What A Great Year!

I can't believe how quickly this year went by. So, many wonderful things happened this year. Dreams were realized, fears were overcome and friends were made. I love the fact that as I look back on this year, I can't find any negatives. I know they exist, but they are overshadowed by all the good. I am humbled by the people that came into my life and said that I helped them through a hard time or that I posted a quote that they needed that day. I am also thankful for the many people that touched me so deeply with their kindness. 2013 has shown me how you truly can make a difference when you try and dwell on peace, goodness and light.

Don't get me wrong, my husband will confirm that I am still my same old anxiety ridden, nervous semi-agoraphobic self. I haven't reached nirvana yet. Very far from it, in fact. However, I now know that when you really try to find peace within and focus on helping others, a change does happen. I experienced things this year that I could only have dreamed of last year. So, guess what? I plan on dreaming even bigger and better things for 2014. I hope the New Year brings us all closer to things that excite our souls. May we live each day to the fullest and find peace within. Thank you for checking out my blog in 2013. Let's do it again, real soon. One more thing, I have decided not to make a resolution for the coming New Year. I have decided to give myself a theme.

My Theme for the New Year is: LIMITLESS

"The sky is not the limit. The universe in its' vast, infinite state is where our dreams should lie. Ever growing, evolving, adding layers upon layers of just how far we can go. Be limitless, always." Jocelyn A Dorsey"



Peace and Love 

The Gunther Chronicles....continued

       

       A few months ago, I thought I would be writing the final chapter in the Gunther saga. Little did I know that Gunther would once again take center stage, but this time ON TV!! If you remember, Gunther had pulled me down the last time I walked him and I busted up my knee pretty bad. Because of this, my husband had agreed that maybe we should find Gunther a new home. I know he didn't want to get rid of him but,he was getting dismayed that Gunther had become so large and powerful, that no one else in the house could walk him except for him. And, Gunther was now so protective of us that he didn't like anyone outside of the house.    


     This is where the story gets kinda weird. I had written a letter to Steve Harvey about how my wanting to find Gunther a new home and Paul's not wanting to, was causing some stress. However, right after that, things started to shift. I realized that Gunther had no idea of his power and strength and when I looked in his eyes, I could tell how much he loved us. I felt so bad. But, at that point, I still thought it was better if we found him a new family. The search began. There was no shortage of people that wanted to take him. There was even a guy that wanted to drive all the way from Georgia to get him. I thought we had found the right family in downstate Illinois, but each time, it was me that found the reason not to give him up. I told my husband, that maybe we needed to find him a trainer. But, we worried that we wouldn't able to afford the cost of training with a son getting ready for college. Everyday our thoughts switched back and forth about what would be the right thing to do for our family AND for Gunther.


       Weeks went by and we still hadn't found the right family. At least not in my eyes. Not that they weren't good people, but we wondered if Gunther would accept the change. He was only used to us and I remembered his vet telling us a while back that Mastiffs get depressed when they think their owners aren't coming back. The thought of that happening to him really was working on me. There is no way he would understand why we had left him. Anyway, around this same time the Steve Harvey Show called us and said our story was interesting that they wanted us on the show with Gunther! WHAT!!!? I mean, I know I wrote in but, I guess I never thought they would actually call us back. Well, they did and we were headed to the show. I was thinking, "Whew, glad we didn't give him up"! Not because of the show, but because maybe they could help us somehow.

       
      The day of the taping came and we were a bundle of nerves, but once we got past traveling with Gunther, getting him in and out of his crate, in and out of elevators and around tons of people wanting to see his massiveness, everything went pretty smooth. The surprise was that we were given a year of training for him. WOW! Prayer answered. A real professional trainer for Gunther. The only thought that popped in my head was, "No way he's leaving us now"! I guess that is why none of those people seemed right. Because they aren't his family. We are! He is still a hulking, slobbering giant that no one can walk but my husband. But, he is also a sweet lovable big baby, that with proper training will be even better. They say things happen for a reason. I guess they do. At least with Gunther they did. Benji the poodle isn't really happy Gunther is sticking around, but he'll get over it.

     

I love free stuff!!!

I never knew how many wonderful products you could get for free through the internet, when I first started surfing the web. I soon found out that their are tons companies that love to send out sample and full sized products for potential consumers to try out. Through these samples, I have discovered a lot of new products that have become my favorites. It is a great way to "try before you buy". There is a great site that I use to obtain samples called, Influenster. www.Influenster.com That is the one I want to tell you about today. When you sign up with them, they send you free, full and trial sized samples of many different products for you to try out, keep and share your experiences about. Not long ago, I received a box from Influenster. They called it the #RoseVoxBox. Inside this box was Lindt Lindor Milk Chocolate Truffle, Dr. Scholl's for her Cozy Cushion Insoles, Rimmel-London-Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara, Belvita Crunch Blueberry Breakfast Biscuits and Kiss Gradiation nail polish. These were all great products! I really enjoyed using the nail polish and it was perfect timing for the cozy cushion insoles. They helped keep my feet extra warm in my boots. I had to hide my Lindor Truffle from my children. I saved it for a special occasion called, "their bedtime"!  I use mascara a lot when I work so this Rimmel Scandaleyes really was perfect. I have my hands in water a lot, so I do't always take the time to pamper my nails. The Kiss Gradiation polish was really cool. It was a way to create different looks and layers with the different polishes. I had tried the Belvita breakfast biscuits before, but not the blueberry flavor. I thought it was really tasty and I keep a box on hand for when I am rushing out the door. Not every box from Influenster comes chocked full. Usually it is just one item at a time.

So while you're on the information super highway, be on the look out for some freebies along the way. And, check out Influenster.com while you're at it.