First of all, can I just say that I am really bad at taking pictures? Really! I don't think I have any pictures from this weekend. The only few that I did take were on Snapchat and are no lost to the interwebs.
But overall, it was a good weekend. I got off work on Wednesday, ran by Fresh Market to pick up some flowers, rested for a little bit, drank some coffee, and then got up and cleaned my house some. I was trying to get as much finished as possible on Wednesday so that I wouldn't be so stressed on Thursday morning.
Thursday morning, I finished cleaning up a little bit and then met up with a friend and my sister for the Turkey Trot. It's an annual tradition with my sister and me but I was a little worried about it because I have not been running regularly- at all. Katie and I ran together for the first 3 miles and then I could tell that she was starting to speed up, so I told her to ditch me and I ran the last mile (slowly) by myself. It was a lot of fun, but I'm hoping that it will be good motivation for me to be more consistent with running. Sheesh!
After the race, I went back home, prepped some food, and jumped in the shower. My mom initially told me that she was going to come to my house around 11 so I was nervous that I was in a major time-crunch until I called her and she was still out on a bike ride. So I basically got ready a lot faster than I had to and had time to spare, which gave me time to open up a bottle of wine and put on music and dance around my house! Then the chaos hit all at once. Family all arrived and we got all the food set up and then the eating started! Everything was delicious!
After dinner the guys watched football for a little while and then we busted out Kinect and had some dance battles. So much fun! And it got all our heart rates up a little bit!
When everyone left, my head was killing me! I think between running and wine I was super dehydrated! I grabbed some water and tried to relax on the couch for a while, but it didn't help much. I final gave up, put away the food that was still out, and went to bed. When I woke up Friday, I did more cleaning. Finished cleaning the kitchen and washing all the dishes and sweeping and vacuuming everything! Then I did something I have never done before... went Black Friday shopping! It's not as exciting as it sounds. I didn't go until like 11 on Friday and because all the craziness starts on Thursday night now, it wasn't bad. Also, I went to Hollywood Feed. I had looked at the one in Collierville and the guy said that the kennels would be on sale on Black Friday so I picked up a kennel and some BOGO dog food. (Oh yeah, if you don't follow me on Snap, I'm getting a dog. This weekend I think, so she'll get her own post next week!)
The family came back over on Friday afternoon for leftovers and my nieces were itching to play Kinect again so we got it back out and had another dance party. When they left, it was still early so I bundled up and went over to a friend's house for a Gilmore Girl's Revival watching party!
We only watched Winter and Spring that night, but I finally finished it last night. That may need an entire post of it's own. If you have already watched it and want to have a postmortem just let me know. I'm pretty sure I cried the entire way through Fall. I went through a whole gamut of emotions as I related to various aspects of the show. I think I ended the night on a mix of anger and sadness. I will probably be the only one, but I don't want another season. I don't know if my heart and my emotions can handle it. Whew! I told you this needed its own post!
The rest of the weekend was pretty relaxing. Saturday I did a little shopping. Having a bunch of people over made me realize some things that I still needed around the house. I have also had an empty guest room for months and my brother is staying with me in a few weeks so I needed to buy a new bed. I actually bought a new bed for me and I'm going to move my current bed into the guest room. But then I had an "if you give a mouse a cookie" moment and wanted new sheets and a new pillow and a new headboard... The list continues. So my mom and I went out and knocked some things off the list. Then we hung out on Broad for small business Saturday and did a little Christmas shopping. When I got home, I made a list (or 7). I plan to do a little more shopping online tonight during cyber Monday. There are a few things that I still need to get (no one sells large, elevated dog bowls in stores!) and my goal is to finish all my Christmas shopping this week! Wish me luck!
What did everyone else do for Thanksgiving? Anyone else knock out some shopping?
Monday, November 28, 2016
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving, guys! Hope everyone has a wonderful day! I am running the Turkey Trot this morning and then... I'm hosting my family for Thanksgiving dinner at my house! I'm excited about having the space to entertain. Hopefully it will go okay.
Tomorrow, everyone is coming back over for "Liquor and Leftovers" before my sister and her family have to get back on the road for work. It will be a fun, family-filled weekend. I'm sure I'll be back with plenty of stories next week.
Tomorrow, everyone is coming back over for "Liquor and Leftovers" before my sister and her family have to get back on the road for work. It will be a fun, family-filled weekend. I'm sure I'll be back with plenty of stories next week.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Reflections
In case you have been hibernating for the past year or so, there was an election recently. And... I'm not going to talk about it. It has been everywhere! It's all over social media and the news and, to be honest, I'm kind of sick of it. But even more than that, I don't even know what to say. There are so many thoughts swirling through my head (per usual) that I can't even really pin down a complete statement. So I won't even try.
But what I will say is that through all the crazy social media explosion, I have seen some friends that have said things far more eloquently than I could. Friends who have put into words what I was thinking and feeling. I have been reflecting a lot on some of the things that I have read and I can honestly say that I am so thankful.
I have talked about this a little before, but my parents were very intentional with my siblings and me. They placed us in situations of diversity constantly. We celebrated Christmas at home, but I had vivid memories of playing with dreidels and eating potato latkes in elementary school when we were learning about Hanukkah. I remember learning about Kwanza and Ramadan- not just because it was part of the curriculum, but because there were students in my class that observed each of these holidays and we were able to experience some of their traditions with them.
In high school, I had many conversations with peers who had differing opinions and beliefs. These were not arguments or persuasions. They were discussions of differences. Through those discussions, I was challenged to think through what I believed and why. Some conversations caused me to question things, but in the end my faith was strengthened through those discussions.
As I have been perusing facebook and other sites, I can honestly say that I am proud of my friends and the way that they have handled tough conversations. They have asked thoughtful questions and facilitated difficult conversations. They have shown compassion and tolerance and love! They have continued to show that we don't always have to agree, but we can always be kind! For this I am forever thankful!
But what I will say is that through all the crazy social media explosion, I have seen some friends that have said things far more eloquently than I could. Friends who have put into words what I was thinking and feeling. I have been reflecting a lot on some of the things that I have read and I can honestly say that I am so thankful.
I have talked about this a little before, but my parents were very intentional with my siblings and me. They placed us in situations of diversity constantly. We celebrated Christmas at home, but I had vivid memories of playing with dreidels and eating potato latkes in elementary school when we were learning about Hanukkah. I remember learning about Kwanza and Ramadan- not just because it was part of the curriculum, but because there were students in my class that observed each of these holidays and we were able to experience some of their traditions with them.
In high school, I had many conversations with peers who had differing opinions and beliefs. These were not arguments or persuasions. They were discussions of differences. Through those discussions, I was challenged to think through what I believed and why. Some conversations caused me to question things, but in the end my faith was strengthened through those discussions.
As I have been perusing facebook and other sites, I can honestly say that I am proud of my friends and the way that they have handled tough conversations. They have asked thoughtful questions and facilitated difficult conversations. They have shown compassion and tolerance and love! They have continued to show that we don't always have to agree, but we can always be kind! For this I am forever thankful!
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Sunday Smiles
{Source}
And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.
- Hosea 2:19-20
Monday, November 14, 2016
Overcoming Hardships
I said it last week that life has been hard. So hard! But I can now say that it is starting to get better. Slowly, but surely. I felt like things were going smoothly and then I hit a bump in the road- a giant, mountain of a bump. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Then came the dark cloud. Things felt heavy, like I was moving through molasses. I went to work and went through the motions. Then I came home and went to sleep, not because I was tired but because I didn't want to be awake anymore. Last weekend, I think I slept for 22 hours. Sheesh!
But slowly things have started to get better. I have clung to the Lord and spent time in prayer. I have realized my own humility and weakness. I have discovered, once again, that I can do nothing on my own strength. I have forced myself to get out of the house and spend time with friends. I have relied on others instead of going down a rabbit trail of thoughts within my own head. And then I went to therapy last week and got to process it all with her.
I know that doesn't automatically fix everything. I know there will still be times when things are hard and when situations and issues come back to haunt me, but for now things are looking up and I do feel as if I am in a better place than I have been. I am still excited to celebrate the small victories and to store up stones of remembrance. (And to get a permanent reminder soon!)
But slowly things have started to get better. I have clung to the Lord and spent time in prayer. I have realized my own humility and weakness. I have discovered, once again, that I can do nothing on my own strength. I have forced myself to get out of the house and spend time with friends. I have relied on others instead of going down a rabbit trail of thoughts within my own head. And then I went to therapy last week and got to process it all with her.
I know that doesn't automatically fix everything. I know there will still be times when things are hard and when situations and issues come back to haunt me, but for now things are looking up and I do feel as if I am in a better place than I have been. I am still excited to celebrate the small victories and to store up stones of remembrance. (And to get a permanent reminder soon!)
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Sunday Smiles
{Source}
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
- Daniel 7:14
Monday, November 7, 2016
Friend Groups
Life has been hard recently. Let's be honest. It's been shit. I thought about writing an entire post about it to try and get my feelings out, but I really don't even know where to begin. I'm still trying to process things and figure out my feelings. (I think it might be time to reread Voice of the Heart...) If you haven't read it, I recommend it. I really think that I should probably read it twice a year just to remind myself of my feelings. :)
But that's not what this post is about. I still need time to process all those feelings. This is about friendships. Going through hard times always causes me to reflect on friendships. And I have been hanging out with various friend groups recently which has really made me think about how different they all are...
The night of my Day in the Life post, I went to dinner with some nurses. One of them is married, but doesn't have kids and the others are single. The next night, I went to dinner with friends from high school. They are all married and have 5 kids between the 3 of them.
The evening (and the conversations) were very different. From talking about dating and drinking to diapers and daycares, I think we covered just about every topic between the 2 nights. And I think I need that sometimes- both of those conversations. Although sometimes I feel like I am right in the middle. I don't really know why. I think my feelings are still just all over the place. But the point of this post was mainly just to say how thankful I am for friendships- off all kinds.
But that's not what this post is about. I still need time to process all those feelings. This is about friendships. Going through hard times always causes me to reflect on friendships. And I have been hanging out with various friend groups recently which has really made me think about how different they all are...
The night of my Day in the Life post, I went to dinner with some nurses. One of them is married, but doesn't have kids and the others are single. The next night, I went to dinner with friends from high school. They are all married and have 5 kids between the 3 of them.
The evening (and the conversations) were very different. From talking about dating and drinking to diapers and daycares, I think we covered just about every topic between the 2 nights. And I think I need that sometimes- both of those conversations. Although sometimes I feel like I am right in the middle. I don't really know why. I think my feelings are still just all over the place. But the point of this post was mainly just to say how thankful I am for friendships- off all kinds.
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Sunday Smiles
{Source}
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
- Hebrews 8:10
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Moon River Fest
I have been slacking on posts and trying to play catch up, so this is super behind. But a couple weeks ago, I headed out to the Moon River Fest. It is a music festival hosted by Drew Holcomb. It featured lots of indy, folky groups/friends of Drew and Ellie from Nashville. :)
I'm not a huge music person. I enjoy music, but do not really follow any artists or keep up with anyone so I didn't know most of the groups playing but it was a great weekend nonetheless.
The lineup was really good. I knew Drew and Ellie were great. And I have loved Dave Barnes music since I first heard it in high school at a Young Life camp. I have actually met Abner and Amanda Ramirez from JohnnySwim when I lived in Nashville. They are friends with my sister. I knew they played music, but had never heard them until this. They were great! And had just left Waco for the Silo-bration so that's pretty cool. But all the music was really mellow and cool. (Clearly, I'm not a music aficionado and don't even know the right words to describe it, but it was good.)
And the weather was perfect. It was actually hot during the day, but we brought layers because it cooled down quite a bit when the sun went down. We mostly just relaxed, chilled on a blanket, ate food truck food, drank beer and listened to music.
I'm not a huge music person. I enjoy music, but do not really follow any artists or keep up with anyone so I didn't know most of the groups playing but it was a great weekend nonetheless.
The lineup was really good. I knew Drew and Ellie were great. And I have loved Dave Barnes music since I first heard it in high school at a Young Life camp. I have actually met Abner and Amanda Ramirez from JohnnySwim when I lived in Nashville. They are friends with my sister. I knew they played music, but had never heard them until this. They were great! And had just left Waco for the Silo-bration so that's pretty cool. But all the music was really mellow and cool. (Clearly, I'm not a music aficionado and don't even know the right words to describe it, but it was good.)
And the weather was perfect. It was actually hot during the day, but we brought layers because it cooled down quite a bit when the sun went down. We mostly just relaxed, chilled on a blanket, ate food truck food, drank beer and listened to music.
The weekend ended with the whole crew singing Hey Jude. I couldn't get the video I took to load, so I posted this one from YouTube. I actually like mine better because I like the view from the crowd, but oh well! It was a great weekend!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)