Ninja Style ; )

Lack of sleep + extra strong coffee + endorphins from a run =

Asian babies VS In vitro...

Yes.  This conversation did happen.  

Yesterday I visited my family in S.C. as I do most Sundays.  What's better than spending the afternoon stuffing your face with Grandma's home cookin' and catching up with everybody?  NOT MUCH : )

After lunch we were all outside enjoying the beautiful weather and talking.  I think we were on the topic of my nephew Mason, when all of a sudden my aunt asked when I was going to have one (a baby).  "It's your turn."  

It seems like here lately the comments of, "You're too young to have a boyfriend,"  "Don't ever get married," and "I'm too old to be a grandma"  have been replaced with "It's your turn,"  "So when are you getting married,"  and "Mason needs a cousin."  

Great.  As I reminded them once again that a few things have to happen before I start poppin' out babies, they offered up a few suggestions.  

Aunt Marsha: "You should adopt a little Chinese girl.  They're so cute and you can get one for around $20,000."  

Me:  "Yeah, like I have $20,000 just laying around to adopt a baby.  I'm doing good enough to support myself."

Aunt Marsha:  "Just go to the bank and take out a loan.  What are they going to do if you don't pay it back, take your baby away from you?" 

Me:  "Riiiggght.  Pretty sure I should take a loan out on a house before I ever consider doing it for a baby."

So my mama's suggestion was that I have in vitro.  

Me:  "Yeah don't think I can't afford that one either.  And then there's the whole deal of the child growing up with issues because it doesn't have a father around."  

Mama:  "Well did you get my message the other day with that link that I sent you?"

Me:  "What message?  What are you talking about?'

Mama:  "I sent you a text with a link to a website where you can adopt a baby and save it's life.  I'll send it to you again."

And then Grandma chimes in...  "Well I think you need to just do it the old fashion way.  Get married first, then have a baby.  That's the way people used to do it."  

Hahaha!  I have the best family ever.  

And no, for those of you concerned they were just kidding.  Well, everyone except for Grandma : )   

God really does have a sense of humor..

Yes, I'm still alive :)

This first month of school has been busy beyond belief, and I've been a little stressed out lately.  Ok.  A lot stressed out!  I was dealing really well, believing it would all lighten up after a few weeks.  This and the fact that I love my job  made the 11-12 hour days tolerable.  Along with the dreams I've had every night about still being at work.  I was really impressed with myself for the amount of patience and perserverance that I'd had!  It helped me to realize that I'm a much stronger person than I'd given myself credit for!

But toward the end of last week my optimism began to wear thin. And yesterday managed to disappear for a bit.  While I hate admitting it for fear that I'll be looked at as weak, I'm doing so for a reason.  Today God showed me his awesome sense of humor and reminded me that he's always here to help me through whatever I'm dealing with.  All I have to do is ask.

Well, beg is actually a more appropriate description of what I did...

While getting ready this morning I listened to a Charles Stanley podcast like I normally do, hoping to hear some great inspiration to help me make it through another day.  Nothing really struck me though, until I walked out my door.  It had been such a rainy, yucky morning that I hadn't been able to run, but as I turned from locking the door a certain patch of bright blue sky caught my attention.  It was such a contrast to the gray and gloom all around, and I was somewhat mesmerized by it.  I felt almost as if it was God's way of telling me that everything was going to be ok.  After a minute of standing there in awe, I headed out for work.  On the way I began to ask for peace and the ability to show kindness and concern for all of my kids, and not to feel overwhelmed.  I also began to beg.  "Please don't let today be like yesterday.  Please don't let the kids come in non-stop.  Please let me be able to get a break and focus on some of the other work I need to get done.  Keep them in class today.  PLEASE!!!". And at this point I found myself laughing and yelling out loud because laughter truly is the best stress relief.  And sometimes so is yelling.  :).  "PLEASE!"

And guess what happened?  I had a rather quiet morning with only a few sick kids.  I was able to get some work done other than giving out band-aids and checking temperatures (no that's really not all that I do), and at 1 pm the whole school lost power.  For about 2 hours.  The kids stayed in class thanks to all of the excitement, forgetting that they were sick and needed to see the nurse!  And I got lots of work done thanks to my laptop's fully charged battery :). 

I'm convinced that my begging had something to do with this, and that God really does have a great sense of humor.  It turned out to be a wonderful day :)

Sometimes it's okay to look back...

I'm a firm believer in looking forward to your future and not focusing on the past, but every once it a while I think it's okay to look back and see how far I've come.

Three years ago I wrote this entry as a prayer that flowed from my heart.  And I'm so grateful I did.  So grateful to be able to read these words today and be affirmed of just how much I've grown.  While the goal of peace is still a daily struggle, I look back and smile thinking of the journey that has shaped me into the independent, confident, and successful woman that I am today :)

My Week In Review...

School has started and my life is yet again consumed with 

keeping the kiddos healthy : )

Getting Organized.

Made With Love : )

This happens EVERY morning!  Love my Bubba Keg of Coffee!

Perfect end to a LONG week.  Pizza + Wine + Sex & The City + Good Company = One tired but happy girl.

Decided on this one after reading to the point of "What makes you happy."  
How could I not, it knew me so well : )

Better Late Than Never...

I've been so busy lately that I didn't realize it's been almost a week since my last post!  So sorry!  Life has been crazy trying to get ready for the first day of school.  I'd really like to offer some life changing revelation or advice, but after a 12 hour day, you're getting randomness.  Enjoy : )


*  I treated myself to one of my favorite desserts after dinner.  One Minute Banana Pudding!!!  And guess what?  It's 100% guiltless!

1 banana

1 tbsp plain greek yogurt

Splash of milk:  I normally use coconut or almond milk

Sprinkle of stevia:  You like my measurements don't you ; )

Sprinkle of cereal:  I like Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds

Directions:  Break the banana into pieces and place in a small bowl.  Microwave for one minute, stirring after 30 seconds.  It should end up caramelized.  You may have to add additional seconds, but check it often or it will overcook.  Add all other ingredients, stir, and enjoy!  Yum : )  Almost as good as Grandma's.  

Eat it and bring your sexy back.

Running Backwards...

I thought I'd try a more personal post, taken directly from my journal... Sorry if it's a little hard to read!

The Little Things...

Life is all about the little things. I'm convinced of this. It's the little things in life that allow us to experience joy, peace, love, happiness. Even in times of complete chaos, if you take just a second to look around I'm certain you'll find at least one small thing to make you smile. In February of this year I read a book, One Thousand Gifts, that taught me to look for the small things, and appreciate all of life's little blessings.  It's a christian based book describing one woman's journey to grow her sense of gratitude in life.

While it took me a while to really get into the book, it turned out to be one of my favorites because of what it taught me.  Inspired by the author I started my own gratitude journal (confession:  I'm the world's worst at starting something and not finishing, but I did manage to write down my gifts for about a month.  Now I just store them away in my memory).  

(Obviously I AM NOT an artist lol)

Today I woke to an early morning thunderstorm and have been enjoying it's peacefulness while cuddled up on my couch, sipping on a cup of hazelnut coffee, no responsibilities requiring my attention elsewhere.  My favorite!  I couldn't have asked for a better way to start the day : ) and have been inspired to share with you some of the other small things that have filled my gratitude tank.

• My mama coming to visit
• The perfect song during a run.  Yesterday I was especially loving "Ho Hey" by the Lumineers and "As Long As You Love Me" by Justin Bieber.  And no, I'm not too proud to admit that I listen to Bieber : )
• Cook Out Milkshakes!
• Chai lattes AKA "Christmas in your mouth!"
• Surprises in the mail and life long friends  

Taken 10 years and 1 day apart : )

• Randomness and random acts of kindness:  I passed this during my run yesterday morning, and it definitely made me smile : ) 

Thank you, whoever you are, for being cool enough to think to do this!

• Encouraging words from a friend validating who I am and what I'm doing in life; reminding me that no matter what time or distance is between us, our friendship will never fade. @ Angie Sneed : )
• Daily devotionals:  Charles Stanley and Joel Osteen are two of my fav podcasts to listen to while getting ready in the morning.
• Kiddos:  their innocence and fullness of life make my heart smile.
• The Bose system in my car.  Thanks to spending a week in a rental while my car was being repaired, I've learned that my morning drives just aren't the same without my Bose blaring to wake me up!
• Quotes (click here for some favs)
• The Beach AKA My Happy Place.

And the list goes on...  Seriously, I could keep this up for days!  No time now though, I've got to get my butt up off this couch and get dressed.  My best friend is coming today for a quick post-birthday celebration!

Happy Sunday : )

Birthday Shout Out : )

One of these days I'm going to make time to sit and write about the millions of things that have been on my mind lately. But for now, I'll just take a few minutes to wish my BFF in the whole wide world a HAPPY BIRTHDAY : )

 Friendship is something I truly value, and without a doubt can say that you have been the very best friend a girl could ever have. I can't thank you enough for always, always, always being there for me, for giving me advice, for holding your tongue, for encouraging me, listening to me rant, saving my life (because you have many times), having faith in me, being my partner in crime, putting up with my silliness, making mistakes with me, loving me, and most of all... for just being FABULOUS YOU : )

 You are such a wonderful person and deserve the best life has to offer!

p.s.  we need some updated pics!

Taking it back to my roots of food blogging today! I had some YUMMY food this weekend and thought I'd share...
After a great long run Saturday morning, I came home craving one of my favorite easy meals... Toasted turkey with goat cheese, spicy mustard, and apple slices.  Only I realized I didn't have apples and substituted peaches instead. Not bad : )

Dinner Saturday night turned out not bad either. In fact, it was DELICIOUS!!! I went over to help my friend Joey prepare to host her husband's football team cookout, but a last minute team meeting lead to the whole thing being called off. Instead of hosting, we left the five pounds of burgers and dogs in the fridge and headed out for an impromptu girls night : ) Within 30 minutes we were seated at the bar of Soul Gastrolounge enthralled in the amazing menu trying to decide what to order first! P.S. Never believe the hostess when she says there's a two hour wait. Slip her some cash or do what we did... pounce on the first bar stools that come available! Sitting at the bar is way more fun anyways.

Pork belly tacos with watermelon salsa...most AMAZING food ever! (This pic came from Yelp... I was too busy stuffing my face to take pretty pics)We also had the taramasalata and a replay roll. 

And last but definitely not least, on Sunday I finally decided to try out a new sweet potato recipe. It was very easy to make, and I loved it! Can you tell I have a thing for brussels sprouts too?

Spicy garlic black beans, Baked sweet potato filled with spicy black beans and topped with a warm goat cheese honey spread, And of course brussels sprouts with spicy mustard.

Oh, I almost forgot...  I was craving something sweet Sunday night and decided to try ad-libbing a recipe for black bean brownies.  Can you say EPIC FAIL!?!  More like disgusting bean flavored eggy pudding.  Disgusting!  Made their way to the trash can faster than anything containing chocolate ever should.  Maybe next time I'll actually follow a recipe.  I'll give them one more shot.

Happy Friday : )

One of my favorite parts of Friday...  Friday Dance on the way to work!

No, this was not today... like I said, no more videos while driving.  These are old.  Yes, I did this a lot before getting "busted."

Music...

It makes me...

Laugh

Cry

Nostalgic

Sing

Think

Motivated

Silly 

Weak

Run faster

Smile

Run slower

DANCE

Remember

Have De ja Vu

Strong

Free

Love

Relax

Peaceful

I could go on for days.  Pretty much, it makes my world go 'round : ) 

Right now I'm especially loving:

Cripple Me : Elenowen

No Regrets : Forest Sun

Delicate : Damien Rice

She's So Mean : Matchbox Twenty

Restlessness and the Great Ice Cream Debate

I didn’t have to work on Friday and spent the day trying to be productive, with hopes of getting my To Do list down to only one or two items.  I managed to spend most of the morning working out and then doing work on my computer, and finally made it out of the house around 2 pm.  At that time I set out to run a few errands, only to return several hours later feeling like I had accomplished very little.  

At 8 pm I was still feeling pretty unproductive, and a little bored after being holed up alone in my tiny apartment for most of the day.  I had been planning to head to South Carolina to visit family and a friend who was in town for the weekend, but realized that I hadn’t even packed yet.  It was looking like the 1.5 hour drive was going to have to wait until the morning, because as it was, I wouldn’t arrive until after 10pm.  Might as well wait and leave early in the am.  But what was I going to do for the rest of the night?  Feeling extremely restless, I texted my sister to tell her not to expect me until the next day and sat down to eat dinner.  Less than halfway through however, I changed my mind.  It might do me some good to get out, even if it was late.  And maybe I’d like a milkshake instead of the rest of my dinner : )  I picked up the phone to call my sister and she encouraged me to come on down.  She was bored too lol.  So I packed my bags, threw everything in the car, and Jackson (my pup, and I set out on our trip.  Unable to make up my mind about what kind of milkshake I wanted quickly enough to stop by the Cookout nearest my house, I decided I’d stop at the one in Monroe.  I had 45 minutes to decide on the perfect flavor : )  Since my trips to Cookout are pretty infrequent (yes, 2-3 times a month is WAY less than I’d like to go) I always go for exactly the one I’m craving, which is usually banana pudding.      Surprisingly though, this didn’t sound as enticing to me at the time.  I had already had a banana and yogurt earlier in the day, and was now craving something chocolatey.  The following is something like the conversation I had with myself while trying to make a decision... 

 “What if I tried a chocolate Oreo?  Or chocolate M&M?  Banana pudding peanut butter fudge?  Orrrr maybe the peach cobbler.  I’ve been wanting to try this one for a while, but no-  I’m pretty sure I want chocolate tonight.  Oohh... what about cookies!  A big, gooey chocolate chip cookie would be yummy!  I COULD just stop at a convenience store.  Maybe even find a chocolate chip cookie ice-cream sandwich!  This would be a little healthier considering it’d probably be less calories in comparison to a 1,000  some-odd calorie milkshake.  Or maybe I should just hold off on the sweet stuff all together for the night.  I’m sure there will be plenty of desserts around this weekend, and if I have a milkshake now I’m going to feel like I need to pass most of them up, having already expended my junk food calories for the week.  And besides, desserts are always better when you have someone else to enjoy them with.  So no ice-cream.  No cookies.  No candy bar.”  (Because a snickers bar had crossed my mind too)

Ridiculous, I know!    But when I reached the Cookout in Monroe, I just kept driving.  Passed right by the Dairy Queen too.  Decision made.  Instead of ice-cream, I pulled out the sandwich I had left over from dinner (because I always travel with a cooler full of food ; )) and finished it off.  And although it was yummy, I developed a stomachache almost immediately after eating it.  MORALE OF THE STORY:  Always choose the ice-cream!

The next day that’s just what I did (chocolate Reese’s cup milkshake), and I even got to share my enjoyment.  Looks like my nephew thought his was pretty awesome too!  

So does anyone else suffer from this kind or ridiculous indecision, or am I the only one?  Have a great one!

*Let Me Entertain You Disclaimer*

As noted in my original post, I did have a little accident recently that has somewhat interrupted my videos.  I was very lucky no one else was hurt or involved, and that the accident wasn't any worse that it was.  Nevertheless, it made me think.  Even with all of the hype about texting or using cell phones while driving, I've always disregarded the warnings and continued to use my phone while driving.  Having this little incident has made me realize how easily accidents can happen, I actually wasn't even videoing at the time but was simply changing the song on my Ipod.

I've had so many friends request to be added to my viewing list when sending out videos, and posting them on my blog is an easy way to share the love and entertainment.  After giving it a lot of thought I've decided to share while making it clear that I DO NOT promote cell phone use while driving in any way, but rather want to use this as an opportunity to encourage you to be safe.

As a professional in the medical field and especially working with kids, I feel it's my duty to be a good role model and struggled over my decision to post the videos for fear of setting a bad example.  From now on I only plan to record when the car is in park, but life is too short not to have fun and share the love : )

A Few Interesting Facts...

Just a little more about me : )

1.  The first time I flew in an airplane, I jumped out of it.
2.  I love to travel... My most interesting trips so far were medical missions to India and Haiti
3.  I ran my first half marathon last year and began training for my first full soon after.  Due to injury this didn't happen as planned, but I've just started training again!
4.  I have an identical twin whom I love.  (And the most AWESOME nephew in the world!)
5.  I want to write a book one day- a biography of sorts based on my personal journal entries.
6.  I drink hot chocolate everyday.  Usually twice a day.  Even when it's 100 degrees outside.
7.  I LOVE eating out in nice restaurants and trying new foods.
8.  I could happily eat my weight in watermelon.  And ice cream.  And of course bananas and peanut butter too : )
9.  I have the best family and friends a girl could have.
10. I want to see the world : )


And now for a little Friday morning FUN ; )

That Lovin'

I've spent the afternoon with my wonderful friend Joey learning lots of fun things about setting up my blog... and now I can finally post my videos!!!  Yay : )

Enjoy!!! (And if you don't know the story behind these videos, read about it here.

And this is how it all started...

Oh Mariah...

(Why I'm singing like a crazy person...)

Pass It On

As I was walking around a store earlier today, a little girl (she looked to be middle school age) said to me in passing, "You look really pretty."  My shyness came out in full bloom.  "Thank-you so much!  That's very sweet of you!"  I nearly whispered as I shrank away in embarrassment, kicking myself along the way because I couldn't come up with anything better to say.  

I mean, seriously!  This little girl had enough courage to tell me this, (you could tell she was nervous to do so) and all I was brave enough to respond with was a dinky little thank-you!  Ugh!!!  I hate how shy I can be sometimes!  

I spent the rest of my time in the store trying to work up the courage to find her and let her know how much her comment meant to me, but when I saw her again in the parking lot she was too far away for me to reach.  By the time I made it over to her she'd be in the car driving away.  Well... at least that's what I told myself.  If I had really wanted to I could have chased her down like a crazy person and given her a big hug.  But I chickened out. 

I couldn't stop thinking about the run-in during the drive to my next destination and eventually decided that I wouldn't let her words be in vain.  Although I didn't thank her as appropriately as I should have, I decided to make up for it.  I will share her kindness with another stranger... pass it on to someone else : )  

So thank-you, little girl, for being an inspiration to me.  Your kindness and innocence will be a blessing to not only me, but to others also : )  Happy Saturday : )



"A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.  The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves."

~Amelia Earhart

Fearless

Fear is a topic that really intrigues me.  It's an emotion that can be pretty hard to control at times, at least for me anyway.

Yesterday I saw a car that had the word FEARLESS written in bold letters across the back window.  It wasn't the nicest car to say the least, and I found myself wondering about the two men that were in the car.  "Are they really fearless?  What does that mean to them?  Do they mean fearless in all aspects of life?  Probably not.  They are driving a pretty crappy car... if they were fearless, wouldn't they have chased their dreams, made lots of money, and drive a nicer car than that?"  ... Please don't judge me for my ridiculous thoughts...  I realize it's pretty unfair to make judgements like this and immediately felt guilty.  I know everyone has a story, and material things definitely aren't what make life meaningful.  But my point is... are they truly fearless?

I'd like to think of myself as a pretty fearless person... not afraid to take on the world and all of it's adventures.  This however, is definitely not reality.  I'm fearful of lots of things... bad car accidents, illness, lightening, tornados, failure, and the list goes on.   If I'm really being honest, one of my biggest fears is fear itself...  letting this emotion keep me from reaching my full potential or missing out on great opportunities in life.  

For instance,  I've always wanted to model.  I think it's really cool and have my own personal reasons for wanting to have my face in a magazine.  Maybe even on the cover.  But it's not something I'd like to do as a career.  I think it'd be great to do on the side, but with the fashion industry being so competitive, I've talked myself out of putting in the effort to even try.  I'm scared.  I've been the subject of my mama's practice photography sessions many times, and am always horrified by the faces I'm making or the awkwardness of my body in the pics.  This alone has kept me from attempting to make modeling a hobby.  Why put the effort into something if I'm not any good at it, especially if I'm not going to do it seriously?  

But then the fearless side of me yells, "Why NOT?"  Life is to short not to try.  Life is to short not to go after your dreams, no matter how trivial they may be.  What do I have to loose?  What am I missing out on by not trying?  

God only knows... I think I just may try being a little more fearless.  So keep a lookout : )

"Always do what you are afraid to do." 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let Me Entertain You!

This all started when my favorite Christmas song came on, Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas, and I sent video of myself singing it to my best friend.  She lives several hours away now, but when the song first came out we lived together and would dance like idiots all around the apt singing the lyrics at the top of our lungs.  A co-worker got ahold of my phone once and saw the video, which resulted in me making more.  Once I changed jobs I would record myself singing on the way to work and send "I miss you" videos almost weekly for their entertainment.  Until this happened...



Oops!  No more videos while driving : 0   And thankfully, no one was hurt!



AHHH.  Sorry to tease you, having trouble uploading, but will work on it.  I'd love to have this as part of my blog.  Any advice on uploading videos is welcome.

A few things I'm loving right now...

• My Ray LaMontagne station on Pandora.


• Having the day off!


• Upcoming fireworks and hopefully family time.


• Watermelon = )!!!


• That I actually have a tan for the first time in years.


• Random finds at TJ Maxx


• 

My new running shoes...

[caption id="attachment_161" align="aligncenter" width="225"] I have a thing for shoes that look like they may be radioactive or glow in the dark. The brighter the better : )[/caption]

July Already.

Yesterday I had planned to go to church but when I was finally ready to walk out the door, it was 10:30.  Church starts at 10:30.  Crap.  So instead, I changed clothes again and went to Panera to listen to a sermon via podcast and do a little journaling.  I've been really slacking when it comes to writing and keeping making/completing my monthly goals. (I like to make lists and get lots of pleasure from checking them off as you'll see...)  I ordered my all time favorite salad- the asian chicken salad YUM! - and had to settle for the second best table.  My usual window seat was occupied by a guy who looked to be of Indian decent with headphones and a book in front of him.  As I settled in and began eating/listening to the sermon, I noticed the guy kept looking at me, and it freaked me out a little, not gonna lie!  I avoided eye contact and went about my business until I thought I heard him say something. Turns out he was asking me a question, so I took my headphones out and asked him to repeat the question.  Here's how it played out from the writing in my journal...

"I hate I missed church this morning, but feel that things happen for a reason and I'm where I need to be.  Hopefully I didn't miss out on any blessings.  Lord please help me to be open and receptive.  Give me words and help me not be shy!  There is an Indian guy sitting at the table next to me and he just asked me if I was at Epcot last night.  At least thats what I think he said.  I couldn't really understand him and was a little confused, so I politely replied, "No" and without being able to come up with anything else to say, turned back to my Ipad and put my headphones back in.    -And boy, God, do you answer questions/prayers fast sometimes!  lol.  I just put my writing on hold in the middle of that last sentence because the guy started talking to me again.  Complimenting my handwriting and asking me a million questions:  "What are you writing, Why do you keep a journal, What do you write about, Are you in school?".  It was an interesting conversation I guess, with several awkward moments intermingled.  Such as when he pointed out that I have "the salad in the teeth" and when he asked why, if my toenails are painted and legs are shaved, did I neglect the upper half of my body and not shave my arms or paint my fingernail!  Hahaha :)  I have to admit I was slightly caught off guard.  A lot caught off guard.  It was a little hard not to be offended, but pretty hilarious.  I've had my fair share of laughs over it all now.  So "Nick", if my journals ever do make it through publishing as you asked, here's a shout out to you.  Thanks for making my lunch interesting.  :)  And on that note, I think I'll pack up and head to the Running Company for a new pair of shoes (thanks Groupon).  I'll finish my writing later.  Happy Sunday!"

Too funny!  Oh yeah, and Epcot turned out to be the Epicenter!  I figured this out from the mention of Enso.

Anyways, let me go ahead and make this disclaimer... I am in no way a grammatical genius and this is one thing that has held me back from starting my book as planned.  Please don't hold it against me.  I also use smiley faces in my writing.  A LOT!  I've even had entries about my smiley faces.  Because I'm terrible at drawing them.