I’m sitting here staring at a blank page.

After being inactive on my blog for several months, it feels as though a part of me is gone.  I guess I’m still here, but the writer part of me has laid dormant.  Puutting words on paper takes a certain muscle, that if not used regurlaly, grows weak.

I’ve been on a journey, of sorts.  I have learned a lot about myself along the way.  It’s funny how in life, we spend so much time trying to get along with other people, but the most important person we will ever understand, is ourselves.

The Solstice Sisters, to My Mommy Style.  We felt that it described what we are trying to achieve as a group blogging team, much better.  It is a mommy blog.  We plan to focus on Family, Fashion, Food, and Fun.  Each week, we will rotate through these categories, and write on something within them.  It has already been a lot of fun, and the blog is taking on a life of it’s own.  We have other gals working on it with us, so it becomes much more fun and not such a drain.  We will have weekly giveaways, and so many fun things to talk about.  Each of the girls that write, will share in their Mommy Style.  We wanted people to see that there are many different ways to be, and ask the question “what is MY mommy style?”  We will be having guest contributors, and share so much awesome!

As traffic grows on that blog, it will funnel into sweet solstice.  The more people that will see it the more that will shop there.   We actually did really well our first two months of business, doing everything ourselves – but we have now come up with a plan for Sweet Solstice to involve others and yield a greater return, with a lot less headache.  I missed Pink Moss horribly.  The more time I spent putting up fun deals and cute things to buy, I felt myself slipping further and further away from the whole reason I decided to spend time on the internet in the first place. So, it just makes sense to focus on the blogging end to fuel the store.

I love sharing thoughts and ideas.  I love recording my families adventures.  I love getting to meet many people that otherwise I would not.  One of the first people that called me when my blog went down, was my mom, followed by many other concerned people that I didn’t ever realize cared.  It’s hard to spend so much time writing, and feel like it is a huge waste of time – but in the process I realize that even if nobody read my blog, I needed it for me.  Without it, I found it harder to stay positive in my daily life.  I think without reflecting on my blessings regurarly, I felt darker.  And being a mother of many, and lots of stuff going on, I didn’t want to feel this way.  I want to feel light and positive.

So many things have happened that I haven’t recorded here in the past several months.  Sydney moved on from her marriage to Scotty, and this has been a big emotional challenge in our home.  We all love Scotty, but it just wasn’t right.  I think sometime when I feel like it’s time, I will share some thoughts about it.  Don’t worry, nothing that will be too personal, but things that I feel are okay to share.  I will also have Syd read it before I post it so I know it feels ok to her, as well.  And, I guess if it never feels right, I won’t post it.

Kinley, Whitney, Brighton, Ella, Halle, and Jordan have all been really busy and had big things happening in their lives.  I could have a full time job just trying to keep up with their everyday happenings!

Right now as I type, I sit in a hotel room all alone in Las Vegas.  I know, I know…why not gamble or go to a show?!  It’s because I feel really happy just sitting here, in the quiet.  I am here with Mandy, my cousin that I started Native Honey with.  Remember?  It was a few years back now.  We spent blood, sweat, and tears designing lots of styles of handbags made of recycled fabric remnants.  We matched them with beautiful leathers and fun styles.  We had beach bags, high end bags, clutches, backpacks, yoga bags, and more.  In the end, I gave the business to my cousin Kelly.  I felt like my life would be too busy, and I wouldn’t be able to manage it all – and sure enough – a few months after I passed it on, Jordan came into our lives.  It was so hard giving up something I loved and created with Mandy, for what, I wasn’t sure.  But it proved to make a lot of sense.  I had the chance to raise the son that I had always wanted.

Now over two years later, my kids are almost all entering school all day!  Next fall, I will have every day open, to do as I please.  This is such a crazy thought to me after so many years of little kids.  I have always known that I will not just be at home every day, all day, with nothing to do.  I have big plans, to do something.  I thought it would be Sweet Solstice, and maybe it still will be, but I know I will do something.

Currently, I am at WPPI conference, for photographers.  I love taking pictures, I always have.  I don’t know that I’ll make it a business, but I do love learning about it and doing it as a hobby.  Mandy is the professional.  Her work is beautiful, and if my pictures looked like hers, I may be starting my business as a photographer today!  It just takes practice and time.

Oh Mandy, one of my forever best friends.  I don’t have do anything and I have a great time!  It all happened quite quickly.  I didn’t know I would be going, but here I am!  Jon decided to drive down to Vegas with me so I would have company, and then turn around and fly back the same day (which was last night).  The plan was to have dinner before he had to turn around, but there was a fatal accident that blocked off the whole freeway and we sat there for over an hour.  He said he was still really happy to be able to give Mandy a hug and get us checked in.  He put his card down so we could get a massage or show tickets, bought us tickets for dinner – and left.

Jon works hard, but he values playing hard as well. 

When some people get to Vegas, they run to the casino or to get a drink.  Mandy and I jumped into our P.J.s lightening FAST!  We were both tired from a day of travel.

I asked her what we were supposed to eat in the morning, and she threw me a instant oatmeal packet, with the exclamation, “PLUS – it’s ORGANIC!”

I am used to Jon dragging me to the buffet…

Today we woke up early, and ran out the door.  We went to some classes on running a photography business, and then visited the WPPI tradeshow forever.  We returned home and quickly ordered room service (slave driver!)

Then, after we ate the best meal of our lives!

Isn’t it always the best meal when you are starving!?

Have a great night, and we will catch up soon!

Viva Las Vegas!