Inspiration and Motivation

As you know I attended the South Dakota Early Childhood Education conference in Pierre SD last weekend! I told you about it some and how excited I was about the opportunity! I took my Employee Sue and my niece Amber with me! We had a great time! The roads were very icy wednesday night when we went! I tell you I got some new driving experience on Black Ice! Scary!!!! But we enjoyed our trip none-the-less.

MK Mueller the author of "8 to Great" and "Taking Care of Me" was amazing! She inspired me to KEEP GOING on my dream and not to give up no matter how tough the road is. The road will be bumpy, twist unexpectadly and make you choose between forks but eventually if I want it bad enough and I keep dreaming and working at it I will get it :)  I purchased her books and workbook and plan to not only implement her plans in my personal life, but also in my Business and the "Mommy & Me Playdates"!!!! One great thing I have started since her keynote is saying and writing down my gratitudes everyday! The challenge is to think of three things everyday that I am grateful for  without ever repeating them again! So I have been doing this myself, with my husband and my two older children (6) and (2).

Denita Dinger was also an awesome Keynote and I have definately started implementing her works into my home life as a mother and at the daycare!!!! LET THEM PLAY! Quit stopping them from making a mess, or doing something that we don't always see as "Right" or doing it the "Right way" Ask the children "What are you doing?" and observe them! Quit having to stick to Schedule and plans! Let them show you what to do today after all everything they do is a learning experience and when they play they learn so much more than when you do a "worksheet" or Structured lesson plan.

There was so much I learned! I connected with toy companies, Outside play equipment companies and other child friendly initiatives in South Dakota! I expressed my plan for a daycare center and all of them were very encouraging! I attended workshops learning more about South Dakota Rules and Regulations for Home daycare and daycare centers and best of all I networked with other child care providers, specialists, and headstart professionals all across the state! I even met an awesome woman who has a daycare center and started from the ground up just like I plan to do! She encouraged me that i don't have to go non-profit! and she would definately be interested in visiting with me more on what to do NEXT! Or what she did and her journey! She had an awesome attitude!

With this being said I feel Inspired and motivated! I can't wait to find that PERFECT building and start! and I may start as a Group Family Daycare Center first and work up to Daycare center when I get enough interest! So with Group family I can still add employees and I will be adding 8 more spots to the daycare! The licensing process is much like applying for a center and then when I get that done becoming a center is just one step or less away!!!! I just need to find a building and start working on it! When you're going through things at home keep me in mind! I'll need many things from Kitchen Appliances, high Chairs, Chairs, Tables, and Toys ect..... Keep me in mind! I am sorry I hadn't updated here for awhile I've been really busy with paperwork and playing with kids :) or Observing them :) They're starting to wake up from their naps now so I'll let you go! I hope you're having an awesome week!

My beautiful Girl!!!!!

~Brooklyn~

She'll be 7 soon! I can't believe how fast the time has gone!
The Things she is currently looking forward to:
1. School Ending
2. Perfect Attendance
3. Trip to Virginia this summer
4. 2nd Grade
5. Dance :)

Hanging an ornament Dec. 2012

Showing me her new smile with less teeth :)

Brother and Daddy picked her up from school with TREATS :)

She was younger than Easton in this photo! almost 2 years old!

So precious!

3 Years Old :)

2 Years Old

Toe Nails with mommy

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The Past..... and the future......

Listening to the sounds around me.... Such beautiful children just resting and enjoying their naps.... I have been babysitting for a LONG time now.... It shows you see, when I go to different things like for instance, last Saturday at the PROM!!!! There were quite a few young adults there that I used to babysit!!!! Well as you all know i'm NOT old, by any means so this can only mean one thing.....

"Enjoy them now because they'll never be this small again!"

"They grow up so fast!!!!"

"They'll be Graduated and out of the house 

before you know it!"

These are photos of just a FEW of the kids I used to babysit! I have photos of them all when they were much smaller.... when they looked up to me! And we used to act silly and play and have fun! And NOW look at them!!!!!!!   So again.... I'm sitting here listening to the steady restful breathing of these beautiful babies.... Some of them i've had since they were 6 months old, some of them I've had since the day I opened my Daycare.... I don't know where their paths will take them, I don't know what they'll grow up to be, or what they'll look like at their prom.... But one thing you can be sure of, I was part of their life and I hope to be for the rest of their lives :) I feel so proud to have babysat for these wonderful families and to see the kids I cared and care for all grown up and awesome!!!!!

The Time you Thought the Straightner was Pliers, and the Perfume was a water bottle and the Hair Dryer was a gun!.....

Halloween 2012!

Taking care of the Baby! 

I don't want you to grow up! But I can't wait to see what you'll do and where you'll go :) 

Becoming Great!

If you have read the Book "8 To Great" by MK Mueller, 

please don't spoil it for me, I am now on page 5 :) LOL  

Theres already something I'd like to share:

"You are living the life you've imagined. You always have been. Your imagination is where your future comes to life, so you're living the result of what you've expected to happen so far. Are you  ready to expect Bigger and better? As soon as you make that simple shift, using your imagination to design a life you love, your life will change dramatically."

Think about it..... What do you think?

What is your definition of Attitude?


"Your attitude is based on your thoughts and beliefs. Attitude is mental, not emotional or behavioral. Emotions and behaviors are the result of our thoughts and beliefs."

I'll keep you updated on the many things I will learn from this book! I hope you are inspired!!!!


"Success is not the way to happiness. Happiness is the way to success." ~Albert Schweitzer.

Life and the Paths we cross.......

~The twists and turns and mountains of struggles you get through in life teach you lessons, make you stronger and help you for future mountains! I want you to know that If you didn't know already you have friends, and while I can't provide you with money or material things, I can provide for you a friendship that is worth more than anything material! If you need me call me, I'm here for you, My friendship is something I don't take for granted, I love being your friend and I love being there for you in times of happiness, twists, turns, mountains and rock bottom!! ~ 

As most of you know I spend alot of time on Facebook.... One might say i'm addicted but I'm NOT :) I conduct all sorts of business on Facebook, my business, my Community Service projects, I read the news and keep up with all my friends an family, i network, ect. ect. ect. So at any rate I was reading this morning and I saw alot of posts from my friends and family that were just a little down, depressed, "How much more can I take?" kind of posts.... I thought about it and the times i've been in those situations where I wondered just how much more I could take.... What would it take to break me???? 

And All my life its been drilled into my head "God will NEVER give you more than you can handle" "God will always help you through and guide you in the right direction if you listen and talk to him!"   But I do remember a time, just once where I didn't remember those things drilled into my head, I didn't see that there were people who really cared... I didn't see how I was even worth living on this world.... I remember feeling so sad, depressed, Hurt and all alone.... I felt like I didn't have a friend i could go to that would just hug me, have no judgement and listen... 

At this point i realized i had hit rock bottom.... I looked into those last few months and realized I was a Negative Nancy, and I was no fun to be around, I didn't see the good in anything anymore.... Who was this woman I had become? Where did Deanna go? I look back now and I think i cried for days... I was weepy but that night that i actually hit rock bottom.... You know that point where you feel like you're nothing, like your life means nothing? THAT night that I hit THAT point.... A phone call made me realize how stupid I was to have any thoughts like the ones I was having....

I went to a doctor... and Although all my life I had never wanted medicine or PILLS to help solve any problems... just wait it out it will get better... I asked him for help. I told him how I had been feeling... It was so hard for me... I am Deanna and I had never been like this before, I felt like i didn't know anything about myself anymore. 

It Turned out to be Post Pardum Depression and just Plain and simple DEPRESSION!  I had been waiting and waiting and waiting thinking it would never happen to me! I'm too happy and strong to let depression get me.... The pill didnt work right away... it was gradual... I also started taking vitamins and started on that LONG, bumpy, mountainous journey to find Deanna again! At any rate I'm sharing this to let you know it happens to the best of us... It finds us and knocks us down when we're least expecting it! Life never gets easier but it gets better! The harder you work the more proud you are to have what you have! Stop blaming ANYONE else for the way you feel you have the power to make yourself happy! You have the POWER to find yourself! YOU are the key to all your problems.... 

Once you find yourself... No matter what happens in life you can have a better attitude about it.... You will find a way to get through the muddy mess and Move towards the Flowers and Beautiful Grass! Things happen.... Its tough... But if you think about it things could ALWAYS be worse.... Be happy and thankful you're here to experience the path of life :) 

The journey that lies ahead......

What a good weekend. The week that lies ahead seems so exciting and busy! So there seems to be yet another huge snowstorm headed our way! Last week we got 20 inches or more of snow!!! It was so great to think that this will help us with the drought we are currently in. At the same time there was so much beauty and the awesome childhood memories surfacing!
This week we have a possibility of the same amount of snow on top of the snow we still have!!!!! My schedule includes but is not limited to 30 hours of daycare, a conference call, cleaning grandparents house, back 2 shape walk with my community, a 4-H meeting with my oldest daughter, and the South Dakota Early Childhood Education Conference in Pierre, photographs of a beautiful young woman, quality time with my niece, travel, the usual cleaning, mommy, and wife duties! Gosh I feel so blessed to be me :)
My journey in this world has not only begun but continues! I want to make an impact wherever I am and in whatever I do!

So some of you may know of my past and my huge passion about stopping drinking and driving and a possibility of helping with what sounds like an amazing program the "Freshman Impact" program!!!!! I am so very excited about the possibilities and life changes this program may bring to Bennett County and Surrounding areas! For now I have no information just the passion and dire need we have here to raise awareness of the tragedy that can come from Drinking and Driving!

I know this post has such randomness but that is me, a million and one thoughts running through my head at all times! I hope you had a great weekend and that you have an awesome Monday!

The McClung Family......

A Personal Thank You :) 

First of all I just want to say Thank you So much for all the things you taught me, in child care, house work, cooking (Believe it or not!), decorating and building a house, and even business...

So I was just changing my daughters diaper, and poor thing has a little diaper rash started and the first thing I put on is Auquafor. It made me think of some people who are a pretty special part of my life and the whole reason I went to Virginia, and Met the love of my life :) 

The McClung Family invited me into their home as their Nanny back in 2005! I didn't stay long, but the things I learned are a great deal, I think of them often in many things I learned specifically from them that I use on a daily basis!!!!

1. Aquafor LOL I had never heard of this and wondered at the time why did you have to put it on EVERY diaper change even if there was no diaper rash! (Still do it to this day) 

2. Cleaning that dang Garbage can: So Sheila it was a HUGE thing that that trash can flap and can stay clean.... Its my thing now, I can't stand the trash can to be dirty! LOL

3. SPEGHETTI Sauce!!!!: Although I have NEVER mastered the exact replica of your family recipe I think i get pretty close! And i still use ring sausage in my sauce!!!! LOVE it! (What wine did you use?) (Cooking is STILL not my favorite part of the day :P)

4. Thinking of Decorating my house? There were a LOT of things I loved about both homes! Lots of things I would love to have in my Someday Dream house :) 

5. Investing..... Hmmm you gave me a book about this... I pull it out from time to time "thinking" about it but its still foreign to me, maybe I should get back in touch with you to figure this stuff out.... 

There are not many things I regret in life but Know this I regret not keeping in touch very well with all of you, you were a special part of my life, you taught me a lot of great things, you helped me experience things I'd never seen, Got me out of South Dakota to start a new exciting Adventure and low and behold I met the love of my life right there in Virginia! 

So here is to Mike, Sheila, Craig, Sheldon, Honor and Jadzia, I sure miss all of you and thank you so much for the opportunity you gave me :) I hope to keep in better touch and maybe show you a bit of South Dakota?!?!!? 

Deanna

TWITTER DRIVES ME CRAZY!

Okay so I have found some VERY useful things on Twitter and I love connecting with People who have the same passions, thoughts or views on everything! But when I get on twitter I feel overwhelmed, like ALL THE TIME! I look at the first post "Oh that looks Interesting" and I click on the link which then takes me to an awesome website I check out and by the time I'm done checking it out, adding it to my bookmarks or saving the web address somewhere I get back to my Twitter and there are 200+ new posts!!!!!  Its driving me Crazy and very interesting all at the same time! We'll just leave with the word "OVERWHELMING"

At any rate today on Twitter I found some neat helpful checklists to starting and managing your own AWESOME business! I looked into Non-Profit Bylaws and Sample By-laws and again tried to compare between Non-Profit and LLC..... I can't wait till Sue and I get to venture out to the South Dakota Early Childhood Education Conference! There is so much exciting workshops and speakers planning on being there!

The Speaker I am most excited about right now is MK Mueller! She is the Author of "8 to Great" A book I received as a gift and something alot of my family members have strived to communicate to others!

"Everyone agrees that attitude is everything, but just try to get a group of people to agree on what attitude is! That's where MK Mueller's patented and powerful FGH Formula for Positive Attitude comes in. In her newest presentation, she shares the 8 simple steps for feeling good and staying positive, and shows how to live them, coach them, parent them, and benefit from them at work and at play! In this 2-6 hour presentation, participants will learn and practice:

1. Get the Picture--Practice defining and visualizing the end result with a fun technique.
2. Risk--Learn MK's amazing formula for making the best decision every time.
3. Full Responsibility--Learn MK's process for ending blame of others for good.
4. Feel all your Feelings--Learn a powerful method for dealing effectively with strong emotions in self and others.
5. Honest Communication--Learn how to stop 3rd party communication and end defensiveness
6. FGH: Forgiveness of the Past--Learn how to forgive self and others and get free from the past
7. FGH: Gratitude for the Present--Learn the daily process for staying positive and grateful in the present moment.
8. FGH: Hope for the Future--Learn how to replace needless anxiety and worry with confidence in goals and dreams.

ARE YOU JEALOUS YET?!?!?!?! EXCITED?!?!?! I'm going to write notes and then I'm going to read the book again and I'll write about it right here on my blog :)

International trainer and author MK Mueller began her professional life as a high school teacher when she hit rock bottom and found herself in a domestic violence shelter. She eventually began a support group with five neighbors which quickly grew to hundreds coming to hear her message each week. Now she trains over 100,000 people each year -- from homeless shelters to fortune 500 Executives-- in the concepts from her first book "Taking care of me: The Habits of Happiness as well as those of her new book, 8 to Great: The Powerful Process for Positive Change.

I am so excited to venture out with my Employee and Friend Sue Sell to go listen to this woman, and MANY MANY Other inspiring people! We're going to come back with a new outlook on life, and new exciting ideas for the daycare!!!!!

Hope you're having a great day!

By the way.... My husband asked what i was writing about, then he decided I must be talking about him shoveling snow all day and looking Hott :) So guess what I wrote about :) Babe you're hott! :P LOL

So much Emotions......

Today is a great day over all! Its a continued snow week! Brooklyn had school Monday and has not had school since! Its like another Spring break! Only longer :) She is enjoying this very much and is also very concerned about her PERFECT attendance :) You see she heard that if she had perfect attendance the entire school year that she would be put into a drawing for a FREE IPad and boy oh boy has this girl been working hard to keep her PERFECT attendance!!!! 

I have 3 extra kids here at daycare today and my 3 so a total of 6 kids! They have enjoyed building a 4 bedroom TENT in the toy room, helping me clean the bathroom (Not really) but they thought they were! LOL, Looking out the window identifying the things we see, singing songs, reading books and doing a few exercises! 

So yesterday I woke up at my usual 3:45am to feed the baby and I was not full..... This bothered me a bit or more than a bit because I hadn't planned on stopping breastfeeding until Azylen was a year old and I have about a month left! But there was no milk.... I drank alot of water and ate healthy all day yesterday and still nothing..... I guess I have just stopped producing milk. This is so emotional for me because I feel like I wasn't ready and that I didn't get the choice! Azylen seems to be doing fine with this! She has been weaning for about 3 weeks now. She gets whole milk at lunch time, and now she'll get it all the time.... So far no constipation, or belly aches... :) I think she will be fine... and I'm sure I'll be fine soon..... After all I finally have my body back! I should be excited right?!?!?!?

hmmmmm On another Note this Snow storm has completely made me lose all Spring cleaning desire and all that hard work I did for the past two weeks or more is like GONE! The house is a mess, crowded, cluttered, and the laundry is piling up again! And my KITCHEN is like a tornado went through it..... 

Well this is a very random post! I hope you're all having a great day! I am having a great day despite the decision my body made all by itself!!!! I guess its time to start working out again! :P LOL My only excuse not to run is gone.... NOW the excuse is its too cold! LOL have a wonderful day!

Fundraising AGAIN :)

Today I worked pretty hard.....  I found two websites I could fundraise on.... The First is an app on Facebook called FundrazR:

https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/4U7lb?fb_action_ids=10151403112788129&fb_action_types=fundrazr%253Astory_update&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%257B%252210151403112788129%2522%253A143739182475420%257D&action_type_map=%257B%252210151403112788129%2522%253A%2522fundrazr%253Astory_update%2522%257D&action_ref_map=%255B%255D

The Second is a Crowdfunding site called: Go Fund Me!

http://www.gofundme.com/Daycare-Funding

If you would like to make a donation to the daycare you can also send one to me at
Deanna Coleman
PO Box 314
Martin SD 57551

Checks written to: Deanna Coleman

I just Realized.......

Love, Laugh, Dance & Play Daycare is now State Licensed through the State of South Dakota, we also participate in the Youth and Family Services Food Program of South Dakota, and have been Licensed through Oglala Sioux Tribe Child Care for a year!!!!

I have Enjoyed working with everyone in becoming State Licnesed and am so very proud to show off my license :)

Daycare will be Closed April 18th and 19th due to training in Pierre that Sue and I will be attending! This will all help with our training hours for the state!

OPERATION Obtain my CDA: Child Development Associate: for my Daycare center is now underway! I should be able to work on it at my own pace and its all up to me on how fast I can get the certificate :) THEN I can go back to college in Early Childhood Education anytime I need :)

Um.... we're creeping up on the 2 year anniversary of the daycare :) :) :) May 2, 2011 I started the Daycare out of the house of our current Mayor of Martin SD! We operated there until June 2011 when a good friend of mine let us rent her home and run the daycare from there! We were there until November 2011 when my Aunt let us rent her home and run the daycare from here! We are still in this house and love it very much!

I have looked at a new place for the daycare center! its pretty neat! I'm sure it has its challenges including wanting too much $$ for the rent but I am so very excited and in love with the building, the location and the thought of finally having a place for the daycare center!!!!! I will take a photo of the Floor plan soon for now enjoy these photos of the State License, The Snow Storm and some beautiful children :)

Check out the New Website!!!!!

Fundraising as I am finding out is hard work :) Its fun though, The things the Parents, My husband and myself have thought of are really fun! Its just alot of hard work!!! So with that being said I had advertised on Facebook that I needed help finding ways to fund my Daycare/Community Center Dream because there is such a dire need for Childcare here in Martin SD!

We made $500.00 on Love-a-grams in February!
We Made $322.00 on the Formal Gala in March!
Our Next Fundraiser will be a family dance for Summer time with a Luau theme....
August is the "Martin City Day in The Park" and I'm hoping that becomes annual as well as the Formal :)

ANYONE have any other ideas?!?!?!?
I did get a website set up for funding as well please follow this link to check it out! Also let me know if I need to change or add anything on it :) Thank you So much!

http://www.gofundme.com/Daycare-Funding 


Also just something I'd been wanting to do again is Journaling and I found this AWESOME blog and woman who does Journal Pages! I have printed them all off and am on Day 10! I am in Love! Check out her blog at:

http://www.graceisoverrated.com/p/journal-pages.html

She has a lot of Great Ideas for other things as well, I'm just obsessed with this right now :) Thank you!!!! Please let me know if there are any other ideas for fundraising, or how much you LOVE the journal pages!!!!

Finding Deanna Again.....

I can truly say I am closer to finding and loving Deanna now than ever before!

Life is so much easier and fun when you love yourself! When you find something that defines you and helps you love yourself! When you find that purpose in life and you just know that's something God put you on this Earth to do?!?!?!

Don't get me wrong I still stress and have bad days but for so long now I haven't truly known myself or loved myself! I'm still on the road to self discovery but I feel so confident I am on the right path!

My husband asked me at the breakfast table this morning "Do you feel successful?" I answered at first without thinking, "sometimes!" Then as I ate my oatmeal I thought about it I never feel unsuccessful I just feel more successful some days than others! So yes I feel Successful!

Things I've been successful at lately:

-potty training not just my own child but 5 others.
-breast feeding for 11 months now!
-having a first grader who has gotten a 100% on every spelling test this year except 1!!!!!!
-loving my children with all my heart
- there is so much more but for now I'm going to enjoy the sound of sleeping babies!