Golden Birthday Weekend!

Amidst all of the running around that Justin and I have been doing lately, I am very happy to say that part of that excitement has been due to my birthday. Not just any birthday either, but my "golden" birthday at that. I was born on the 25th, and therefore have spent several of the last few years looking forward with some curiosity to how my 25th birthday would play out. I have to say, it was far better than I could have imagined. It all began last Friday...

Taped to the top of my computer that morning!

Fresh-cut cantaloupe, pineapple, homemade breakfast casserole, and turtle brownie...all the food groups covered, right?

Saturday, we began our morning with a homemade breakfast prepared by none other than the very creative, very sweet hands of *trumpet sounds* my husband!

Hot Coffee, Blueberry Poptart (heated for 20 seconds exactly), Turtle Brownie, Cookie Dough Oreo

My parents had offered to have my usual birthday breakfast dinner at their house. I can not tell you how excited I was for Saturday either. It had been over a month and I was in desperate want of some family time. I left my camera outside with full intention of no interruptions, but unfortunately this meant no pictures. It was a wonderful night though- full of a lot laughs, a lot of hugs, and A LOT of memories. My mother made up a delicious breakfast feast which even included blueberry cobblers (with whipped cream) for everyone. Yum!!! Of course there were gifts, too!

4th Season of "Lois & Clark"- the final piece to my collection!

One Year Subscription to "Writers Digest" from my parents!

While we had already decided to make a day of it visiting Jefferson, Texas & Shreveport, Justin had suggested we stay overnight and enjoy the full weekend. (It took very little argument to be honest.) Our reservations placed, we set out early Sunday morning. Justin ordered us breakfast on the way out of town (egg white mcmuffins and hashbrowns) and then we were off. A couple of hours later- Jefferson! Y'all, I bought all kinds of goodies. It was hot out of course, but thankfully there was little to no humidity in Texas. (Truly a gift.)

Jefferson General Store-We don't need them yet, but one day...

Jefferson Fudge Shop- I FINALLY have a reason to try out their kitchen supplies!!!

Outside of the General Store!

We ended the trip with a final find. There in the back of an old hotel (which still has yet to be equipped with a/c) we came across a group of fans. How could we pass them up?!?!? For $25 we could finally purchase an obviously old, it will never work again, may have set in an old office or home, possibly 40s or 50s I dream, full of history, metal fan. Y'all, a big hand must go to my husband who was sweet enough to maneuver through the little maze of junktiques in the room and on the table all in order to retrieve what ended up being perhaps the heaviest "little" fan you can find. Still undeterred, he even carried it another 20 feet down a narrow hall to the register, where he was then forced to set it on the ground seeing as the counter was made up of thin glass. After checking out, he then carried it another 20 feet or so to our car in the outdoor heat. We were quite proud until we noticed the rust and dirt coating his hands and his white t-shirt. That was it for Jefferson.

His face says it all, doesn't it? :)

Y'all to drive in Shreveport or Bossier is truly a venture (one that I have not even taken upon myself yet).

This part right here intimidates me.

I had to crop and zoom in for this picture. You can see her all the way from the interstate. The mural is actually much larger, but this was the best I could do.

We arrived at our hotel just after check-in and let me tell you it felt so good. Whoever thought to add a hotel to the boardwalk surely deserved a raise. 

You see who was ready to rest after all of his long driving. :)

We could literally walk out the front door of our hotel and step onto the brick walkway leading to the storefronts. It being a Sunday, hardly anyone was there either. 

Outside of our window.



We did a little shopping- ALL necessities. I can't help it they were cute, too!

We ordered dinner from the Cheesecake Bistro and walked over to pick it up. Justin, who never liked chicken on the bone before, has fallen in love and will not stop talking about his meal. I, who have eaten fried catfish countless times, can not stop thinking of my spicy meal from there. It was definitely the perfect birthday treat!

Justin's- Roasted Lemon-Garlic Chicken (You practically get the whole chicken. He was nearly done when I took this pic.)



Justin's side- Veggie Pasta Salad









Mine- Fried Catfish, Fries, Onion Rings, & Toast

The next morning (my actual birthday) Justin ventured downstairs to pick us up breakfast. *The hotel actually does not have room service, but if you have a sweet husband this is not a problem.* Again, I wish I had taken pictures, but it was early and I was preoccupied with birthday texts and breakfast itself.

We quickly packed up and headed out to explore. Let's see, there was Super Target, a quick ride to see the hospital I was born in, and then lunch. Justin was starving but I was not, so we compromised.

Baskin Robins- (Justin) Salted Caramel Oreo & (Mine) Strawberry Cheesecake

After lunch, we went to World Market. While I may not love this store, it has its perks. For instance, the kitchenware is pretty nice and not too pricey. Also it seems we both think it is now habit to visit and then purchase snacks or drinks we have never seen before.

Justin chose Root Beer w/ Cane Sugar while I chose Blackberry Cobbler. Both were really good!

Justin suggested this one... I merely complied. :)

We went to Hobby Lobby. *Yes, we have one where we live, but I just knew this one had to have more.* It was ALL on sale, too!!!!!

Going in the kitchen...

Going in the dining room...

Enough said, right?

At this point, Justin could not be distracted from actual food any longer, and I had gotten pretty hungry myself. It was still fairly early so we hoped to beat the usual dinner rush, and "when in Rome" we tried a new restaurant- TGIFridays.

We both got the Sizzling Chicken and Shrimp. It was AMAZING! We could taste why it is a favorite on the menu.

After dinner we attempted to walk around in Kirklands for awhile. It was nice, but it is unfortunately a store that believes knocking your a/c up during one of the hottest months of summer is a brilliant way to conserve money. Perhaps, but it is a terrible business plan. No a/c plus a glass storefront not only makes for a large warm box, but a box without much air either. I actually had to ask Justin if we could go sit in our hot car and wait for the a/c to kick in there before I fell out. Yuck! Once I cooled down, Justin did something with me that I had been hoping for a long time I would be able to do with my husband. He took me to the duck pond.

Now if you are not from here, you just don't know how exciting this is. The duck pond is actually a small park located in Shreveport. While the playground itself is on higher ground, you can walk down a little ways where ducks will rush to greet you before you ever actually make it down to the pond itself.

Definitely updated in the last 25 years!

There are benches and a covered picnic area. More importantly though, there are a lot of memories here for me. My parents used to take us when I was little. While the ducks scared the tinkle out of me, I LOVED going. Funnily enough, I still do apparently. We snapped a few pictures and then were off again. This time, we were coming home.

Our first time at the duck pond together- August 25th, 2014

Y'all, I know no vacation is easy to say goodbye to, but this one was particularly hard. It was more the memories that I had been able to enjoy. We had started the weekend by going to see my family and spending the evening with all of them. Going to Jefferson and Shreveport Saturday, well my family may as well have been there because these places are so full of them that I feel like they are. The fact that Justin and I were alone was nice because every time we go I am allowed to live out that hope I had had for so long- my husband was with me. It may sound crazy to say it, but somehow going there helps me to relax. I can't shut up when we are there because I am telling Justin every memory I can think of. Not to mention, he enjoys seeing everything. I get lost in the idea of how exciting it will be to take our family one day and I wonder if they will enjoy it like me or just laugh at how "crazy" Mommy seems to be when we are there. Considering birthdays are supposed to be full of excitement & joy & memories & lots & lots of love, this was a perfect birthday. All I can say now is thank you to my sweet coworkers for throwing me a birthday surprise Friday. Thank you Mommy, Daddy, "Rielle", and "Baby" for the great visit and the delicious food and the thoughtful gifts. Thank you Justin for driving us everywhere and never complaining. Thank y'all for making this a wonderful "golden" birthday!

 How about you? Any best birthdays that you can remember? 

A Thought For All Women Just Beginning...

My favorite quote from Margaret Thatcher.

While my last post was high on the fun side of things, I have to say my thoughts are a little more deep at the moment. Perhaps with my 25th birthday fast approaching within these next few days I find myself considering more the feelings that stay with me most often.

In all of my life, I have been blessed to know a great many people- some as friends, some as family, and some as acquaintances. Of everyone, it is without a doubt the women that I have come to know the most. Oh, the lessons I have learned...far too many for one post. Mainly there has been my mother. Without her guidance, I could never have made sense of the nonsense, or seen past the mess, or learned to consider and treasure all that matters most.

My mother didn't raise me with a slap to the hand when I was wrong and a strong scolding. She seemed to find every moment to matter; every thing worth conversation. When she was telling me family stories or lessons others had learned it was never enough to simply tell the story. She included the feelings, the thoughts, the wrongs, and rights of every instance. From those stories, and from what I myself saw over time, I learned that every woman has the ability to choose and the ability to think no matter what. Of these two things, these two very great gifts, she can either help or hurt.

While my life time is not one of truly great length or importance, I would like to think that it has had its moments of value. Say what you will, but in the end those that cause nothing but grief and pain are sadly hard to miss. I am sorry to say that in my time alone I have known more women than I would ever care to know who see their bodies as their only tool and their minds filled with great skill. I have seen enough fake tears for a private pond (but am told together there may be enough for a great ocean). I have faced enough fake smiles to make me cringe, and heard so many voices filled with fake sympathy, kindness, and adoration that it has made my skin crawl more than once.

Beginning to regret that you are a woman yet? Wait just a minute. For all of the bad that exist (and it does exist), there are a handful of women nearby using their every breath for the good of others. They may seem few and far between, but I know a few myself. One in particular shines above them all. (I would say it even if she were not my mother.) I could tell you of how she listens to everyone, is the most frugal woman I know, how she smiles, or how she laughs. I could tell you everything I have ever known about my mother, but at the end of the day the thing that makes the difference, the part of her that makes everything about her so different and of such value is this- my mother is genuine. When she talks to you or smiles at you or even interacts with you, it isn't for show. If she seems like she cares, it is because she does. If she seems tough, it is because she is. If she seems like someone you shouldn't mess with, you probably shouldn't. (And if the later, who did you mess with to bring out that side?) I know for a fact that my mother makes an impact on at least 4 other people in her life every day. Truth is though, I know she has made an impact, and makes an impact, on so many others.

My mother has been given so many positions in life, and she has held them all with love. She helps those around her with her choices and her decisions. I have to recognize now that I have the ability to do the same. We all do. If you want to stop and consider how special you are as a woman, think of it this way? What type of woman are you? Do you only lend a hand when others see, or do you try to when no one else is looking? Do you use the confidence of others against them, or is their trust of value to you? Forgetting your position as daughter, sister, wife, niece, granddaughter, cousin, friend, to a stranger do you think you are ever able to make a difference or ever can?

I wish I could say that with all of my mother's advice that I never fail. I wish I could say I am always giving, always considerate, always selfless. Unfortunately that is just not always the case. I have a tendency to let my own wants get in the way sometimes or to let my own irritation or hurt distract me from being considerate of others. In 25 years I am far from perfection. Still, it is something to live for. It is something to strive for and remember every day. It puts a little hope in my voice, a little skip in my heartbeat, to remember the responsibility and the choices I have to make. Let's face it, God didn't make us to sit idly, or to be wife or a friend just so we can flaunt it, or a mother just so we can brag about the pain we endured in labor. He didn't give us the ability to think all so we could think constantly of how to make trouble.

Whether you be newlywed or single, I ask you to consider with me what type of woman you are. Like it or not, what type of woman do you want to be? Titles aren't enough to define you as a woman (wife, mother, sister, friend, etc.). It is our character that makes the difference; not only in our life, but in the lives of others.

P.S. Considering the busy summer, I am extending Operation Christmas Card until September 15th. Please, if you have not considered participating stop by the page at the top. One of our troops could receive a very special Christmas card from you this Christmas.

If I Were An Actress...

Cottage from "The Holiday"

It could be the result of the merciless heat, or perhaps the cup of coffee I woke to find on my nightstand this morning, but whatever the reason I am now in a wonderful mood. This wonderful mood tilts just slightly on the crazy side. Not 20 minutes ago, while watching "You've Got Mail", I asked my husband if he were an actor would he not live in the city of his favorite film? Of course, he was baffled and having never given it any thought (nor been alerted that my mind could ponder such useless imaginings), he had no answer for me. Unable to cope with an unanswered question, I felt the need to consider my own question. That said, if I were an actress...

I would live in a tiny apartment and wait for the perfect film. I would pray every day that I land a role in a Nancy Meyers movie (since sadly Nora Ephron is no longer a possibility even in the imagination). No, it would not be beneath me to sneak into a private showing or party where I might "accidentally" meet her. I would still wait for the movie roll where I might live in an adorable apartment in the city (but on the cuter part of town). *Think little shops, fall festivals, flowers stands everywhere.* Maybe the apartment in "27 Dresses" in the part of New York in "You've Got Mail". Or maybe that film in a small town; still with little shops, cobblestone streets, and town festivals. You know the town, and let's not forget the house/cottage on the outskirts of it (maybe 10 minutes or so away) in which I would live. Maybe a cottage like the one in "The Holiday" with a town like "Something's Got to Give" or "Sabrina" or "Funny Farm". I would make an appointment with the realtor as soon as filming began, so that by the end of it all I could move in while editing was taking place. I would make a few phone calls and call on Nora Ephron with her favorite dessert and coffee (assuming she enjoys life's best with the rest of us); all in an effort to have my new home designed by someone with an imagination that I enjoy. Actually, the cottage and house idea would be favored because Justin and I would need room for our family. I'd have to make sure there were guest rooms for our family to visit, too. I would have to make sure my mother could visit Nora Ephron, too because if it weren't for her I would have no idea who she was in the first place. Yes, this would be my plan. I would commute for other films and then always return to the happiest little place I had ever been able to find. Justin and I would visit the local shops during the week and on weekends. We would hardly ever leave because, really, what would the point be. I might could even talk him into a dog; one that we could take walking into town. *Sigh*

Okay, so I am done fantasizing. What about you? Where would you live? What would your ideal home look like? 

P.S. Oh, and after hearing my post Husband responded to the question. He said he would find us a little house in Maine, where the leaves change color in the fall and there are snowy winters. He said he would make sure it was in a town where fresh crab and lobsters were brought in daily, and he would buy lobster often because he believes it would be cheaper there where it is common. He suggested we come down here for the winters, but I insisted we stay for the SNOW! Hmmm, now I need to watch "White Christmas".

Life Not According to Plan

It's funny how things work out, isn't it? Do you ever stop and consider the moments you find yourself in? Every once in a while I do. These days it seems our blessings are in a great abundance. I think Justin and I have thrown out the "plan" for a while. Outside of planning for our first anniversary, enjoying Thanksgiving turkey, and some major Christmas decorating, we have come to realize our plans are really quite pointless.

Anyone reading this and thinking "What plans could they possibly have made in less than a year!", please excuse me while I stop laughing. You must not know us very well. I think it is safe to assume all married couple make plans. Add a guy and girl who expect to know what to expect and plan surprises and you'll find Justin and I. What can I say? As singles we put off living in a way. As a couple, we haven't quite slowed down. Everything from our first dinner with friends to when do we want to start a family has been a constant conversation and much planning. Life doesn't always fit the plans, does it? Just to give a small glimpse into the changes that have come with our 9 months of marriage...

When we first married, Justin and I worked in 2 different cities. I left home 15 min. before him to go to a job I loved and work with a group of women I loved at a company so great that only Google may top it. On cold mornings Justin warmed my car for me while I grabbed my coat. We dealt with our first serious illness- mine- at the first of the year. We were grateful our first holidays with two families went smoothly & we had our first overnight guests (my brother and sister). Every day Justin traveled the 10 minute drive home to wait for me to arrive anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour later. We were living beneath "Bigfoot" and had to become accustomed to his 10:30-midnight vacuum schedule, which often cut out our tv signal. On a much more serious note, I came home every night frustrated. I was often too worked up to enjoy the evenings, cook dinner, clean house. I did it, but not as well as I wanted to. I was letting outside influences (that I was around daily) effect my life- our life. I felt like I wasn't giving any part of my life, my all. It felt like most of my energy was going towards a losing battle and I began to wonder just why it was that I was fighting to win it anymore.

A few months after we were married, I was staying at home (a decision that had come after much, much, much thought and prayer, but a little before we had originally planned). Our apartment was in constant order. Dinner was always cooked. I knew everything that was going on in our lives. Justin and I woke up together, ate lunch together, and were together right after he got off work. We found a house, dealt with a not-so-great realtor, and moved into our home. We had our first lessons in painting, hammers, and moving. We had our first experiences with unwanted guests, neighbors who bring blueberry muffins to welcome you, and mowing our own grass. I was thankful for the focus I had on our life, but I'll admit I knew not to relax completely.

In this last month, I have been called back to work. I work for the same great company, with another great group, and some very knowledgeable supervisors. Justin and I wake together, we ride together to work, to lunch, and back home at night. We share the chores and have recently found a more efficient way to mow the grass (mainly with Justin mowing the front yard and I the back). We still have our time at home and while I sometimes miss knowing that everything is taken care of, I still feel in the loop with our life.

Truth is, God and I have had some heart to hearts over the last 25 years, but especially within the last few months. Whether missing my family or just not feeling too great, we've talked. I've definitely been put in place a lot lately. Being reminded I don't know it all and my timing and planning means diddly in the bigger picture still bites, but it's a lesson I think our Father knows He will have to remind me from time to time. Truth is, maybe our life isn't all that we expected 9 months ago.

It is better. Yes, life unplanned, yet full of hope is better than all of the plans and definites imaginable.

I could never have planned or anticipated these last few months, let alone this last year. I could never have thought myself taking the steps I've taken or making the decisions I've made. I never really thought I'd find the man to make all of those life changing decisions with (only hoped and prayed for him ALL OF THE TIME). Truth is, God presents his plans for your life and you can't just wait and sit as though nothing lies before you. You have to make decisions; albeit emotional, difficult, even exciting ones. They are decisions and steps you have to take, and you better believe they will effect your plan and build the life God has for you.

I guess overall this is really just a lot of thinking out loud. I hope that our lives are always filled with so much hope. We truly have no idea what may lay ahead, and though we are naturally planners, when it comes to the every day we can only make the best decision we know of and keep moving together. What we hope for and what will be simply isn't in our hands. Tell me, do you find yourself enjoying life unplanned (at least according to your plans)?