good day

this has been a very up and down week for me. It is hard to keep things normal and uneventful in life when you are "cleaning out your closet" so to speak. One minute, I'm feeling positive, and excited about turning things around, and the next minute I am bogged down by all the stress and complication of it all. One of the steps I am trying to take is to simplify my life. With that in mind, I am trying to sell my businesses. 5 years ago, when I was pregnant with Brooke, I had an opportunity to purchase the franchise that I worked at. Thinking of job security at that time, and having a second baby on the way, i thought it would give me more time with my girls, my family, and help with finances for sure. A year later, still thinking of financial security I opened my second one. The next year, I purchased four more all with the expectation to work my fingers to the bone for a few years so that I would be able to give my little ones a good start in life, things I never had, and then be able to relax and not work so hard.
Unfortunately, things dont quite work out the way we want. In the last few years, all that has happened is that i work 10-15 hour days, am stressed with work all the time to the point that I cannot enjoy the time I have with my family the way that I should, and I am tired all the time. Yes, financially we are fine, but is it really worth it? My family has always been the most important thing in the world to me. It is why I worked so hard...but do my girls really care? Answer is no they do not. They would rather have a more relaxed mother who is not on edge half the time thinking about all the things she has to do. Unfortunately my husband was not the most helpful, though he thought he was...and when we started having problems....not just due to work, but it certainly didnt help.....I decided I just couldnt do it anymore. I dont know if we are able to fix our problems, as again they do involve more than work hours, but I know that my girls definitely need a bit more time with mom. So I have been in negotiations to sell 4 of the 6 franchises for the past few months. I have met with a gentleman who is considering, and am keeping my fingers crossed that we can arrange a deal. At this point I am ready to give them away, and really need to get back to basics.
I just kinda needed to "say" that out loud, so for those of you that are reading this, thanks for listening, lol. There is nobody around here that is aware of the difficulties that I have been having with family, or work except for those effected by it, and it has become difficult not to scream it from the rafters.
now i feel better, lol. It is days like today that put it all in perspective for me...the need to get back to basics, being normal, and just slowing down to enjoy the good things in life...which for me are my girls, and today was my youngest daughter Brookes 4th birthday.
sigh, 4 already...all mothers can relate to the big sigh i make when i say that with pride. She had a great day, and loved being the centre of attention so much that I was unable to get her to sit for barely a photo, but i snagged at least this one of the bday girl before she flitted off



and it seemed there was a theme this year, tho it was by accident. She received a trunk of princess costumes, a princess tea set, which is her favorite game, a princess puppy, etc. etc. It kind of fits with her personality right now, lol.....so she loved it.
and the cake!....talk about effort, and made for a princess, lol! Now, I am not much of a chef, nor much of a baker no matter how I try, so this was quite a feat! and a family affair! My husband, my oldest daughter Victoria, and myself all co-operated in making Brooke a princess castle cake. It took hours, lol...but I dont think it turned out that bad at all, and she just loved it! Never again will i do it, hehe...so i had to take a pic for darn sure!
We were all very proud of ourselves, and brooke just loved it! and that is what counts!
She changed into about 4 different princess costumes before she decided on the purple one being perfect for cake time.
I definitely needed that day, in so many ways. And now I have a four year old. sigh. :)
Starting school this year, and so sassy. So much more assertive than my oldest ever was at that age. She is the one that is going to give me all my grey hair.
I have started taking more photos again, since I had really fallen off, and already I am feeling so much better. Scrapping them shouldnt be too far behind I am hoping.
Well, I am off for the nite, thanks for listening to me gripe, lol! But hey, 2 posts in one month! I am being such a good blogger! hehe