Friday's Letters

I love reading blogs. There are a few that are must reads!  A few of them have participated in Friday Letters, so I finally looked into the blog that started them.  I absolutely love her blog.

So, here are my Friday Letters...

Dear Weekend... you could not have come soon enough!  It was been a very long week.

Dear boss... thanks for letting me start my weekend a little early! It's much appreciated!

Dear husband... I'm so proud of you for studying hard all week to take your Life test next week, I know you will do great!

Dear Christmas decorations that have been hiding behind closed doors... I will finish putting you away this weekend!

Dear washing machine... thank you for breaking right after Christmas, your timing is impeccable.  You will be fixed or gone by the end of the weekend!

Dear third anniversary... it's hard to believe you are next week.  The past three years have been a roller coaster and I look forward to many many more!

Happy Weekend!

A New Year (a little late)

I left 2012 with mixed emotions.  It was a very difficult year, however it was also one of great joy.  We welcomed both my niece and my nephew and we bought a house, but also we lost the most beautiful woman I have ever known, my mom went through two knee surgeries, and I had a lot of internal struggles.  Needless to say, I have high hopes for 2013.  I’m hopeful for change!

And I think we started the new year off just right, with some of my very best friends in Huntsville, Alabama.  It was a low key night, but probably my favorite new years of all time.

I have a few goals for 2013….

Read my bible every day….

I have started  The Daily Bible that has devotionals and reads the bible in chronological order. Unfortunately, I’m already a few days behind, but I have been reading every day.  I have a tendency to fall asleep while I’m reading so I have to complete the day the following day, which puts me behind.  I’m still working to find the perfect time of day to really dig in and get a full daily reading in.

Blog more….

I have debated this blog for a while now.  I've changed the layout, I've changed the name, but nothing really seems to motivate me to actually blog.  I think part of it is finding the time to do it, part of it is insecurity, and how much I want to put out her on the internet.  I enjoy reading other blogs and always feel inspired to write more after reading others, but have been a little insecure about posting.  I’m afraid no one is interested in my mundane everyday life.  But I’m going to put those insecurities aside and blog for me, isn't that what this is supposed to be for anyway?  As a memory to look back on, and like I said, I have high hopes for 2013, so I would like to remember it!

Find a church….

Ryan and I loved our church.  We loved the people we met, we loved the small group, we loved going on Sunday mornings, we always took something away from the message.  But, we moved, and we moved pretty far north.  After spending every day in the car to get to work the last thing I want to do is drive into the city on the weekend.  Plus, I like the feel of community a church brings and being at least thirty minutes from church makes it difficult to participate in things like a small group or Sunday school.  So in the new year, I’m putting my foot down to find a church home close to home.

Eat healthier, Exercise more...

Self explanatory :)

Craft more...

I got a Cricut for Christmas and I can not wait to try it out!

Enjoy life more...

I have a tendency to look towards the future, look for what will change.  I want to live in the moment more.  Stop focusing on what it could be or should be and what it is.

There you have it.  Just a few goals for 2013!  Cheers to a great new year!

Thankful

In all honesty, it's been a little difficult to be thankful lately.  It's been a difficult few months for me and for my family.  However, that's not to say that I'm not thankful.  I keep a running list of things to be thankful for, so I won't forget how blessed I truly am.  And as a reminder that even when things are difficult, there is still much to be thankful for. 

This year we will be celebrating Thanksgiving at my parents home here in Georgia.  This is only the second time in my life that I will not travel to Chicago to be with my family, to be with my grandmother.  The first was when I was in high school, my sister marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  It's not going to be easy.  My mom and I are cooking on our own, we will have a very small crowd, my sister is not going to be with us, and most importantly, my grandmother won't be with us.  There will be tears, some happy, some sad.

I thought I would share a few of the things I'm thankful for:

1. Long weekends

2. Long conversations with my dad

3. Long conversations with my mom

4. Painting pottery with my sisters

5. A very patient husband

6. House starting to feel more like a home

7. Instagram so I can keep up with my cousins

8. Lighter holiday traffic in the mornings

9. Woman in the car in front of us paying for our Dunkin Donuts 

10. Snuggly puppy

This list may seem trivial, but I'm so thankful for the little things!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Election Day

I have read a lot today regarding voting.  I have listened to CNN all day about people going to the poles.  Earlier today I put a tweet out there that I am ready for all of this election propaganda to be over!  And I mentioned I am not voting.  I did not receive a huge backlash but there were a few people that responded to me and some that responded indirectly, so I decided to take my tweet down.  Not because of their response but because of my own beliefs.  My grandmother always said it’s not good to talk politics in a social setting.  I’m not even sure why I posted it in the first place, it’s very out of character for me.

But, I did and I thought I should explain.  It is my right and my right alone whether I chose to vote or not.  I’m not trying to sway people not to vote or to vote one way in particular.  I understand that especially as a woman I should feel a strong obligation to vote considering how many women fought to get the right.  I’m not trying to take anything away from that.  I understand that there are several places in world that people do not have the opportunity to vote or have gone to great lengths to be able to vote.  However, it is my personal opinion, that until they change the way the votes count, I am choosing not to vote in this election.  It baffles me that the man who wins the popular vote may not win the electoral college and therefore will not win the presidency.  So, my vote doesn’t count, right? Right.

I’m not saying which way I would vote, but in a historically red state, if I chose to vote blue, it wouldn’t count at all, and if I chose to vote red, well I’m in the majority, so what will one vote do?  Nothing.  And since I cannot positively agree with one side or the other, I chose not to vote.  I don’t talk politics too much, even though I have been known to voice how I feel about certain issues, my overall knowledge in politics is limited.  What I do know, is that our country is in a bad way.  But one man, one candidate, one party line does not hold all of the answers. 

I don’t expect anyone to agree with my choice.  It is my choice and I feel confident in it.  If you feel led to vote, you should do so!  Whichever party does win, I will pray that they make the decisions that can help get our country moving in the right direction.  There is no argument here that there needs to be change.