Moment of truth...

  • if you saw your problems in a pile with everyone elses you would probably grab yours back.
  • all that really matters is that you loved
  • growing old beats the alternative--dying young
  • your kids get only one childhood.
  • forgive
  • frame every so called disaster with these words "in 5 years will this matter?"
  • no one is in charge of your happiness except you.
  • get rid of anything that isnt beautiful, useful or brings you joy.
  • Dont compare your life to others, you have no idea what their journey is all about.
  • its ok to let your kids see you cry.
  • Make peace with your past so it doesn't screw up the present.
  • Your job won't take care of you when you are sick; but your family will, keep in touch!
  • Just keep taking that next small step.
  • Life isn't fair, but it's still good!

Friday, April 16, 2010

A new chapter...or maybe an old one.

Well, after moving to Huntley, I quit doing daycare, because I didnt' think people would drive out here for me to watch their kids.



after a few months I got the opportunity to go to work at the Telegram. I loved it. I love the job, and the co workers.



I hate leaving my house every day and taking my children to someone elses house to be babysat.



I also hate trying to find reliable daycare.



So I made the decision to quit working and come back home to stay with my kids. I also made the decision to start watching kids again.



And I couldn't be happier about my choice. I can not wait to wake up in the morning again and know that the most I have to do it pull my hair up, brush my teeth and put some sweats on.



I don't have to rush to get 4 kids ready, myself ready and get out the door my 715 so everyone can go where they need to and I can get to work on time.



I also can not wait to tell my kids that mommy is staying home today and that they don't have to go anywhere else!



I have a couple kids ready to start daycare whenever I am done at work, and with just 2 kids, I will honestly make more than I do at work every week.



So I don't know if I should say I am starting a new chapter or re opening the chapter I closed a while ago, kind of like a good book, when a chapter is good you just keep opening it to read it again...I guess this is my life chapter I need to live again!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Remembering spontaneity

Wednesday, Apr 7th, 2010
By Rochelle Stitt

This is my column from the opinion page in the Torrington Telegram.


As a young mother of four, life doesn’t always go according to plan. In fact, it seldom does. When you look at the whole scheme of things, does it really need to?Have you ever sat and listened to an elderly person tell their life stories – maybe your grandparents as a child or parents as an adult or maybe just someone you stumbled across? Their stories of childhood are the greatest. They are always in depth and full of emotion and joy from the “good old days.”My grandparents used to tell stories from their childhood and I remember laughing and just listening with a huge smile on my face. I remember thinking, their lives were so happy and full of joy, and they had so much fun. They have memories from years and years ago. Nothing from the last few decades erased those memories from their minds. While other things slip, the important memories remain. I am sure the lingering stories, the ones passed down for generations, didn’t happen according to plan. The memories that stick are spontaneous life events – the ones that weren’t supposed to happen. Now I wonder if they were smiling or cursing while the events they tell stories about were actually happening? I wonder how long had to pass before the story went from a mishap to a great memory and something they wanted to share for decades? When I am elderly and all I have left are the memories of my past, I want to remember the times I stopped and appreciated my life and its spontaneity. The times I laughed instead of cried when something went wrong.My mom has always said to me, “Don’t sweat the small stuff, it’s all just small stuff.” As I get older, the annoying saying starts to make more sense then ever. As you go through your daily schedule, remember being spontaneous isn’t always bad. Breaking out of the routine can bring you happiness and lasting memories to share later in your life. As a mother, these are the things that bring joy to my children’s faces and put the sparkle in their eyes.The next time your child misses the school bus, your car gets a flat tire on the way to an appointment or your boss throws something at you that wasn’t expected, don’t let yourself get angry, try to remember to smile and make the best of it. Life is what you make it. Happy-go-lucky people don’t have better or easier lives than the rest of us, they have a better outlook on life. They smile when things go right and laugh, shrug their shoulders and carry on when they go wrong. Their lives are not without stress or mishaps, they don’t get lucky and never have bad things happen, they just remember to deal with them positively and make the best of a bad situation. When you let yourself get down and dwell on the negative, bad things always seem to show up. The opposite has the same effect. When you dwell on the positive, you will notice your life is full of it. Always remember to frame every so-called disaster with these words, “in five years will this matter?” Just keep taking that next small step, because life isn’t fair, but it is still good.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Wyoming State Folkstyle Tournament...
















Half way!

We are officially half way through wrestling season.

The boys wrestle two styles, Folkstyle and Freestyle. Freestyle will continue until the beginning of May. Folkstyle is what we have been doing and this weekend was state folkstyle. It was held in Casper Wyo. and there were (as always) a TON of kids. We have a great team, and a lot of participants from Torrington. 34 kids from our club went to state this year, 16 of them went on to the championship rounds. We had 4 1st place medals and several 2nd and 3rd place. Overall Torrington Wrestling Club did excellent and we are all so proud of our team kids.

Jaysen had 25 kids in his 8 and under 60 pound bracket. He wrestled 5 times saturday and won 3 lost 2. That put him out for sunday with no place, but he has improved so much over the last couple weeks, he wrestled better than I have ever seen him wrestle and he was also very proud of himself.

Brock had 29 kids in his bracket, 8 and under, 45 pounds. He wrestled 6 times on sunday and lost once, which put him in the championship rounds on sunday for 3-4th place. Sunday he wrestled once and lost leaving him in 4th place of 29 kids!!! He was pretty disappointed that he lost since thus far in the season he has not been beat, and only been taken through 3 periods a couple times, but it is a good lesson learned... no matter how good you think you are, there is always someone better, and that in every match there is a winner and a loser, and you have to know how to deal with being both.

We had a great weekend, and I am looking forward to seeing how the kids do in freestyle! Jaysen likes freestyle a lot better, so he is also excited!

If you are interested in seeing more pictures from State Folkstyle, there is an entire album on my facebook of all the kids in our club wrestling. Check it out :)
Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful spring like weather!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Life on the Farm...

Sometimes I get so frusterated with living so far out in the country, driving back and forth to work, needing to get something from the store, taking the kids to school. With gas prices high it seems almost more reasonable to just move closer to town.
However, I really enjoy living in the country, no neighbors, no trains, no noise. Its relaxing, peaceful and nice, not to mention the great sunrises and sunsets, wildlife in the yard and beautiful landcapes.
Sunday the kids and I got to go check cows with Casey, its calving season, and the cows have to be checked every few hours throughout the day. The kids loved it, as did I, we laughed at the babys, commented on all the different cows, got to watch Casey feed them. It was another reminder why country living has such an appeal. The kids are still talking about checking the cows and taking pictures of them. I really do think that kids that live on the farm get so many great experiences that "city kids" just miss out on.
I definately enjoyed myself just as much as the kids did. I love baby animals and little calves have to be close to my favorite. They are so cute and sweet. Watching them jump and play is just about as sweet as watching my own kiddos in the yard.

On a different note,
The boys wrestled in Mitchell, Neb. two weeks ago, Jaysen got 3rd place and Brock 1st and Wheatland, Wyo. last weekend, Brock got first place after pinning 3 kids. Jaysen also got first for the first time! He was so happy and we were so proud of him. He pinned 2 of the 3 kids he wrestled and won the other match by points. Both kids wrestled great and we couldn't be prouder of them!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Laramie, WY Torunament-2-20-2010












Here are some pictures of the wrestling tournament this weekend. Brock got 1st place and Jaysen got 4th. Brock wrestled in teh 45# weight class and had a couple of his hardest matches yet. He wrestled great and won them all but had to work hard for a couple of them. Jaysen wrestled in the 60# weight class and wrestled better than he ever has, he went out and did the moves he has been practicing and worked hard the whole match. He had a few minor mistakes that cost him the win, but knowing he wrestled his best was more than enough to make him proud of himself. He went all 4 matches without getting pinned and lost by 1 point in each of the matches he lost. Both boys were great and I am (as always) so very proud of my kiddos!










Sunday, February 14, 2010

What is the "Bah Humbug" of Valentines day?



Whatever a Valentines day "bah humbug' is really called, its me. I think Valentines day is the most ridiculous holiday ever. I mean, sure getting chocolate or flowers is sweet, but wouldn't it be SO much better if your significant other just wanted to suprise you an some random day rather than over pay and race around to make sure you got your yearly valentines day gift? GAG.
It seems to me like such a "high school" holiday. Something for little silly teenagers to prove who has the most considerate boyfriend. Its a status show, who gets the biggest prettiest flower arrangement from their "love." And the poor guys who either cant afford a dozen roses in high school, or who agree with me and think its a big joke and don't get anything. They get the short end of the stick because their lady will probably either leave them and steal away her best friends man who got 2 dozen roses for his "love." or she is going to be pouting and mad at him for the rest of the week. Arent girls silly?

Casey has always got me a pretty boquet of flowers for valentines day. From the first year until now, and he is always good at suprising me with them. They are usually Pink roses, considering pink is my favorite color. This year I think I have convinced him that I don't need flowers, or chocolates or a silly stuffed bear. All I need if for him to come home after work every day, and do all the things that he does ever day that make me know that he is happy to come home to us, that he appreciates me daily, not just on valentines day. Needless to say, to me, today is nothing more than another sunday - which means tomorrow is the dreaded monday. Where do the weekends go...and why do they go so stinkin fast?!

To all you Valentines day advocates....Happy Valentines Day! To the rest of you , Have a good sunday!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Ill? Colo.? Minn.? Who are all you people?

I have been looking at my blog "visitors map" and noticing that there are people viewing my blog from all over the place! Which makes me wonder, how did you come across it? What do you think? and most of all, Who are you? Not that I mind, I am glad Beautiful Chaos is drawing so much attention, it makes me smile!

To everyone viewing my blog, please leave me a quick comment...let me know your thoughts, how you found it, and so on...
and if you also have a blog, leave me your blog address, I would love to check yours out!

I am very interested!

Some of my simple pleasures....

  • My garden
  • flowers-not cut flowers, real live ones, especially in my yard where they are growing and beautiful
  • making lists...honestly i do enjoy making lists, even grocery lists or things I need to get done...I know its dumb!
  • Backyardigans
  • smelly-good candles really do make me happy
  • photography. I love it, all of it!
  • cooking-yeah not really the usual breakfast, lunch, dinner routine, but I do enjoy cooking in general!
  • Good Book
  • writing, it doesn't much matter what, even just a journal or a few lines of thoughts here or there, i just enjoy watching ink and paper turning into thoughts.
  • a nice hot cup of coffee
  • a pretty sunset on fall evenings
  • bottle calves...(i know dumb, but they make me smile!)

Places I DREAM of going...

  • cuba
  • Russia
  • A Deserted island with Casey
  • Back to Germany
  • Austrailia
  • Ireland