Friday Favorites

Oh, this week. I am glad this week is over. I have my big ol’ Finance final tomorrow morning and I know NOTHING Finance related. I’m just ready to get it done and hope I pass it so I don’t have to re-take the course. If you need me…i’ll be studying all night long. Sigh.

But it’s still Friday and we’re linking up with Erika, Andrea, and Narci for Friday Favorites today!

When I’d paint my nails or get them done as a young lass I always got pink…or red because they were always safe and my FAVORITE. So a couple years ago I made a vow to not do either of those colors so I could branch out. Last week however, I went with this pink Flirt Alert and love how bright it is. It just puts you in the mood for Spring!

Last Thursday Reeana and I met up at Starbucks after not having seen each other in a while. I got there early to do a little quiet time and read. Meeting up at Starbucks with one of my best girl friends and drinking coffee is for sure one of my FAVORITE things. Oh and don’t forget to read my thoughts on Hoda’s book. That was a FAVORITE too.

But another FAVORITE of ours happened to be when this lady walked in and legitimately had these dragon spikes weaved in through her braid. What in the actual heck? It all made sense when we walked out and she was knitting yarn characters together…

I created my own little ham, egg, and cheese. When I was young (apparently I am reminiscing today) my FAVORITE breakfast used to be ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches from Casey’s General Store. Now that I can no longer have cheese and bread I improvise. This morning I threw canadian bacon, egg whites, and spinach into a pan to heat up/cook And then melted some cheese on top. Hey…it works! 😉 And tomatoes on the side because it’s one of my FAVORITE things to eat right now too.

I told you last Wednesday that I was so excited to try out Shakeology because eveerryyyoonnneee talks about how it is their FAVORITE. Well, it finally came in the mail Wednesday night. We already had plans for dinner…

…but first thing yesterday morning I made it! I asked Kylie why it was so little and she informed me that you’re suppose to put more liquid in it #shakeologyfail #imanamateur. I liked this one it tasted like brownie batter so I’m excited to try the strawberry (probably today).

You can’t read my tank, but it says “the gym is my happy hour”…here’s a red one. I think mine came from Target but it’s only the plus size one online. (Target has buy one, get one 50% off all women’s clothing and shoes right now by the way!!)

My Insanity class was at 4:30 this day, so I got there around 4:10 to stretch, get out of the house, relax, and take this necessary selfie. ALL MY FAVORITES. I get compliments and I feel like a powerhouse in it. Don’t you have clothes that make you feel powerful too?!

I did this the other day and I know I’m awkward, but I wanted to share my FAVORITE easy little exercise to do right now.

Soooooooo…

1.It’s weird watching yourself on video, I made some strange faces.
2. I’m sorry for all the “um’s” I didn’t prepare before hand this was improv!!!
3. Super cute thing I do with my hands at the end…*covers eyes*.
4.  THIS stability ball comes with 2 workout dvds, a yoga band, and a pump. Such a good deal for less than $14!
5. I hope you still love me after watching this. After all I did thank you (haha I don’t know why, I think for watching)!

Okay have a super weekend!!! Come Monday I am going to be a happy camper. No class for 3 weeks! Booyah!

So Long, Insecurity: Week 9

Happy St. Pat’s Day, my friends!

Today on the blog, it is our second to last meeting of online Bible study. If you have been participating, make sure to click here to see previous weeks. If you haven’t been participating, you always can. Buy the book by clicking the picture on my sidebar, and go through these weekly posts.

A Word From Beth:

“In this week’s discussion we can start moving the focus off our own insecurity. We will be thinking not just about how we experience triggers to insecurity but about other women and how we can help them deal with their triggers.

I’ll admit that when I invite women to share their vulnerabilities with each other, I’m suggesting something a little scary. Because let’s be honest: a struggling junior high girl who tells the popular girls that they make her feel insecure is, unfortunately, just asking for more of the same. But we’re not in junior high anymore, sisters (and praise the Lord for that!). In some ways, we’re all both the struggling girl and the popular girl. We all wrestle with insecurities, and we all (knowingly or not) do things that make others feel insecure. So let’s be open with each other and respond to that openness with support, respect, and honesty.”

Beth says: When I surveyed men about their take on women’s insecurities, one respondent said this:

“Most obvious is when women are around other women; they try to size each other up and look for reasons to not get along rather than to get along. They seem easily intimidated, whether by physical beauty, character status, or whatever makes them feel that the other woman has more going for her, and a barrier goes up. (pg. 275-276)

1. How do you respond to this take on female relationships? Has insecurity ever robbed you of what could have been a rich friendship with another woman? Has it affected the type of woman you befriend?

She says: I have to admit that there’s more than a snippet of truth to what this man says. We women do sometimes let barriers come between us-and that’s terrible shame. Let’s do our best to break the mold by taking a look at four things we can do to promote security among the women around us. First, we need to stop making comparisons.

Now read from “our constant propensity” to “give credit to someone else?” on pg. 279-280.

1. Talk about a time you fell victim to the “bad math” of insecurity (see pages 280-281). How can we correct our thinking when this happens?

Second, we need to start personalizing the other women. Read from “In order to nurse a rival mentality” to “in Jesus’ name.” (pg. 284, 286)

1. Have you ever felt your insecure or jealous feelings evaporate when something occurred that humanized your “rival”? What happened?

Third, we don’t trip another woman’s insecurity switch. Read from “We all have just enough meanness in us” to “build up our wounded selves at somebody else’s expense.” (pg. 288-289)

1. Tell someone else that you’re feeling insecure requires great vulnerability. How would you react if someone came to you with a situation like those described on pages 287-288 and humbly suggested that you were acting as a trigger? How could good friends or family members handle this?

The fourth way we can help others is to be examples of secure women. Read from “Most women will” to “because it’s as contagious to its counterpart” (pg. 290)

1. Who have been examples of secure women in your life? What impact have they had on you?

When we cultivate the kind of focus where we take our minds off ourselves and think of others first our perspective changes. Our culture tells us to major on the minors, to embrace the superficial and spend our time and energy worrying about ourselves. And guess what? That’s a prime recipe for insecurity. We have to find the way out. Read “Human nature dictates” to “you must lose yourself in something larger” on pg. 309-310 to see how Beth puts it in chapter 16.

1. Tell about a time when serving God or focusing on someone else freed you from the self-absorption of insecurity. Why do you think this happens?

The next section we will talk about today is the passage from Isaiah 58 that Beth quotes in chapter 16 (pg. 317-318). Before you read the verses, keep in mind the context. The Israelites were asking why God seemed not to hear them when they prayed. They held up their fasting as proof of their righteousness, but the Lord indicted them with their own actions. They patted themselves on the back because they went to the Temple, but otherwise they did as they pleased (v.3). They were oppressing their own workers, and even their days of fasting were ruined by quarrels and violence. They pretended to do the right things, but in reality, they were self-absorbed and superficial-and probably miserable as a result.

1. Read Isaiah 58: 6-11. What do verses 6-7 tell us about the attitude God wants us to have toward others?
2. According to verses 8-11, what will happen when we adjust our attitude outward instead of inward? What images are used to communicate the idea of renewal and refreshment?

There’s no question that the world benefits when we break free of our self-absorption and serve others. But the amazing thing is that we benefit as well. When we have a sense of purpose that goes beyond our own skin, we are renewed, refreshed, and satisfied.

As we think about moving our focus beyond ourselves, let’s look at some Scripture passages that address our relationships with other women. Keep your eyes open to ways we can build each other up and help each other find security.

1. Read Galatians 5:22-26. How does celebrating each person’s uniqueness help us avoid jealousy and unhealthy comparisons? What role does the Holy Spirit play in helping us accomplish this?
2. Read John 13:34-35. What is Jesus’ command here? What are some specific things that would happen if we followed it?
3. When we get caught up in insecurity, too often we depersonalize those who threaten us. How does loving someone keep us from viewing her only as a competitor?
4. Read Matthew 5:43-45. WH do you think we are commanded to pray for our enemies? How does the act of praying for them – or other people who just rub us the wrong way, threaten us, and trigger every possible security button – change us?

To wrap it all up:

We’ll never be healed of our self-centeredness until we are wounded irreparably with love for an aching world. Insecurity puts us in a prison of self-absorbtion, but when we reach out to others, those prison bars are shattered. Sharing the love of Christ will become life to us, bringing us renewal, perspective, and purpose. May we leave our superficiality behind and reap the benefits God will graciously bestow.

In your journal:

1. Think through your closest female relationships. What things do others do that trip your insecurity switch? Are there things you’re doing that likely trip other people’s triggers? What could you do to change?
2. Consider the questions from page 310. What is your passion? What do you want your life to be about? If you long for something that makes you feel fully alive and part of something specific God is doing for the greater good, ask Him to nurture that vision in you.

Assigned Reading: Chapter 17 and 18. As you’re reading in the book, underline what is jumping out at you, what you think is true, what surprises you, and what seems to be the most challenging. Maybe you highlight the answers to each of those questions in a different color.

Prayer Requests?

See y’all soon for our last week!

Show and Tell: Your Hometown

Every other Tuesday I link up with Andrea and we show and tell about ourselves!

This week we’re talking…Hometowns.

Every time I think of my hometown, I think of Carrie Underwood’s song “Thank God for Hometowns”. It couldn’t be more true. When I would drive back from Norman I would blast this song as I was pulling up into my driveway and it would make me happy. In case you haven’t heard it, listen to it:

This song reminds me of college!

I grew up in Frisco, Texas. It’s a suburb about 25 miles north of Dallas. We moved here when I was just weeks into Kindergarten. While I can still remember Virginia and our house there, Texas is home.

When we moved here in 1999 the population was about 33,000 people. I went to school on a winding dirt road. There was nothing out here. Now in 2016, there’s about 150,000 people and growing. It’s so crazy!

http://bestneighborhoodsindfw.com/frisco/

This is our downtown area where there are many shops and restaurants. We don’t go there too often, but on the right side of this picture is where our “Snowcone Lady” had her little shop. It was just a shed and she would have lines down the road of people wanting snow cones. She put her kids through college with her stand and was the sweetest lady. I always got the wedding cake. We loved going there as a treat after a long, hot day of swimming in the summer!

Where to View the Best Christmas Light Displays in Frisco

This is another part of our downtown during Christmas. You can drive through this downtown area and if you turn your radio to a certain station the Christmas lights will flash along with the music.

The Athletic Shoulder Workshop in Frisco, TX

Near our downtown, we have this Heritage center. I’ve actually never been here, but heard it’s amazing. The restaurant I waited tables at all through high school is right next door to here. And fun fact: real cotton grows in front of the Heritage center.

http://friscoblog.dallasnews.com/2015/09/national-soccer-hall-of-fame-space-among-proposed-improvements-for-friscos-toyota-stadium.html/

Toyota Stadium is right across from the flashing Christmas lights part of our downtown and is home to FC Dallas, our Major League Soccer team by day and any kind of concert by night. The Women’s National Team was here a couple weeks ago playing Mexico. Jimmy Buffet comes every May. Blake Shelton, Sam Hunt, Eric Church, Chris Young, Chase Rice, Jana Kramer and more will be here for The Off The Rails concert in April. Dying to go to that concert!!! A lot of our high school football games were played in this stadium as well.

http://www.visitfrisco.com

And our newest addition is the Dallas Cowboys practice stadium. It should be completed this year or next, and it is HUGE. Hey Jerry, your girl is graduating in August and needing a job!!!! 😉

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frisco,_Texas

We also have Dr. Pepper ballpark where the Frisco Roughriders play. They are the AA “feeder” team to the Texas Rangers. When Josh Hamilton got hurt, he came down to play for the Riders and it was the most packed I have ever seen it…obviously. My brother might try to get a job here, which would be SO FUN! I’d love that.

http://www.amxrealty.com/Buyers/Relocate_to_Frisco_TX

On the other side of the parking lot from Roughriders stadium is Ikea. It’s a HUGE furniture store that people drive hours to come to. I had a professor from OU once e-mail me during break to say that she was coming and thought of me because she knew I lived here.

And of course we have our mall, lots of shopping, tons of restaurants, and plenty of sights to see…but really,

It’s where I went to all my school dances.

It’s where I met all of my awesome friends.

It’s where I got my first job.

It’s where I know all the short cuts to any place I want to go.

It’s where all my memories are. Like my boyfriend and I breaking up in Toyota Stadium. Haha 😉 Although it wasn’t funny at the time.

It’s where we learned chores, where I learned to love cooking, where I learned to love exercising.

It’s where I learned to drive.

It’s where I found my Church and my love for the kids there.

It’s where we’ve spent all of our days. Rain or shine.

So many classmates of mine would always complain about “there’s nothing to do”…are you kidding?!?! We are so blessed to have been able to grow up in Frisco, Texas and I don’t take it for granted.

Frisco is my story. It’s who I am. And made me who I am.

Thanks for visiting home with me today, friends! 🙂

For more posts about home:

5 Things I love about Texas
Show and Tell: My Home
Colors of Life: A Homebody
Or look at the posts with the Home category.

In case you missed any of my S&T Tuesdays for 2016:

Introduction
Momfessional Moments (I didn’t participate)
How To Win My Heart
Favorite Pinterest Pins (This was during my blog break)

And here are all my 2015 Show and Tell posts.

Happy Tuesday!

Friday Favorites: Must Haves

Happy first Friday of March, peeps! This time next week I will be in full on Spring Break mode. Oh, am I ready for that!!!

We’ve got some things to cover before Friday can officially start though. Blog your FAVORITES from this week, link to Erika, Andrea, and Narci and let’s get this Friday started!

La Croix

La Croix is a carbonated water beverage with 0 calories, 0 sweetener, 0 sodium, 0 everything. The only ingredients are “carbonated water” and “natural flavor”. I must warn…this drink is an acquired taste. I basically had to force myself to like it, but now that I do, it’s my FAVORITE. La Croix has become so refreshing for me when I am wanting something with a little flavor. You know, since all I drink is water. Other than my water and back coffee this is the only drink I can have on my sugar detox right now. I especially love it because it doesn’t bloat me thanks to no sodium or artificial/any sweeteners. These are the 3 flavors I have in the fridge now, but there are SO many options. Give it a try if you haven’t already!

Clarisonic Mia

For Christmas, I asked for a Clarisonic Mia. I just wanted to see what all the talk was about…now I get it. My Mia 2 has become my FAVORITE beauty product. I tried to research the 3 versions to know which one to specifically ask for, but I couldn’t figure it out. I asked her why she chose this one and she said that after reading all of the reviews it was like a no brainer that the Mia 2 was the one to go with. It has made my skin so clear looking and feeling and just more “lively”. I get compliments all the time and I especially love the fact that I don’t have to use my hands to wash my face. Word on the street is that using your hands will cause wrinkles. No ma’am.

Girlfriend Time

Now if you were here on Wednesday you might have seen that instead of Bookworm Wednesday this month, I switched it up to TVworm Wednesday. And you also read that I love watching my FAVORITE shows with my FAVORITE people. While my momma was out of town this week, my girl Alyssa came over on Monday night and we watched The Bachelor and The Voice.

Alyssa and I were best friends in high school and when it came time for college she went to Texas Tech and I went to The University of Oklahoma.

We lost touch after being so far away, but she recently graduated early in December and now she’s back in the DFW area for her job. I’m so happy my friends are coming back to town. Alyssa and I had so much fun and spent the night giggling about random things and arguing about who is actually going to win the Bachelor! She’s all #teamlauren and i’m all #teamjojo.

Aromatherapy Pillow Mist

One thing to know about me is that when it comes to Bath and Body Works…I love love love candles, aromatherapy, and vanilla bean noel. My FAVORITE product from B&BW that got me hooked on the store in the first place is their aromatherapy, specifically their stress relief one. I adore this stuff. I have the lotion, the shampoo, the hand sanitizer, the body wash, the bubble bath soap, the chapstick, and…the pillow mist!

I spray the pillow mist well, on my pillow before bed at night. I spray it actually all over my bed and in my floor fan (to diffuse it throughout the room) and it seriously works. Not just stress, but it just relaxes me when I take a deep breath. Try the bubble bath soap too! You need this in your life.

In fact, when I went over to our host home from the Church retreat a couple weekends ago, the mom at the host home said “What do you have in there because my daughter and I were talking about how amazing it smells.” I told her it had to be my deodorant because I hadn’t sprayed anything. She said it’s almost like aromatherapy and that’s when it hit me…it was my pillow mist. That I had sprayed a couple days before. Not even on my blanket. It’s so great, friends.

Stevia

Speaking of our host home at the retreat, the mom introduced me to Stevia while we were there. She said to “only put a drop because otherwise it’s overpowering” and she was right. I loved it so much that I went to buy it the following week. I put one drop in my black coffee (when i’m not on my sugar detox) and it’s perfect. Again, another product that I recommend if you’re trying to limit sugar. And just because it’s a healthier way to sweeten your FAVORITE morning up of joe.

Not only do people use this in coffee, but a lot of people use Stevia as a liquid sweetener in their foods. I bet if you Pinterest this, you’ll find a lot!

Milk Frother

And since we’re talking about coffee…and Christmas. I got a milk frother for Christmas and it is so fun. I had been wanting one for eh…forever and Santa came through! I knew nothing about these originally. The one I have has a cold, warm, and hot milk setting. This day I did the cold setting…which is why I think it turned out bubbly below:

And see it in action:

I re-watch that video and can’t help but laugh. Because i’m weird. And awkward. You’ll have to forgive me 😉 But now you need to get cha some of my FAVORITE Stevia with my FAVORITE milk frother and make some delicious coffee this weekend! I gave you all the good products!

Blog Button

A couple weeks ago, Jacquelyn posted about her awesome goal of meeting 100 Bloglovin’ followers and that she was putting blogger’s buttons on her page. While we were e-mailing I said something about how sweet it was that she was doing that, but I didn’t have one so I couldn’t send it to her. Well, a couple days later I did have a button…and now it’s on her page!!

Thank you for being so kind, Jacquelyn. Sweet gestures like this are my FAVORITE. It is perfect! Bloggers, i’ve added my button to my sidebar. Feel free to grab the link and post it to your blog page 🙂

xoxoxo

And there we have it for today. You must have everything I mentioned today people. They’re too good not to! I hope you all enjoy your weekend. I’m hoping to get my shifts covered so I can relax and get ahead on blog work and school work 😉

So Long, Insecurity: Week 7

YOU GUYS!

I’m so angry this morning!!

I had this entire post already written Saturday night and I went to save it and it said “It couldn’t be saved”, so I copied and pasted it and tried to reload the page. Well, when I went to paste my post in another page…THERE WAS NOTHING TO PASTE. So this post that I spent hours on, literally, was completely gone. Now i’m all backed up since I didn’t get everything done yesterday that I want to.

Angry. This. Morning. Still. But i’ll get over it at some point or another.

Here’s a word from Beth this week:

I have a feeling some of you might not be thrilled to be here today. There are some tough things that we have to face about our own tendencies as women that frankly don’t make us look so good. It can be difficult to face head-on the ways our insecurity can damage relationships and hurt the people closest to us-husband, children, other family members, close friends. I won’t pretend this process is pleasant, but there’s no other way than to hold up the mirror and face reality. It’s time for us to be honest about how our fears sometimes jack the best relationships we have going for us – and then figure out how to change that.

We’re coming down the homestretch of this study, and the most encouraging, practical material is still ahead. I encourage you to press on. In the spirit of 2 Corinthians 8:11, “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it.” Translation? Let’s finish strong!

Alright so here we go…

Let’s start by touching on some of the survey results shared in Ch.12. Based on the way the men responded to questions about how women exhibit insecurity, it’s lear that we’re not hiding our issues nearly as well as we think we are. Men see what we’re doing, and they’re not impressed.

1. What were some of the things men pointed out in women as signs of insecurity? Does this list seem accurate to you? What surprised you about the survey respondents’ perceptions?

Some of the men even expressed frustration about constantly having to reassure the women in their life. One husband wrote about his frustrations saying:

“Typical, common, widespread insecurities include looks, body shapes, lack of education or perceived intelligence, neediness, and many others. It manifests itself in nagging, self-doubt, self-loathing, seeking approval/validatoin, and the need for constant reassurance. It gets quite tiring of men who, as we get older, just love you for exactly the way you are. Can you not understand that? We are not lying when we tell you we love you, you’re beautiful, and we enjoy being with you. When women’s insecurities are vividly displayed to us, it turns us off, frustrates us to no extent, and perplexes us. Get over it!” Pg.236-237

1. How do you react to this statement? In what ways has insecurity affected your relationships with the men around you?

As we can see, men are repelled by open displays of female insecurities. In the long run, it doesn’t make them more tender to us, more careful with us, or more loving towards us. Not even more attached to us. It makes them, in the words of another guy, want to “run for their lives”. It may not be fair, but it is definitely a fact.

Read through on Pg. 237 from “after months of research….to women want to be with someone they can respect.”

1. How might your relationship with your significant other change if you were characterized by security and confidence? Does the prospect of healthier relationships provide you with additional motivations to deal with your insecurity?

Keep in mind the convictions that we are talking about throughout this section don’t have to be sexual. The sad truth is that sometimes we feel threatened if our man is truly on fire for the Lord because somehow we think his passion for God negates his passion for us. If that sense of threat causes us to do whatever we can to break down his enthusiasm and drag him back to a safe middle ground, we’re in big trouble. When we deliberately pull a man down from his God-given convictions, we are playing the devil-and we need to recognize it and stop.

1. Share about a time you felt threatened by the convictions of a man in your life? What do you think was behind this fear?

Beth goes into talking about omnipotence and omniscience. Omnipotence is “all-knowing” and Beth says that an insecure person’s greatest need for control is directed toward those who have the most potential to either threaten her security or strengthen it. (WOW). That’s often times why we go after boyfriends, husbands, significant others. Re-read the section on page 208-209.

1. Whom do you find yourself most wanting to control? What do you think is the connection between insecurity and a desire for control?
2. How is appropriate parental authority different from excessive parental control?

“I believe our greatest challenge as women is to avoid trying to control someone toward  what we’re genuinely convinced is a better life. The more insecure we are, the more tempting it is because something is in it for us, too. In other words, if my loved one would __________, then i’d be ___________.” (Pg. 210)

1. How would you fill in the blanks?
2. What are some ways we can combat the tendency to play God in the lives of those we love?

Beth says the bottom line about control is that people will always do what they want. You can’t make them, force them, change them, or deliver them. Only God can. And that’s why He is the omnipotent one. (Pg. 214)

1. Have ou ever come up against the realization that you can’t change anyone? What were the circumstances?

The next issue that we talk about is our desire to be like God: omniscience, or the desire to know it all. (UH, YES). We want to know everything. On pg. 215-218 Beth tells us a story about a woman she knew that found out too much information on her fiancé. Re-read everything on page. 218-219.

1. Have you ever found yourself in a station where you asked for more information than you could handle? What happened?
2. Have you ever sensed that God was setting limits on your knowledge based on what you can handle? Have you ever set boundaries for what you should or shouldn’t know? How do you know when you’re crossing a boundary?

As we look at scripture today we see some ways that we try to play God. Beth’s goal is for us to re-gain the right perspective about God. She hopes that when we see His power and knowledge, we’ll see that he really doesn’t need help.

1. Read Psalm 104: 24-32. Think about the images of God’s power that are included.
2. What phrases or images stand out the most to you? How is God’s power-his omnipotence-communicated?
3. Read Isaiah 55: 8-11. What does it mean that the Lord’s thoughts are higher than ours?
4. How does a bigger, more accurate picture of God help us gain perspective on ourselves and our limitations?
5. God can do anything!! Read 1 Thessalonians 5: 23-24. How is God changing us? What does He promise in this passage?
6. Read Philippians 1: 3-6. What is Paul confident about (verse 6)? How can this assurance give us hope-and cure us of our desire to change others?

In your journal:

1. If you’ve experienced a situation where you grasped for more information than you could handle, ask the Lord for His help and healing this week. Pray for the ability to discern and respect the boundaries He sets for you.
2. Think about the situations in your life that tempt you to try to be omnipotent or omniscient. What do you need to let go of? Ask God to help you develop a plan for dealing with these temptations.
3. If you’re feeling brave, ask your spouse or close friend how you and your relationships could benefit from your increased security. What steps can you take this week in that direction?

Assigned Reading: Chapter 13 and 14. As you’re reading in the book, underline what is jumping out at you, what you think is true, what surprises you, and what seems to be the most challenging. Maybe you highlight the answers to each of those questions in a different color.

Prayer Requests?

Let God be God today. Have a great Monday!

Lately…

I have a list of posts that I could have put in here, but instead I decided to do a little life lately check. I like doing these every so often…they’re just fun to me! Beware: this is a long post since I haven’t done one since November!!!

Lately, I have been getting to Church a little early on Wednesday nights to have some quiet time or school work time before my high schoolers start getting there.

With a mocha fit frappe of course. Honestly, I think any kind of iced/frozen drink (especially if it has coffee) is the way to my heart. See. These are two separate nights!

Lately, I have found Gilmore girls re-runs on TV so when i’m at home eating, I like to remember the good ol’ Gilmore girls watching days 🙂 Oh and you heard a couple episodes are coming to Netflix right? So much of my heart was caught up in this show as a middle schooler. Ahhhh!!

Shortly after the new year, we (as in Mom, Morgan, and I) went to some shops so Morgan could exchange her Lululemon leggings and on our way out, we were walking by Mi Cocina and we were all feeling Mexican food. #gimmealltheguac #andchips #andsalsa

Lately this is what my desk has been looking like. My planner, recipe books, my Bible, Pandora in the background…gettin’ work done, bein’ productive, one day at a time!

The first week back of the semester I tried out for my school’s volleyball team. I didn’t tell anyone I was doing it, but when I made the team I finally told the fam. I decided not to join the team due to my schedule this semester and other things, but I was still pretty proud that after not playing for 4 years I even made it! (This was before I told them I probably wasn’t going to do it.)

I told you that on the 11th, I turned 22 years old. That Friday night I had a birthday dinner and Valley, Maddie, Emily J., Me, Reeana, Emily S., Morgan were all there. I love these people. They are the absolute best!

A photographer at the restaurant came and took our picture and on our way out showed us the original, and one where they switched our face on someone else’s. So funny! I snapped a picture…and I wasn’t suppose to because they wanted me to buy it. #oops #buti’mnotsorry #ididn’tliketherestaurant

We went back to my house after dinner and pictures and these three stayed and hung out with me for a little bit. We decided to run up to the grocery store and buy a gluten free cake mix for them to try…and me to be able to eat. This was after going about 4 places for dessert and they were all closed! #rude

Emily took this picture and said “put this on the blog and tell them you forgot to add water to your cake mix”. Because I did. And then she was convinced my mom does all my baking and cooking that I post about on the blog. #bloggerfail #i’mreallyintohashtagstoday

And then this one saying we added water so it looks normal again. She cracks me up because she’s always like “are you taking this picture to put on the blog?”. Love that girl!

My personal photographer got me pouring the mix into the pan 🙂

And the (uncooked) finished product! Gluten free funfetti cake, y’all. They all tried it and said it was good! And I don’t think they’d lie to me…

Lately, i’ve been trying to spend my free time with my Bible, my journal, and my Jesus Calling. Quiet Times are the best and i’m really working on this becoming a priority and not a “free time” thing.

Lately, i’ve been drinking a lot of this. But is that really much of a surprise? Nope. My iced Starbucks of choice is an iced doppio espresso with soy milk. This day I got 1/2 a pump of mocha. I don’t like sweet coffee as it is (never thought i’d say that) and now that i’m doing the sugar detox, I don’t get it. And I don’t miss it! Tomorrow i’m talking about what you can/can’t eat on the detox since I got some questions about it 🙂 So come back!

The Monday after my birthday dinner, Valley and her husband invited her brother and I to a Dallas Mavs game with them. Uh, going to watch sports? I’m in!

We got a group picture with Valley’s little boy Clay. Couldn’t you just eat him up?! Oh yeah, and she’s due February 22nd with her second boy!!! I cannot wait!

Lately there has been A LOT of traffic around here. I think I read somewhere that the Dallas metroplex is the fastest growing metroplex in the nation. It’s true. And it’s kind of ridiculous that we can’t even get anywhere without it taking 25 turns of a light. Like, do you see it all the way up there??? Don’t drive with me, i’m not pleasant.

The other day at school I was fuhhhreeezzinnggg and tired. The only obvious remedy was hot coffee (I know, where is my iced coffee!) during my lecture for the night. Yes, coffee at 5:30PM. #becausecollege

Mom went to visit her dad the other week and she sent us a picture of her in the snow and considering it’s been between 50-70 degrees around here, i’ve just been taking a dip in the pool. I mean come on??? It’s February! Texas weather I tell ya.

Lately, i’ve been hitting the steam room after my workout classes. This was my first time in a sauna/steam room setting so I had to document it. It was always something I wanted to do, but didn’t know what to do so I never did. I was like, do I go with shoes? or a swimsuit? or what do I do?

The next time I was in there, homeboy decided to do pushups in the middle of the steam room. I’m sorry what??? Sit. Down.

The other day we got a ping pong table. WARNING: DON’T GET ONE IT WILL TAKE AT LEAST 2 DAYS TO SET IT UP. Ryan was obviously super helpful…

Whew! I think you’re caught up with the random happenings in my life. Did you make it? I hope so. Now I need to go tell my mom to read this post so she can learn to hashtag properly…

Now you deserve a second cup of coffee! Have a great Thursday!

Friday Favorites: What Is Colors of Life?

Whew! I’m late today…don’t worry Kylie already got on to me for it 😉 BUT I’M HERE NOW!!!!!! So in weekly Friday fashion i’m linking up with Erika, Andrea, and Narci!

I thought today’s FAVORITES would be for those that are newer to the blog. Since 2016 started, I have done a couple posts re-introducing myself. And today I thought i’d re-introduce the blog. Because even my long-time-reading blog friends liked my re-introduction posts! So this is what Colors of Life blog is.

BUT FIRST PAUSE….

…and read this article right here. Actually it’s a blog post (which is why I don’t have a picture) that someone shared on Facebook and I loved it. Like, it’s so much my FAVORITE that I want to print it out and hang it somewhere in my room. It’s perfect for today’s post because it ties in to things i’ll mention later.

Fashion

In all honesty, i’m really not that into fashion and that may be the phase of life i’m in now (although I doubt it) or it may just be me. I don’t post many fashion blogs because usually i’m in my FAVORITE Nike shorts or yoga pants with a t-shirt. And i’m completely happy with it. However, on occasion I will talk about clothes i’m wearing or loving. And when I do…it must be seriously great, or a seriously good deal 😉 With that said, back in November of 2014 I participated in the “November Pin-spired” link-up and that post just happens to be one of my most viewed blog posts to date.

To see other Pin-spired posts, you an click here.
To see other shopping/fashion posts, you can click here.
And when i’m done with certain things in my closet, I post them here.
And to see posts of the online boutique that I work with, click here.

Friends

I talk a lot about my friends. And I try to blog about them when I get to see them. Since we’re all growing up it’s getting harder to see one another, but I do my best to spend as much time with them as I can. Having good friends is so important and my friends mean so much to me. They just make life more fun.

I introduced you to each of them here.
And I blogged about friendships here.
And not only am I talking about my real-life friends, but I have awesome blog friends too…read their guest posts here.

Family

Ahhhhh, yes. “My people”. My family goes beyond my siblings and my parents. I mean, this guy is in as many posts as I can put him in!

My grandpa is the BEST and I am super thankful for him. I’ve got some awesome aunts, uncles, and cousins as well. I truly feel sorry for the people who don’t have good relationships with their families. My family is the most special thing in my life.

To read about grandpa, you can click here.
To read about my siblings and my cousin Reese, you can click here.
To read about our yearly trips to the farm, click here.
And our Christmas fun is all right here.

Fitness

…and with this one comes food too. Health and Fitness is something that has always been a part of my life, but took a spot on the back burner up until a couple of months ago. I explained it a little bit more in my re-introduction post when I talked about my new year’s resolutions. Health and fitness has become a huge passion of mine and I think a lot of it has to do with the struggle of an eating disorder, going to college, and a long battle with my health. This is a journey i’m traveling right now, so expect to see more where these posts came from this 2016! 😉

To read my monthly fitness goals, click here.
To read all health and fitness related posts, click here.
To see my recipes, click here.
To see my fitness routine, click here.

Faith

And most important of all….my faith. Faith is defined as “complete trust or confidence in someone or something”. I am a Christian, I believe in God, and my faith is my FAVORITE part of my life. It’s something i’m always striving to make better. I think there are a lot of things I probably do right in this area, but a lot of things I know that I do wrong. And I choose to blog about all of it.

To read about my Jesus relationship, click here.
To read about my thoughts on quiet times, click here.
To read all my Jesus-related posts, click here.

Colors of Life

The reason my blog got started. These posts were a way for me to communicate and share with others the things I have gone through, experienced, and attempted to navigate. Not all of them are easy and not all of them are super serious. But they are all part of me and who I am. They are the different colors of my life. And I share them based off of this quote below. I am hoping that through being vulnerable and sharing parts of my life someone can benefit and connect with my blog through them.

Click here to read all of my Colors of Life posts…ranging from topics of depression, to crafting, to being a night owl, and even having a dad in the military!

As always, use my contact page to connect with me. E-mail me, follow me on social media, and let’s become friends! 🙂

So, this is my life. Hence, why I created a lifestyle blog back in 2014. It’s a way for me to share my life and remember everything! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading and following along with me!!! Have a great weekend!

 

So Long, Insecurity: Week 2

Week two is here!

The reading for this week was the Chapter 2 and 3.

Week 2 is all about how insecurity affects us. We read that before we can really cut insecurity out of our lives we need to understand what it is. To be completely honest, there may be some envy among us bloggers. As Beth states in her leader’s guide: Let’s not let envy get in the way of the support a group like this can offer. Let’s pray that we can see each other clearly and with hearts of compassion not comparison.

So how do we know if we have a problem with insecurity? Beth says in Chapter 2:

“We all have insecurities. They piggyback on the vulnerability in our humanity. The question is whether or not our insecurities are substantial enough to hurt limit, or even distract us from profound effectiveness or fulfillment of purpose. Are they cheating us of the power and abundant life Jesus flagrantly promised?…I’m convinced many women-if not most-have enough insecurity to hinder them.” Pg. 15-16

1. Share a specific time in your past when insecurity kept you from doing something you wanted to do or stopped you from using your gifts. How does it hinder you today?
2. Before we go further, we need to develop a working definition of insecurity. How would you define insecurity in a word or brief phrase?

On page 17 Beth writes the definition of insecurity by Joseph Nowinski:

“Insecurity refers to a profound sense of self-doubt – a deep feeling of uncertainty bout our basic worth and our place in the world. Insecurity is associated with chronic self-consciousness, along with a chronic lack of confidence in ourselves and anxiety about our relationships. The insecure man or woman lives in constant fear of rejection and a deep uncertainty about whether his or her own feelings and desires are legitimate.” Pg. 16

1. What part of this definition seems accurate? Is there anything about it that surprises you? If you feel comfortable, explain how you fit this description in the comments.

Part 2 of that same definition says:

The insecure person also harbors unrealistic expectations about love and relationships. These expectations, for themselves and for others, ar often unconscious. The insecure person creates a situation in which being disappointed and hurt in relationships is almost inevitable. Ironically, although insecure people re easily and frequently hurt, they are usually unaware of how they are unwitting accomplices in creating their own misery.” Pg.23

I particularly loved this definition and really resonated with it. I found it so true in my own lives and seeing it played out in the lives of others.

1. So think about movies and/or tv shows, or even news items. Can you find an example of self-sabotage in relationships? If you think of something, share it with us!!
2. What unrealistic expectations have you placed on relationships in the past? How can we become more conscious of our negative pattern in relationships?
   • Are you the one thinking he’s going to text you every morning to say “good morning”? Do you think he’s going to tell you how beautiful you are every day?
   • It can be in regards to your friendships as well.

Beth then moves on to discuss in chapter 3 about the “false positive” on page 36-37 when she was in a conversation with a friend and the friend mentions how she can’t imagine Beth struggles with insecurity…because she’s so tiny. The false positive is one thing that we think would make us more secure in all things.

1. Look at the list on page 38 of false positives. Which ones really stand out to you the most? Can you identify which is your false positive – the one thing you think would make you secure?

Our insecurities are too deeply rooted within us to be easily fixed. Although we have unhealthy ways of thinking, we are not hopeless because we have Christ in us. Nothing can make us secure, not a husband, or a fit body, or a prettier face. Nothing but Jesus.

1. So read Romans 8:9. What hope does this verse offer?
2. Read 2 Corinthians 4:7. What words does this verse use to describe Christ living within us? How should this transform the way we view ourselves?

Beth shares about how her own insecurities affect her view of God. Read on page 18 from “This morning I went on a walk…to…I wonder if you can relate.”

1. Read Psalm 139:1-4, 13-14. What does this passage reveal about how well God knows us? How does He view us,e even with that full knowledge?
2. Then read Ephesians 2:10. How are believers described in this verse What impact should this truth make on how you view yourself and live your life?
3. Then read 1 Peter 2:9-10. How are believers described in this passage? What is our purpose?

In your journal:

1. What barriers does insecurity place on you that you want to be free from?
2. Also, re-read Psalm 139, Ephesians 2:10, 1 Peter 2:9-10 every day this week. And just think about them.
3. Re-read the challenge Beth put at the end of chapter 3 on page 43: “Let healthy, utterly whole, and completely secure part of us increasingly overtake our eaten vessels until it drives our every emotion, reaction, and relationship. When we allow God’s ruth to eclipse every false positive and let our eyes spring open to the treasure we have, there in hHis glorious reflection we’ll also see the treasure we are. And the beauty of the Lord our God will be upon us.”

Assigned Reading: Chapter 4. As you’re reading in the book, underline what is jumping out at you, what you think is true, what surprises you, and what seems to be the most challenging. Maybe you highlight the answers to each of those questions in a different color.

Prayer Requests: How can we be praying for you this week?

**If anyone is wanting to join the study, just purchase the book (click the picture on my sidebar) so you can follow along with us!! We’d love to have you.**

Ephesians 2:10

Thanksgiving 2015

Thanksgiving has come and gone. Boo! Why am i’m just now recapping this holiday a week later? Because lots of fun stuff has been happening on the blog this week!!

Monday was all things stocking stuffers related.
Tuesday was the ULTIMATE giveaway.
Wednesday had us talking about great reads for the month.

And today is all about Thanksgiving. I love this Holiday.

You know, when you’re old and grown and have grey hair (ha, kidding) Thanksgiving break just doesn’t hold the same meaning. In grade school we got the week off to literally sit around and do nothing at all. That’s not so much the case when you have to be an adult and still make money. Therefore, I got Tuesday and Thursday off…where I did absolutely nothing productive.

This girl came home late Friday so I met up with her for dinner on Saturday night. We went back to her house afterwards to watch One Tree Hill and eat our popcorn with butter because #traditions.

Morgan came home the Thursday before Emily. She did a lot playing Mario with Rick…but I joined in too. I didn’t really know what I was doing so I kept dying at all the levels and they wouldn’t save me anymore so I wasn’t allowed to play. RUDE.

One day (I began to lose track of my days) my mom was wrapping presents in the guest room, so I took my laptop in there to work on my school stuff while Santa’s workshop was producing. We had Christmas music playing and the sun shining in on us. Life was good.

There were a couple (heated) games of Monopoly. Someone might have quit…not to name names *cough rick cough*. But it was still fun.

We usually do our Christmas cards during Thanksgiving break when everyone is home to give enough time to have them out by Christmas…we got lucky last year and used this one from our vacation last July.

But we didn’t take them last week. By the time we started planning outfits, it just got too late. So that might be happening next week when Morgan comes home again. Maybe.

 Finally it was the long anticipated time of the week. Mom always plans to eat around 4, but everyone was starving at 3….alas we waited until 4:00 and…

…Potatoes, Yams, Green Bean, Corn, Cranberry, Turkey, Ham (WHAT?! Yes, only my family…), jello (Morgan really wanted jello, so she made our family. You can kind of see them), and pumpkin pie for dessert. Oh my!

Here’s a totally unflattering picture of me. The 4 siblings went to see Mockingjay part 2 Thanksgiving night (Ryan’s hiding). I had never seen any of the series before, but Morgan briefed me a little beforehand. We got there super early and the guy that ended up sitting closest to me smelled, was chomping on his popcorn loudly, sniffling, and just about everything else that annoyed me enough to have my mom pick me up. I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle it for 2 hours, so her and I popped popcorn and watched Hallmark movies. And yes the siblings laughed at me when they got home, but I actually thought i’d go crazy…tell me you’ve had an experience like that before too.

I didn’t take as many pictures as usual this Thanksgiving. A lot of the time I was working, doing schoolwork, or online shopping so it was nothing glamorous. Along with looking like ^^^ most of the “break” because why wear make-up when you don’t have to, right???

We still had a good time. And a great Thanksgiving. And now as we go into the rest of the year and begin a new one, i’m really focusing on this quote…

Memorial Day Weekend

I said I wasn’t going to post today, yet here I am. Lucky you 😉

Let’s recap the great three-day weekend we just had! Friday I left work about an hour early because pretty much everyone was gone for the holiday weekend. I came home and did my work-out. Our family didn’t really have plans, so my dad and brothers decided to go to our high school’s baseball team playoff game. And I tagged along. Our high school’s team went pretty far, but ended up losing this game. I. Miss. High School. Baseball. My brother played on the JV team this year. Can’t wait to watch him at the Varsity level next season!

Ry wouldn’t take a selfie with me, so I had to take this. Just 3 Middletons watching our favorite sport.

Saturday morning I woke up and was craving pancakes. Stop it, I know what you’re thinking! They’re not burned they’re just gluten free, okay?!

And then sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee and blogging the rest of the morning while it was raining because….so relaxing!

And then I went to Em‘s house Saturday night to watch a movie with her, Tyler, and her dad for his birthday. He made us watch Something About Mary (I think that’s what it’s called) and it was aaaawwwfffuuuullllllllll. Haha! Tyler, Emily, and I hated it!

So after the movie was over, Tyler and I went home and crashed. Sunday morning brought the normal Yoga and Church. Plus I added a lunch date with Reeana at Dickey’s – aka our restaurant. In high school we went here every single Sunday pretty much after Church with her parents. I was basically her adopted sister. (Sorry about the mid-talking pic of you, Ree!)

I came home to see mom made the siblings homemade cheesey pizza, LIKE WHAT?! This looks straight out of a restaurant, I was so impressed with her. Not to mention it smelled delicious and was full of gluten and lactose so I couldn’t have a bite.

At lunch Reeana asked if I wanted to go hiking. I was just thinking the other day how I wanted to go hiking, so I said for sure let’s go! She came and picked me up and we went about 45 minutes away to what was suppose to be a beautiful trail to hike.

As soon as we got there they told us everything was closed off because of flooding. Seriously, Texas, seriously? We were super upset we drove out there to not be able to see anything, so we went driving around near that site and saw a bunch of cars parked on the side of the road. Naturally we stopped and got out to see that there were a lot of people lined up fishing. We decided it would be brilliant to make our own trail and hike up the hill next to where all these people were.

And it was…until I started taking on water with soaking wet shoes and socks. Thank you, flooding! And even after putting on bug spray I ended up with a ton of bug bites all over my legs! But it was fun getting to talk to and spend time with this girl. We live so close to each other, but still don’t get to see each other that much thanks to big kid jobs and her studying for the LSAT.

The view was still pretty despite the long grass we went trekking through. Could you imagine what life would be like had God not given us trails, and greenery, and rain, and friends, and on and on an on? Sometimes I have those moments where i’m sitting there thinking “Wow how awesome of a Creator we have to give us all of this!”.

She throws up this sign and I still am friends with her. I don’t know – I ask myself why all the time 😉 #hornsdown

I love being outdoors. We have plans to come again and go on the normal trail when it opens. IF IT EVER STOPS RAINING IN TEXAS!

I got home Sunday night and showered and we had dinner as a family. Morgan said she was going with JP somewhere (Emily’s brother) so I said okay i’m coming and tagged along with them because #whatelseisagirltodo and we ended up going back to Emily’s house with them and watching another awful movie. Haha!

That they picked out. Never again.

Yesterday was Emily and JP’s dad’s birthday so we planned to go to Top Golf, but it was super busy. So we drove to Dallas, got lunch, Morgan and I went shopping, the two of us worked out together, had dinner, and now i’m here blogging. And that was my weekend. And now you’re caught up. Aren’t you glad??? Me too!

Now it’s back to work today. Sigh. Long weekends with good friends and family are too fun 😦

Meet My Peeps: Reeana

It’s another day of Meet My Peeps! Everyone say “Hello, it’s

Reeana

How do I know Reeana?
We met through volleyball in 7th grade when she moved here, but our friendship grew freshman year in high school when I saw her at my Church one morning and jumped on her because one of my friends was actually there. We went to a small Church in the next town over. We definitely didn’t really know of each other then, so she was probably a little freaked out, but it’s okay because look at us now. ^^^

What do I love about Reeana?
I’ll tell you what I don’t love,,,the fact that she wears that gaudy orange color. And puts her horns up in our pics…OU girl and UT girl…rivals forever. BUT! She’s always genuinely interested in what I have to say, has good feedback for me, and has always been there for me no matter what, she’s the logical one of us two, she’s not annoying like I am, and that’s what I love…that she’s the ying to my yang. She’s so good at making fun of herself. She’s my editor. She’s my religious leader. And she asks me for style advice (I love it) (like I know anything) (hehe). I think she’s fabulous. And yes I admit I wore a little orange when I went on her college visit with her. We won’t talk about it…

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Reeana?
Being introverts! She and I allllllways laugh about this and send each other weird introvert quotes we find on the internet. Or usually I do. These pictures below were taken in the same day. The first one is her being reunited with her car keys that she left in Anthropologie…and check out my totally rad double chin as we are pointing to the Kendra Scott store we could never afford. Because anything in there is the price of my bed. And i’d rather have my bed. Not bashing any of you Kendra lovers….but college.

It’s the little things like these days that make out friendship so fun 😉
Oh, also she made me a handmade book of all our favorite memories together…of which I still LOL thinking about some. You can always find us at Dickey’s or Tin Star.

What do I think is one fun fact about Reeana?

First of all, if you call her “Ree-aw-nah” she’ll probably strangle you, so don’t do that because I wouldn’t want her to strangle anyone. But I think also the fact she’s graduating NEXT MONTH is super duper fascinating. I’m telling you her determination is insane and I need it!

---

Okay, here with go with the interview!!

What is your name? Age?
Reeana Keenen- I just joined the ranks of the real adults and turned 21 on October 12th!

1. If money weren’t an object, what would you do with your life?
I would probably move to the mountains somewhere and do outdoorsy, fun things all the time. I love to kayak and like hiking, too. I’d probably also spend a lot of time writing-I really like writing essays (nerdy, I know) and I want to get better at creative writing, too.
(Determination…)

2. List 3 of your favorite things.
Mexican food, books, and wine

3. If you were another person would you be friends with you?
Well, that’s kind of a hard question. That would have to depend on what kind of person I were. If I was like how I am now, i’d probably be friends with myself. But I also know there are people who don’t like me at all and who think i’m annoying. I definitely have my flaws, but i’d like to think i’d be friends with me if I were someone else. I mean, i’m pretty funny after all.
(Only she would make this so thought out)

4. What annoys you most about me?
I don’t know that anything really annoys me about you. We’ve been friends for so long that, at this point, i’ve one to love your flaws and ignore the little things you do that might annoy me. And i’m sure you’re the same way toward me-something i’m constantly and forever grateful for!

5. Do you like taking this?
Sure, why not. If I weren’t taking this right now, i’d be doing homework, so this is a welcome distraction!

6. Who’s the first person you’d call if you had a bad day?
I’d probably call my brother. We’re very close and I feel like he’s one of the few people who can calm me down when i’m stressed and cheer me up when i’m sad. He’s basically my life coach, fairy godmother, brother and best friend all in one.

7. What’s one thing I don’t know about you?
You might not know that I really like to write and to draw and paint (even though I don’t really have time to do it often. But then again, maybe you do know that! We’ve been friends since the 7th grade!

8. What is your favorite Bible verse?
2 Cor. 12:9- “My grade is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness; therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I love this verse because it remind me that God doesn’t expect me to be perfect. And in fact, it is my weaknesses and my recognition of my imperfect nature that makes me strong, through God’s grace alone.
(Told you…spiritual leader in our relationship!)

9. What is one thing you hid from your parents?
What they don’t know, won’t hurt them.
(Dun dun dunnnnnnnn)

10. What would you rather be doing than this right now?
Ehhh, napping? Watching Gilmore girls?
(Yes, Gilmore girls, yes!!)

11. Who is the funniest person you know?
Allison? My brother?

12. What is a “color of your life”?
Blue-even though sometimes I get really stressed out, everything works out and normally ends up being better than I expected it to be.

13. What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Christmas, because everything is happier around Christmas time and I really like cold weather. I have a lot of happy memories associated with Christmas!

Thanks for participating Weeeeana, Lots of love!!!

Glad y’all got to meet one of my oldie goldie’s today (meaning she’s been around a while).
If you missed any of my previous people, check it out HERE!

Meet My Peeps: Jonathan

It’s another week of Meet My Peeps today! Everyone say “Hello, it’s

Jonathan

   

How do I know Jonathan?
I met Jonathan really in 6th grade…on AIM. We just instant messaged all the time. I think back now at how stupid middle schoolers are. How does one have an excessive amount of time to instant message their friends all the time. But we really became friends in 7th grade. And finally had class together in 8th grade, where he always laughed at me.

What do I love about Jonathan?
That he loves his family! I think that is a big similarity between us. He is always spending time with his family, and they always include me too. In fact, his little niece Isabella says that we are best friends. So basically life is good.  Look at baby Izzy and us at my homecoming, his prom, and his graduation (mine was before his so i’m not in my gown). He got moved to a different high school and I stayed at the same one, but we continued to stay friends.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Jonathan?
Lifting weights or working out. Jon is currently trying to lose weight and eat healthy. I’m super proud of him for doing this! He goes to cross fit with his sister. Also proud that he’s starting to go to Church again. Please look at this text, I may have shed a tear (okay maybe not I have no feelings, so I just wanted to!)

Love it. Love it. Love it. Click here to see what post we’re talking about.

What do I think is one fun fact about Jonathan?

I’m glad you asked, Molly. That brings me to the third reason i’m super proud of Jon. He is going to be the only one in his family to graduate college!! Whoop! It’s taken him longer than everyone else, but that’s okay because we all have our different paths we follow. I know he’s been thinking about giving it up lately and I really hope he doesn’t because I just can’t wait to see him get that diploma one day!

so we can take another picture like this one 🙂

---

Okay, here with go with the interview!!

What is your name? Age?
Jonathan Flores, 20 yo

1. If money weren’t an object, what would you do with your life?
I’d probably open up a cross fit gym and coach full time. Also become a chef that specialized in healthy eating that tastes well.

2. List 3 of your favorite things.
Cross fit, Family, Food

3. If you were another person would you be friends with you?
I’d like to think so. I’m pretty hilarious.
(He’s super modest you know!)

4. What annoys you most about me?
The fact that you’re a busy girl and can’t hang out all the time.

5. Do you like taking this?
To help you out, yes.

6. Who’s the first person you’d call if you had a bad day?
If I need to vent then my sister, but other than that I bottle my emotions up.
(Ugh, males!)

7. What’s one thing I don’t know about you?
Number 7 is hard because you know just about everything.

8. What is your favorite Bible verse?
Number 8 is hard because I only know John 3:16.

9. What is one thing you hid from your parents?
I didn’t really hide anything from my parents, I had two older siblings so I knew just be honest with my parents and I wouldn’t get in too much trouble.

10. What would you rather be doing than this right now?
Catching up on my shows while laying in bed.

11. Who is the funniest person you know?
My sister is pretty funny, my dad is too sometimes.

12. What is a “color of your life”?
“What do you mean by color?” Molly: It’s whatever you interpret it to be. Jonathan: “Umm, i’d say the whole color wheel ’cause I can be different color every day depending on how the day is going.”

13. What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Christmas, family is together and I get to give people things which I love because I love spoiling the people that I love.
(Lots of love here!)

You da bomb, Jon. Thanks for participating!!!

Glad y’all got to me my Filipino bud. Sometime next week i’ll be introducing to you another one of my besties 🙂
If you missed any of my previous people, check it out HERE!

Weekend Recap

This weekend started off with me driving the cart for mom at Costco, because that is her second home. I swear she’s there at least once a week, if not more. I always tell her how much of a groc-a-holic she is. But it’s fine, our pantry is stocked all the time. And I don’t have to pay for it. So yes mom, I shall drive the grocery cart around for you!

And then Friday night I worked. This is not me, but my friend Maddie had to scrape something off a shelf at work because our manager made her….the things we do to stay employed and this just cracked me up. #shortpeopleproblems

Friday night after work I stayed at my friend Emily’s apartment for the Susan G. Komen race for the cure early Saturday morning. So yes, here we are having been awake at 6:15am for the race. Tired. Don’t want to exercise. Food. Hungry.

And here we are acting exhausted and worn out…after walking the whole 3 miles 😉

And then iHop happened. Because when you burn calories, it’s necessary to go eat your calories again you know. #welovefood

If you look closely across the table is Chicken Fried Steak…um Maddie (scraping things off shelf Maddie) ordered cfs and eggs at 10:00am….debating whether i’m still claiming her as a friend or not. After ihop we went back to Emily’s apartment to hang out, gossip, play would you rather, and do some other girly things. And then I went home and napped in my wonderful dark room, with my king bed. Yes, Tired. Hi, beautiful :-* (kissing face)

I had off work Saturday for the race…whoop, whoop! So I went with my mom and we met up with my dad at Morgan’s soccer game.

Sunday afternoon we all went to Oktoberfest for the first time.

We heard German music.

Sweat outside for a bit.

Saw some weenie dog races.

Taste tested some salsa.

And tried out some German food.

Sunday when we got home, it was back to work for me. Relaxing after being randomly sick saturday night. Working on the blog and working on school work.

A fun weekend in the books. Family, friends, food, and fun! My kinda day/s.

Friendships

 Ah, this is such a true color of my life. I don’t know if it’s just the way kids are raised now, if it’s where I grew up, if it’s because i’m such an introvert, or whatever it could be. All I know is I have struggled so much with finding those real, authentic friendships.

I believe many people experience the same things I have, but maybe not everyone wants to admit it or even experience it in different ways than I do. Friends come and go. In the 4th grade I had a best friend steal my boyfriend, a friend call me “werewolf” because I had hairy arms and legs, and many arguments, hurtful words, and hurtful things done not just to me but to people I knew. I went through a nasty breakup with my boyfriend of 3 years. In college I tried finding close friends to click with, I joined a sorority, did everything I thought possible to make friends, and it just seemed to never work. I felt like I was trying waaaay harder than I should have. Now, I may have been pushing my friendships, but I have struggled with finding good friends for a lot of my life.

Instead of worrying about the friends lost, I want to show you these people below, these are the ones I am most grateful for. These are the people that through all of my health issues have still been my friends and were the ones who knew everything, but stayed my friends no matter what. It’s hard to say “no” when friends ask you to hang out with them. But when you have a thyroid condition and it’s a struggle to make it through the day/shift at work/class/ etc because of how exhausted you are, you need true friends who will just understand. When you feel terrible all the time and don’t know why, you just need someone there to text you or keep you company or say they are there for you.

Jonathong (don’t know how he got this nickname) and I have been friends for about 8 years now. He sent me this the other week:

With the text saying: “You are number 2.” Which is so true. We made fun of each other the rest of the way through middle school. In high school Jonathan’s family was zoned to a different school so we weren’t able to see each other as much but we would still meet to catch up. Jonathan has a huge heart; just the other day we were talking about gym memberships and after me saying how expensive they were he says “Well i’m going to buy you one.” In 7th grade, he bought me the 7th season of Gilmore girls for Christmas. I always see him put others before himself, which I personally think is a rare quality in males. We are always there for each other, aka he was there to be my homecoming date. And I was his prom date. And for that, find a friend just like this ol’ teddy bear Jonathan.

 EMILY. Emily and I were the typical high school best friends. We got in arguments about work, boys, and a couple other things. Who knows, but we always get over it. We’ve continued to be friends after not talking for a couple weeks. The two of us always have a good time together, she’s always fun to talk to, and fun to be around. Emily is the friend you always make fun of because she’s such a goof. I love this girl and our friendship. We have to work harder at our friendship because we live so far away from each other, but we do it because we are best friends. We both joined the same sorority at different schools, dated best friends, and are determined we will be sister-in-laws one day by our siblings. We have similarities and differences, but I think that’s why we are so compatible. And for that, find a friend just like Emily.

Oh Reeana Reeana Reeana. We are two of the goofiest, introverted, world-hating females you’ll ever meet. Kidding, we don’t hate the world we just like to complain to one another about how stupid some humans can be. You know, everyone does it. Reeana and I became friends in 7th grade through volleyball. We didn’t always talk all the time, but she’s the type of friend that you can pick up with a year later and nothing has changed. This is the most down-to-earth human you will ever meet. She’s got it all together and a wonderful, quirky sense of humor to go along. She started coming to my Church after they moved here and that was where most of our fun memories came from. I stayed at her house about every Saturday night and her family and I would go to Church the next morning, and get BBQ afterwards. I look up to Reeana in more ways than she knows, and for that, find a friend like Reeana.

These friends are my most recent friendships. I like that I can I look forward to my job because of these girls. Regardless of the fact that we are going separate ways for college this semester we will still be able to see each other during breaks, and for the ones that are staying for school we will see each other at work. So for that, find friends like Carli, Emily (different Emily), Maddie, and Paige.

Family. The most genuine of friendships. These are my 6 most favorite people in the world! Literally, in the world. I know technically family and friends are in different categories, but these people are my friends AND my family. And how can one be so lucky to get this? Let’s be real, they HAVE to be my friends. There’s just no way out of it.

Y’all know I can’t forget my main man here. G is a true friend. The kind that will make you smile, make you laugh, make you feel better, make you want to be just like him. This is the most wonderful person I know. I enjoy our weekly phone calls and I miss being so far away from him.

Life’s Color: Rainbow, because of all the different types of friends out there.

You find out who your friends are. Don’t settle for average. You shouldn’t have to change yourself for friends. Quality is better than quantity. Blood is thicker than water.

NOLA Mission Trip Flashback

As I put in my Friday the 13th post, mission trips (although i’ve only been on one) are one of my favorite things. The summer after my senior year in high school I went on a mission trip to New Orleans. I got to cross two things off my bucket list that summer…go on a mission trip and visit New Orleans. I had no idea what to expect all I knew is I wanted to go. So, after a lot of support letters sent out and many generous family members and friends (thank you all!) I was headed to NOLA with some of my good friends! Here’s our crew right before we departed:

 So, a long car ride in a van and we are headed to Louisiana. Some people got bored along the way.

During our lunch break we stopped and saw this cool thing in the parking lot.

My church had gone to New Orleans a couple years before this one but I never had the option to go so I was pretty excited this year. We stayed in a house owned by the local Presbyterian Church. Every morning we got up EARLY and traveled to schools in the area to clean/decorate/move furniture/etc to help get them set up for the upcoming school year. One school we went to we were in charge of re-painting the upstairs bathrooms.

(Above left) The mural some of us painted in the boys’ bathroom. (Above center) My youth pastor, Patrick, and I taking a break from our hard work to pose for a picture. (Above right) The mural in the girls’ bathroom.

My talented friend, Reeana was the one who drew the outline, while the rest of us not-as-talented folk just painted it in. You think you love painting until you’re doing it for two days in a row…ow, arthritis. I thought I knew what tired was, but I really had no clue until I was on my feet for basically a week straight!

At another school we moved furniture out of the classrooms for the school administration to get someone to clean  and get ready for the upcoming school year.

My favorite part of the trip was the day we got to sightsee around New Orleans. This was my first time going so everything was new to me. We had limited funds (I was in charge of organizing the activities) so this was one of our activities, a FREE ferry ride across the Mississippi. This is a picture of me that Reeana took. She can draw and photograph. What can’t this girl do?!

We walked around and Madison did this:

We saw this bus with kids singing out the windows:

As activities director of the trip I decided what we did on our free day and we went to the Audubon aquarium:

We also shopped:

Then Reeana and Sarah baked cookies:

Another evening our group walked around the French Quarter. We stopped by Cafe Du Monde for dessert (It’s a must) while we were there. If you haven’t had a beignet yet, purchase yourself a round-trip ticket to NOLA just to get a beignet. Okay, maybe not go to those extremes, but beignets are definitely worth forgetting food allergies for.

One of our last evenings there we went to a house of one of the members from the local Presbyterian Church and had dinner. This is Madison and I with their daughter:

On our last day in New Orleans we took one of our bright neon yellow shirts and had everyone sign it. We hung it on the walls for future groups to see.

As you can see, we all had a blast working in New Orleans from the aftermath of Katrina AND we got to glorify God at the same time. What could be better?