This morning I was sitting back reflecting on my weekend and how quickly it flew by. Every weekend goes faster than the last. Most of the time the weekend is packed with events that prepare me for the week ahead; but rarely are they filled with things that directly help others. Maybe in someway the things that I do positively impact others; but it's not like I participate in activities every weekend that make a direct impact on someone's life.
This weekend I was blessed to be given the opportunity to do so.
The Women's Choir at my church was invited to go sing at an Assisted Living Facility where one of our choir members works. Sometimes you're not quite sure how you're going to be received at an event like this. I mean, just because you're older and living in a facility such as this doesn't mean that you want to have a bunch of ladies singing to you while you're enjoying your Saturday afternoon sandwich and social hour.
However, this group of people loved it! I felt very blessed and privileged to be a part of what put a smile on their face that afternoon. It made me understand what Christ was saying in Matthew 25:36, "I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came unto me." When we are a blessing to others, we are serving Christ by showing His love. I don't know the situation of each person that was sitting there thar afternoon. I would like to believe that they all have family who comes to visit them... but from what I've experienced and been told, that is more often not the case. So if our group was the first visitor at least one person had in who knows how long, then that's all that matters.
It truly is a blessing to be a blessing to another person and I'm thankful that the Lord gave me the opportunity to serve Him in that way on Saturday afternoon!
John 13:35
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another."
Monday, November 24, 2014
Monday, November 10, 2014
Long weekend happenings....
Hello, all!
This weekend has been really nice! Number One- it's a long weekend! Number two- I've gotten to spend a lot of time with my hubby this weekend which has been really nice!
Saturday night we went to the arcade. I haven't been to the arcade forever. It was seriously so much fun. Life gets so routine and busy so often that we forget to just kick off our shoes and act like kids. That is just what we did. Everyone else had left by 11:30 at the latest; but Craig and I stayed until 12:30 playing games and cashing in our tickets. Seriously a blast!
Sunday morning we went to our marriage group at church. We're reading The 5 Love Languages asa group and discussing the challenges that marriages face and doing different activities that require us to work together. We had a really good time hanging out with church family and doing the activity together. I think sometimes you think you're the only couple struggling with certain things, and then you find out that these are things that EVERYONE is going through. So it was nice!
I got a day pass for hubby to come to the gym with me last night. We never workout together because it schedules are so opposite, so it was fun to go together. It's not like we worked out together.... We still did our own thing; but it was nice knowing that he was there and I got to go spy on him looking all strong when I was done with my cardio. Hehe.
Then we rented a movie from Redbox to watch, which we never do. We rented Captain Philips. If you haven't seen it, let me just suggest that you go rent it now. Probably one of the better movies I've seen in awhile! Very intense and well-written. Scary that it's based on something that really happened. I can't even imagine going through something like that.
Today I FINALLY got to go out to this exercise equipment warehouse I've been trying to get to for months but never can because their hours are so not conducive for anyone with a normal M-F work schedule. I made out like a bandit. Got some battle ropes, a sandbag, and a wall ball all for under $150. And I had $80 in birthday money that I used, so my out of pocket was very minimal. I'm super excited about this equipment, not only for me, but for when I do my workouts with the group of girls I workout with. This equipment will make our workouts even better!
We also went to this hip new restaurant in South Tampa that I've been dying to try. Totally outside of our normal dining choices and really outside my hubby's comfort zone, but he's good to me and humors me when I want to try new stuff cuz he knows I like it. The food ended up being incredible and even he enjoyed himself. Definitely a spot I'll go to again!
I still have one more day off in this long weekend and really not a whole lot planned for tomorrow, which is nice. So I'll definitely hit the gym, since I didn't do that today; and then probably do a couple things with my hubby and take advantage of free meals around the area in observance of Veteran's Day.
I wish every weekend could be a long weekend!
This weekend has been really nice! Number One- it's a long weekend! Number two- I've gotten to spend a lot of time with my hubby this weekend which has been really nice!
Saturday night we went to the arcade. I haven't been to the arcade forever. It was seriously so much fun. Life gets so routine and busy so often that we forget to just kick off our shoes and act like kids. That is just what we did. Everyone else had left by 11:30 at the latest; but Craig and I stayed until 12:30 playing games and cashing in our tickets. Seriously a blast!
Sunday morning we went to our marriage group at church. We're reading The 5 Love Languages asa group and discussing the challenges that marriages face and doing different activities that require us to work together. We had a really good time hanging out with church family and doing the activity together. I think sometimes you think you're the only couple struggling with certain things, and then you find out that these are things that EVERYONE is going through. So it was nice!
I got a day pass for hubby to come to the gym with me last night. We never workout together because it schedules are so opposite, so it was fun to go together. It's not like we worked out together.... We still did our own thing; but it was nice knowing that he was there and I got to go spy on him looking all strong when I was done with my cardio. Hehe.
Then we rented a movie from Redbox to watch, which we never do. We rented Captain Philips. If you haven't seen it, let me just suggest that you go rent it now. Probably one of the better movies I've seen in awhile! Very intense and well-written. Scary that it's based on something that really happened. I can't even imagine going through something like that.
Today I FINALLY got to go out to this exercise equipment warehouse I've been trying to get to for months but never can because their hours are so not conducive for anyone with a normal M-F work schedule. I made out like a bandit. Got some battle ropes, a sandbag, and a wall ball all for under $150. And I had $80 in birthday money that I used, so my out of pocket was very minimal. I'm super excited about this equipment, not only for me, but for when I do my workouts with the group of girls I workout with. This equipment will make our workouts even better!
We also went to this hip new restaurant in South Tampa that I've been dying to try. Totally outside of our normal dining choices and really outside my hubby's comfort zone, but he's good to me and humors me when I want to try new stuff cuz he knows I like it. The food ended up being incredible and even he enjoyed himself. Definitely a spot I'll go to again!
I still have one more day off in this long weekend and really not a whole lot planned for tomorrow, which is nice. So I'll definitely hit the gym, since I didn't do that today; and then probably do a couple things with my hubby and take advantage of free meals around the area in observance of Veteran's Day.
I wish every weekend could be a long weekend!
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Relaxing Sunday...
It's funny that the time changed last night because it's like the weather knew it and decided to fall right in line. It was definitely chilly for Florida today! I like it because I can wear the few things that I can't wear very often here. But it was funny to see the Tampa-folk out with their beanies and coats on.
I had a pretty relaxing day today though. Went to church this morning for another session of Action65. It's a program that a friend of mine has created that promotes clean eating. I've been on the program now for about 6 weeks and it's been going well. My body can tell when I'm not eating clean. Lol. We've been watching this documentary called "Fed Up" for the last couple of sessions. We're going to finish it up next time. It's a really eye-opening documentary though.
After that I went over to the house of one of the ladies in the church for the Healthy You Club meeting that we have one/month. We had good discussion that learned how to make homemade dressing and different kinds of smoothies.
I had an eye appointment today as well. I've been feeling like my right eye has gotten weaker over the last few months, so I wanted to get it checked out. I was definitely right. All this time I've had the same prescription for both eyes. Well, now I'll have a more powerful one for my right eye. Oh well, this is what happens with age, I guess. Lol. But I'm glad I got it figured out.
I had to fight the Sunday crowd at Walmart today too. Never fun! But this last two weeks I haven't made a dinner menu like I usually do and I've felt it. Just makes me feel so unorganized and pressed for time. So this morning I made my menu for the week and shopped for that. I'm excited for some of the recipes that I'll be making this week. They're going to be yummy!
The rest of today had been spent doing some light cleaning around the house and watching football. Definitely a nice way to end the weekend! It was definitely weird to have the sun be down before 6:00 though. I'm not a huge fan of non-daylight savings months, if I'm honest. I like my long days.
Tomorrow is the start of a new work week. This week is going to be very busy week. Hopefully it'll go by quickly because I have a 4-day weekend next weekend!
Sunday, October 19, 2014
They're gone and I'm happy....
You're probably reading the title to this post and thinking, huh????? How could you possibly be happy that they're gone??? All of those emotional posts that you had going....it doesn't make any sense!
Well, I think you read it wrong.
I'm not happy that they're gone. They're gone AND I'm happy. Two different topics. Hehe.
Saying goodbye on Tuesday was probably the most emotional thing I've experienced in awhile. These goodbyes seriously never get easier. They just don't! But....
We had the time of our lives while they were here. So many memories were made and I got to bond with my nephew and get even closer to my sister. That is something to truly be happy about!!! So....instead of another sad, emotional post, this will be a post celebrating what we were able to do together and the fun that we had!!!
Saturday:
I picked them up from the airport and took a wrong turn off of the highway and ended up on the bridge on my way to St. Pete. Lol. I still have no idea how I did that. This could have been a huge annoyance; but I planned ahead and brought both of them food and we got to see an awesome sunset over the water on our way back to Tampa!!!
Sunday:
The weather was more perfect than I could have ever asked for. Seriously, the best day that we've had since March, I'm sure! We decided to go down to the Hyde Park market. We had so much fun!! We got an awesome Belgian Waffle...oh my gosh, sooo good! The lady that makes them is from Belgium and they are scrumptious. We decided to go over to the fountain and eat our waffle. I got to have some really special moments with Orlando there. He is in love with the "Ring around the Rosey" game and we played it together while we were sitting in the shade. Soooo much fun!!!
Monday:
I got a Groupon to go check out the Sunken Gardens in St. Pete and we decided to go check it out. It was seriously so beautiful! Talking birds, awesome trees from around the world, ponds full of carp that we fed. It is such a relaxing place. I definitely look forward to going back again in the future. Even Orlando loved it. He thought the talking parrot in the entrance was the best thing ever. And he enjoyed feeding the fish as well.
After the Sunken Gardens I took my sister to experience one of my favorite little restaurants over here that Boise doesn't have: Panera Bread! She loved it and so did little man! Once we were filled up we headed over to Clearwater to check out Winter the dolphin. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is so neat. It's an animal hospital first and a aquarium second. And it's free for military and up to 10 visitors. Orlando started testing his limits with me here and I had to start learning how to use my "mommy voice". Lol. Well, what resulted was him falling and getting a huge bump on his noggin that looked like a horn for the following few days. Lol. But we still had a super awesome time!!
Tuesday:
Tuesday was a fun day. We decided to go check out this new park that just opened near downtown Tampa. It's a free little playground splash-pad that's only been open for a couple of months. Orlando had a blast. And who am I kidding, Chelsea and I did too!! Lando made a new mini-friend and got to chase a dog around. We also made a stop by my work so that I could show them my new office and let them meet a couple of my co-workers. We had a lot of fun this day. The weather was starting to heat up a little bit, but it was still nice outside.
Wednesday:
Wednesday was our beach day. Even thought it's a little out of the way, my favorite place to beach is down in Sarasota. The beaches are just absolutely gorgeous and the water is clear! Usually I go to Lido Key, but this time we decided to go check out Siesta Key: America's #1 Beach! The day was absolutely perfect and there was actually WAVES! That NEVER happens at beaches here. Lol. However, what we did discover was that the waves were bringing in the jellyfish. HUNDREDS of them!! We couldn't even get in the water there were so many. But the day was so perfect and we still had an awesome time. It was actually pretty neat to see jellyfish up close. And we did find out that the tops don't sting you- just like Dory discovered in Finding Nemo.
Thursday:
Thursday was zoo day. We actually have a pretty good zoo here in Tampa and they give a good discount with military ID. Orlando loves the zoo, so we decided to check it out. The weather was definitely warming up on Thursday and we felt it out there at the zoo. Lando was on another level that day and was constantly getting disciplined. He finally fell asleep in his stroller and we decided to cool off a bit by walking through the little water fountains in the petting zoo area. We had a really nice time walking around and we did end up waking him up so that we could take him on the train ride through the park to see some of the African animals. He loved it. After the zoo we went to check out the notorious "Taco Bus" in East Tampa. This taco bus is soooo awesome! They even have a full vegetarian menu to choose from. It definitely lived up to the hype. So glad that I finally tried it out after hearing so much about it. We finished up the day walking around the mall and letting Lando play in the kiddie area. This was one of the most fun days we had!!
Orlando seriously had so much fun on this train ride. He is obsessed with trains, so to be able to put him on his own train ride to see the animals was fun.
This little kiddie area in the mall is really neat! The only problem is that the parents don't really monitor the kids that play in there and they let big kids run around with little kids. We weren't really too thrilled with that part of it. But Orlando had fun. That's what matters, right?
The Taco Bus....seriously amazing! No wonder it gets raved about. And I just found out that there is one on my side of town. Woo hoo!!
Friday:
Friday was actually meant to be another beach day. We decided to go to the beach on base. Well, we quickly realized that this isn't really a beach to get in the water in. Lol. The water was murky and muddy and just really not that pleasant. But we still had fun. Orlando chased some birds and had fun in the sun. We went and saw Craig at work and then made a Target/Whole Foods run for food for lunch at church the next day.
Lando having fun chasing the birds. I'm sure they hated it, but he was giggling his face off!!
Sister love!! I had such a great time with this lady!! I can't even explain...
Saturday:
I actually forgot to take any pictures this day. We spent the morning at church and then we had a fun fellowship lunch at one of my friend's houses. Great food and great fun!! The late afternoon was spent napping, which felt wonderful after such a busy week. Thank God for the Sabbath and the rest that we're able to get that we miss out on a lot during the week. One relaxing day was much needed!!
Sunday:
Sunday was pool day with friends from church. They live in this awesome subdivision with a beautiful pool and invited us to spend the day out there with them. It was another beautiful day. Orlando had a great time in the kiddie area. Until he slipped and fell and bumped his head. Then he was kinda done. Lol. Craig treated us to dinner at one of our favorite places: Sweet Tomatoes. Chelsea fell in love with it last time she was here and was asking about it as soon as she arrived for this visit, so I knew that we had to go eventually. Orlando was being so hilarious at dinner that night. He is seriously such a goofball. It was definitely another relaxing day full of love and laughs!!
Monday:
We knew this was our last full day together and we wanted to make it a good one! I think both of our hearts were heavy all day because we knew the next day would be goodbye, but we were trying not to think about it. We decided to spend another day down in Sarasota at the beach. There is no beach in Idaho, so Chelsea wanted to make sure that she got another trip down before she left. Plus, we wanted to go again with no jellyfish ruining our stay. I did some Google searches on jellyfish and found that the influx of them we'd experienced on Wednesday were gone and that we should have clear waters!! We could not have asked for a better day. It was the perfect temperature, perfect amount of wind, and just enough overcast. The water was great as well! We did spot a few jellyfish, but only a handful. Not enough to keep us out of the water. Chelsea had fun collecting shells for some projects that she has in mind and Lando had a great time digging up sand and filling his bucket. This was a wonderful way to end a great trip!!! Craig was sweet enough to treat us to Chinese for dinner when we got home as well. Once we got home and the packing started, my heart was truly hurting. I knew the next day was going to be so difficult. It's weird because Orlando must have known that he needed to get those last special moments in because he was having so much fun with spending little moments with me. We giggled together and played together and just had a blast!!! He even had some fun moments with Uncle Craig. But the night had to eventually end and I gave my sister a hug goodnight knowing that the next morning would be a difficult one. I cried myself to sleep....
Tuesday:
The morning started early because I had to go to work right after dropping them off at the airport (what was I thinking doing that!). I got ready and helped my sister load up the car. We let Orlando sleep as long as possible and then once he was ready got on our way. I wanted to do anything but drive to that airport. Visions of keeping them hostage were going through my mind (Hehe); but I knew that the trip was over and I had to send them off. Orlando missed his dad and life had to continue on as normal. I helped them get checked in and then saw them up to their gate. As soon as we walked up to it, I started crying. I had some last minute cuddles with Orlando and had to tear him away from myself to put him back in his stroller. Then it was time to hug my sis (I'm getting teary as I relive this moment). I didn't want to let her go. Ugh.... hurts my heart saying goodbye!! I waited for them to board the shuttle to take them to the gates and as soon as it departed, I turned to the elevator. I was bawling like a baby. My sister never looked back while they were waiting for the shuttle. I'm not even sure she knew that I stood there that whole time. But I just had to look at them as long as I could. My whole drive to work I kept wishing that I would've hugged both of them for just a few seconds longer. But seriously....any length of time wouldn't have been enough. I struggled through the day, randomly crying and trying to focus. Coming home that night was the hardest. Having to take the carseat out, put away his toys, put the bedding in the wash....so many memories were there and the tears were just flowing. I am so blessed to have people I love so much in my life! I thank God for love. Love is wonderful and love hurts when you have to say goodbye. But it's definitely more "see you later" than "goodbye"; it just doesn't feel like it in the moment.
Well, I think you read it wrong.
I'm not happy that they're gone. They're gone AND I'm happy. Two different topics. Hehe.
Saying goodbye on Tuesday was probably the most emotional thing I've experienced in awhile. These goodbyes seriously never get easier. They just don't! But....
We had the time of our lives while they were here. So many memories were made and I got to bond with my nephew and get even closer to my sister. That is something to truly be happy about!!! So....instead of another sad, emotional post, this will be a post celebrating what we were able to do together and the fun that we had!!!
Saturday:
I picked them up from the airport and took a wrong turn off of the highway and ended up on the bridge on my way to St. Pete. Lol. I still have no idea how I did that. This could have been a huge annoyance; but I planned ahead and brought both of them food and we got to see an awesome sunset over the water on our way back to Tampa!!!
Sunday:
The weather was more perfect than I could have ever asked for. Seriously, the best day that we've had since March, I'm sure! We decided to go down to the Hyde Park market. We had so much fun!! We got an awesome Belgian Waffle...oh my gosh, sooo good! The lady that makes them is from Belgium and they are scrumptious. We decided to go over to the fountain and eat our waffle. I got to have some really special moments with Orlando there. He is in love with the "Ring around the Rosey" game and we played it together while we were sitting in the shade. Soooo much fun!!!
I got a Groupon to go check out the Sunken Gardens in St. Pete and we decided to go check it out. It was seriously so beautiful! Talking birds, awesome trees from around the world, ponds full of carp that we fed. It is such a relaxing place. I definitely look forward to going back again in the future. Even Orlando loved it. He thought the talking parrot in the entrance was the best thing ever. And he enjoyed feeding the fish as well.
After the Sunken Gardens I took my sister to experience one of my favorite little restaurants over here that Boise doesn't have: Panera Bread! She loved it and so did little man! Once we were filled up we headed over to Clearwater to check out Winter the dolphin. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is so neat. It's an animal hospital first and a aquarium second. And it's free for military and up to 10 visitors. Orlando started testing his limits with me here and I had to start learning how to use my "mommy voice". Lol. Well, what resulted was him falling and getting a huge bump on his noggin that looked like a horn for the following few days. Lol. But we still had a super awesome time!!
Tuesday was a fun day. We decided to go check out this new park that just opened near downtown Tampa. It's a free little playground splash-pad that's only been open for a couple of months. Orlando had a blast. And who am I kidding, Chelsea and I did too!! Lando made a new mini-friend and got to chase a dog around. We also made a stop by my work so that I could show them my new office and let them meet a couple of my co-workers. We had a lot of fun this day. The weather was starting to heat up a little bit, but it was still nice outside.
Wednesday was our beach day. Even thought it's a little out of the way, my favorite place to beach is down in Sarasota. The beaches are just absolutely gorgeous and the water is clear! Usually I go to Lido Key, but this time we decided to go check out Siesta Key: America's #1 Beach! The day was absolutely perfect and there was actually WAVES! That NEVER happens at beaches here. Lol. However, what we did discover was that the waves were bringing in the jellyfish. HUNDREDS of them!! We couldn't even get in the water there were so many. But the day was so perfect and we still had an awesome time. It was actually pretty neat to see jellyfish up close. And we did find out that the tops don't sting you- just like Dory discovered in Finding Nemo.
Thursday:
Thursday was zoo day. We actually have a pretty good zoo here in Tampa and they give a good discount with military ID. Orlando loves the zoo, so we decided to check it out. The weather was definitely warming up on Thursday and we felt it out there at the zoo. Lando was on another level that day and was constantly getting disciplined. He finally fell asleep in his stroller and we decided to cool off a bit by walking through the little water fountains in the petting zoo area. We had a really nice time walking around and we did end up waking him up so that we could take him on the train ride through the park to see some of the African animals. He loved it. After the zoo we went to check out the notorious "Taco Bus" in East Tampa. This taco bus is soooo awesome! They even have a full vegetarian menu to choose from. It definitely lived up to the hype. So glad that I finally tried it out after hearing so much about it. We finished up the day walking around the mall and letting Lando play in the kiddie area. This was one of the most fun days we had!!
Orlando seriously had so much fun on this train ride. He is obsessed with trains, so to be able to put him on his own train ride to see the animals was fun.
This little kiddie area in the mall is really neat! The only problem is that the parents don't really monitor the kids that play in there and they let big kids run around with little kids. We weren't really too thrilled with that part of it. But Orlando had fun. That's what matters, right?The Taco Bus....seriously amazing! No wonder it gets raved about. And I just found out that there is one on my side of town. Woo hoo!!
Friday:
Friday was actually meant to be another beach day. We decided to go to the beach on base. Well, we quickly realized that this isn't really a beach to get in the water in. Lol. The water was murky and muddy and just really not that pleasant. But we still had fun. Orlando chased some birds and had fun in the sun. We went and saw Craig at work and then made a Target/Whole Foods run for food for lunch at church the next day.
Lando having fun chasing the birds. I'm sure they hated it, but he was giggling his face off!!
Sister love!! I had such a great time with this lady!! I can't even explain...
Saturday:
I actually forgot to take any pictures this day. We spent the morning at church and then we had a fun fellowship lunch at one of my friend's houses. Great food and great fun!! The late afternoon was spent napping, which felt wonderful after such a busy week. Thank God for the Sabbath and the rest that we're able to get that we miss out on a lot during the week. One relaxing day was much needed!!
Sunday:
Sunday was pool day with friends from church. They live in this awesome subdivision with a beautiful pool and invited us to spend the day out there with them. It was another beautiful day. Orlando had a great time in the kiddie area. Until he slipped and fell and bumped his head. Then he was kinda done. Lol. Craig treated us to dinner at one of our favorite places: Sweet Tomatoes. Chelsea fell in love with it last time she was here and was asking about it as soon as she arrived for this visit, so I knew that we had to go eventually. Orlando was being so hilarious at dinner that night. He is seriously such a goofball. It was definitely another relaxing day full of love and laughs!!
Monday:
We knew this was our last full day together and we wanted to make it a good one! I think both of our hearts were heavy all day because we knew the next day would be goodbye, but we were trying not to think about it. We decided to spend another day down in Sarasota at the beach. There is no beach in Idaho, so Chelsea wanted to make sure that she got another trip down before she left. Plus, we wanted to go again with no jellyfish ruining our stay. I did some Google searches on jellyfish and found that the influx of them we'd experienced on Wednesday were gone and that we should have clear waters!! We could not have asked for a better day. It was the perfect temperature, perfect amount of wind, and just enough overcast. The water was great as well! We did spot a few jellyfish, but only a handful. Not enough to keep us out of the water. Chelsea had fun collecting shells for some projects that she has in mind and Lando had a great time digging up sand and filling his bucket. This was a wonderful way to end a great trip!!! Craig was sweet enough to treat us to Chinese for dinner when we got home as well. Once we got home and the packing started, my heart was truly hurting. I knew the next day was going to be so difficult. It's weird because Orlando must have known that he needed to get those last special moments in because he was having so much fun with spending little moments with me. We giggled together and played together and just had a blast!!! He even had some fun moments with Uncle Craig. But the night had to eventually end and I gave my sister a hug goodnight knowing that the next morning would be a difficult one. I cried myself to sleep....
Tuesday:
The morning started early because I had to go to work right after dropping them off at the airport (what was I thinking doing that!). I got ready and helped my sister load up the car. We let Orlando sleep as long as possible and then once he was ready got on our way. I wanted to do anything but drive to that airport. Visions of keeping them hostage were going through my mind (Hehe); but I knew that the trip was over and I had to send them off. Orlando missed his dad and life had to continue on as normal. I helped them get checked in and then saw them up to their gate. As soon as we walked up to it, I started crying. I had some last minute cuddles with Orlando and had to tear him away from myself to put him back in his stroller. Then it was time to hug my sis (I'm getting teary as I relive this moment). I didn't want to let her go. Ugh.... hurts my heart saying goodbye!! I waited for them to board the shuttle to take them to the gates and as soon as it departed, I turned to the elevator. I was bawling like a baby. My sister never looked back while they were waiting for the shuttle. I'm not even sure she knew that I stood there that whole time. But I just had to look at them as long as I could. My whole drive to work I kept wishing that I would've hugged both of them for just a few seconds longer. But seriously....any length of time wouldn't have been enough. I struggled through the day, randomly crying and trying to focus. Coming home that night was the hardest. Having to take the carseat out, put away his toys, put the bedding in the wash....so many memories were there and the tears were just flowing. I am so blessed to have people I love so much in my life! I thank God for love. Love is wonderful and love hurts when you have to say goodbye. But it's definitely more "see you later" than "goodbye"; it just doesn't feel like it in the moment.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
One more day....
Tomorrow is my last full day with my sister and my nephew. I'm sure y'all are sick of hearing the same thing, lol, but honestly it's all I can think about right now. My heart is aching already. I don't know what I was thinking trying to go into work after dropping them off at the airport. It's a good thing I have a nice chunk of time before I have to be at work because I will be a giant mess.
This week has been such a blast. I am beyond thankful that the Lord saw fit for us to have time together and I pray that He continues to provide these opportunities. For those of you in my situation of living far from your loved ones: you know exactly what I'm talking about. For those of you who are blessed to have all your loved ones near: hug them whenever you can and spend time with them whenever you can. We only have one family and we have to treasure the time that we have with them. So don't take any moments for granted....
Ok, emotional post over. Haha. Until the next one anyway.
Q
This week has been such a blast. I am beyond thankful that the Lord saw fit for us to have time together and I pray that He continues to provide these opportunities. For those of you in my situation of living far from your loved ones: you know exactly what I'm talking about. For those of you who are blessed to have all your loved ones near: hug them whenever you can and spend time with them whenever you can. We only have one family and we have to treasure the time that we have with them. So don't take any moments for granted....
Ok, emotional post over. Haha. Until the next one anyway.
Q
Thursday, October 9, 2014
These are the moments.....
These last 5 days have been so wonderful!
I've realized how much growing I've missed out on with my nephew.
But I am beyond thankful to have this time and to make these memories!
We have been doing so much that I haven't even had time to post really. From the beach, to the zoo, to the market; we've been getting in all the moments that we can.
These are the moments that will stay in my memory bank and hold me over until the next visit.
God is good, and I have been so blessed to share very special moments with Orlando. Today we decided to try out the Taco Bus in Tampa. I've heard so much about it and I found out that it even carries vegetarian options. So of course we had to go. While we were waiting for our food, I grabbed my nephew's little hands and started dancing to the music playing over the speakers. He was loving it and I had so much fun!
These are the moments that will forever be held in my heart. The moments that will become special lookbacks in the photo album as he gets older. I'm just so glad that he's getting big enough to be able to remember me so that next time he sees me i won't be a total stranger.
Although we still have 4 full days left together, I know the inevitable is coming amd my heart gets heavy as I think about it. But until then, I will continue to love each of these minutes with them and continue in the laughs.
I've realized how much growing I've missed out on with my nephew.
But I am beyond thankful to have this time and to make these memories!
We have been doing so much that I haven't even had time to post really. From the beach, to the zoo, to the market; we've been getting in all the moments that we can.
These are the moments that will stay in my memory bank and hold me over until the next visit.
God is good, and I have been so blessed to share very special moments with Orlando. Today we decided to try out the Taco Bus in Tampa. I've heard so much about it and I found out that it even carries vegetarian options. So of course we had to go. While we were waiting for our food, I grabbed my nephew's little hands and started dancing to the music playing over the speakers. He was loving it and I had so much fun!
Although we still have 4 full days left together, I know the inevitable is coming amd my heart gets heavy as I think about it. But until then, I will continue to love each of these minutes with them and continue in the laughs.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Home-sick and Family-sick
So here we are: T minus 5 days away from my sister and my nephew's arrival.
As I was preparing for their arrival this weekend and doing all the necessary things: washing the bedding, cleaning the guest bathroom, cleaning out the car.... I once again realized how much I miss them! I miss my family so much.
I never thought it would be easy to leave them. But it never dawned on me how hard it would be either.
I still remember the day I left Boise with a one-way ticket to England. That was the most epic morning of my life. Still to this day....
My heart was so excited to be with my husband and go onto a new adventure; but I also knew that I would never call Boise home again. I knew that nights having dinner at my mom's when I just wanted to stop by would never be again. I knew going to catch a movie randomly with my sister would never happen again. Walking along the greenbelt with my friends during the sunset just because I had a free night wouldn't be my normal anymore. Stopping by my grandma's house to have Sunday dinner with her wouldn't happen anymore. I was heading into a new normal and it was terrifying! Exciting and terrifying!
But here I was, heading off to jolly 'ol England. The land of tea and crumpets, the land of fish and chips, the land of historic places, and fun accents. This was going to be the adventure of my life. But yet, I was still heart-broken.
Fast-forward seven years from that epic morning where I boarded the plane with my one-way ticket in one hand and my tear-stained tissue in the other. I have traveled all over Europe. I've been to 10 countries. I've seen the Eiffel Tower, Edinburgh Castle, Auchwitz and Berkinau, The Leaning tower of Pisa. I've stood in the Collseum and seen the Sistine Chapel with my own eyes. I have had an amazing time exploring this wonderful world. And now I've been afforded the opportunity to live in the tropical environment that I've always dreamed of living in. Life is great and I am blessed!
But it doesn't change the fact that I still want to hug my family whenever I want. It doesn't change the fact that we have countdowns to visits and countdowns to the time we have to say goodbye again. It doesn't change the fact that if something were to happen to either me or a member of my family, arrangements have to be made for travel and time off of work. It doesn't change the fact that I miss them. I miss them everyday.
But with all that being said, I do get excited counting down the days to arrival. I get excited about planning our activities while they're here or I'm there. I get excited thinking about getting that hug and sharing those laughs that I've missed all this time. I get excited about seeing my nephew growing and changing. And I have to treasure the moments that I share with them when I get to share them.
I've always said that my life would be completely different if I was a military spouse 20 years ago. In this age I have Facebook, I have Instagram, I have Skype and Snapchat. I have the ability to text a photo and a video real time to simulate experiencing something "together". I am thankful for the technology I've been afforded. Without these things, the missing piece of my life, my family, would feel like an even bigger void.
I'm thankful to have a husband who I love and who keeps me great company. I'm thankful for a wonderful church family who treats me like real family. I'm thankful that I still have people who love me in the absence of my family. I wouldn't trade these people for anything in the world. But I will always miss my family. I will always yearn to have them down the street. I will never feel 100% knowing that I can't hug them whenever I want.
I read something today that said: "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because at least it happened."
These words touched my heart today. With the upcoming arrival of my sister and nephew also comes the upcoming departure. The day where I have to say goodbye all over again. But I have to remember these words at that time. I have to be thankful that I had the days that I did and got to make more memories to store in my mental bank.
And then I will start planning for the next trip. The next set of memories. The next "first" hug after a long separation. There is nothing like that feeling of hugging someone that you haven't been able to hug in a long, long time. It's a feeling of home and security that you can't find anywhere else. I felt it when my husband returned home from deployment and I feel it everytime I'm reunited with family.
I will be satisfied in that thought.That is a pleasant thought. The thought of a warm hug!
Thank you, military, for allowing me to really know what I have and teaching me how to treasure the moments as they happen!
Q
As I was preparing for their arrival this weekend and doing all the necessary things: washing the bedding, cleaning the guest bathroom, cleaning out the car.... I once again realized how much I miss them! I miss my family so much.
I never thought it would be easy to leave them. But it never dawned on me how hard it would be either.
I still remember the day I left Boise with a one-way ticket to England. That was the most epic morning of my life. Still to this day....
My heart was so excited to be with my husband and go onto a new adventure; but I also knew that I would never call Boise home again. I knew that nights having dinner at my mom's when I just wanted to stop by would never be again. I knew going to catch a movie randomly with my sister would never happen again. Walking along the greenbelt with my friends during the sunset just because I had a free night wouldn't be my normal anymore. Stopping by my grandma's house to have Sunday dinner with her wouldn't happen anymore. I was heading into a new normal and it was terrifying! Exciting and terrifying!
But here I was, heading off to jolly 'ol England. The land of tea and crumpets, the land of fish and chips, the land of historic places, and fun accents. This was going to be the adventure of my life. But yet, I was still heart-broken.
Fast-forward seven years from that epic morning where I boarded the plane with my one-way ticket in one hand and my tear-stained tissue in the other. I have traveled all over Europe. I've been to 10 countries. I've seen the Eiffel Tower, Edinburgh Castle, Auchwitz and Berkinau, The Leaning tower of Pisa. I've stood in the Collseum and seen the Sistine Chapel with my own eyes. I have had an amazing time exploring this wonderful world. And now I've been afforded the opportunity to live in the tropical environment that I've always dreamed of living in. Life is great and I am blessed!
But it doesn't change the fact that I still want to hug my family whenever I want. It doesn't change the fact that we have countdowns to visits and countdowns to the time we have to say goodbye again. It doesn't change the fact that if something were to happen to either me or a member of my family, arrangements have to be made for travel and time off of work. It doesn't change the fact that I miss them. I miss them everyday.
But with all that being said, I do get excited counting down the days to arrival. I get excited about planning our activities while they're here or I'm there. I get excited thinking about getting that hug and sharing those laughs that I've missed all this time. I get excited about seeing my nephew growing and changing. And I have to treasure the moments that I share with them when I get to share them.
I've always said that my life would be completely different if I was a military spouse 20 years ago. In this age I have Facebook, I have Instagram, I have Skype and Snapchat. I have the ability to text a photo and a video real time to simulate experiencing something "together". I am thankful for the technology I've been afforded. Without these things, the missing piece of my life, my family, would feel like an even bigger void.
I'm thankful to have a husband who I love and who keeps me great company. I'm thankful for a wonderful church family who treats me like real family. I'm thankful that I still have people who love me in the absence of my family. I wouldn't trade these people for anything in the world. But I will always miss my family. I will always yearn to have them down the street. I will never feel 100% knowing that I can't hug them whenever I want.
I read something today that said: "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because at least it happened."
These words touched my heart today. With the upcoming arrival of my sister and nephew also comes the upcoming departure. The day where I have to say goodbye all over again. But I have to remember these words at that time. I have to be thankful that I had the days that I did and got to make more memories to store in my mental bank.
And then I will start planning for the next trip. The next set of memories. The next "first" hug after a long separation. There is nothing like that feeling of hugging someone that you haven't been able to hug in a long, long time. It's a feeling of home and security that you can't find anywhere else. I felt it when my husband returned home from deployment and I feel it everytime I'm reunited with family.
I will be satisfied in that thought.That is a pleasant thought. The thought of a warm hug!
Thank you, military, for allowing me to really know what I have and teaching me how to treasure the moments as they happen!
Q
Saturday, September 27, 2014
The journey into clean eating.....
What a week it's been. Just busy, busy busy.... I didn't even get a workout in on Friday and I'm not going to get one in today either. Just been one of those weeks.
But I've been adjusting well to my new workout/eating plan that I'm on. The basic idea of it is clean eating....nothing processed.
Seems easy, right?
It's totally not!! TOTALLY NOT!!! Like nothing processed...that's the goal.
Last night I hosted Friday night fellowship at my house and had almost 20 people over. I decided I would cook a "clean" recipe because most of the people that were coming over are doing this diet as well. So I figured, I'll be a good example and make it easier for everyone to make smart choices.
Well, I did make something clean and it was awesome! Vegetarian shepher's pie. Yum yum!! But then I realized the garlic bread that I asked someone to bring, the chips and dip that I asked another person to bring, and the pizza that I ordered to supplement the dish that I made for the kids and whoever else didn't want to eat what I made all are not clean. (Ok, clearly I knew the pizza wasn't clean.) But when I asked these people to bring this stuff, I didn't think about it not being clean eating. Well, the shepherd's pie turned out well and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Although we had some other items that weren't necessarily on the plan, we did pretty well and it's a start in the right direction of completely going unprocessed.
I had another task of making an entree for Women's Choir potluck this afternoon at church and I knew, again, that I wanted it to be clean. So I made a butternut squash lasagna recipe that I found online. Oh my gosh....soooo good! I wish I would have taken pictures of the process and the final product, but I didn't. But here is a picture of it from the website and the link to the webpage.
It turned out awesome. And at least I had one clean option at the potluck to eat. I'm not going to lie, I ate some of the other stuff as well. But I had super small portions and I DIDN'T HAVE DESSERT!!! There were two pies and a cake to choose from.... I had a cup of fruit. Winning!!! I will definitely start trying to take pictures of new recipes that I make so that I can share them here with you all!
The challenge will be to keep this up during the next 65 days. Now, I'm no liar, and my sister will be here for 10 days starting next Saturday. We do plan on cooking at home quite a bit and I have an aresenal of recipes that I will be making; but I'm also realistic....I am going to enjoy my sister's trip and I am going to probably not be 100% on my plan. But I'm completely fine with that. I workout hard and I workout smart and I eat smart the majority of the time. So I am going to allow myself an indulgence or two and some flexibility in my plan while my sis is in town.
Now off to enjoy my Quest bar. I wonder if that is clean..... they do use #cheatclean on their Instagram page.....
Yep, I'm going with that.....
But I've been adjusting well to my new workout/eating plan that I'm on. The basic idea of it is clean eating....nothing processed.
Seems easy, right?
It's totally not!! TOTALLY NOT!!! Like nothing processed...that's the goal.
Last night I hosted Friday night fellowship at my house and had almost 20 people over. I decided I would cook a "clean" recipe because most of the people that were coming over are doing this diet as well. So I figured, I'll be a good example and make it easier for everyone to make smart choices.
Well, I did make something clean and it was awesome! Vegetarian shepher's pie. Yum yum!! But then I realized the garlic bread that I asked someone to bring, the chips and dip that I asked another person to bring, and the pizza that I ordered to supplement the dish that I made for the kids and whoever else didn't want to eat what I made all are not clean. (Ok, clearly I knew the pizza wasn't clean.) But when I asked these people to bring this stuff, I didn't think about it not being clean eating. Well, the shepherd's pie turned out well and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Although we had some other items that weren't necessarily on the plan, we did pretty well and it's a start in the right direction of completely going unprocessed.
I had another task of making an entree for Women's Choir potluck this afternoon at church and I knew, again, that I wanted it to be clean. So I made a butternut squash lasagna recipe that I found online. Oh my gosh....soooo good! I wish I would have taken pictures of the process and the final product, but I didn't. But here is a picture of it from the website and the link to the webpage.
It turned out awesome. And at least I had one clean option at the potluck to eat. I'm not going to lie, I ate some of the other stuff as well. But I had super small portions and I DIDN'T HAVE DESSERT!!! There were two pies and a cake to choose from.... I had a cup of fruit. Winning!!! I will definitely start trying to take pictures of new recipes that I make so that I can share them here with you all!
The challenge will be to keep this up during the next 65 days. Now, I'm no liar, and my sister will be here for 10 days starting next Saturday. We do plan on cooking at home quite a bit and I have an aresenal of recipes that I will be making; but I'm also realistic....I am going to enjoy my sister's trip and I am going to probably not be 100% on my plan. But I'm completely fine with that. I workout hard and I workout smart and I eat smart the majority of the time. So I am going to allow myself an indulgence or two and some flexibility in my plan while my sis is in town.
Now off to enjoy my Quest bar. I wonder if that is clean..... they do use #cheatclean on their Instagram page.....
Yep, I'm going with that.....
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
New Program
So, on Sunday I embarked on this journey of completely clean eating for the next 90 days along with a revamp of my workout routine. Let's just say the first two days I failed miserably. I didn't realize how much I eat that is actually processed. Not that it's necessarily bad, but it's processed and that's what I'm trying to get away from.
So today was a fresh start for me! I had my oats and eggs this morning. Had quinoa, black beans, and a salad for lunch. And I'll probably have some more black beans and salad for dinner. Eating healthy and eating clean are totally different things, that's for sure. I'm not even supposed to have cheese on this plan. So last night I went to Whole Foods and I found Almond cheese! So excited to try it!
So needles to say the next couple of months will be interesting with my eating. I have to get creative. I will be a little lax whole my sister is here, I won't lie, but I'll still be making good choices!
Only 10 more days and she's here. I can't believe it!
So needles to say the next couple of months will be interesting with my eating. I have to get creative. I will be a little lax whole my sister is here, I won't lie, but I'll still be making good choices!
Only 10 more days and she's here. I can't believe it!
Monday, September 22, 2014
Welcome....
Ok, ok....so for all those who have been asking me to do a blog, here is my attempt at my first blog. I have been longing to do a blog for quite some time actually; but I'm always afraid I won't have time, I won't have anything to say, I'll be boring, etc. Well, whatever... I'm going to start this blog and pray that I can get it off the ground!
What exactly will my blog entail, you ask? Well, I want to incorporate a little bit of all the things that are important to me: my faith, my family, fitness, FOOD, inspiration that I find....just life! Hence the title of my blog page: life-faith-fitness. I found that to be an appropriate title.
There are some things that I'm hoping to accomplish in the next 12 months and you will be a part of that. More to come on that in the future....
Anyone who knows me knows how important my faith is to me. You will get snippets of that as well. Whether it be a special something that God showed me during the day, an inspirational quote that I ran across, a quiet moment that I spent with the Lord, or struggles that I'm going through. I plan to share the hope and faith that I have and the thankfulness I have in my spirit for my Heavenly Father.
Fitness: Hellooo!!! Y'all know I love some fitness. I hope to share workouts, motivational photos, quotes, etc. Maybe even some specific workouts to help out those who wish to receive the help. It excites me to no end to watch people take control of their health and run with it!!
Family: I love my family to pieces. My dear hubby who gets to put up with me all of the time. My family who is so far away whom I miss desperately every day. My church family of whom I am so grateful to God to have placed in my life. And even my closest friends who are more family than anything else.
More than anything I just want to create a place where someone can come (hopefully daily, or at least close to it) to have a laugh, get some tips on healthy living, find a new recipe that they want to try, rekindle their faith in Christ, and whatever else might come out of this. I'm just going to go with it and see where it goes.... (That's a very abstract statement, but I guess it does mean something...)
Thanks for reading the rambligns of my first blog post. Stick around!
Q
What exactly will my blog entail, you ask? Well, I want to incorporate a little bit of all the things that are important to me: my faith, my family, fitness, FOOD, inspiration that I find....just life! Hence the title of my blog page: life-faith-fitness. I found that to be an appropriate title.
There are some things that I'm hoping to accomplish in the next 12 months and you will be a part of that. More to come on that in the future....
Anyone who knows me knows how important my faith is to me. You will get snippets of that as well. Whether it be a special something that God showed me during the day, an inspirational quote that I ran across, a quiet moment that I spent with the Lord, or struggles that I'm going through. I plan to share the hope and faith that I have and the thankfulness I have in my spirit for my Heavenly Father.
Fitness: Hellooo!!! Y'all know I love some fitness. I hope to share workouts, motivational photos, quotes, etc. Maybe even some specific workouts to help out those who wish to receive the help. It excites me to no end to watch people take control of their health and run with it!!
Family: I love my family to pieces. My dear hubby who gets to put up with me all of the time. My family who is so far away whom I miss desperately every day. My church family of whom I am so grateful to God to have placed in my life. And even my closest friends who are more family than anything else.
More than anything I just want to create a place where someone can come (hopefully daily, or at least close to it) to have a laugh, get some tips on healthy living, find a new recipe that they want to try, rekindle their faith in Christ, and whatever else might come out of this. I'm just going to go with it and see where it goes.... (That's a very abstract statement, but I guess it does mean something...)
Thanks for reading the rambligns of my first blog post. Stick around!
Q