Happies & Crappies! {link-up}

Totally have been forgetting about this fun link-up!  Well, it's officially summer and the days have definitely been blurring together just like they do every year around this time... so hopefully I can keep things straight!  So, without keeping you in suspense, here are this weeks high & low moments...

•  The biggest happy of the week is definitely having my big sister & niece in town!  Yes, they just got in town today, but I'm obviously already enjoying them being here.
• The weather!  Goodness gracious, I think we had the most perfect weather today.  The sun was out yet it never felt as if it were beating down on us.  It was warm enough outside to wear a tank top but there was a beautiful breeze all day.  
• Having more CLEAN laundry throughout the house than dirty.
• PROP8 being overturned in California.  One love, baby!  A childhood friend of mine said it best:
  

  "Let's get a few things straight... 1. We as CHRISTIANS are called to love one another. PERIOD. It doesn't say love your neighbor unless their gay, black, purple, ugly, etc! It says LOVE your neighbor as yourself. 2. We are called to love everyone not hate. Do you think acting like an ignorant, pompous jerk is going to win anyone to Christ?! NO! If Jesus would have acted like some of you, there is no way He would have had people come to Him. 3. AND ANOTHER THING, you CAN be a CHRISTIAN and be GAY! Believe it or not! The Bible tells us no sin is greater than another, so for people to say you can't be a Christian and be gay is just stupid, out of context and just plain ignorant. I know this will probably piss a lot of you off, but let's be honest, Should it? You don't have to agree with marriage equality. I'm not telling you to. But don't think for one second God doesn't love them less than any of you other sinners (myself included) Praise Jesus for His continuing grace and mercy on us daily. That is all. Have a great day!"

• Finding this song by the Civil Wars:
  
  Just amazing.  Their talent absolutely knocks my socks off.
• Speaking of talent... Tony & I have been watching "Marley" over the past few nights and let me just tell you... AMAZING documentary on that fabulous and talented Bob Marley's life.  If I wasn't a fan before watching, I sure as hell am one now.  Not only are his accomplishments grand but he overcame so much to get where he got.  Beyond that, though, his voice is so pure and so remarkable.  I consider it a complete tragedy to lose such a star so young!  Like I told my husband, it would have been such a joy to hear his voice age over time.
• Southwestern Sweet Potato Salad - YES.  It is even better than it looks and sounds.
• My husband remembering to take the extra car seat out of his car this morning before work so that we had it for my niece this afternoon!  Yes, sounds like such a little thing, right?  But to me, following through with even the littlest tasks like that means so much to me!!! 

•  Missing my little sister!
• We weren't able to get in a bike ride at all this week!  I really miss those.  Hopefully that just means we will be able to make up for it and ride twice as much next week.
• The scary weather we had earlier this week.  No bueno.
•  Hearing of the absolutely awful and just downright disgusting man criminal who was caught on nanny-cam absolutely annihilating the unarmed mother in her own home.  When Tony told me about the story and that he was watching the video, my first response was, "Don't watch stuff like that!"  And I knew I wouldn't watch the beating that was caught on camera.  The more I heard about it, the more sick I felt about it but also the more I felt like I should try to watch it.  I just didn't want to feel like a coward, like I was ignoring it because I couldn't handle watching it when this mother handled so. much. worse.  It just makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry just thinking about what I just watched from that video.  Hearing she suffered a concussion, bruises, chipped teeth, and needed stitches... she took over 16 hits from this guy before being thrown down the stairs.  Having to stay silent during the beating as her 3-year-old daughter looked on so she could ensure her daughter's safety.  The whole terrible, awful situation just kills my spirit.  Absolutely leaves me feeling so saddened and desperate in our current world.  Not only that, but I just feel so unsafe.  Where can we live and take care of ourselves, our children, our families that we are protected from things of this nature?  And why do I have the overwhelming feeling like owning a handgun is NECESSARY at this point in my life when that is the very thing that took my dad's life?  Would he be here today if he had had one for protection?  I just feel very confused on so many things after hearing about this story.  I know that is was an absolutely senseless act and to try to make sense of it is futile, but I can't help it.  There is solace knowing that the accused man has BEEN ARRESTED and that this woman is alive and so are her children.  Even still, I just literally can't imagine going through it.  I wish I could wrap my arms around that mother and her children and tell them it will be okay... even though I'm not sure that it ever will.

I absolutely dislike ending this entry with something so awful.  So here is a video that moved me to tears in a wonderful, beautiful, encouraging way.  There ARE great people out there who do so much to just to bring joy to others.  I am going to do all I can to be one of these people to everyone as we all have so many crappies going on in our lives on a daily basis.  Here's one last happy: