Thankful : Post of Gratitude

This morning I woke up and just felt thankful and oh so fortunate.  I generally feel this way most days but don't always take the time to tell people or write it down, but sometimes you just need to jot it down and let those around you know how thankful you are to have them in your life.  So here goes .......

Thank you to my wonderful husband and baby daddy :) who gets our baby boy every morning so that I can sleep a little longer and actually wash my face and brush my teeth before our bouncing bundle of joy is running around the house full speed.  During this morning routine I secretly listen to the giggles between my son and husband and enjoy their budding relationship as father and son, this could be my very favorite part of of the day! 

Thank you to my loving Family who always seems to be eager to spend time with us and loves and supports us like nobody else can.  Closeness with family is truly a gift that not everyone receives and for that I am thankful to have experienced the love and kindness that is so precious and unique in this world.

Thank you to my friends both near and far, every friendship is eye opening to me and I love the lessons that I am taught through other cultures, routines and interests.  These friendships inspire me to try new things and make me feel appreciated by people that willingly choose to spend time with ME :)

Most importantly I am grateful for my health, my family's health and my healthy baby.  Life has been good to us and I should take the time more often to say out loud how very appreciative I am for this opportunity to be oh SOOO HAPPY and HEALTHY!

Besos

Everyday since Gordon was born I plant a kiss right on his mouth and tell him how much I love him.  Today when I left for work I went to kiss him and he leaned in with all his might and kissed me back!  I thought the water works were going to come on for sure, but pure and utterly profound love leaped into my heart and created one of those unforgettable moments that will forever be seared into my mind and heart.
It seems that all my kisses have not gone in vain for these past 9 months.   This child is going to be a lover that is for sure.  I can't wait to see what he will bring to this life! Sometimes life gives you a gift that you were least expecting and it turns out to be the greatest gift of all, LOVE.

Sept 2017...Be Mindful

It has been five years since I have written on my Blog, which made me kind of sad as writing was always a therapeutic escape for me and a wonderful way to remember special moments of my life and adventures.  As I re-read several earlier posts that brought me to tears and laughter, I have decided to start blogging again.  Not because I actually think that people are reading but for my own health and the immortal value of the written word.  Essentially to be more mindful of my surroundings.

Fast Forward to September 2017...I have been married for 2 1/2 years, own a beautiful home thanks to my talented husband and now have the privilege of being Gordon's Mommy.  Oh yeah and Penelope's mommy, our cute and naughty bulldog.  After a long distance relationship from SF to Omaha, Nebraska of all places, my company was gracious enough to let me migrate south to our LA office and for the last 4 1/2 years we have been living in the pasadena area.  I literally never thought I would live in LA, but you know, life couldn't really get much better, we get sun year round and live close to the foothills and have a huge backyard and pool so never say never about loving living in LA if you are an SF kinda girl :)

Now for the good stuff....

Mr. Gordon...born Jan 9th 2017
My bouncing baby boy is just over 8 months old, he is starting to crawl in small spurts and is throwing hilarious temper tantrums when he does not get his way. This child seriously is non-stop entertainment and although he has only been in my life for 8 months there is no life without Mr. Gordon in it!  His smile is truly contagious and I know that he is going to bring out the best in people as he already does with his parents.  It is so serial to think that I am a mother and for anyone who knows me well, there was a time that I was convinced that I would never have children.  Not because I do not like children, I just wasn't sure that I would be able to be that self-less in order to have children.  If it weren't for Mr. Cody I don't think I would have ever had the guts to have children, he inspires me to do great things and above all to be a better person.  Honestly, you need to be a better version of yourself in order to have children, because those that remain selfish will never be able to give enough of themselves to their children. Having children is the most self-less thing you will ever do in your life, if you do it right.

Becoming a parent has made me aware that I may never again feel the same type of confidence in my decisions that I once did because I am constantly second guessing what is best for Gordon and sometimes that decision is not always clear at the time that you must make it.  All I know is that I love him with all of my heart and I am going to make mistakes, but I will make every effort possible to make sure that there is never an inkling of a doubt in his mind that his mother and father both love him unconditionally.   No matter what happens, no matter what argument occurs or path he chooses in life he will have our unwavering support in life.  We all need this sense of security from our parents, without this who do you call at the end of the day to let them know that you are home safely?  I think that sometimes people just have children to have children and they do not stop to think what this new role means and what the obstacles will be in having children.  We all tend to focus on the milestones but the journey to get there is what is important.  I am truly lucky to have a happy, healthy baby and a supportive, kind, loving husband.  These are things I hope to never take for granted, not even for a moment.

I guess my point is this, when dealing with loved ones try to follow these rules so that you can maintain these important relationships that we all need in Life....
"From the Dalai Lama"

Follow the 3 R’s: Respect for self. Respect for others. Responsibility for all your actions.

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

When you realize that you made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Open arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Last but not least...live in the present and be mindful.

Claire Sowa

Common Sense

Some people relish in the unknown and allowing so-called fate to Stear them in the right direction.

Others rely on the control of making their own fate in order to feel that they are dictating their own destiny. 

Every person functions differently, yet it is my observation that human nature tends to try and rationalize every situation, large or small and find its' purpose and or solution. 

What are we to do when there is no rational or explication for why we are dealt certain cards? This uncertainty is bound to cause conflicting thoughts. 

Life may be unfair at times but usually has a way of all working out. 

Just don't outsmart your common sense.

Amor

LOVE.... what is it that makes this word so profoundly exceptional?  Love can mean different things for every person but the optimal result is that its' dynamism strikes you when you least expect it!

We all have our own reservations and cliches of how a love story should go and I believe that we all are hesitant to divulge incriminating evidence about how we met the love of our life.  However, a Love story that is not your own is just that, another love story.  In short be proud of the way you met, however grandiose or un-refined it may be, it is yours and yours alone.

La Verdad, if we do not think that our story is unique and electrifying then why would anyone else?  Love is a precious commodity and therefore can be quite tricky to manage..... they say that "Love is like quicksilver; leave the fingers open and it stays, try to clutch and it darts away."

Amor....for me is ........

Meeting the love of your life on an airplane
Breaking down your bathroom door on NYE
Traveling through Chile playing soccer on the beach one day and wine tasting the next
Chilean Cabbies with Tempers and lots of saliva...YUCK!
Coal Burning Wine Barrel Hot Tubs
San Francisco Nights
Champagne Breakfasts the next morning
Scoring lefty on my favorite keeper
Live music and "window" shopping in the mission district
MOTO 101
ESPANOL 101
Camping, whiskey, Handi-Cap Parking and Mt. Knocoti
North Beach Extravaganza
Golfing in Bishop...how do I get to your house exactly?
BEACH VOLLEYBALL on 4th of July
Rafael Nadal Butt picking Tennis Matches
Playing no-peaking cards and twister competitively
Jazz and Ethiopian food together
Cochina
El Futuro.....

En fin, create your own story, and one must believe it, breath it, nourish it, and live it as best we see fit!

Gracias por ensenarme mi amor, mi vida, mi corazon, mi mejor amigo y razon para vivir.

Besitos,
Claire
xxx

Be Good to Yourself

My mother once told me that "You deserve everything good that ever happens to you! Please remember what a treasure you are." Those words have lifted my spirits time and again and although she is my mother, there is no mistake that she truly believes that all of her children and of course her new Nieta are the most wonderful beings on this earth and she is without a doubt our number one fan! Life takes its' toll on all of us in different ways and we all need our own dedicated personal cheerleader. I can't explain why we live this way, but Love is a tender and precious commodity and a life without it is not worth living. But let it be known that there are many kinds of love and each kind of love, whether it be the smell of coffee on a sunday morning, the warm sun on a summer afternoon, a good siesta, a hug, mi sobrinita Guinevere, or your neighbor's british bulldog, all these loves are worth every moment and they are what we call life. As my mother once told me "You deserve everything good that ever happens to you! Please remember what a treasure you are."

I only hope that one day I have the ability to make mi sobrinita feel as treasured as I do!

Luck, Risk, and Life: Suerte, Riesgo, y la Vida

Life sometimes deals us a different hand than we are expecting

A veces hay lo bueno y de repiente el malo, nadie sabe si la proxima lleva mas suerte o mas riesgo

The Mystery can be intriguing

El misterio podria ser una tortura tambien

We must play the game

Tengamos que jugar el juego

Win or Lose

Gana o Pierda