New Year.

Anybody else feel like life has been moving super fast lately? I really can't believe 2019 is already here. There are lots of joyful things happening this year for us. Tony and I are going to see Justin Timberlake when he comes back to Memphis this month and later in the year Amanda and I are going to see the Backstreet Boys! Both concerts we'll be sitting nosebleeds but I'm honestly just so excited to be there that it doesn't even matter to me. In between those shows we'll be celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary and I'll be in my happy place all year while planning our first family vacation in FOREVER for Walt Disney World for this Fall!!!!

Every year at this time I love reflecting in attempt to learn something from the last year about myself and potentially how I can make healthier decisions in the coming year. I haven't done as much journaling and reflecting as I'd like to, but the little bit that I finished so far I wanted to share here on my blog. Here is the list of prompts I followed. I picked them up from my sister who got them from somewhere else on the interwebs so here is a recreated version of the original list and then my answers below that.

This year...

A bad habit I'm going to break:

Being so quick to lose my patience. I know I can try a lot harder in this arena. I'd also like to make it to mass this year. I was originally going to say "make it to mass more this year" but to be honest, if I went to mass two times in 2019 that'd technically be more than I did in 2018. So. Saying more wouldn't exactly be clear enough. I'd like to make it to mass as a family this year. I'm hoping to break the bad habit of being complacent in not going.

A new skill I'd like to learn:

To live minimally.

A person I hope to be more like:

The "Girl Wash Your Face" girl (Rachel Hollis) and Glennon Doyle. Rachel seems to have refocused her energies on the things (as a wife and mom) that really, actually matter. She seems to have switched from being unforgiving of herself to loving and being kind to herself. That's the biggest shift within myself I could make this new year. I always want to be a bit more like Glennon but especially getting up and doing good for other people is what I wish I did more of like she does.

A good deed I'm going to do:

Donate blood. No excuses.

A place I'd like to visit:

Dallas. I'm not sure it'll happen this year but it's always on my list of places to visit someday.

A book I'd like to read:

A ton of books. I want to read this year. Last year I kinda fell off the reading wagon and it's something I miss so much. But the first book that came to mind for this was "Girl Wash Your Face" since I was just thinking about Rachel Hollis.

A letter I'm going to write:

Goodbye letters to Gramma Myers and Granny. The things I would have liked to tell them or talk to them about before they passed.

A new food I'm going to try:

I really can't think of one! So I'm going to go with a turkey leg from Walt Disney World. And macaroons. I've never had them and would like to try them. AND. I'd like to try sake. I know that's a drink but it's something I've always wanted to try.

I'm going to do better at:

Homeschool stuff for BOTH girls. Getting out of the house a bit more. Cleaning out and organizing the house to potentially move. Drink more water. Be more physically active.

Which leads me to my word of the year... BREATHE. I'd like to take a deep breathe and clear my head more often before responding this year. If I allow myself a moment to breathe before doing or responding or reacting then I'm hoping it'll give me a moment to grasp onto my reserve of kindness and patience. To respond more often with love instead of bitterness or anger or cynicism. To wait a minute and hear someone out completely instead of assuming the worst and jumping right in. Breathe. This is the first time for me to choose a word to focus on for the year and I'm loving the idea and the motivation. I'm looking for the perfect accessory so I can carry the word with me throughout the year.

Let me know how you spend the new year this year - did you reflect or make resolutions or did you choose a word? If so, what were they? I'd love to know! I hope it's a year for growth and reaching our potential.

Happies & Crappies

It's been a long time since I've done happies and crappies for the week... so here we go. Here are some of the good and bad things that have been happening recently.

• My husband usually gets two days off a week - Sunday and one other day (either Monday or Saturday) - and for whatever reason that I don't understand, they stopped getting that second day off. So... he has been gone even more than usual. Which was already TOO MUCH. It's just been a big bummer lately but I feel like I've been doing pretty well at not letting it get me too down. I feel like it's really bad business to not take care of your employees and to not give them the time off every week that they deserve. Too many bosses and not enough leaders...

• I ran over a nail or something like that here recently. Thankfully I have a fantastic husband who has access to a lift at work and patched (plugged?) it all by himself. Always impressed and awed by his car savvy and selfless nature.
• Our house is a constant mess/disaster zone.
• Daylights savings. WHAT. WHY. It seems so unnecessary. Can someone please explain to me why in the world we still do time change?
• Our computer sucks. It really is on it's last leg of life. We've had it for a while and have loved our desktop very much but I think we might make a big switch over to an Apple laptop and an external hard drive when this one kicks the bucket.
• Jonathan, my future brother-in-law, will not be at our family Thanksgiving. Bums me out! I love spending time all together and it only happens maybe once a year if we're lucky so I'm not happy about that. We'll miss him! So we will just have to get together for the New Year or sometime after Claire (my niece who is due at the end of this year) makes her appearance.
• Mockingjay Part Two isn't out in theaters yet. I am so ready to see it! But... that means that The Hunger Games series will be COMPLETELY OVER once we see it...... I don't know how to deal with that. So sad.
  

• My grandma had a pretty major surgery last week and it went well. I'm so, so glad she is okay and on the mend. We are planning to see her next month and I cannot wait to hug her and for Presley to get to talk to her and Molly to meet her and to just be with her. It'll be a short visit and I'm already regretting that we won't be there longer! But like I said - I am so looking forward to seeing her. 

  

  very special woman

  It's been over two years since our last visit and while I honestly cannot believe that so much time has passed so quickly, it definitely feels like it's been a long time since seeing her.
• Sean, my brother-in-law, is visiting from California! It's been a year (I think?) since I saw him last and I can't wait to spend some time with him.
• I don't think I ever blogged about the SUPER AWESOME date night Tony and I had the other night. We went to the Cannon Center for the Memphis Music Hall of Fame induction and then out to dinner at our favorite place in Memphis to get burgers - Dyers! 

  

  eating at dyers in our usual spot

  It was one perfect evening. We got to see Justin Timberlake be inducted and he was introduced by Jimmy Fallon (of the Tonight Show).
  
  
  Super special night! Watching the CMAs the other night and seeing Justin Timberlake with Chris Stapleton perform just made me feel so lucky all over again that we got to see him!!!
• My birthday is next week and I LOVE MY BIRTHDAY! I mean, who doesn't enjoy their own birthday? I'm excited to turn 28 and looking forward to another beautiful year with my family here in Memphis. Tony already told me I am making my own birthday cake because it's been a while since I've made my signature funfetti cake + buttercream frosting and he said he can't top that!
• Halloween was excellent! We had fun this year with two little trick-or-treaters! Well, kinda. Molly can dress up and walk around but hasn't quite started holding her bag by herself yet... :) We went as Andy's toys (Presley: Buzz Lightyear, Molly: alien, Me: Mrs. Potato Head, Tony: Mr. Potato Head) and the ninja turtles. 
  
  
  

  

  thanks to my mother-in-law for this photo

  

  my big sister made our potato shirts

  
  I'm already looking forward to what we could dress up as next year!!! Oh, and of course I bought the girls a bunch of Disney princess costumes after the holiday was over and the markdowns started.
• Looking sooo forward to Thanksgiving with my sisters! Can. Not. Wait. 
• My husband is awesome. I just cannot seem to get enough of him and I don't want that to every change! 
  
  So grateful for this man I married.

That's it for tonight. I'm sure I could keep going but I'm not sure anyone would want to read it! :)  Happy Friday, guys. Happy weekend!

Currently {link up} x4

The prompts this week are {feeling, imagining, considering, listening to, and moving}

Feeling... Spring cleaning creeping up into my bones!  It's a good feeling.  The past few weeks I've just looked around and thought just how much stuff we have lying around here that we don't use or even notice anymore.  Hopefully I can get rid of some serious baggage around here and then do some deep cleaning!

Imagining... What it would be like to live like a bunch of hippies like in the movie Wanderlust.  Tony and I just got done watching it and while it's mostly just a funny movie - it does get you thinking about the lifestyle we live and whether or not we're actually happy or just chasing our tails.  Definitely a good and funny movie depending on what you like.

Considering... A few books for my next read.  I just finished The Vow and it was fantastic.  Next up is going to be one of the following:  Beautiful Creatures, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, or Rum Punch... it all depends on which one comes into the library first!  Any input?

Listening to... Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" over and over.  I can't tell you my favorite song yet because honestly, they all just flow together so well and I get swept into the music without thinking much about individual tracks.  Cannot wait for part 2 of this album later this year!  So proud of being growing up in the same town as someone so talented and creative as this man.... I imagine I will be a lifelong fan of his!  Most currently listening to "Don't Hold the Wall"...


Moving... To the beat of my own drum {always}.  Thankfully, Presley doesn't know anything about judgement or criticism and she's the person I'm around all day... so when I do something silly instead of rolling her eyes or being embarrassed, she just shoots me a huge smile and shares in a belly laugh or two with me.  Best feeling ever is dancing all crazy to Disney music with either her in my arms or her watching me move all over the place & knowing she's having just as much fun as I am!

This baby girl is easily becoming the best friend I've got and ever had