The bottom two pictures are of the dining room we ate breakfast and lunch in each day. Each side of the area led out to the pool decks and you could take your food outside and enjoy the beautiful sunshine while you ate. It was great! So many choices and no cooking. {Anyone who knows me well also knows I don’t cook!}

I have a bunch more pictures, so I will be posting a few next time!

Oh and I’m working on another set of photos from our cruise…lots of pictures of the Miracle inside and out. Coming up soon!

First, a few sights that I was so happy to capture on our way out.

And my little man looking absolutely adorable, as usual.

Here is what I am going to do. I am creating an action plan. I think seeing things in writing makes them more solid. The first to-do on the list is finalizing the client site, which is personalized for each client and session type with their information, guides about preparing for their session and lots of other good stuff. When that’s done I have some samples to order and *of course* that is super fun because it involves shopping! And the best part is that my clients will get to see and feel the beautiful products being offered. There are so many gorgeous things that I can’t wait to get my hands on!

Before I get started on the rest of this stuff I want to post vacation photos from our cruise to the Bahamas in September. It’s awful that it has been so long and I haven’t even put together something simple! Coming up…Cruisin’ on the Miracle!

But I must admit that the kind of bug I fear the most is the excruciating stomach flu. Oh those bouts of sudden nausea, the gurgling, bloated stomach, thinking maybe you could eat something small like a dry piece of toast or a few saltines, only to discover that you will be tasting them again in a more unpleasant way…laying in bed afraid to move an inch because it might make things worse. And of course, the aches and pains that seem to penetrate every bone and joint in your body…

That has pretty much described the past two weeks of my life! Though I got the stomach bug first and, Thank God, it lasted only 24-hours. An entire day huddled under my blankets in bed with easy exit to the bathroom if necessary. Nice, right? It get’s better! Koltan came down last week with the early-stage running nose which then produced a minor cough. He feels just fine now, it’s just chasing him down to wipe his icky nose that makes me nuts! And yet, even better…My mom notices a tickle in her throat and stuffiness in one side of her nose. I start sniffling next. Then Johnny Mr. Wonderful comes home with a cough. And last, but not least, Uncle Justin’s got the congestion and sore throat…Does it ever end?

Anyhow, we’ve all taken turns being sick…I got *lucky* to get both the stomach bug and the cold back-to-back! It’s left me laid up for awhile and I’m just starting to get back into the swing of things – again. Soon. I *will* “get with it” and catch up with all I’ve fallen behind on. {Amanda, I promise that you will be hearing from me before the end of the week! That is my main goal while I am still recouping.}

I’m movin’ up. Really. I am. It’s just taking longer than I ever – I mean *ever* – planned. But I AM DOING IT! Grrr…That’s my frustration for all to see!

October was Depression Awareness month. As much as this post is about my life, I’ve decided to make it informational. Everyone should know how depression can effect someone’s life. Depression alone is difficult and many people have other symptoms such as general anxiety or panic disorders.

This episode of depression has been horrible. It has worn me out and broken me down. The pain and darkness depression brings are not new to me at all. I’ve gone through this many times in the last decade. I can say that every time is just as painful and dreadful as the last. Even if you can feel it coming on, even if you seek help right away, sometimes it is difficult to stop before you are sucked into complete blackness. I describe it almost as an abyss that you sink into or a black hole with no way to climb out.

It’s like they show in movies, the actor or actress hanging on to a ledge by one hand…Slipping slowly. You see the terror on their face. You see them losing their grip. Barely holding on by a few fingers, their nails digging into the ground. Their is someone standing over them, trying desperately to pull them up and out of danger, but there is nothing that can stop them from falling…The ground gives way and suddenly they disappear…

Depression or any kind of “mental” illness is such a personal thing. You can’t “see” it as you would a physical illness like cancer or diabetes. I want everyone to be aware, though. I promise you, although you can’t actually see it, it is there. It happens to so many people every year. These statistics are hard to argue over. “Depressive disorders affect approximately 18.8 million American adults or about 9.5% of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. This includes major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder.”  {http://www.upliftprogram.com/depression_stats.html} 18.8 Million people. That is a huge number.

I am one of those people. I work to keep myself from falling down again. It’s not always easy. But I’m still here and the fight is not over. October may have come and gone like any other month of the year. Any month that could be painful and exhausting for someone you know. Depression doesn’t wait for October. Remember that. Although you may not understand how depression feels to another person, show them that you are there. You can make a difference in the day of someone experiencing depression in the most simple ways. Having someone to listen patiently when you are feeling awful is a wonderful thing. An unexpected phone call or a funny greeting card can bring your spirit up, even if just for a few minutes. Anything, no matter how small it may seem, can be huge to a person who feels crushed by the world. Trust me. I know…

My “athletic attire” has become my everyday wardrobe, so if you see me out and about with my hair up, in cropped workout pants and a tank top, don’t be too surprised!

I’m going to try to post more now, including posts about my life to give everyone a peek into my world. I have to say I don’t have the most exciting life, but I do have a lot of fun! Next week is going to be a busy one. Kol has a birthday party to go to on Monday and on Wednesday we leave to visit family in Pennsylvania. I’ll have my laptop there and will be snapping away photos of Koltan and my cousins’ children…it should give me plenty to post about!