Letters to Princess Sophie

Tonight your Uncle Jayson did something that I will never forget, and it reminded me of one of the many reasons I love him so deeply! So I started working with this company, Assisted Living America, and this place is amazing kiddo, I hope someday I can bring you there. This is the type of home you will be able to come to when you get older, and you can hang out with kick ass crazy Aunt Erica… Someday. Anyway, we had our Christmas party tonight and I was able to see some good friends who I was proud to show my new found success, but the best part about it was Santa. Not the real Santa, all though he was totally cool, but the fact that your Uncle Jayson dressed up in the most ridiculous Santa suit with a PINK Santa beard, not because he had to or because it was his “job” but because your Uncle did not want to let me down, or let the kids and guests down. Jayson went out of his way today and showed the man that I love so deeply, so my lesson to you is this…

When you find the one you will fall in love with all over again multiple times in your life, you just know it. There are no magic fireworks, there is nothing extraordinary that happens, you just know, you actually feel it in your body more than know that it has happened if that makes sense. You may find many people in your life who will take your breath away, but when you find that one, never never give up… There were so many times that Jayson and I could have, and no one would have disagreed, split up and just said it was too hard. For some unknown reason Jayson and I pushed through all those rough times, we raised three beautiful children together with very complicated situations. Now we are coming up on five years of marriage and ten years of being together and tonight as I kissed him under the mistletoe, and as I looked at him and laughed at him in a Santa suit with a pink beard, as he was willing to make a fool out of himself for me… I fell in love with him all over again.

Tonight’s conclusion is that you may someday start to take the people who mean most to you in your life for granted. When you find yourself doing that, take a step back, and really look at those people, remember the times that they dressed as Santa for you and remember how important they really are. Maybe that is the secret to a healthy relationship…

I love your face my Princess. I hear you have two teeth now! I keep watching you grow from pictures as your Mom is really good at doing that. I think about you every day as I imagine things we will do together and I hope you can hear my voice telling you that your Auntie is here always and that I Love You The Purplest.

 

Today’s Letter to an Old Friend – The Fall of the Trojans and the Rise of the Devil

Dearest Ronald,

After 11 years of shame and disappointment, I am sorry to say that the University of Spoiled Children have finally fallen to the Devil.

I send my sympathies as I feel for your sadness. It was a battle that the Trojans lost from the moment they stepped on the Devil land.

They battled hard for about ten minutes, but in the end, the Trojans were defeated and sent away hanging their heads in shame.

I hope this tragic loss for you does not cause too much strain on your pride!

Below you will find some snapshots of the defeat… Hope your stomach can take it…

After 11 years, the Devils deserved a win over USC. There was plenty of trash-talking and mind games going into Saturday’s game, but ASU let their play speak for them. The win is the first time ASU has beaten USC this century and only the second time ASU head coach Dennis Erickson has taken down the Trojans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

USC Trojans head coach Lane Kiffin can argue, but he was outcoached on Saturday. His team went 1-for-9 on third down conversions and a boneheaded two-point conversion call in the third quarter showed a desperate coach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hug it out.
You can comfort Matt Barkley all you’d like, but his offense fumbled three times — losing two — and a fourth quarter interception by Shelly Lyons secured the win for the Sun Devils. Barkley threw two interceptions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy your accolades.
ASU running back Cameron Marshall went into beast mode on Saturday, taking 26 carries for 142 yards and three touchdowns. He took his hits, dealt some as well and ran over the USC defense all game. Oh, his 70 yard touchdown run to open the game was kind of a mood-setter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cordially,

Erica L. Bailey, MBA

Professional Devil Fan For Life

Images and tags courtesy of http://arizonasports.com/category/asu-fb-articles/20110924/Snapshot:-ASU-beats-USC-for-the-first-time-since-1999/

Letters to Princess Sophie, Harry Potter Finale

Image via Wikipedia

7/14/11

My Princess,

The next 24 hours are going to be epic! The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II is releasing tonight and I will be there at the 3 am IMAX 3D show like a lunatic 🙂 Then, I will be seeing it again at 7 PM with a very important person.

The books are astounding and the movies have played a very close second, but the meaning behind tonight is more important to me. I have seen all 7 Harry Potter films on the big screen, with your Uncle. He has sat in lines in the most uncomfortable conditions with me for a majority of the actual release date, surrounded by hyper teenage girls and boys, and your uncle does not like stupid people, learn that quick.

It is now 2011 and I am about to witness the final chapter in the most compelling series of the century, and he is again by my side, finding a babysitter and staying up all night for a movie release that he could have cared less for if it were not for me. This ending is a new beginning because I have a new-found appreciation for my husband thanks to the mystical series behind Harry Potter.

I hope one day you appreciate the novels prior to really getting to know the movie as it will give you a new appreciation for the films, and the actors who have committed the past ten years of their armature and professional lives to these characters. I want you to pay attention to the story and learn to love the characters in life okay! It makes hard times easier.

Love your Potter-head Aunt

 

 

 

Letters to Princess Sophie…

It is Monday, and normally I am manic on Mondays, they always made me smile… However, your exhausted Aunt is having a difficult time getting motivated this morning. I had a very physically and emotionally challenged week as I had one of the greatest vacations of my life. Thanks to your Uncle Jayson – my Vegas trip was epic. I love that man, and I promise that you will someday find your Prince Charming. My advice to you on men is to pay attention to the core of the person you choose to love. There is a moment when you just know that the person you choose to love is the right one. I hope you love many people in your life, as I have found love in the most… well, unique places, and I will have no regrets. Every choice I made led me here; I would not change a moment.

I have not been reading very much. I am working many hours which I have noticed interferes with the relationship I want to have with my kids, your cousins. So this weekend, I worked early in the morning, and when J woke up, we played and cleaned, and talked and sang and danced…. There were other adventures in between. We pretended to be animals and we organized our dresser drawers. Next we put all of his toys together so he got to see ALL THE DAMN TOYS that he has 🙂 Angelisa was a true angel as she FINALLY cleaned her room and she made me smile. Ty is in Show Low with his Dad and some lady, don’t remember her name, but he loves his dad, so it is a good time for sure.

Well, Vegas is amazing, but don’t be stupid… During my six-day trip, a man was killed in the bar, after being punched, once in the face, and this was the night before I was there, WINNING (craps, a totally awesome dice game everyone should play), and the first night I walked passed a crime scene where a man was stabbed to death. THUS, who knows what life will be like when you are able to go to Vegas…. I hope the world gets better before you are able to live on your own as I only want the best for you.

Well, after 11 minutes of writing to you, I feel like I am ready to face the day. It is going to be a wonderful day! You get to spend time with your Great Aunt Robin, and I get to work with your brilliant Mom… Today is going to be a good day, 7/11/2011 🙂

All my love,

Your motivated Aunt….

Letters to Princess Sophie

My dearest Princess,

Life is hard sometimes, and we have a tendency to make it harder for some unknown reason. You will come to find out that your Aunt is a little… Well crazy is the standard word that is used. I like to call myself unique and challenging. The fact of the matter is that I am a highly emotional being and I act upon that emotion in pretty much everything. I tear up when I write things that touch me, or I become engrossed with fiction in a book or TV series, I feel personally connected. I feel so much emotion it truly radiates through my body like an energy source shooting down my veins out through my fingertips. Sometimes I become overwhelmed and irrationality takes over, your Mother and Uncle know this better than anyone.

I have chosen to accept this as part of my being which is the lesson I want to teach you today. Love yourself for the good and the bad, and make sure that you put yourself first. Some may say that this sounds horrible, how could you put yourself before your husband/wife and children… Well the answer is that if you want to give your family the most then you have to give to yourself first. The fact is that you will never be able to give to others the way you want if you do not give to yourself. How can you give to someone part of yourself if you are not complete in the first place?

Self-esteem has never been my strong point, however I am learning to love myself for all the good in me and all the bad (including the double chin forming and the saddle bags on my hips). A good place to start is to look in the mirror and tell yourself over and over again that you love yourself exactly the way you are, and keep saying it until you believe it!

I love you my dearest Princess! I will see you tomorrow.

Letters to Princess Sophie

My darling Princess,

So, I am so full of things to say, but I have to keep this relevant! Being a Step-parent is NOT EASY… This is the deal darling, we are the punching bags of the family, we are the ones that everyone goes wild on when things go bad… Blame the step-parent! If you Mother is as good as I think she is, you will be blessed with knowledge of old school Disney… Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, they all have a “wicked” stepmother, which gives the stigma that step-parents are evil invaders of the home. Okay, so those Princesses had it pretty hard, but that is not what all step-parents are like.

The truth is that sooner or later you will have a step-parent, and you will have to accept that… Your Mother and Father are good people with good judge of character, so I am not worried that they will pick the crazies that are in the movies so my advice to you today is to give your step-mom or step-dad the benefit of the doubt… Do not pick them out as the reason for your unhappiness… They are not punching bags, nor are they going to be the fault for everything that goes wrong in your life. Love them the way they love you and know that if your Mom and Dad chose them, they are good people, only concerned about your benefit, so just let them be that.

I love you more than words will ever say.

Your confused Aunt

Letters to Princess Sophie

My darling Princess,

I know I already wrote you today, but I have another wonder of the world to share with you…. Soul food… If you learn anything from Nana, watch her cook when people are sick. Learn the skill of comfort food, and making something out of nothing. A few tips which I can share is what to always keep in your pantry. First, you always have to have chicken stalk and tomato sauce so every time you go to the store pick up a can, and include kidney beans in that… Nana always had kidney beans, I like to add chili beans and re-fried beans. Beans are a filler and they make everything better. Add some noodles, Bisquick, corn bread and potatoes and you can make a different meal each night with very few ingredients.

Comfort foods like biscuits and gravy, chicken and dumplings, steak tips and noodles or today’s special, Texas style chicken and chilli over baked potatoes make everything better… Oh and the secret to making “sick boys” drink a lot of water? A never-ending glass of- Kool-Aide and a TV remote.

With all my love,

Your very busy aunt….

Letters to Princess Sophie

Hello darling,

Life is good.

Even when it’s not..

As parts of my life heal and grow, others seem to fall apart.. I could focus on the parts that are making me want to curl up into a ball and cry, or I can focus on what I have that makes me happy. You see my Princess, being happy is by choice. I have spent many years, and probably many to come, learning this very important lesson. I have this tendency to believe that other people or surroundings make me happy. The only control that you truly have is your response to anything. Think about it, well, later in life when you can understand all this, but you have no control on if the ground shakes below you, or the angels sing above you… What you have control over is how you react to either… Meaning you can choose to make good choices, you can choose to be happy even in the darkest of times. My lesson today is to make good choices! Choose to smile and laugh and play and be happy!

Choose to be happy, choose to understand that you have to love yourself before you can love others the way you will want. Even in the face of adversity you just need to make the choice to be better than yesterday! If you are hurting, scared, or WORRIED, take a deep breath, recognize those feelings, and then release them. Choose to find beauty in the smallest things, choose to be happy.

Now that I said that… Your Mother and you Papa have a special thing… Let them have their Daddy – Daughter time every now and again, and make sure to love your Nana! Keep growing and soaking in all the wonderful things in the big world around you! Make good decisions! Like going to ASU!!!!

Love you Princess,

Your die-hard Devil Aunt

Letters to Princess Sophie

My dearest Princess,

Today was a lovely morning as our puppy Sonny has started eating on her own which means that the medication is staying in her and she has taken the road to recovery! I finished my book last night and it made me both happy and sad. Happy that I found something that will ultimately bring me closer to my beautiful niece, and sad because I fear that I will not be here to help you grow. There is no rhyme or reason for that worry, and that is the lesson that I want to teach you today. You will grow and find that worry seems to be in our blood. Your Nana worries herself to death, when it rains she will call you to check and make sure your windshield wipers are one, or if she hears a helicopter flying above, she will call to make sure that you are okay even if you are in another state!

There are plenty of life events which will cause you to worry but I need you to remember that there is more to life than pain and worry. You must focus on the good things in life, keep a positive mindset, always remember that each day we are given blessings and l want for you to focus on the good things in life even in the eye of adversity. One major issue that will cause you worry will be friendship. Your Mother and I have bleeding hearts, and we want nothing more in life than to be loved by the people that we love. Friendship is important, but know that your closest friends, the ones who will always be there through thick and thin, the ones who will never walk away in time of need, those friends are always part of your family. Do not let the concern of being liked or loved lead you down the wrong path and help you make inappropriate decisions. Remember that you are loved and liked and that no matter what anyone else says or does, you have to love yourself in order for you to be able to love anyone else.

Be selective about your friends, and be selective about your decisions. Worry when its necessary but not when it will only cause harm. Live each day to the fullest and remember that your family loves you and you have friends within your family, myself, your uncles, your grandparents, your cousins, your parents and everyone else! We will never walk away from you and we will always be on your side.

With love,

Your exhausted Aunt

Letters to Princess Sophie

Dear Princess,

Well, with every day comes new hope as Sonny spent yesterday at the vet, and now she is drinking on her own, and wanting to be around the family, thus we are another day towards a happy healthy puppy. However, we are still not out of the woods, and my bank account is empty. My lesson for you today would be to always have a savings account. The worst feeling in the world is to not have enough to provide for your family. During my many years on this planet I have had ups and downs regarding financials and one thing I have finally learned is that I do not need everything I want.

You come from good stock, you are Irish, French, German and Italian (that comes from your Daddy’s side, and I must say, Nana and I are jealous as we always loved the Italians!) I am not sure what else you are blessed with from your Father’s side, but I can tell you that you have a mix that will make you hardheaded, needy, and spoiled so pay attention to this from a young age. There will be a time in your life that you will wish that everything you have been never purchased and that all that money was back in your bank. Let me tell you that yes saving is good, and always make sure to have enough money in your savings to cover 3 months of expenses! After that, enjoy life, you will work hard so play hard too! Never leave with regrets!

My dearest Princess, I know that you are nearly three weeks old, but I have to make sure I teach you life lessons as I grow. I love my life, I love every minute of every day as I have learned more with life experiences than I did from books. Live through me and my stories, learn from them, as some of them I would never wish on my worst enemy. I love you Princess…

Your financially unstable Aunt!