When I told my four year old son it was my birthday, he exclaimed, “Yay!  Do you have cake and presents?”  I groaned to myself.  How could I have forgotten to get a cake for myself so he could help me celebrate?

I explained that he and I were going to celebrate Mommy’s birthday the following day.  The next morning, he ran to my room and told me he had the best dream last night… all about cake!!!

We ran downstairs.  He placed some candles on the small cake I’d purchased the night before.  Then, he looked around and asked “Where are your presents, Mommy?”  “Well,  I don’t have any presents and that’s okay.  We’ve got a yummy birthday cake and candles to enjoy!”

He became overwhelmed with emotion.  He started looking around the house, saying “I have to give you a present, Mommy.  I need to find some flowers to give you.”  The more he searched, the more upset he became.

As my heart was breaking, my eyes fell upon a bouquet of plastic flowers in my office.  “I found some flowers, Jake.  I’m going to lay them right here.” I said, as I took the flowers out of the vase and laid them upon his arts & crafts table.

He sang “Happy Birthday” to me and helped me blow out the candles.  Then, he told me to close my eyes.  When I opened them, he was standing in front of me with those plastic flowers.  With the sweetest smile, he said, “I got you some flowers, Mommy!”  I could not hold back my tears any longer as I thanked him profusely for the gift.

“Why are you crying, Mom?”  I hugged him tightly and replied, “These are happy tears, Baby.  Thank you for being so thoughtful.  I love you so much!”

I experienced so many emotions that day.  A little sadness plus lots of pride, happiness, determination, and gratitude.  And, I developed a whole new respect for single Mothers everywhere.  In our quest to “fit it all in”, we sometimes miss important details.  Isn’t it wonderful when your child shows you that, even though you don’t do everything perfectly, you are teaching him/her how to be thoughtful, giving, and loving?  That was the best birthday gift I’ve ever received!

In November of 2007, I got into a discussion with my dear friend, Dana, about how hard it is to have a sick child and how it must be even more difficult during the holidays.  We quickly decided to create a charity event to benefit the local Ronald McDonald House^® (RMH) program, since both of our families had been helped by them.

When he was 10 months old my nephew, Beau, was rushed by helicopter to All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida where he under-went emergency brain surgery and endured months of recovery.  During those months, my brother & sister-in-law stayed at the Ronald McDonald House instead of having to drive hours each day to see their baby.

Dana’s niece, Tara, who was diagnosed with a rare disease, had to undergo a bone marrow transplant at All Children’s Hospital, when she was a toddler. Tara’s parents were able to reside at the Ronald McDonald House for months while waiting for Tara to recover.  The RMH allowed them to stay in the house at no charge without the worrying of driving back and forth to their home, which was hours away.

That year, we founded The Vino Ball of Central Florida.  Over the past three years, we’ve raised thousands of dollars and gift cards for the Ronald McDonald House in Orlando, Florida.  This year’s event is going to be extra-special as we honor the memory of Dana’s niece, Tara.  She passed away on October 28th and was laid to rest, close to her Grandpa Matthews, on October 30, 2010.

After being diagnosed with Sanfilippo Syndrome as a toddler, Tara underwent a bone marrow transplant in 1988.  She was three years old and the donor was her Mother, Rhonda.  She flourished for a few years – dancing, singing, and laughing her way into the hearts of everyone who met her.  In typical Southern Girl fashion, she took a liking to hunting, fishing, and most especially, horseback riding on her pony, Red.

One day, at the ripe old age of two, she saddled up to take Red for a ride.  When she didn’t return within a few minutes, her Mama went off in search of her – only to find that she’d ridden him into the house and positioned him in front of the TV to watch cartoons with her!

In 1992, the rare blood disorder returned to her little body and she became mentally and physically disabled.

Because of the deep abiding love of her family and the support of the teachers and staff at Doris A. Sanders Learning Center, Tara lived much longer than was expected.  Her family had been told that the average life-span of those afflicted with Sanfilippo is 8 to 12 years.  Tara turned 25 on October 3rd.  She had graduated from Doris A. Sanders two years before, where she was even able to attend the prom!

The Matthews family remembers, with gratitude, the special care they received at The Ronald McDonald House they lived in during Tara’s bone marrow operation.  Please join us as we raise money for this worthy cause.  This year’s event will be dedicated to the memory of a very special girl – Tara Matthews.

I invite you to join us on January 28, 2011 at The Celebration Town Tavern in Celebration, Florida for the 4th Annual Vino Ball of Central Florida.  For more information, please visit http://VinoBallofCentralFlorida.com.

I’ve lived and worked as a real estate agent in Celebration, the town that Disney developed in Orlando, for over 10 years.  I love Celebration!  You know whenever Disney puts their mark on something, it’s going to be extraordinary.

Next on Disney’s agenda is the development of an exquisite, upscale community located inside Disney… nestled between The Magic Kingdom and Epcot!  This luxurious neighborhood is known as Golden Oak, named after a ranch in California where Walt Disney would retreat to continue working on his creation known as “the most magical place on Earth”.  As a young boy, Walt would sit under a large oak tree and dream.  Aren’t we glad he did?

Golden Oak will be a gated community situated on 980 acres, with almost half of the acreage consisting of conservation land.  It will ultimately be filled with 450 luxury residences, with prices starting at $1.5 million.  It will consist of gorgeous, custom single family homes and lovely, Tuscan-style courtyard homes.

The folks who purchase in Golden Oak will choose a homesite and then plan their dream home, to either reside in or enjoy as a vacation home.  The first release of these desirable homesites is taking place now, with less than 30 being offered at this time.  I’ve had the privilege of working with the sales staff and builders who are in place at Golden Oak as they were involved in the development of Celebration.  You can rest assured they will bring professionalism and perfection to the Golden Oak experience.

Residents of Golden Oak will enjoy many amenities including private VIP transportation, theme park benefits, special event tickets, exclusive community activities, concierge services, a private clubhouse featuring fine dining and upscale fitness facilities, and access to the largest Four Seasons Resort in North America.  The Four Seasons Resort planned for this brilliant community will boast an 18-hole golf course, restaurants, and a relaxing spa.

As a real estate broker in Florida, it would be my pleasure to send you more information on this extravagant piece of the most magical place on earth, to accompany you on a private tour of the area, and to act as your “eyes and ears” while your Disney dream home is under creation.  Please feel free to contact me at Sandy@SandySellsFlorida.net or at 407.592.HOME (4663).

(The photo of the European Country Estate was taken by Simon Howden ~ http://freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=404 and is not a rendering of a home at Golden Oaks)

Celebration and Google…now that sounds like a powerful combination!!  Google began as a research project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin and their new technology quickly changed the face of the Internet.  Celebration began as a dream of Walt Disney’s…a place where people could live, work, & play…and quickly changed the face of communities everywhere!

From now until March 26th, Google is asking for communities to be nominated for their high fiber project.  I hereby nominate my community…Celebration, Florida!  In my opinion, Celebration would be a prime location for Google to test their network.  Just like the founders of Google, the developers and residents of Celebration pride themselves on being on the cutting edge!  Our community is founded on five cornerstones…education, health, community, architecture, and technology. 

Like me, many residents work from home and would utilize and appreciate having this advanced technology. And, because many of us are active and vocal in social media and other avenues of communication, we would be a great group to help “get the word out” to our associates, friends, fans, followers, and tweeps!

It would also be cost-effective for Google since fiiber has been installed in many of the neighborhoods here (with only the last 30 feet to the house remaining) and since we are a high-density community.

I have lived in Celebration for 10 years and enjoy it’s charm and beauty. I am looking forward to raising my 3 year old son here and can only imagine what advances await him in education.  As a parent, I feel that it is important that I do what I can to support his future and am, therefore, asking for Google’s consideration of Celebration for this exciting experiment. 

I had to write my annual poem
   As 2009 comes to an end
I am full of love and gratitude
   That to all of you I had to send.

Jake is now three years old
   He is friendly and such a little man
He is very tall with a head full of curls
   He speaks Spanish, sings songs, and is Mommy’s biggest fan.

Stephanie is a full-time student now
   And I can’t believe that Hailey has turned ten
I lost both Shakespeare and Spencer
   I sure miss my sweet, furry friends.

My family is happy and healthy
   A great-nephew named Luke Ryan arrived
I’m available to consult about real estate
   I still eat Mila each day to feel healthy and alive.

I created Gratitude Boot Camp
   Where I coach about counting your blessings
There is a Gratitude Boot Camp fan page on Facebook
   I can’t wait to see what miracles GBC brings.

I’m the Leader in Orlando and Celebration
   For a wonderful organization
Women’s Prosperity Network
   Is expanding throughout the Nation.

I’ve created a mantra for the New Year
   Let’s all say it together
Stand tall, Smile, and Shout Out Loud
   “2010 is my best year EVER”!

           HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

With my 50th birthday fast-approaching (wow…that does not even sound possible, even as I put it in writing for all the world to see – yikes) and ever since I unexpectedly & miracoulosly gave birth at the age of 46.5; I have been feeling the need for a change in my life.  I have always felt that there was something more that I should be doing and over the past 3 years, that need has turned into a burning desire.

Through the wondrous power of social media, I was invited to attend an event that changed my life forever, by starting me upon the path of my new beginning.  The event was held the first weekend of June and was called Mega Book ’09.  It was hosted by a man that I’ve long admired…Mark Victor Hansen.  He is a best-selling author (co-creating “The Chicken Soup for the Soul” series); the founder of MEGA Book University; a great leader & a philanthropist.

After attending what turned out to be a spiritual awakening for me, I decided that it was time to fulfill my life-long dream of becoming a writer, public speaker, and coach.  Every night for several weeks after Mega Book…I would lie in bed and, as I was drifting off to sleep, ask God to reveal to me what I should be doing right now to inspire and help others.  One night, I awoke at 2:00 a.m. with the words “Gratitude Boot Camp” practically screaming in my mind.  I ran downstairs and jumped on my computer and was ecstatic to discover that the domain names for GBC were available (and not even for a premium price…yay)!  I took this as a sign that this was what I was meant to do, at this moment.

For the past several weeks, I have been creating and am now launching “Gratitude Boot Camp” ~ A self-development program that guides attendees through positive and productive steps in order to Give, Grow, and Prosper!

During these hard economic times, it is the Mission of Gratitude Boot Camp to empower and inspire people to be aware of and focus on their current blessings and to take positive steps, based on Gratitude, that lead them down the path of Success & Happiness.

In the future, I will hold “Gratitude Boot Camp” weekends as well as offer many inspirational treats and tools such as webinars/tele-seminars.  Right now, I am conducting the boot camps on a weekly basis in the Central Florida area.  Gratitude Boot Camp covers 12 topics that are designed to help people grow personally, professionally, financially, socially, and spiritually, while having their heart lead the way!

If you are a business owner in the Central Florida area and would like to have me come into your office once per week to conduct a 12-week “Gratitude Boot Camp”, contact me today at 407.592.4663 or at Sandy@GratitudeBootCamp.com.  And…if you are looking for a Speaker who inspires and entertains the audience, give me a call!

Please visit www.Facebook.com/GratitudeBootCamp to become a GBC fan.  There you can practice Gratitude daily by participating in the ‘Gratitude and Empowerment from 1 to 10 Project’; by connecting with other positive people; and by viewing the postings for Monday’s Motivation; Tuesday’s To Do; Wednesday’s Word; Thursday’s Thought; Friday’s Feature; Saturday’s Story; and Sunday’s Statement.

It’s important to make Gratitude a habit…because your habits create your life!