June 23: Happy 18th Birthday!!

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it. You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it." 

— Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)

The reason that I have put off updating my blog is that I am in total denial that our girls are both adults now! I have been going through the strangest period of mourning and depression for myself, but excitement for them! Happy Birthday to dearest Nicole! Eighteen, cannot believe it! The only message I have is that you keep that joy in your heart that is radiating through your smile, always remembering that happiness is a direct result of personal effort. No one else can make you happy but yourself! Never stop fighting for it, and always do what you need to to maintain it! Wishing you a lifetime of blessings, happiness, joy, and love!