Hello Monday

 

Happy Monday, friends! I'm linking up with Holly and Sarah for today's post. I hope you had a good weekend! For the first time in several weeks, I can say that mine was so good! I missed being out in public. 

I took Todd to turn in his rental truck on Friday, and he was way ahead of me, so I stopped by the church to get the pocket knife he left there Thursday night. When I walked into the foyer, this was what I saw. 

I love, love, love that our church hosted a special needs prom on Saturday night. This was their photo booth!

I took advantage of it while I was there.

I took advantage of the fact that it's almost Valentine's day and wore a cute t-shirt with hearts on it, a white vest, and black leggings. I wore #alltheheart earrings as well! Amy inspired me to share my second holes last week. 

After I took Todd to get his truck from the body shop a good bit away from our house, I was so hungry that I stopped by Chick Fil A to grab lunch. This is the one by my in-love's house that is huge; I was so impressed with their drive through lanes! 

While I drove, I threw it back to my teenage days and listened to The Indigo Girls as I drove to Dad's. And speaking of Dad's house...

My sister texted me several pictures of us, and some of just me when we were younger, and this was one of them! This is me on my Dad's front porch; I don't know how old I was, but I vividly remember the shoes I had. I thought I was hot stuff strutting around in my Dr. Scholl's platform sandals! I did some modeling and beauty pageants when I was young, can you tell from the hand on my hip? 

I had family in town this weekend; many of you remember that last March my sister Terri died. We finally got around to having a little memorial for her, because her 66th birthday would have been yesterday. It was so good to see  everyone and to be with together! There's not a better way we could have honored her. 

Also on Friday, I went to my happy place, otherwise known as my beloved library! Do you like to borrow books like these that I picked out? I love getting big coffee table books like this, because they're expensive to buy! I love flipping through the pages and reading about places I'd like to visit, or gaining inspiration for decorating in our home. 

I got out with my mom and Trish on Saturday, even in the pouring rain. We were so glad to see each other for the first time in like three weeks! We didn't do much, other than errands and lunch, because we were tired of getting wet each time we got out. I didn't think I was going anywhere for the rest of the day, but I ended up going to my dad's for dinner and to be with my family again. 

My beautiful and amazingly kind and talented great niece was there; it was so good to spend time with Claire again! 

This was a table in my dad's house that Amanda my niece set up to honor her mom. Isn't this beautiful? I love all the pictures she added to it over the weekend. Terri's ashes are in that wood box, and Amanda dried those flowers and put them together. I ate dinner over there and stayed awhile before coming home and crashing. I had to be at church bright and early on Sunday.

None of my people were at church, so I sat with Todd in the video room that he runs. 

I posted this picture of Terri and me yesterday for her first birthday in Heaven. I can hear her laugh when I look at this! 

I always love seeing my niece Amanda! She's the one I used to pretend was my little sister when we were younger. 

This is my brother Paul. 

It was a really sweet weekend, and especially memorial for Terri. We missed her being there, but we laughed and talked about some of our favorite memories with her in them. I'm glad we finally did this, and that we got to be together in her honor. Family is such a gift! 

How was your weekend? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! (Ps. It's a bonus blog post day! Make sure and read both of mine today.)

how I met my husband

Happy Monday, friends, and happy bonus post day! I'm linking up with Jen and the girls for this second blog post today, in their Share Our Lives link party. I couldn't resist this one, since it's all about how my husband and I met. 

Todd and I met for the first time as kids at kids camp one summer. I didn't officially "know" him, but I knew who he was; he was the annoying kid that everyone called Spanky. I am pretty sure he doesn't remember me from that age, but I knew who he was and didn't care for him all that much, truth be told. 🤣 Fast forward to our high school years, when we officially met at church on a Wednesday night. (He was much more normal at this time, and an amazing guy.) We had changed churches at this point, and other than one or two people, I didn't know anyone. There was one other girl who was really nice to me, but the other ones were all kind of snobby. Todd introduced himself, and we were instant friends. That eventually grew into us being best friends, which then led us to dating and falling in love! We were friends throughout my sophomore, junior, and first half of senior year; then we started dating right before Christmas. I think we even didn't date for a bit after, because it felt too weird dating my best friend. We started dating again in the spring, and we attended each others proms. 

I'll never forget the night I realized that I was in love with him; we were at my sister's house hanging out with my niece and nephews, and had been jumping on the trampoline with them. I remember after Erika went back inside that we stayed out there talking, and just looking at the stars; I turned to him and my breath caught in my throat when I realized that I loved him with all of my heart. It was mutual for both of us, so we dated from then on! We took a short break when I first when to college (he was afraid I'd find someone I liked more), but we got back together really quickly after that. He proposed about a month later, we were engaged for a year, then at the young age of 19 on October 4th of 1996, we got married! 

This was us in the car on our way to the beach, and then Disney World with my Dad and Sandy the summer we graduated.

And then a year and a half later at our wedding...

The notes you see in the front cover of my friend's mom's Bible is some of the best advice we ever received! 

Our marriage is nowhere near perfect and has definitely had its ups and downs, but we are committed to the Lord and to each other, and we promised to stay that way until death parts us. I can't write that sentence without acknowledging some of my family members and friends who have been affected by divorce. For them, that was never what they intended as young couples when they first got married, but sometimes the circumstances are out of their hands and they don't have much say in the matter. Know that if you're reading this and that describes you, that I pray for you as often as the Lord brings you to my mind. My heart hurts for you, because sin and separation and divorce have lasting effects that impact families for generations to come. But as I say, grace upon grace!  God extends His mercy and grace to us all, aren't you thankful for that as I am? 

Thanks for reading our story today, friends. Love to all! 

Friday Favorites, 2.9.2024.

 

Happy Friday, friends! I'm linking up with Andrea and Erika for today's favorite blog post of the week. How's your week been? Mine has been exponentially better than last week, thanks to the fact that I finally seemed to have kicked whatever crud I had. I'm so glad to be able to say that! Needless to say, I have some favorites, and I thought I'd share. 

Y'all, these framed art screensavers on YouTube (not YTTV) are my favorite! Here are exhibits A, B, and C. 

I really love that first one, with the pretty pink roses. Why do I love pink so much right now?! Would you believe that up until about four years ago, I despised the color pink? And now I can't seem to get it enough. I don't even know who I am anymore.

These words that I highlighted and added to the margin of my Bible were some of my favorite that I read this week. I needed to read the words on the day that I read them, not just for actual healing, but just to be reminded that God is always in control. 

I just might have a new favorite book! I devoured a book by my favorite author this week, one that I've been holding onto, because I fly through every book she writes. I both wanted to read the book and finish it, and I dreaded the ending, because now I'll have to wait forever until her next book comes out! So sad. 

One of Chloe's favorite places to be is in my lap, and one of her favorite things to do is to swipe my phone! I was cracking up over her this week. 

This was, by far, my favorite outfit of this week. I love this sweater with the hearts outlined in pearls! I got so many compliments on it this week when I wore it to work.

This was my second favorite outfit of the week, even though I almost roasted wearing it yesterday. 

This is our new favorite show to watch at night! The language is terrible, though, so consider yourself forewarned. 

One of my favorite types of posts is a "what's in my bag" post; while I'm not planning on one of those anytime soon, this was a glimpse of what is in my purse. It's filled with these little bags to keep things organized. This pouch is my favorite, and so are these lipsticks and cute little eyelash magnifying mirror that I always keep with me. 

One of my favorite color combinations is mocha brown and pink. I loved the look of this shirt with my favorite jelly bracelets that I wore to work on Wednesday. 

These chicken fajita nachos at our favorite Mexican restaurant last night were my favorite! So was the margarita that accompanied it. 😉

Did you happen to catch my other blog posts this week? I'll link them below.

Monday was Hello Monday and Prime Purchases.

Tuesday I shared some behind the scenes blogging tips. 

Wednesday was a double post day! First up was Currently, and next was our February home. 

Yesterday was Thankful Thursday. 

What was something that was a favorite for you this week? I'd love to hear about it! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 

Thankful Thursday

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I'm glad you're here today and hope that you leave encouraged! I'll jump in with the things I'm thankful for this week. 

I am so thankful that I seemed to have turn a corner this week with being sick, and by Tuesday I felt so much better! I haven't done anything in two weeks, so I am glad to finally getting over whatever viral thing that went through our family. 

I am thankful that I had the thought to mention something to Todd on Tuesday about my bankcard statement in the bookstore. I had an amount that I couldn't find from the month of January, and when I told Todd about it, he helped me to find the charge. I forgot to write it down and do a PO for it, too, so I had to take care of all that on Wednesday when I went back in. 

I'm thankful for the gift of family and friends who feel like family. Monday was one of the saddest, sweetest days I've experienced in a long time. I'll share more about this next week. 

I'm thankful that my sons have each other.

I'm thankful for the beautiful weather we're still having! 

I'm thankful for my job, and the wonderful people I work with. I've taken to saying that it wouldn't be a day in the bookstore if I didn't shed a tear. People come in and want to talk, and they share the saddest and sweetest things with me. A friend of mine there had a funeral he attended last weekend, the best friend of his wife. He talked about something they did during the funeral that was so touching that I teared up hearing him describe it to me! Then another friend came in and she did the same thing, so at least it wasn't just me. So much of my job is talking to people, and I am still so grateful that God saw fit to put me in this position. I say it all the time, and I'll keep on saying it; I love my job! When I go in each day, I always think how fortunate I am that I get to go to work. 

I am thankful for little things in life that bring me joy: a good book, a really great movie, laughing with my people, having a dinner table full at night, a beautiful pink sunrise, a night alone at home, good music, being able to add little touches of things at home that make it pretty. 

What are you thankful for this week? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog, friends. Love to all! 

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❤️🩷Currently, February 2024 🩷❤️

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! Did you know that I made a bonus blog post yesterday? I did! I shared about our February Home, so I hope you'll check it out! I'm so glad you're here to link up with me today for this month's Currently post. This month we're talking about what we're currently l♡ving, l♡♡king f♡rward t♡, d♡ing t♡ be r♡mantic, changing, and celebrating. I'll jump in!

Loving

I am loving my freshened up home decor! While I was at home on Friday, and after Todd left to ride his motorcycle, I spent some time repurposing things and putting out my Valentine's and spring-inspired decor. I cleaned out and organized a problem spot in our kitchen, thus clearing the table in the process, and I love how fresh it looks. I'll share more about this one day in either a bonus post, or next week.

I am loving my new wallpaper and lock screen on my phone! Seriously, it makes me smile every single time I open up my phone. 

Ever since last week when my throat felt like I'd swallowed razor blades, I have been loving hot tea. I've taken to decaf chai (which I knew I loved), throat coat with echinacea, and even a homemade medicine ball (1 mint tea bag, 1 peach tea bag, 1 packet of lemon juice ((or powder)), and a drizzle of honey). I've been keeping a full carafe of hot water in the afternoons, I've been drinking it so much.

Looking forward to 

I haven't seen a couple of my best friends in ages, it seems, so I am really looking forward to seeing them soon and catching up. I am way past due for a Wednesday night out with Missy for protein bites and a Diet Coke! And my sweet Andrea and I love to eat our favorite Mexican food, then peruse the aisles of Home Goods. I miss them! I need to schedule "dates" ASAP. Andrea, I also need a couple of new candles! I know you're reading this.

Doing to be romantic

Don't worry, I'm keeping it PG. It's not necessarily romantic, but I recently started telling Todd why I appreciated him doing something for me. This wasn't exactly what I said, but here's an example of what I said: I thanked him for folding the clothes that had been waiting in the dryer. I told him that sometimes I so dread doing something that I just ignore it until it becomes overwhelming. While I was gone one day, I came home to a vacuumed house, and a kitchen table full of freshly folded clothes. He did actually do that, but I don't remember if that was what I thanked him for one day. He's such a great husband! The least I can do is tell him things like this all the time. I'll never forget the look he had on his face after I said what I did, or the kiss he gave me after. 😉 

I think one way we can love others (spouses or just people in general) is to be as kind as possible, as often as humanly possible. It's totally normal for us to have days when we're in a bad mood, and often times that can't even be helped, especially if it's hormonal. I get like that from time to time, trust me, but what I've learned is the value of being quiet on days when I can't seem to shake my bad mood. I go through all the motions of a normal day: I do all the things, I read the Bible, I pray and ask for perspective and a better attitude, but when I don't sense my mood changing, I just stay quiet. Sure, sometimes I do say something when I let my mouth take over, but I really have learned it's best just to be quiet. I always regret when I let my mouth just take off; it's happened before, and it'll happen again! Grace upon grace, as I like to say. And when that happens, we have to say we're sorry, and then we have to forgive, both others and ourselves. 

Changing

Other than the decor in our home from season to season, here are a few other things I enjoy changing:

• the way my closet is arranged
• my nail color
• my lipstick
• the shows I watch on repeat (Gilmore Girls, Grey's Anatomy, Parenthood, Army Wives, Friends)
• my playlists on Spotify
• my opinion on the way I dress (I alter between loving neutrals and bright colors) 

Celebrating 

As much as I love decorating for Valentine's day, I don't love celebrating this day. I'm such a rebel and pretty much dislike any holiday sponsored by Hallmark. This is ironic, because I love actual Hallmark movies. It makes no sense, I know, but I digress. Anyway, I also partly blame this on my Mom. Sorry, Mom! 🤣 (Mom, I am joking when I say this!) Mom owned a floral shop when I was growing up called From the Heart, and I saw what an exaggerated holiday it was even way back then. It always seemed stressful and chaotic, so this dislike goes back deep. Even though Todd and I don't celebrate this day, we do little things for each other all year long that say "I love you"; and we try to be thoughtful as often as possible. 

I'm so glad you linked up with me today! I can't wait to read all of your posts. In March we'll be talking about what we're currently loving, looking forward to, planning, wearing, and eating. Additionally, did you know that I host a link party each Thursday, called Thankful Thursday? I'd love for you to link up with me on that post! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all! 

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