3 Wishes Wednesday - February 2012

Welcome to the first installment of 3 Wishes Wednesday, a monthly series where I will be asking guest bloggers to share 3 wishes with us; one from the past, one for the present and one for the future.  I am so excited to be kicking things off with one fabulous woman, Nicolle Wychulis.

Nicolle and I met several years ago through our husbands (who have been friends for over a decade) and from the very first time we met, I knew I had found a partner in crime, a friend and confidant for life.

Nicolle left corporate America to stay at home with two of the sweetest, smartest, most fun-loving little boys I have ever had the pleasure of meeting (and I can tell you, she has everything to do with this).  I envy the way she effortlessly takes on every new challenge, embraces every new opportunity, with such poise and humility.

A constant mentor for me, Nicolle is an amazing wife, friend, sister, daughter and Mom who laughs her way through life and always finds a way to make those around her feel important.  She will be the first to tell you mommy-hood, marriage and life are not always "rainbows and Skittles" but she will also be the first to tell you it's all so incredibly worth it.

Add to the list all of the amazing things she does, Nicolle can tear up a kitchen with the best of them; be sure to check out the delish drink recipe she shares below. One of these days I am hoping I will get her to share her secret family pirogi recipe with me!

My wish would be that she didn't live so far away......

I know you will enjoy Nicolle's heartfelt, honest post, as much as I did,

Wish away Nicolle........

As I sat down to begin writing this weeks blog, Meg asked me to reflect on 3 wishes that I may have for the past, present and future.  I chuckled a bit to myself because as a mom of two boys, 7 and 5 I have not solely thought about myself in almost 8 years.  So after some reflecting this is where I landed:

Past:

Wow, how amazing would it be to blink our eyes and transform ourselves with the knowledge we have now into a much younger version of ourselves.  This version would have of course worn sunscreen and not baked myself in baby oil everyday of the summer (really!!)  But all kidding aside, My husband and I have always said our biggest regret is not traveling more right after college.  Be it a ski season in the mountains, backpacking around Europe or driving a car across country.  We were so eager to get our lives “started” and land that great job that we missed out on the luxury of being young, selfish and carefree.  We will highly encourage our boys to take full advantage of this moment.  The great job will always exist but that one moment in time is fleeting.  I am excited to capture this through my boy’s eyes and experience when they reach that point in their lives.   

So my first wish would be to take advantage of the freedom that I did not really understand that I had.  Be carefree and selfish, oh yes and young again!

 Present:

Hmmm this one is a bit harder.  We have finally reached that point in parenthood were nobody is in diapers.  There is not a giant bag to pack with bottles and changes of clothes just to run a quick errand or most importantly the many sleepless nights.  Which I would not change for anything!!  But we are here now with two amazing boys, that have their own personalities, interests, friends and social lives (which are way busier than mine!). 

I think my wish right now would be to take a moment to “stop and smell the roses”.  Time goes so quickly and in the craziness of the day sometimes I forget to stop and thank God for all of my many blessings.  To appreciate the place we are in and never take for granted this amazing opportunity I have been given as a mother.  I often laugh with my friends that our lives sometimes feel like ground hog day and as much as this is true, I wouldn’t change any part of it even for a second.  I am excited to see where this journey takes us.

So my second wish is to take the time to enjoy every moment because they truly do fly by.

Future:

This is hopefully the part where it all pays off.  The numerous reminders to “use your manners”, be kind to others and to be grateful for all of our blessings.  The excitement of watching my boys turn into men.  To see how our guidance as parents helps to shape them into the adults they will become. 

The best part of all…..getting to have my husband all to my self again! 

So my last and final wish would be that we get to embrace this last part of our life with happiness and health, which would allow us to chase all of our dreams and recapture those that we may not have time to experience before.

With all that said I thought it would be fun to include a drink recipe to toast whatever your three wishes may be.  It’s really a fun exercise to take a moment and think about “what would I really wish for?”

Enjoy!

Just Keep Livin’ Margarita

(Courtesy of Mathew McConaughey and Guy Fieri)

Ingredients

•   Ice

•   1/2 cup anejo tequila (recommended: 1800)

•   1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

•   1/4 cup orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

•   1/4 cup citrus soda (recommended: Orangina)

•   1/4 cup tonic water

•   2 tablespoons cranberry juice

•   Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions

Fill 2 lowball glasses with ice. Divide the ingredients, except cranberry juice, evenly among the glasses, and stir to combine. Top each drink with a splash of cranberry juice, garnish with lime wedges, and serve.

Linking up again this week with Yeah Write, head on over and vote for your three favorites tomorrow!