How should i begin… Happy New Year! Happy Valentine’s Day!  What a Day! I guess you get the picture. I know it has been a while since i visited  my own blog Life Happens i guess.

My family and i have been doing great.  Our boys are faring well. Julian is almost  5 and Eli is right around the corner chasing 2. Oh how time has gone. It really went by in a blink of an eye.  Julian is doing very well in preschool. His writing has gotten so good, his reading has been amazing as well, and we are truly thankful.  He still loves school, and had a blast on valentine’s day at his school.

Eli, My Eli , has been a comic. He loves books,  and is convinced that when he is flipping through the pages and  saying ” doh dah car mmmh doh…” then you should definitely follow his story.  He enjoys when i read to him, right now is hooked on one fish two fish red fish …. By Dr Seuss.  He ruined every copy of his all time favorite- The Very Hungry caterpillar book we ever got him, for some reason he just couldn’t keep off chewing on  every copy of that book. I am now convinced he understood the story and wanted to be just like that tiny caterpillar. So when he wants that story i just recite it to him, and maybe one day we will get him another copy , but for now Santa needs to visit him, as mommy is  not wanting to buy it just yet. He also enjoys building  blocks  and of course playing rough with his big brother- he never lets go freely. He definitely gives his brother a run for his things, but they both couldn’t have any other way. I love watching them play together and as the days go by, you can just see how inseparable they are becoming. It warms my heart to see them chase after each other, and at the end of the day when i tuck them in to bed, with their tired little faces,  i get a warm bear hug and a Kiss – Just Priceless! It is an awesome feeling.

Got to go to bed, duty calls early.

So, i hope you and yours are fairing well. As for us we are looking forward to Spring, have a great night!

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I am sitting here, just found out that my Aunt Susana passed away. She had been sick for a while, apparently no one told me.  So my sister Proly had sent me a message. I have been walking around in circles here,  very sad. I am so sad for my mom. This is her only sister, just like Proly and I.

All i can say is, i can’t imagine what my mom is going through right now, as i don’t even want to think about the possibility of ever losing my own sister.

See,  just like Aunt Susie i have always been the one away from home. I had not seen her in years. I don’t even know her that much except through stories my mom told me about their childhood. She was always skinny, looked more like our grandpa, mom looked more like grandma. Something had happened and she moved and lived in Namanga Kenya, away from her family, and she truly didn’t move back home till this year i believe, and now she is gone.

Mom said they used to be very close when they were younger, but i guess when life throws you a curd-ball stuff happens and it is very easy to lose touch- but regardless of what happened, or the number of years that passed, they always knew they had each other.  I used to watch mom run down the little dirt road to her mother’s house when my cousins would come to get her, to let her know Aunt Susie was visiting. I always use to go see her, i guess more so because mom always used to tell me, how i remind her of Susie.

Mom would say ” Yes you are almost flat chested just like your aunt Susie, you definitely need to shave your legs, just like your aunty Susie, etc ” Yet i really didn’t know her.

When i took the boys home in April, i heard she was home and had been for a while. I stopped there briefly to chat with her and Julian got to meet her. Eli was home with my mom. She truly reminded me of our late grandpa, she still had this infectious laugh and smile. She was still very shy. She really wanted me to make sure that i see my cousin Wanjiru ( her eldest daughter) before leaving.  I was happy, i got to reconnect back with Wanjiru, it had been over 12 yrs since we last saw each other.

I know if you are reading this, you are probably thinking what the heck… Yes, sometimes life and family  can be like that. People lose touch not with friends only, but even with family.  I hope with me writing this, you will stop and look at your phone or some old photos of you , your family and friends  and just reconnect with someone that was dear to you that you just lost touch.

I haven’t talked to mom yet, it’s a bit too early at home now…I am staying up so i can call her.  I am sad for her. For all the years that slept by where she didn’t get to share with her sister. All the moments that you would want to laugh, scream with joy, or just cry on your sister’s shoulder.  I wonder what is going through her mind right now. She has lost her mother, her father, and now her sister.  I just want to give my mom a big hug and cry with her right now.

Losing a sister, or any loved one is hard…and plainly sucks!

Like my baby sister would put it ” God loved her more”  -  Very true.

She is in a better place where there is no more pain.  God rest her soul in eternal peace!

I love you Aunt Susie!

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I would like to wish my husband, my dad, and all the other fathers of this world a happy fathers day today. I know there is no way i could have  done this parenting without my husband beside me. I see how our two little boys look at him, look up to him, and i know when they call him Daddy, ain’t no one else in this world mean the most to them like their daddy.

I can’t even begin to count how many times both boys call their daddy in a day… Daddy can you help me please? Daddy can you fix it? Daddy can you open it? Daaada.. Daddy it’s broke again! i mean that list is endless…

So, for all the daddies out there that are taking full responsibility of their children, and for the ones that have stepped into that role…I salute you. Here’s to you! May you have the strenghth to carry on this God given gift and responsibility, for as long as you shall live. It isn’t easy and it isn’t for the weak either, however one can agree, if taken seriously, it is one of the most rewarding jobs out there.  Not one single day is the same, and no matter how crappy your day can be…when you are greeted with that precious little smiley face, it is just hard not smiling back.. So Enjoy your children at every milestone in this life.

I look back at my childhood and there are soo many memories of my family and i. I can  tell you this, the ones that stand out the most are the ones with time spent with my father. For all the fathers out there, rich or poor…If there is one thing you do not want to ever regret, is not spending time with your child. I don’t care how rich you are, how many nannies or sitters your money can pay for… Your child wants YOU. Take that time to spend it with them as much as you can. If you really look at it, No matter how old we get, we always need  our parents.

Sometime you just want to talk to them, joke with them, play with them,  get a good hug, hear some  encouraging words, how about ” i love yous” , ” you can do it “, or just get a little advice.  I mean you know what i am talking about.

There’s nothing i love doing at home, than watching my boys play around with their dad. Anytime he is playing with one, the other one just doesn’t want to be left out. It is really a great way for them to bond together.

So wherever you are, whatever you do today, make sure you have reached out to your father or child and just share the love for today.

Happy fathers day to you all!

Happy father’s day dad, I will always love you!

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I truly feel like i haven’t blogged forever. I  miss writing… So here we go.

Most of us are quick to see our own flaws, our problems,  what we don’t have, and just about anything negative about ourselves. We worry  sick about everything,  day in and day out, we worry about things that we can’t even control, things that  would clearly survive us.

Good example right now, have you watched the news lately about what is going on  in Haiti? Iraq? some parts of Africa?  Well even here at home, in your own  neighborhood? I bet you, someone out there  has  it worse than you. 

You complain that you have no life…At least you woke up this morning and took a breath of fresh air, Thank God for that as someone else is probably in a coma right now and can’t  do any of that.  For the folks that complain about how much they detest their cars, are you one of them? You hate your car right now  for one reason or another, some  hate their car  because it is not  brand new, or doesn’t  have all the knicks and knacks, it is not an SUV or a BMW etc…well at least you have a car. I grew up with folks that walked miles and miles away with luggage on their head , and children on their back,  just to get to their destination, so thank God you have a car.

I know, i am guilty here. I complain about my children, sometime. I complain how Eli kept me up all night, and complain how Julian won’t  listen sometime, but at least i have them to keep me on my toes day and night. They have definitely made me appreciate my parents even more than ever. They have made me stop and get me  grounded,  and pretty much made me a better person. I can’t pretend that i don’t realize that  there is someone somewhere right now, who  would love to be able to have her own children, and would  gladly stay up the whole night holding and cuddling  them up…so yes be thankful for what you have, and i am!

Be thankful for where you are in your life. So you just hit 50  and  now you look back and find yourself  filled up with regrets of what you didn’t get to do, or what you don’t have yet. Stop yourself, and just look back at what you got to do. You chose a certain path in your life and i bet you, there are great memories there. Own that up and be grateful you were given that gift of life. Whatever else you have not accomplished yet, if you really  want it bad enough and want  to go for it, you can.  What is it that most say… you don’t have a degree? …go back to school and go for your degree, who said it is too late for your dreams? It  is never  too late for anyone to go after their hearts desires! By the way,  your neighbor just turned 77 and am sure he  would want to be 50 any given day! So love the age you are, everyday.

So you do not have a house yet,  your credit is very bad right now and no one would give you a loan, or maybe you were foreclosed.  All these are  temporary situations, they shall pass too. Credit can be repaired. If you want a house so bad and can’t afford to buy, go ahead and rent one. If you are already renting and are just stressed out because you can’t afford to buy your own house…please be gratefull you have a roof over your head. There was a quake that destroyed a lot of  houses in Haiti and the folks there were already poor to begin with, so trust me…you have it way better than you think!

So you hate your job…at least you have one! There is someone somewhere right now that would gladly switch places with you, so be grateful you have that job. Some people are in positions that pay 6 figures and still find something to complain about their jobs. It is like  the human nature to  not be satisfied with what we have. We are always looking outside our lives and just focusing on the cons. We stay up in bed tossing and turning over little things that we probably shouldn’t even worry about.  The funny thing is, when we wake up the next day, they will still be there waiting for us.. all the things that keep us tossing.

The point here is, take your time and see how blessed you are. You  have everything that you need to keep you content. Right in front of you.

Enjoy life!

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Anyone that have felt betrayed at one point or another in life would understand how painful it can be.  we just  found out today that someone we truly trusted with all our hearts betrayed that trust. I was very upset and am actually still upset.

How do people live with themselves? How can people just take advantage of others especially when they know deep in their hearts how  much you have helped them  over and over again. I mean, whatever happened to just  common decency, how about the basic life values? Honesty.Integrity.Trust.loyalty…etc

All i can do right now is just pray, just to keep me from exploading with anger.

It is one thing to ask for help and receive it, but to go stand in a crowd of those close to you and just lie about it, or how much help you got and just tournish other people’s names is just plain selfish!  I mean as we get older,  many things change. Families grow larger,  we find ourselves opening up our hearts. letting our guards down, and letting more people in our inner circle and simply love them.

I am the type of person that if i like someone, i like them wholeheartedly. I am the type of friend that treat friends like family. I would give  my friends and family anything they truly need, if i could. Then there is the  other side. Once that trust is gone, that’s usually it for me.

I grew up watching my mother giving soo much, over and over again, but seeing people betray her all the time, but she would just take that all in. I could see her hurting, but she never said anything .  I don’t think i could say that about myself, in this situation…I would gladly say, i am my father’s daughter. My father doesn’t get stung twice.

If you have people in your life that love you, make sacrifices for you, are willing to go without so you can have in abundance…Don’t take advantage of that, the list you could do is let the rest of the people around you know how lucky you are to have such people in your life! Just be honest!

Huh, I feel much better now. Thanks for lending me an ear!

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This year has been tough, due to the economic crisis across the globe, so Santa this Christmas you have a lot of work to do and yeah, tough.  For starters how about  a Best buy gift card for my electronic junkie husband, and wait while you are on  it throw in one of my own as i need a good laptop so i  can stop waking up from bed to go use this desktop. Stop it Santa. The other laptop is strictly for work, plus i am writing my novel, i don’t want to use my work computer for that, that won’t be such a good idea.

Julian will have to tell you what he wants, plus this year he gets to pick something for his brother Eli  all by himself, so hang on for those two for now. Santa! I know they have plenty of stuff already, but it is Christmas and they were so excited to put up their Christmas tree, we definitely don’t want to disappoint them…we could use some beautifully wrapped boxes under  that tree, so Come on and get on it Santa!

On a more serious note…

I wish many things for my own family and many other families out there. I wish for the basic needs. I wish for those who have lost their homes, find shelter and a place to call home soon. For those who have lost their jobs, or on the verge of losing theirs, help them find a decent job soon. For the children without food and clothes on their back, i wish  that Santa will  deliver a hot meal and clean clothes for them. For those who have enough to share with the less fortunate, i hope that they get touched by spirit of giving and bless someone needy this Christmas.

Santa, i promise to do some good as well. I sit here writing about doing good deeds for others, and i promised to do this by example. This weekend i will cook a hot meal and feed the homeless. My husband told me  a good spot would be downtown Kansas City, around the evening. So Saturday evening we will drive out on a mission to make a little difference. I can cook, so i may as well share that with someone  that could use help.

So, if you are reading this, please note that there is a little Santa in everyone of us, the question is are you willing to give a gift to someone else , that you may not even know this Christmas? If you can, please go ahead and do so as there are a lot of families out there that are without just the basic needs.

Give a break!

Stay blessed and Thank you Santa!

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I haven’t talked to my mother for 2 weeks now and it feels like ages. I haven’t seen her for 4 years now and i feel terrible. I MISS HER SO MUCH! I miss her so much am on the verge of tears. I want to call her and talk to her right now, but i don’t want to wake up Eli. I am going to wake up early in the morning and call her and talk to her for as much as that calling card will take.  See she still lives in Africa, her and my entire family.

They have a decent life there. Other than health issues, she is doing good. I miss everything about her. I feel bad she hasn’t met her grandkids yet. I know she would love to, but my parents are so busy with work that them taking  a vacation to come here and visit is just not in the cards right now, so i am going to have to take the boys there this coming year to see them…Hopefully.

Have you ever sat down and thought about someone in your life, and you somehow think to yourself, or basically  have  a feeling that , there may be a possibility that  same  very minute they  may be  thinking about you too? That is how i am feeling this moment about my mom. So, If only  i could just see my mom right now, i would run to her, throw my arms around her and give her a big bear hug. I would laugh, jump with so much joy that i would just be in tears. I would look up in the sky and just thank Heavens for keeping her safe for me. I would tell her how much i have missed her, all those years, everyday. I will give her a big kiss and tell her how much i love her with all my heart and soul.

A letter to my mom

I would thank her for being my mom. I would sit and tell her everything about my days, my moments with the kids, and that i am happy, but just miss her and all my siblings and everyone else in the family very much. If only…

It is definitely the Holidays. There is just something about Christmas that makes you want to be around those you love dearest.

Well, i hope you will get to spend this Holiday season with those you love the most.

Happy Holidays!

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Sometime in life you can only depend on yourself and your immediate family for real support. Many times we let each other down or are first to judge, doubt others or even  mistake their intentions. You can easily see this, If you ever find yourself in a bind, see who will come to your rescue and i guarantee you those are your true friends and confidantes. It is funny when some friends hear you have hit a rough patch  and they  are quick to  dissappear and fast to spread all kind of rumors.  You may not even need their help,  or whatever your situation, there is no way they can even help you out , but somehow they just assume, you are going to ask them for God knows what and they just dissappear.

Well, c’est la vie! It is life! It is all part of rediscovering yourself and the people you surround yourself with.  I am the type of person if someone needed help and came to me, i would gladly help them out and keep it to myself. I think that is the right thing to do, and if a friend confides in me with a secret, i just keep it that way- a secret.  Now, i know a handful of people that won’t do the same. I have had calls where people will tell me all sorts of things that people i know are going through, and they would add ” could you please not  tell anyone, because so-so asked that i keep it a secret, but am just telling you”. Gossip. Jeez, sometime I wonder whether people really think through what they are going to say, or just take sometime to listen to themselves before they open their mouths.

I grew up in Tanzania-Africa, surrounded by lots of family.  I remember seeing other moms and just some members of our family just coming to talk to my mom about what they were going through.  We would have worked 10+ hours a day at the shop and you could tell my brother and i were just about ready to go home, but my mom would patiently stand there and listen to whoever that  showed up there that day and just talk to them. Most of the time she would end up  giving them a bag of groceries, corn, beans or potatoes. Never would my mom ever tell any of us what that person ever said to her.  She always used to say never let anyone go to bed hungry, it is just food.  Back then, i never really thought anything of it, but  truly her actions taught me a lot about  how to treat others, regardless of their walk of life.

How many times would you pay a full price of an item at a stranger’s shop but would refuse to go to your friend’s because he or she won’t give you that item for free or at a discount? I know , ridiculous concept, huh. You will be amazed how even some family members would rather take their business elsewhere instead of  family because somehow they think they are entitled  most of it free or if they do give you their business they would be benefitting you too much. What is it they say.. I am not going to make them rich while they sit there?.  I know. I know. Not everyone is like that, but try to open your own business and see how many people you know will be supportive.

So if you are out there and are going through  some ups and downs for one reason or another, stay strong that too shall pass. Remember, when one door closes another opens.  If you just went into business for yourself, look further, beyond the people you know, you will be surprised  to find that people don’t have to know you to need your services or goods.  For the friends and family stay positive, be there for each other, don’t be quick to judge and bring others down, Remember one day you may be up, but the next you may be down. It is part of life’s journey, so treat others like you would want to be treated.

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Thanksgiving  is basically a harvest festival celebrated mainly in Canada and USA.  It originated with the pilgrims when they had a feast marking their first harvest. It  is a  time for people to give thanks to God for everything.   Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving the second Monday of October while Americans cebrate the 4th Thursday  of November. During this time families get together and enjoy  a feast  together,  and on the menu of course is Turkey.

So Thanksgiving is next week and i will be cooking. Here’s what’s on our Thanksgiving menu:

Turkey and stuffing
Mashed potatoes and gravy
corn on the cob
Rice Pilau
Chapati
Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole
Pumpkin Pie and  strawberry – kiwi fruit pie
African Salad (Kachumbari) and fruit salad
and of course cranberry sauce

 I know for a fact  i am going to pig out this thanksgiving!  All the pounds i have lost so far will come right back up and am ok with that.

Hope you will get to celebrate this thanksgiving with your loved ones.

Happy Friday!

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Are you getting enough water? I am not talking about sodas, juice, tea or coffee, just plain water. Our bodies are made of about 60% water, so as the days go by we lose  the water in our bodies and naturally we will need to replenish that.  I was really bad about drinking water,i think i started drinking water when i got pregnant, and that was to get rid of that yucky taste in my mouth. I would add a freshly squeezed lemon and little did i know, i was drinking water throughout the day.

Experts recommend drinking at least 8 – 8oz glasses of water a day, and actually others are saying depending with how much you exercise and other health factors you may need more than 8 glasses a day.  So why do you need to drink water ?

• Water helps your body get rid of toxins and waste through your digestive tract.
• Water helps you with digestion and absorbing helpful nutrients in your body
• Helps you burn fat, yep.  Helps raise the oxygen levels in your bloodstream, so you body can use that up to burn fat  for energy
• Keeps you energized throughout the day. The more water you have in your body, the less fatigue you will feel in the day.
• Water will keep you alive; i mean you can’t go on without it.
• Have a headache? Drink water,  it works same thing for joint pains
• Plus helps with your short term memory.

There are tons of benefits of why you should drink water and if you are the type that can’t seem to drink just plain water…add  freshly sliced limes, lemons or oranges for taste and  just drink on.

If you want to know if you are drinking enough water… check out  the color of your urine. If it is clear, you are drinking too much water, cut a little bit. If it is pale yellow you are on the right track, but if it is dark then you aren’t getting enough water and start drinking a little more.

Goodnight and have a glass of water.

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