Thanksgiveaway

A friend of mine who was my inspiration to follow my love of photography is doing a giveaway!

Mariah Baddas is giving away an all-inclusive session, what's cooler than a giveaway!?!?! Well, I love the way she is doing the giveaway... email her a nomination of someone who you think really deserves this, maybe this has been a rough year and they just would not otherwise be getting pictures done. Regardless of the reasons tell her the reason you think someone deserves this session and she will be choosing one through random.org... AND giving the person who nominates a FREE session... could it get better? YOU BET!!! She will travel ANYWHERE in the Continental US to meet the family nominated!!! Are you interested yet?!?!?! Check out her blog here for details on who to email... do it soon because this wonderful giveaway ends Christmas Day!!!!

Black Friday

As Black Friday is coming to a close I just want to say I LOVE good deals!!!! As I have said before I get a glimmer of hope from getting a bang for my buck! Today I got some sweet deals as I'm sure did any one who went out today! My FAVORITE thing was that my husband and I got to go out together, it was our "date" for the week... well, maybe even for the month! Then at Sports Authority, they were giving out "bonus bucks" ranging from $10-500 and my husband and I each got $25! So, I got the Chargers Jersey I have been wanting for a LONG time! What's even better is that it was also one of the door busters, 30% off! So, I got a $60 Chargers jersey for only $17! HOORAY!!!!

The Greatest Gift

A while back something happened in my life and I thought I lost a friend forever, and I didn't know what I did. I was devastated. The friendship base that I thought I had built was suddenly pulled out from under me and I felt as though I had fallen on my rear, and hard! After months of lots of tears and doing all I could think of doing I asked for forgiveness for whatever I had done. I was told that it was nothing... so I decided I really had done all I could and decided to just live my life as best I could and forge friendships with new people. For over a year that friend and I had barely even said, "Hello." Silly... yes I know... but I didn't know what else I could do to fix whatever happened.

I recently received an email from her... I can't even tell you how much it warmed my heart to have her say that she wants to be friends and keep in touch even after we move. Tears came to my eyes as I felt an incredible weight on my shoulders be lifted. I tell you this story not for you to think more of me or my friend, but to remind you and me that even when a relationship is strained for any reason, no matter how silly, there is always hope that the relationship can be rebuilt. And that is the greatest gift I have received in a long time. She will always be someone who I admire and have so much respect for and I am just SO happy that I can call her "my friend."

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Wishful Wednesday

I found my dream watch!!!

Isn't it beautiful?!?!? This is the first watch I have ever been really excited about... usually I see watches and I think... eh... why bother? I have the time on my cell phone, that's good enough for me!

But when I saw this watch I couldn't help but think, "Now THAT is a watch I would wear!"

It almost looks like a gorgeous bracelet! I like that... a watch that doesn't look like a watch!

So... here's to today's Wishful Wednesday. Someday I will get this watch!

Hope and Happiness

I've been trying to decide what to write about ALL day today! Finally I was reading through some quotes and found this one (I think it's part of a toast from a wedding or something, I couldn't find who specifically said it):

"May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy."

With this I started to think about what brings happiness into my life... so here are three things that bring me happiness and help me keep hoping for something better:

1.  My husband, the greatest man ever who works harder than anyone could ever imagine was possible. He can always make me laugh, even when I feel the deepest of sorrow. I find great joy in thinking of spending all of eternity with such a wonderful man!

2.  My boys (at least when they aren't driving me crazy) I think I needed to write about happiness because my toddler was driving me crazy earlier! I have so much hope for the future of my boys and our family. I hope the above quote is true for us that we will have just enough trials to make us strong!

3.  My religion, this is where I find the majority of my hope. I like the idea of there being more to life than just the years we are here on earth.

What are three things that bring you happiness... or keep you hoping for something better?

Hope {for a favorable outcome}

What favorable outcome am I hoping for today... the same thing I've hoped for for as long as I can remember!
A more fit body!
I would love to get down to a size 8! That is my ultimate goal which is still a few sizes away and is why I started doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred about a week and a half ago. There is no joking about it, Jillian is a killer trainer, but as she says, "when you start feeling it burn that's when you're making the big changes to your body." And that is exactly what I want. So I push through and at least it's just 20 minutes to endure!
(And what sane woman would not want a body like Jillian?)

It is also the reason I am excited about this giveaway over at Mormon Mommy Blogs. They are giving away Jillian Michaels' new fitness game for the Wii AND a Wii Fit Plus Board! (That's worth about $200 in prizes!)

I don't currently own a Wii, but I think we would get our hands on one some how if I won these!!! But if not I'll just try to keep up with Jillian on the 30 Day Shred!

(p.s. By the way I've already lost about 3 pounds, hopefully I can be good with the Holidays!!!)

Dream {a cherished aspiration}

I would like to share with you a current dream I have! I don't care to ever become a "famous photographer". I don't need to have my photographs published in a magazine or anything like that. With photography my biggest dream is that people will be very excited to book appointments with me... and that I would have my "regular" clients... the other aspect of this is we need to stay in the same place!
Right now we don't know what will be happening come January. My husband will be done with school in December... and we don't even have a place to live come January (that's when we get kicked out of student housing). I know something will work out... it's just a little nerve wracking! Anyways, I look forward to some day being really established with photography and having all the supplies that I dream of having. Some day this dream WILL be mine!

Hope {believe in a positive outcome}

I was blog browsing the other day and came across this post that is just wonderful! I am a member of this projects called 5000 Moms. If you're interested check out the site here.

I love the list of Five Actions To Maintain Hope which is given at the end.

1. Keep a list of miracles so you can remember how things of the past have worked themselves out.

2. Remember gratitude. A thankful heart is a hopeful heart.

3. God is in charge so you don't have to be. If your shoulders are feeling weighted down remember you don't have to carry it all.

4. Playtime. Make sure you are scheduling time to laugh and have fun. Put on your favorite dance music and take a mini-holiday with a twirl around the living room.

5. Give Service. Hope can be renewed when we give of ourselves. When we see the struggles of others we step out of our own troubles.

Wishful Wednesday

So, to go along with the bed that I wished for last week, I'll finish off the bedroom set that I wish for which means a dresser and nightstands!

First I LOVE this Dresser:

 The Metropolitan Arched Landscape Mirror and the Metropolitan 12-Drawer Dresser from Macy's, priced at about $1600.

Then for the nightstand I like this little guy:

The Metropolitan 3-Drawer Nightstand priced at about $500.

Oh yes, someday I WILL have such a lovely bedroom, with such wonderful furniture... can't you just picture it!

No more your and mine, just OURS

My husband and I have been married for over 3 years now and last week we finally bought OUR first car! When we got married we each had our own car, then since we were a little strapped for cash we got rid of my husband's car and kept mine (since mine was paid off). Last week we sold my baby... yes that was the first car that I bought. It's kind of bittersweet letting go... but it had to be done! That car needed a couple thousand dollars worth of work, and I am planning on driving up to Sacramento for my little sister's graduation from Sacramento State, so we wanted to make sure whatever I was driving would get me there safely! And now we have a car that will save us on gas too!

It's a 2005 Hyundai Sonata and can I just say I feel so grown up with having this kind of car? It looks so professional... I LOVE it! But what I love the most is that we no longer have the car my husband brought into the marriage or the car I brought into the marriage... just OUR car! I thought it would be a lot longer until we had a nice car like this... but what can I say it worked out and Dreams do come true... you just never know when it will happen!

Hope {good will happen}

Last week I went to the grocery store and was determined to save as much money as I possibly could! I took a few coupons that I had received in the mail and bought things on sale... I spent about $38 and saved $31!!! I saved 45%!!! I was SO excited! I guess this is just my little way of saying that you can still get a bang for your buck you just have to shop smart!!!
Part of keeping your hope alive means you have to make an effort. Despair is easy to sink into, you simply have to do nothing!
One thing I heard once was, "God can't steer a parked car." In other words you can't expect something for nothing. Keep plugging away my friends!

Ultimate crafters giveaway

I am in LOVE with this giveaway... not only do they have the Madsen Bike's (which I think would be fun to have), but they have all kinds of fun crafting items such as the Yudu screen-printing machine, a Cricut Machine, a Book binder... and TONS more! A total of more than $3800 in gifts!!!!

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year? 
    Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras, Lowepro Beltpack Camera Bag Accessory Kit, wide angle 17-40mm f/4USM lens, Women's chargers jersey White, Thick Waist Belt
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received? 
     a hooter hider! (I'm sure there are other handmade gifts that I love just as much, I'm just having a brain fart... so if you gave me something and I didn't put it as my favorite, I'm sorry!)
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle? 
    A car seat cover
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child? 
    When I was really young I was given a Nutcracker by our adopted Grandparents, after that it became tradition to get me a nutcracker (whether it was an ornament or an actual nutcracker it was something along those lines)
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year? 
     A Bike, anything with wheels, coloring supplies, books
6. What is your favorite holiday food? 
    Candied Yams
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
    I don't know if I should tell you all that I am hand-crafting... but I am making a few iSpy Bags!
8. What is your favorite holiday movie? 
    White Christmas
9. Favorite holiday song?
    The Christmas Song
10. Favorite holiday pastime? 
  One Christmas we spent with my dad's mom and my siblings and I stayed outside Christmas Eve playing in the snow until 1am! That was great!

Becoming Something More

Have you ever sat down and thought how we are always becoming something more... more than we thought we would? Yes, there are ways that life isn't quite what we dreamed it would be, but would you change it? I wouldn't! I love my life with my husband and my two boys. I do still feel that there is a little girl that is suppose to be a part of our family. Whether she is my next baby or the child we adopt... there is a little girl who is suppose to be in our family! I often wonder is there any one else who gets that kind of feeling?

Dream {a cherished aspiration}

Do you have a dream that you had as a child, but you are now so far from? I did. When I was in Elementary school I drew pictures ALL the time and I remember telling people, "I am going to be an artist for Disney some day." What's funny is if you asked the majority of friend's that I have now (that I have known since I got married, about 3 years) if I can even draw... well, they most likely would say, "I don't know." I do still love to draw, but I just don't do it as much as I once did. Some how that dream I had as a child has just slipped away. But there are new dreams that have taken it's place!

I love being a mom and my dreams have now changed to be dreams of how my children will change the world!

What dreams did you have as a child?

Wishful Wednesday

Have you ever gone to a friend's home and seen how they have the perfect matching furniture, all the frames to their pictures are perfect and match... and it just looks like their home could have come straight out of a magazine? Someday I would LOVE to have that. Right now our financial situation just does NOT allow for much leeway when it comes to these "luxury" items. Lately I have found myself dreaming of how some day we'll have a house and how it will be decorated... or even how someday we'll have a table with a full set of chairs (my toddler has knocked over several of our chairs so many times that he has broken many of them). Anyways, I have decided that once a week I'll put a picture here of something that I've been dreaming of having in my someday! Today I'm actually going to start with a bed... yes I dream of having a Queen or King size bed! That's right, my husband and I both squeeze onto a double! So, with this there are actually two that I really like the design of. This first one I think would look so nice with taking photos.

from laylagrayce.com/ and costs about $2000.

This second one is more what I would love to have in my bedroom:

(Sorry I can't get a bigger picture)

This one is the Metropolitan Platform Bed from Macy's and is also about $2000.

I do like the look of the dark furniture, it just looks so classy (in my opinion).

But, for now our little double bed with the simple free bed frame that it came with works for us until we can afford the luxury of having a nice bed frame... oh some day I hope you come before my kids are all grown!

Hope {good will happen}

One thing that gives me hope, the kind of hope where you believe good will happen, is every Sunday night my husband and I turn on the television and watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I love that my husband will watch it with me! The thing that gives me hope from watching this show is every week you see another family that makes a difference for good in the world... and even better... these wonderful people are given something that they just could not manage to do for themselves. And usually the reason they can't do it for themselves is because they are so busy doing things for others!

Every week I watch this show and feel the desire to find something I care about and make it a focus of my life through service in that area.

Welcome!

I have created this site as one to share things to hope for, things we wish for, and the dreams we dare to dream. I believe there is much to hope for in life and that sometimes with all the bad that is going on it is difficult to see those things unless we focus on seeing them. That is what this blog is about. The second thing this blog is about is the wishes we have. Every Wednesday I will have what will be called Wishful Wednesday. I may share a wish of mine or wishes of others that I know or have heard about. I would encourage you to share your wishes in the comments as well! Isn't it fun to share them, but with someone you don't even know! I think it is, but I love to share with anyone! Finally the last part of the blog... dare to dream! Often in life you will have people who will stand in the way of your dreams, sometimes intentionally sometimes unintentionally. I am here to encourage you dream and reach for the stars!

If you would like to share this blog with others feel free to link here, or even grab my button:

<a href="http://hopingwishesdream.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Mommy's Idea" src="http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk95/lw4photos/button.jpg"/></a>

YouData

This is another legitimate site is one where you can make a little money each week. I've been signed up for this one for about a month and have received about $1.50. I realize that doesn't sound like anything, but just think how that $1.50 in one month maybe took 5 minutes of my time and over a year that's an easy $18 per year just for clicking on some links. That's enough for me to go on a cheap date night with my husband! For that I will take it! If you're interested in signing up click below:

Oh AND they do not ask for your address or social security number or anything like that, you are however required to have a PayPal account through which you receive payments.

Have you heard of SWAGBUCKS!!!!

Have you heard of Swagbucks? If not, you should check it out! This is one of the easiest ways to win prizes. All you do is search the web and you win points (randomly).

I've only been signed up for about a month and already was able to cash in on a $5 gift card to Amazon.com (which is among my favorite sites). Now with the holidays coming I know you are all starting to think about Christmas gifts... and just think if you'd been doing this for the past 12 months and lets say you happen to be able to cash in on the $5 gift card once a month... you would have $60 to spend on Amazon.com, now wouldn't that be worth just doing a few searches through swagbucks.com?

OH and a quick tip... I've found that if you do just a couple of searches in the morning and a couple in the evening you are pretty likely to get a "swagbuck" at those times! At least that's how it seems to have worked for me.

Stroller Giveaway!

If you have more than one child you should check out this giveaway! I would LOVE to have this stroller (as our every day stroller). Don't get me wrong, I really like my BOB stroller. But for going to the grocery store and other errands this stroller would be nice!

Click on the image above and check it out, get entered! And who knows maybe you'll WIN!!!!