....thinking about all of the things I would like to get done. I have a container full of photographs and books of photographs at my parents' house that I would like to scan and load into my Snapfish account. I have been wanting to work on this project for awhile. The older I get, the more important it is to me to "preserve" memories from photographs. I have been without a scanner for quite some time. Daniel just got a new printer/scanner/fax machine and I just got my laptop back since he purchased himself a new one. I mean, I could use "my" laptop if I wanted to, but when you "share" your computer it's just not the same.
I have been wanting to write Ethan some letters.....letters telling him about myself and what I was like before he was ever thought of. I would also like to write "the story of us" (how his Daddy and I came to be). I keep thinking about all of the things I would like for him to know "just in case". I know this may seem very morbid to some of you, but the more I realize how brief this life can be, the more it makes me want to get these things done. In the grand scheme of things, he may care less, but at least I would know that if he ever had any questions, some of them would get answered. Believe me, I pray every day for my family's safety and my own, but "you just never know". We live in a crazy world where very crazy things happen. So, needless to say, I need to get some things done.
I would like to rearrange my kitchen cabinets. They are an absolute wreck. One Saturday night a couple of months ago, I purged the bathroom cabinet on my side of the bathroom. This is something that had been driving me crazy for awhile. When I was finished, I felt a ridiculous sense of accomplishment. I guess it doesn't take a lot these days. (chuckling)
Before Ethan was born, Daniel would be gone on Thurs., Fri. and Sat. nights. I would get on the computer and listen to new music on itunes. I found great pleasure in my musical findings when I would my ears would fall on a song that would inspire me or take me back to simpler times......another piece of me I miss.
A friend of mine texted me the other day and told me that she needed a blog update. Well, here it is MC. I miss doing this regularly and when I began my journey blogging, I had a very strong desire to do it regularly. I guess it's just like anything else where I must make the time to do so.
I am sad to say that reading my Bible has fallen by the wayside. I also have so many good, inspirational scripture related books that people have given me over the years that I know would definitely encourage and inspire me to be a better mother, wife, Christian and creature of this planet. When am I supposed to do all of these things? When? My mind feels so cluttered!!!! Yeesh!!
Last week, my mother gave me a book that I have been wanting to read for as long as I can remember. I saw it on Oprah when she interviewed the author. The book is entitled, "Night", by Elie Wiesel. The interview with Mr. Wiesel was very compelling and I want to dig deeper into his story. So, I am going to attempt to read it and get it back to my mother so she can read it next. It looks to be a relatively short book so maybe it won't take me long.
I would love to reread "Tuesdays With Morrie" as I feel it was a source of great inspiration. I'm sure by now you are saying to yourself after reading this blog post, "What is her deal with inspiration?" Well, I don't know exactly. It's difficult to explain. I am thirsty for something more than what my daily life offers me. Don't get me wrong, I am in love with my husband and our precious baby boy. I feel very fulfilled. However, I believe I am experiencing a longing to regain some pieces of myself that make me "me".
I am not a mother that lets go of my child easily to give myself "me" time. I don't go off with the "girls" as I don't know of any "girls" who aren't as busy as I am. I enjoy spending what time I can with my husband. Since we have had a child, it is more challenging to spend time alone; time to talk; time to cuddle; time to just "be". I am clueless.
I really enjoyed spending some time with my extended family the Saturday before the Fourth. I would like to make it a point to see some of them more. It's just so hard to gather all of the eggs in my basket. There are so many things I want. Weekends are not long enough.
I miss my sister. Now that she has a 3 month old baby, her life is just as chaotic as mine. Time is not our friend these days. I just hope she knows that I do think about her. :)
I hope that no portion of this blog comes across as complaining. I am simply trying to clear my head and get some of my thoughts organized on this Friday evening. I hope you did not get so bored that you kicked your own computer and regretted taking the time to read my thoughts.
I'll get it together. Just pray for me would you? lol
A PLACE TO LEAVE MY THOUGHTS
Friday, July 15, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
New Year's Resolutions 2011
Resolution #1: Greet people with a smile anytime anywhere.
#2: When I tell loved ones "we should get together", I am going to follow through.
#3: Everything I do I will do in love.
#4: Read my bible regularly and try to memorize scripture.
#5: Set aside time for prayer and meditation every day.
#6: Exercise more patience with people who irritate me.
#7: Volunteer.
#8: Attend WOF meetings at church.
#9: Respect my own feelings and not sweep my needs and wants under the
sake of "not rocking the boat".
#10: Be a better caregiver to my husband my child.
#11: Cultivate existing relationships that I have been neglecting.
#12: Blog more.
#13: Eat less.
#14: Take regular walks for my health and for personal growth.
#15: Notice God's beauty once a day whether it be looking at the sky, appreciating the
color of green, green grass or feeling the wind on my face.
#16: Love those who need to be loved even when they don't act like they deserve it.
#17: Worry less about things I cannot control.
#18: Strive to learn as much I as I can on my new job.
#19: Be more aware of and be careful with other people's feelings.
#20. Offer to help those who cannot help themselves.
I don't think any of these are too far fetched or too difficult to accomplish. I have been doing a lot of thinking this past week. What is strange is I have done more heartfelt thinking this past week NOT making the 2 hour drive every day this week. During my commute each morning and afternoon, I would spend time thinking about "how" I was going to continue making the drive. I would pray for God to allow those around me to be in a pleasant mood in spite of everything that was going on with our department. Negativity is a very powerful thing. Looking back, I guess I could've been a better cheerleader. However, as I said, negativity is very powerful thing. It sucks up every bit of happiness a person tries to exude.
I began my new job at Thomaston Hospice on January 3rd. The strange thing is that I never got jump up and down excited about it. God gave me the gift of calm and peace. I mean, I was excited at the thought of no longer having to make the drive, but calm trumped excitement. Every day is filled with something new. We have new admits and then there are the deaths. Death is imminent. It is coming for us all. The first thing I learned at hospice is that we exist to help provide a peaceful and dignified death while also helping loved ones cope with their loss. It is very sobering I must say. However, each death is a celebration honoring the person who lived. They are in a better place that's for sure.
Well, it is a new year. I have a new job. I am a new mother of 10 months and a wife of almost 3 years. There is so much I've learned and I know there's lots more. I will try to keep my heart and my eyes open. God will guide me. I have faith.
#2: When I tell loved ones "we should get together", I am going to follow through.
#3: Everything I do I will do in love.
#4: Read my bible regularly and try to memorize scripture.
#5: Set aside time for prayer and meditation every day.
#6: Exercise more patience with people who irritate me.
#7: Volunteer.
#8: Attend WOF meetings at church.
#9: Respect my own feelings and not sweep my needs and wants under the
sake of "not rocking the boat".
#10: Be a better caregiver to my husband my child.
#11: Cultivate existing relationships that I have been neglecting.
#12: Blog more.
#13: Eat less.
#14: Take regular walks for my health and for personal growth.
#15: Notice God's beauty once a day whether it be looking at the sky, appreciating the
color of green, green grass or feeling the wind on my face.
#16: Love those who need to be loved even when they don't act like they deserve it.
#17: Worry less about things I cannot control.
#18: Strive to learn as much I as I can on my new job.
#19: Be more aware of and be careful with other people's feelings.
#20. Offer to help those who cannot help themselves.
I don't think any of these are too far fetched or too difficult to accomplish. I have been doing a lot of thinking this past week. What is strange is I have done more heartfelt thinking this past week NOT making the 2 hour drive every day this week. During my commute each morning and afternoon, I would spend time thinking about "how" I was going to continue making the drive. I would pray for God to allow those around me to be in a pleasant mood in spite of everything that was going on with our department. Negativity is a very powerful thing. Looking back, I guess I could've been a better cheerleader. However, as I said, negativity is very powerful thing. It sucks up every bit of happiness a person tries to exude.
I began my new job at Thomaston Hospice on January 3rd. The strange thing is that I never got jump up and down excited about it. God gave me the gift of calm and peace. I mean, I was excited at the thought of no longer having to make the drive, but calm trumped excitement. Every day is filled with something new. We have new admits and then there are the deaths. Death is imminent. It is coming for us all. The first thing I learned at hospice is that we exist to help provide a peaceful and dignified death while also helping loved ones cope with their loss. It is very sobering I must say. However, each death is a celebration honoring the person who lived. They are in a better place that's for sure.
Well, it is a new year. I have a new job. I am a new mother of 10 months and a wife of almost 3 years. There is so much I've learned and I know there's lots more. I will try to keep my heart and my eyes open. God will guide me. I have faith.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Oh.....the changes!!!
Well, our little Ethan is now 8 months old. How time has flown by. Everyone said it would. I'll try not to go on and on about just how wonderful and adorable he is at this age. I used to want to throw up when people would talk incessantly about their kids as if nothing else in this world existed.
He is sprouting some teeth on the bottom. He smiles all the time. He does have a little temper and believe me....he lets you know when he NOT happy. lol I believe he gets that from me. Wink wink.
He is making his best effort to crawl everywhere he can. He can no longer be left "alone" except when we put him in his saucer.
I haven't talked to a good many loved ones in awhile. Just to give you a quick update on things...Daniel still owns his own restaurant, Shreno's. He still manages to work full-time for C.C. Dickson Co. as an outside sales representative so he is in the car just like I am every day. He began a new journey in the restaurant world this past month. He will managing the restaurant on the mountain at Hickory Ridge golf course. He has had his eye on this facility for awhile since it first opened and was approached by the current owner to run it and serve his Shreno's food there.
It is a beautitful facility with a spectacular view from the mountain. I consider it dining at its finest in T-Town. As many of you with children know, having a child is expensive. I am so proud of him for making the sacrifices he makes to provide and take care of our family by trying to bring in more income. Although he wanted to take on this venture, it is not "his" restaurant and he is still willing to put his best foot forward and take pride in making another restaurant grow.
With Daniel having his other two commitments, it is a challenging at times to get the laundry done, load the dishwasher, take a shower, shave my legs, wash my hair, go to Wal-Mart, feed/bathe and go about our daily routine when it comes to taking care of little one and the list goes on and on.
Sometimes I miss spending time with friends. Having that occasional glass of wine on the back porch watching the sun set in complete silence doesn't happen anymore. However, I wouldn't trade Ethan for anything in this world. Being a mother is the best feeling in this world next to being a wife, a daughter of such wonderful parents and a sister who is finally pregnant!!!!
Yes, my beloved Erin is pregnant. Praise the Lord. This is nothing short of a miracle after all of the effort she and Jonathan have put in to conceiving. I am so proud for them and so excited!!!
Well, Christmas is on the way and it will be Ethan's first one. I cannot wait to see how he reacts to the lights! It makes my heart melt when I look into those big blue eyes!!
I am going to try to do better at this blogging bit. Today, I read one of my dear friend's blogs and it inspired me to get back to mine. Thank you, Cristin. I miss you so.
He is sprouting some teeth on the bottom. He smiles all the time. He does have a little temper and believe me....he lets you know when he NOT happy. lol I believe he gets that from me. Wink wink.
He is making his best effort to crawl everywhere he can. He can no longer be left "alone" except when we put him in his saucer.
I haven't talked to a good many loved ones in awhile. Just to give you a quick update on things...Daniel still owns his own restaurant, Shreno's. He still manages to work full-time for C.C. Dickson Co. as an outside sales representative so he is in the car just like I am every day. He began a new journey in the restaurant world this past month. He will managing the restaurant on the mountain at Hickory Ridge golf course. He has had his eye on this facility for awhile since it first opened and was approached by the current owner to run it and serve his Shreno's food there.
It is a beautitful facility with a spectacular view from the mountain. I consider it dining at its finest in T-Town. As many of you with children know, having a child is expensive. I am so proud of him for making the sacrifices he makes to provide and take care of our family by trying to bring in more income. Although he wanted to take on this venture, it is not "his" restaurant and he is still willing to put his best foot forward and take pride in making another restaurant grow.
With Daniel having his other two commitments, it is a challenging at times to get the laundry done, load the dishwasher, take a shower, shave my legs, wash my hair, go to Wal-Mart, feed/bathe and go about our daily routine when it comes to taking care of little one and the list goes on and on.
Sometimes I miss spending time with friends. Having that occasional glass of wine on the back porch watching the sun set in complete silence doesn't happen anymore. However, I wouldn't trade Ethan for anything in this world. Being a mother is the best feeling in this world next to being a wife, a daughter of such wonderful parents and a sister who is finally pregnant!!!!
Yes, my beloved Erin is pregnant. Praise the Lord. This is nothing short of a miracle after all of the effort she and Jonathan have put in to conceiving. I am so proud for them and so excited!!!
Well, Christmas is on the way and it will be Ethan's first one. I cannot wait to see how he reacts to the lights! It makes my heart melt when I look into those big blue eyes!!
I am going to try to do better at this blogging bit. Today, I read one of my dear friend's blogs and it inspired me to get back to mine. Thank you, Cristin. I miss you so.
Monday, September 13, 2010
My Miracle
Well, my precious 6 month old, 3 week miracle is now gibbering and jabbering all kinds of things. He is holding his bottle on his own. He can sit by himself. He can't pull himself up to sit yet, but he's working on it. Still trying to figure out this crawling thing. He has figured out that he can roll everywhere. lol He is eating "mushy" food as I like call it and loves it. Why wouldn't he? He's going to love food like his mama and daddy.
He woke me up at 5:04 this morning and was ready to eat of course. Although I am quite frustrated at having to get up earlier than I would like to, it's hard to be mad. He won't let me. Lately, when I'm feeding him his bottle, he reaches up and wants to touch my face. I act like I'm going to eat his fingers and he laughs. He laughs a lot and for that we are thankful. He seems to be a very happy baby and we couldn't have asked for anything more.
I am tired though. It seems that sterilizing bottles is a never ending task. I feel like a machine sometimes. I'm not complaining mind you, but I feel like I'm always in a hurry. I hurry to do the laundry. I hurry to vacuum. I hurry to go to the store.....rush, rush, rush. Is there anyone out there who feels the same way I do?
Forgive me. For some reason, I never posted this......yeesh!! Two months later......
He woke me up at 5:04 this morning and was ready to eat of course. Although I am quite frustrated at having to get up earlier than I would like to, it's hard to be mad. He won't let me. Lately, when I'm feeding him his bottle, he reaches up and wants to touch my face. I act like I'm going to eat his fingers and he laughs. He laughs a lot and for that we are thankful. He seems to be a very happy baby and we couldn't have asked for anything more.
I am tired though. It seems that sterilizing bottles is a never ending task. I feel like a machine sometimes. I'm not complaining mind you, but I feel like I'm always in a hurry. I hurry to do the laundry. I hurry to vacuum. I hurry to go to the store.....rush, rush, rush. Is there anyone out there who feels the same way I do?
Forgive me. For some reason, I never posted this......yeesh!! Two months later......
Monday, July 26, 2010
A Good Weekend
Well, as you can see, I haven't blogged in quite awhile. I was really hoping this was going to be something I would do very regularly. However, time just doesn't permit it these days. There are a lot of things I don't do the way I would like to do anymore such as clean house, read, pray, exercise, keep up with friend/family, sleep, cook....the list goes on and on.
I was fortunate to have a good weekend with my two favorite men. Daniel took Saturday night off (something he is trying to do every other weekend now). This has been great for us, I believe. We had a "date night" and went to Griffin. We were going to go see a movie but the one we wanted to see would've put us a lot later picking up Ethan so we headed back to T-Town. We took the Williamson route and ended up watching 2 hot air balloons for awhile. Then, when we got back to town, we stopped by Wal-Mart and purchased Monopoly (which Daniel ended up forcing me to go bankrupt!!!). This has never happened to me fyi. Funny how we can have a good time together just doing simple things.
Sunday, we went to Macon after church to grab a bite to eat at Taki (our favorite Japanese restaurant). Then, we dropped in on my sister and brother-in-law. After visiting with them, we went to see my old neighbor and very dear friend, Miss Nell. Miss Nell is now 95 years young and still lives alone. Her apartment is still as immaculate as it ever was when I lived back to back with her at the Vistas (in Macon). She is truly an amazing woman and I am proud to have known her. When we visit, it reminds me of chats I had with my own gramama, Betty. She was amazing too and would've been so proud of my marriage to Daniel and Baby E just as Miss Nell was.
We were neighbors when Daniel and I met. I had many a chat with her while I was "waiting" for Daniel. She helped me understand that it was o.k. to be alone and she also made me take pride in being a strong, single woman who could take care of herself. She was and still is invaluable to me.
It's so crazy how much of my life has changed in the last 3 years. Everything has happened in fast forward, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. What a blessing to have a loving husband and a beautiful, smiling baby boy to wake up to and come home to every day.
God is good.
I was fortunate to have a good weekend with my two favorite men. Daniel took Saturday night off (something he is trying to do every other weekend now). This has been great for us, I believe. We had a "date night" and went to Griffin. We were going to go see a movie but the one we wanted to see would've put us a lot later picking up Ethan so we headed back to T-Town. We took the Williamson route and ended up watching 2 hot air balloons for awhile. Then, when we got back to town, we stopped by Wal-Mart and purchased Monopoly (which Daniel ended up forcing me to go bankrupt!!!). This has never happened to me fyi. Funny how we can have a good time together just doing simple things.
Sunday, we went to Macon after church to grab a bite to eat at Taki (our favorite Japanese restaurant). Then, we dropped in on my sister and brother-in-law. After visiting with them, we went to see my old neighbor and very dear friend, Miss Nell. Miss Nell is now 95 years young and still lives alone. Her apartment is still as immaculate as it ever was when I lived back to back with her at the Vistas (in Macon). She is truly an amazing woman and I am proud to have known her. When we visit, it reminds me of chats I had with my own gramama, Betty. She was amazing too and would've been so proud of my marriage to Daniel and Baby E just as Miss Nell was.
We were neighbors when Daniel and I met. I had many a chat with her while I was "waiting" for Daniel. She helped me understand that it was o.k. to be alone and she also made me take pride in being a strong, single woman who could take care of herself. She was and still is invaluable to me.
It's so crazy how much of my life has changed in the last 3 years. Everything has happened in fast forward, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. What a blessing to have a loving husband and a beautiful, smiling baby boy to wake up to and come home to every day.
God is good.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Women of Faith
I went to my first Women of Faith meeting last night. This is a group of women from our church, Mountain View Baptist, who get together once a month to have prayer, bible study and to fellowship with each other. I had my reservations about going because Ethan is about to be 3 months old and I feel like my evenings are cut short as it is with my commute. However, God has been working on me for awhile to get more involved with our church. As I have gotten older, I'm not so easily swayed to "step outside the box" when it comes to doing things like this. I am a big believer in praying about what God wants for us. So, I went. It was wonderful.
I met some very kind, strong Christan women. We ate together, chatted about our families, work and how God IS working in our lives. We brought up prayer requests for those who are in desperate need at the moment. We listened to our hostess read some scripture and then we did something that was truly amazing. From the moment everyone walked in the door, everyone was asked to take a helium filled balloon and tie it around their wrist. I will admit that I was less than enthusiastic but I played along. I knew it would be irritating to me to try to "deal" with this ridiculous balloon while eating, talking, etc. Most of the meeting was held on a deck outside looking out over Hagan's Mountain. It was beautiful.
Anyway, before we adjourned, we were asked write on a small piece of paper all of the things we wanted to give to God....things that are weighting us down in our lives. When we finished, we slid the piece of paper onto the string of the balloon and tied it so it would fall off. We proceeded to talk about what God wants for us. Then, at the same time, we all released our balloons and watched them float away from this house sitting high atop the mountain. The balloons were many different colors. It was truly a sight to behold. It was the neatest thing to see all of those burdens floating away with those balloons. Just knowing that each woman had released something to God was truly amazing. I felt like I could instantly breathe better.
We all have "things" that weigh us down or irritate us. I am not exempt just because I'm trying my best to have a more positive attitude. It's difficult sometimes to "choose" to be happy when it seems as though most everyone around you isn't, but I have to keep plugging on and pray that God will give me the strength to help lift them up when they can't seem to lift themselves.
I continue to be amazed at God's love each day. He has given me so much to be thankful for. I will continue to praise him and I will try to continue to see good in everything.
I met some very kind, strong Christan women. We ate together, chatted about our families, work and how God IS working in our lives. We brought up prayer requests for those who are in desperate need at the moment. We listened to our hostess read some scripture and then we did something that was truly amazing. From the moment everyone walked in the door, everyone was asked to take a helium filled balloon and tie it around their wrist. I will admit that I was less than enthusiastic but I played along. I knew it would be irritating to me to try to "deal" with this ridiculous balloon while eating, talking, etc. Most of the meeting was held on a deck outside looking out over Hagan's Mountain. It was beautiful.
Anyway, before we adjourned, we were asked write on a small piece of paper all of the things we wanted to give to God....things that are weighting us down in our lives. When we finished, we slid the piece of paper onto the string of the balloon and tied it so it would fall off. We proceeded to talk about what God wants for us. Then, at the same time, we all released our balloons and watched them float away from this house sitting high atop the mountain. The balloons were many different colors. It was truly a sight to behold. It was the neatest thing to see all of those burdens floating away with those balloons. Just knowing that each woman had released something to God was truly amazing. I felt like I could instantly breathe better.
We all have "things" that weigh us down or irritate us. I am not exempt just because I'm trying my best to have a more positive attitude. It's difficult sometimes to "choose" to be happy when it seems as though most everyone around you isn't, but I have to keep plugging on and pray that God will give me the strength to help lift them up when they can't seem to lift themselves.
I continue to be amazed at God's love each day. He has given me so much to be thankful for. I will continue to praise him and I will try to continue to see good in everything.
I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me"
Philippians 4:13
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
My Drive This Morning
It seems that I got behind everyone that had no sense of time this morning. I tried to shake off my frustration by listening to my favorite tunes. They are as follows: Soulshine by the Allman Brothers (always helps me put things into perspective), Dancing In the Moonlight by King Harvest (because it's just fun), Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus (yes, I said Miley Cyrus), Into the Mystic by Van Morrison (my absolute favorite), Free/Into the Mystic (live) by Zac Brown Band and last but not least Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams (this one really gets me pumped). So, a beginning to another day. The sun is shining and I am fortunate enough to be alive. I was blessed enough to kiss my husband and my baby boy goodbye this morning. I also was fortunate enough to see my parents due to dropping Ethan off on my way to work. What a blessing to get to see so many people I love as I start my day. It's going to be a good day. Thank you God for the gifts you have given me.
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