The Other Side of the Fence

Today Sophia Corbridge had a post about her wish list and then challenge to look our lives and find all the good in it. Count your blessings. So I am taking the challenge. I think I have a pretty awesome life! My life is perfect for me, others might find it boring or dull, but I find it absolutely fabulous and know that I am blessed.

Here is my list:

1. That my girls are strong, healthy and happy. This is my wish always!!


2. To have a den in my house, or maybe a bigger house with a den for entertaining?


3. A Toyota Sequoia in gold or white.


4. To have brothers and sisters that I grew up with and can count on or just talk to on a daily basis.


5. To be the best mommy, teacher, wife, daughter, friend and cousin I can be.


6. A bigger closet!


7. To be able to give away random $20 bills to people that I see working hard and looking like they can use it.


8. To host a Descendants of Macedonio and Irene Hernandez Family Reunion that would hold all of us and be able to pay for it with my own money.


9. To be closer to God.


10. To take my girls on a dream vacation, but I don't know where we would go, but we would go.

Compare to the things I have list:

1. My girls are strong and healthy! I like to think that they are happy and I pray that I am raising them on the right path so that they know that they are the only ones that can determine their happiness. It's not things, or money or other people. It must come from them.


2. I have a great house with a big backyard. I love my house and even if I won the Lotto I think I wouldn't move. I would buy the house next door and move my mom into there. Then I would have more room. :)


3. I have a new car and it might not be the pricey Sequoia, but it is just perfect for my family and I think it's a pretty car too. (Sssh don't tell my honey that I think it's pretty.)


4. I have a great family with lots of cousins and uncles and aunts. I married a man with 5 brothers and sisters. I am so lucky to be related to the family that I have and I wouldn't trade them for anything. We are very close and there is nothing I know they wouldn't do for me!


5. This I work on everyday and I pray that I am doing a good job. I like the saying that says that 100 years from now it won't matter what car I drove, or house I lived in, but that I was important in the life of a child. Mine and the 24 that I am entrusted with every year. I have the greatest husband and am thankful that he is so patient with me! I think I 'm a pretty good daughter considering....but I could do better. I like to think that I am a good friend, I try to be there for them when they need me whether it's in person or just on the phone. I don't have a lot of friends, but I do know a lot of people, but my true friends I think I am there for them.


6. LOL! I want a closet like Carrie in Sex in the City, but that would only be if we ever won the lotto. Oh well it is my wish list!


7. I have this wish forever... I once saw an old man on the side of the freeway selling candy. He reminded me of my daddy. I was too far from him to give him money. I always wished I would have gotten on the freeway, turn around and off again at his exit. I didn't, but there are other people that I sometimes see that I wish that I could just walk up to and hand them a $20. I do give money when I see people in need, but this is just a crazy wish I have that I could just walk around giving $20 away.


8. My cousin Art has this same dream! Someday I will make it happen, but I don't know how or when. I do know that I throw HUGE parties at my house so that I can invite all my cousins from my dad's side, but I don't have enough room to invite ALL my cousins from up north too!


9. This is always a work in progress. I know I am so loved and blessed by God, but I wish I felt worthy and served Him in the way that I should. Like I said this is a work in progress and I know God isn't finished with me yet.


10. We have gone on some amazing trips and I know we will go on a lot more in our lifetime. Before I met my husband I had never been out of the state, but he has taken me and our girls to so many fabulous places. My favorite has been Hawaii, but I would love to take my girls to somewhere they would really like to go.

I am so blessed and I know this is a wish list, but really like I said I have a great life that is perfect for me! I have 3 great daughters, a wonderful husband, my mom is with me everyday and even though we fight I don't want her anywhere else, I have the best job in the world being a kindergarten teacher, I have a great extended family, we have a beautiful house and live in a great community! We have 2 cars, lots of clothes, lots of shoes, my girls have toys and games, we have a cute dog and we have lots of friends. We love our church and I am now a Eucharistic Minister and teach CCD. My grass is really green on my side of the fence and I don't like to think about what ifs. I know I am where I am suppose to be. Thank you Lord for all that you have given to me.

What Makes Me Happy!

Kelly over at Kelly's Korner had a post today that asked "What Makes You Happy?/What Do You Love?" Well first and foremost I love these 3 right here!! They make me the happiest that I thought I could ever be!! I love being a mom and especially a mom to them! They are such a special gift to me and they make me happier then you can ever imagine!

I love my friends and they make me happy too! This is a picture of me with my bff! We have been friends since we were 8 years old!! We met in 3rd grade and when I first met her I didn't like her! Hahaha! We have been through so much and when we get together we have so much fun over the silliest things!

I also have some other amazing friends too! My once a month girlfriends!! They know who they are!! And my right hand at work! (You know who you are too!) These women are so amazing and it makes me happy just thinking about them in my life! My right hand is leaving me next year to go to 2nd grade and I know work will not be the same! I am going to be so lonely next year, but I know she needs the change. I am happy for her, but I will miss her so much!

My job makes me happy! I am a school teacher and everyday is a new day! I love my class even though they drive me crazy! I only have 14 more days with them and that makes me sad, but happy to know that I have prepared them well to move on! Teaching is the best job!!!!

My family, (my cousins, my aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, Godchilden, comadres, compadres and everyone else in between) makes me happy! I have such an amazing family!! I love them all so much and even though we have grown and now have our own families when we get together I am so happy! I love to throw big parties because then I have a chance to see them all!

My wonderful hubby makes me happy and I love him so much! I am so thankful that we met 16 years ago at a party that neither of us had planned to attend. Good thing we did! Here we are 16 years later with 3 kids and a dog. He is the perfect man for me!

My doggy! I love my doggy and he makes me happy. He thinks he is a person! I love to see when he and Squiggler fight over something. It is so funny! He was my baby until she came along and he still is, but he has to share the attention.

My new car makes me happy! It runs so smoothly and fits our family perfectly!! Every time I see it I get happy because I know it's ours and the way it came to be is an act of God. How we ended up with a car from New Mexico in our price range with low mileage is a miracle that only HE could have helped us with!

Shoes make me happy and I love to wear heels!! I haven't bought myself a new pair in a while, but I still love them! Also purple is my favorite color and everytime I see it, it brings a smile to my face. It was also my daddy's favorite color and it makes me think of him too!

I love SATC and enjoy watching it each and every time it is on! I have the movie and the entire series and I got to see the sequel today! These gals make me happy and suspend reality for me a little when I get the chance to see it!! I am also a big Friends fan! I love that series too and catch old episodes each time I see them on the tv. I don't own the series, but I wish I did. Someday I will!

LOL! I love diet coke and frappucinos from Starbucks too! I don't really drink alcohol or coffe, but oh yeah I need my diet coke once a day! My frappucinos are about 2x a week if I'm lucky. It's funny though because everyone at my Starbucks knows me by name and my drink order too. You would think I went there everyday, but I don't. I have been going for the last 4 or 5 years though.

Other things that make me happy:

• stargazer lilies
• the sun
• dancing
• giving compliments
• unexpected good texts from friends
• reading
• getting a pedicure

And the other thing that makes me so happy that I love is my church. I don't have picture of it or the people that I go to church with, but I have been going to the same church for the last 20 years. God is a big part of my life and I pray a rosary daily. I go to church every Sunday and serve as an Eucharist minister and CCD teacher. I try to help in ways that I can and to be a good example. I am far from perfect, but I know that God loves me! I have so much to learn still and I often don't feel worthy of all the love that God has shown me, but I also know that one of the most wonderful things about His love is that it is unconditional. He might not like the choices that we make, but He ALWAYS loves us. For this I am so grateful!!

LOL! Oh yeah I almost forgot that I love music and dancing and couldn't figure out how to put this video of my favorite dance song right now. My girls love it too and we sing really loud in the car each time we hear this song!

Simple Pleasures

Kelly over at Kelly'sKorner blogged about some of her "Simple Pleasures" and it got me to thinking of some of my own. Some Kelly had written are some of mine too, but some are slightly different.

This little face is one of my simple pleasures. Especially this cheesy smile of hers. She is such a ham! I can't wait to get home each day just to squeeze and hug her!

The smell of the Squiggler! Her scent is such a sweet smell and I love to put my face in her neck and just inhale!

The sound of my daughter playing the violin is also one of my simple pleasures lately. She is getting really good and she has some favorites that I just love to hear when she is practicing. I hope she always keeps it up!

Another simple pleasure from the Weegie is when she calls me "Mommy." Now that she is older she doesn't do it as much, but when she does...that is music to my ears!

A simple pleasure from the Speedy Cheetah is her sweet hugs! She is such a loving child and her hugs always melt my troubles away!

Eating her cooking is another! She is quiet the little cook and loves to make simple recipes for her family.

Here are a few more simple pleasures that always brighten my day!

Diet coke from McDonalds.

A warm comforter on the bed on a cold day.

Snuggling in the arms of my love! Taking a nap together is a bonus!

A text or email from a good friend always brightens my day.

Finding money in the most unexepected places. (Like a coat pocket.)

People remembering my birthday!

The sun warming my soul on a beautiful day! (I am a lizard)

My class telling me that they love coming to school.

Chips and salsa with a good friend !

Those are just some that come to mind right now, but I'm sure I will think of more in the coming days! I like thinking of this because it reminds me of the blessings we have each and everyday!