peoples' issues.

going forward, i learned to care but not over care. people ultimately make their own decisions regardless of how it impacts anyone else and their lives and that's the bottom line. i can care about people without allowing myself to stress about their daily life decisions and i'm okay with that.

i've learned that me and my boys should be my number one priority because if something happens to me, they would be the ones who suffer the most - not the people i used to stress about!

reverb10*16

December 16 – Friendship.

How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?

in order to avoid talking about the same friendship issue as previous prompts i'm going to take a positive approach on this one!

there hasn't been one certain friend but my friends as a whole. they have showed me what true friends really are and how important it is to have them in my life. it was half gradual and half sudden honestly. a few things suddenly happened that made me realize certain things but for the most part it was gradual. i've always had the same handful of friends but gradually i have become closer with them this year.

common bonds have been formed from experiences [past and present] and interests [children, fun, etc...] and it's been great getting to know these girls.

they've showed me that you don't fight with each other or judge/hate on one another. we can tease and joke but it's harmless fun.

it's great to have friendships with GOOD people.
the end.

reverb10*15

December 15 – 5 Minutes.

Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.

2010 was a learning year. kullen learned a lot of new things - like how to sit up, crawl, walk, talk and sign. by january he was sitting up on his own and by march-april was crawling. he took his first step on june 18th, the day before his first birthday. by later that month, he was a professional walker :) he also went to myrtle beach for the first time! he has learned a few words and signs this year as well. and of course, how to be a menace ;]
adam graduated the electrical apprenticeship this year as well. 5 years of hard work paid off :)
i learned plenty this year as well. from a new system at work to lessons on friendships. i learned a lot on parenting and patience and have loved every minute of it.
we did a lot of fun things this year as well. circus, swim classes, beach trip, pool days, cirque de solei, the zoo, trips to connecticut, bowles farm, a weekend at the finocchario house, CAPS games, and lots of parties with friends and little friends!
it's been a great year overall and i am totally looking forward to what the next year brings!

reverb10*14

December 14 - Appreciate

What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

i'm going to steal mandee's idea for this one and show you what i appreciate through pictures. it's pretty simple, i appreciate my family and friends. they're always there when i need 'em and love me for me and hopefully i express my gratitude by doing the same.


my boys.

family.

and the friends who've become family.

reverb10*13

December 13 – Action

When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step?

anyone who knows me well, knows its my aspiration to not have to work. my friend heather has a great quote on her blog - "you have forever to work but your babies are only young once". it just hits home to me. although kullen is with a GREAT sitter, i hate the fact she spends more time with him on weekdays than i do. i want to be the one he spends his days with. unfortunately, it's just not possible right now but i'm hoping somewhere in the NEAR future it will be.

my next step to achieve such goal is to begin saving anything i can now, while i have to work. eventually once we pay off some things and adam makes more money, i may not have to work and it will be nice to have extra in savings. another step is to have another baby or five. obviously, if i'm paying equal to/more than my paycheck to daycare, it's not worth it to even work. so, i'm praying for twins next time i get pregnant! :) also, i'd like to boost my creativity and open an etsy shop to make some side money. i feel like there isn't anything that i can't learn so i'll teach myself how to make some stuff and then sell it on etsy. i already have a few ideas brewing around in my head. photography is another love and since i already have a nice camera and photoshop, i've thought about making some extra money by doing photo shoots.

i obviously have tons of aspirations and ideas so the next step is just to DO them! i have all the ways and means so there isn't anything holding me back except myself.
here's to my hopes, dreams, ideas and aspirations becoming reality!

reverb10*12

December 12 – Body Integration

This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?

i'm not sure that i understand this prompt so it'll be short and sweet.
 
i did have a moment where i felt completely whole this year - and that was kullens birthday. i was surrounded by almost every single person that i love that day. i felt completely alive: mind, body and soul and was totally happy. seeing most of my family and friends come together for the sake of me and my family made my heart smile. it was a beautiful day, despite the 100degree heat!
 
as for the latter - i have this every day. before coffee. haha.