Motherhood...

Ooooo weee... I'm behind already, but you have to admit that I've done better this year than last! 

Today's Question:

What are your thoughts on motherhood? 

Wow, a little bit deeper than "what's another name...". 

Well, it's true what they say... it is the hardest, but the most rewarding job. You have to constantly be *on* because of all the teaching moments and molding a little person. But it is an incredible privilege. To know that the Lord entrusted to YOU his precious creation and gave you the responsibility to teach that person about Him... wow... it's a privilege and a huge task. 

Once you become a parent you see everything so differently. That billboard or movie or song just doesn't look or sound the same when your child is around. You can't help but think "what are they learning from that?" " how are they perceiving those words?". You want to protect them, but you know to do so is not really protecting them at all. 

I could go on and on as I see this leading to a hefty load of thoughts, but alas... it's Saturday morning, I'm actually home and I've got a house to clean and meals to prepare for the week!!! 

PLEASE share your thoughts on motherhood/fatherhood!! Would love to hear your perspective! 

Next question... what brings you joy? Until next time!!

Year of Tears...

Today's question:

What's the last thing you cried about? 

Missing my mother in law in our first Christmas without her. It's become very lonely for me since she passed away. My father in law isn't a real big talker, especially to me. It's okay, I know it's not personal, but with my mother in law gone it's just a little more obvious that when we are all together I have no one to converse with. 

What's in a Name???

Today's question (01/04/10) - forgot to hit SAVE yesterday!:

If you could rename yourself what name would you choose? 

I'm not that crazy about my name, but I do like an alternate version of it... Suzanne. 

Okay... that wasn't a super exciting one, but you got the idea! 

T R O U B L E

So today's question is"

What did you get into the most trouble for when you were young?

Oh - this is an easy one! One night I had a friend stay the night and
I was dating her cousin. Well he snuck out of his house and brought a
friend. They walked to our apartment complex and somehow found a
ladder and made the climb to my bedroom. We didn't do anything
"inappropriate". But my friend and the other guy were hanging out on
the balcony of my room and saw my boyfriends mom drive in to our
complex. They bolted in to the room, but the tell tale sign of the
ladder hanging out by window kind of gave it away and it was too late.
The mom went on home, but the next day proved to be interesting as me,
my boyfriend and our mothers were sitting around the table to which my
mother asked my boyfriend "Do I need to take my daughter to the
doctor?" OMG!!! Uhh... NO!! Kind of humorous looking back on it now!!

Other than that I was a pretty good kid... as long as I didn't get
caught. :)

Welcome to My Revolution...

So one of my resolutions for the new year is to blog/journal a little
more. The fact that I discovered a much quicker way to do it certainly
helps this goal.
And holy cow I'm already a day behind! But, hey, it was a holiday...
right?

I have come to love a particular Christmas song by Shedaisy... Brand
New Year. And the fact that last year was so rough really makes me
even more adamant about claiming the lyrics of this song. So I just
have to share... if you've never heard the song go take a listen. It's
an upbeat song that really has the power to motivate.

BRAND NEW YEAR by Shedaisy

Learning to turn the outside inside out (inside outside inside out)
Having the courage to find what life is all about
Loving so purely can surely melt a frozen heart
Knowing sometimes all over's
The perfect place to start

Chorus:
Welcome to my revolution
Lucky you, lucky me
The way we were meant to be
This is my one resolution and I make it with no fear
To live, to love today
'Cause it's a brand new year

Seeing the world through rose-colored eyes
Yeah, this is my one big chance and I'm gonna take it twice
With the past down below, I know love lifted me up here
So I'll take a breath, kiss the sky, toll the bell
'Cause it's a brand new year

Bridge:
Resiliently reclaiming me
Refining my recovery
Untwist my fate, unlock the gate
Let's make a little noise
'Cause it's a brand new year
Oh, welcome to my revolution

Second Chorus:
Welcome to my revolution, baby, yeah
Lucky you, lucky me
The way we were meant to be
This is my one resolution and I make it with no fear
It's never been so clear
Second chance is what got me here
To live, to love today
'Cause it's a brand new year

In addition to the sharing this song I also decided to journal a
personal element. I could say that I plan to journal daily, but... oh
boy, hate to make that commitment. I have a random stack of questions
that I plan to just pull from the hat. Today's question:

When you are down what do you do to feel better?

Typically I will either watch a movie or listen to specific music. It
depends what path to recovery I'm wanting to take. Do I just want to
wallow for a time or move on? I can be honest... sometimes I just want
to stay in my down mood... work it out... get through it. I'm not a
"jump in to a good mood" kind of gal. I have to work through the
thoughts and emotions. Now sometimes I can recognize that I'm in a
downright pathetic mood and will purposely work to get myself out of
it. This is where music usually comes in. My newest theme song is
"Happy" by Natasha Bedingfield. LOVE LOVE LOVE this song and I want to
share it with everyone I know!! But I also l like to watch movies to
help me escape reality for a short time and help me "reset".

Until next time...

All this tagging...

After being bestowed this lovely award by Christine and Nancy I must also complete another tag.
The title this time is "addictions". Oh that's bad...

1) Well, I guess I should point out the obvious, lest I leave it out and someone calls me a liar. - Scrapbooking - digital scrapbooking to be specific. My galleries would probably not support this said addiction today as much as it did in the past. You can see somewhere along the line I had a change in careers, thus adversely affecting my digital scrapbook production. I hate it when the need to make money gets in the way of the way of need to spend money... don't you?

2) Office supplies - There can never seem to be enough pens, pencils, post it notes, tape and of course, office gadgets - around my house. And upon occasion I actually NEED some of these products. I kid you not... I have to do the "do I need or want this item" test before I buy any kind of office supply.

3) Movies - and if I could break this down and be even more specific... the movie theater! See related post - Someone Broke My Child... Hey - what's a film major suppose to be addicted to? Oh... I know....

4) STARBUCKS - this is starting to sound a lot like my other tagged post. There are 4 very specific addictions I have at Starbucks. Decaf skinny vanilla latte, Iced Passion Tea Lemonade, Peppermint Mocha (only about one per holiday season), petite vanilla scones. And sometimes I can't figure out if the only reason I love Starbucks so much is because I haven't a clue on how to order anywhere else.

5) Bookstores/Library - I love being surrounded by books. The scene below is something I can totally appreciate!!!


And if you put a Starbucks IN a bookstore - Oh, well... you might as well just leave me there all day! And I love buying them, but time has a way of preventing me from actually reading them... unless they are a novel I can get in to. And, please... if you have any novel suggestions please feel free to make them!! And I'm a total nice, clean love story or story of friendship kind of gal.

A girl and her grocery store...

Well this is going to be a super exciting blog about... a grocery store. But not just ANY grocery store... oh no... this is THE grocery store.

I can still remember the first time I saw a HEB. I had just moved to Austin in 1997 and saw some store I had never seen nor heard about. "Heb. What's a heb?" It didn't take long for someone to defend the pronunciation of this blessed store. It's not a word. It's 3 letters. It's a grocery store haven I soon discovered.

So 9 years later when they built a HEB Plus! less than a mile from my house... you can imagine my excitement. And then imagine my disappointment when a year later we moved to an area that... get this... not only didn't have a HEB close to my house... it DIDN'T HAVE A HEB.... AT ALL!!!!! NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Imagine the scene in Elf when he learns his dad is on the naughty list... yea, that would be me.)

So this past weekend when we went to Austin for a visit there was no way I was going to leave town without taking a stroll through my favorite grocery store. The struggle was not being able to get anything cold since we still had to go to church, drive 2 1/2 hours to my mom's, have dinner and then go home.

So here is a little sentiment from my trip to HEB...


And now I say... "You know your life is pathetic when... you make a big deal about a grocery store." But for those who have loved and lost this irreplaceable grocery heaven they'll completely understand. Because, truly, "everything is better" there.

Tag, I'm it...

I've been tagged by my sweet friend Nancy! 

I love her humor, her sincerity and her amazing photo, scrapping and designing skills. 

The purpose of this tag is to document 6 (un)interesting things about yourself.

This is tough.

1. If I was to wildly abandon my life and pursue the impossible dream it would be to sing on Broadway.

2. I think and talk in movie quotes ("I'm not high maintenance. I just want it the way that I want it." - When Harry Met Sally)

By the way... the below video almost clearly defines what it looks like when my husband and I order a meal. He's a number and I'm a long sequence of high maintenance details. He loves me. 


3. I'm actually kind of shy and rather an introvert. I have to force myself to put myself out there... takes me WAY out of my comfort zone. So much so I need a passport.

4. I'm a total gadget girl and geek. I don't care anything about flowers (although nice sometimes), jewelry (except maybe a charm for my James Avery bracelet) or chocolate (only occasionally) - No, ME.... I love gadgets and hardware and software and an upgraded computer!!

5. I have a very specific ice to liquid ratio in my beverages. 

6. I am beyond annoyed that I've been going to the same Starbucks a couple times a week for over a year and the same people working there STILL don't know my drink order!!! My 5 year old daughter can now quote my drink order and yet they still look at me like they've never seen me before. And yet I always smile and always TIP! ggrrrr.....

Whew... well I feel better after that little therapy session. And I know YOU feel better after having learned more about me.

And if you're wondering... it's a tall skinny vanilla latte... seriously - how hard is that to remember??