2013. Wow.

It never dawned on me that I was making such an egregious mistake until I read a few simple words on the blog of an acquaintance.

"I am living the life I have been waiting for". 

A short sentence that literally felt like it hit me over the head.

This creeping feeling of discontent and boredom that I have been feeling, finally had a voice. I have been waiting for something my whole life. I have been moving through every day, not recognizing the milestones and the importance of what I have done, am doing, and will do, but rather brushing them aside and moving into the pattern of waiting for what is to come.  Waiting to become something, do something, have something.  Even though that something, whatever it is, has more than likely been reached and even surpassed a million times without me noticing.

I want to live the life I have been waiting for. The strange reality is, that it will only happen when I stop waiting for it to come along and realize that I am already there on so many levels.

These are not resolutions, but promises that I am making to myself.  Promises that will hopefully show me the life I lead is a life that is good enough to be the one I have been waiting for.

1. Be fit, healthy, and happy with my body.
2. Be organized, keep my home tidy.
3. Be thoughtful, patient, and kind.
4. Be a wife, mother, homemaker (Easy kids: this one is not happening this year)
5. Love without care.
6. Give without expectation.
7. Learn to just BE
8. Put effort into the relationships that matter to me; family, friends, romantic.
9. Be OK with things not going as planned.
10. Stop comparing, stop competing.
11. Do something truly adventurous.
12. Do something truly selfless.
13. Learn new things.
14. Make new friends.
15. Communicate better and stop expecting people to read my mind.
16. Take care of my skin, you only get one face.
17. Dance.
18. Appreciate every minute, every thing.
19. Accept flaws without assuming weakness.
20. Stop judging. Myself and others.
21. Notice the small things.

So Happy New Beginnings. Hopefully 2013 brings you all the love and happiness you deserve!

A certain kind of sickness.

Home.  Such a tiny word. 4 little letters that leave a hole in my heart, a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.

What is home? Home is not four walls, home is not the place you live or the place you work. Home is not tangible. Not a physical destination, not something you can touch or hold.

Home is a deep breath and the feeling of being safe. The place where it is perfectly fine to be held and have your back tickled long after you pass your 5th birthday. Home is the chatter of voices that make it hard to sleep in silence, the bickering, the laughter.

Home is where tears are cried and wiped away. Stories are told and lessons are learned.

Home defines our souls and shapes the lives we will lead.

I miss my home.  I miss it every day.

#Heystjude

Check. It. Out.

www.heystjude.org

Some pretty amazing people lent their time to make this possible!  All you have to do is share this to help save children's lives.

Shelves are stocked

Last week I book less, this week the shelves are stocked.

First of all, let's preface this with the fact that RJ and I have found a sweet, non-chain owned book store in our neighborhood that has an equally adorable cafe where we have spent more than a few lazy, rainy afternoons.

Although, I posted a link of the 10 books every girl should read in her 20's, I kind of forget to print it or even write stuff down for when I went book shopping. Oops.  I did go in armed with a list I had been keeping at home of books that sounded interesting.

And now, because I know you are sitting on the edge of your seat waiting and debating on what I bought, here is the list of titles now living on the bookshelf in my home:

The Night Circus here
Seating Arrangements Here
American Wife Here
The Glass Castle Here
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail Here
History of the World in 6 Glasses Here
Where We Belong Here
Girls in White Dresses Here
Room Here
Gone Girl Here

A good mix of mindless, serious, thrilling, historical, and enlightening.

I'm currently reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and it is absolutely captivating.  I am over 2/3 of the way through and look forward to going to bed every night so that I can read more of it.  Highly, Highly recommend.

By the way folks, when did books get so expensive?  I mean goodness gracious.

Book Envy

So a few weekends ago I found RJ a vintage set of the Lord of the Rings books at an antique store.  It was super cool with a fancy box and gilded spines, and I am a nice person, so I bought it.

But, now we have a dilemma...he is reading in bed at night and I am jealous.  I normally have a book or two on my nightstand and currently I have none. Poor, poor, pitiful me. While he relaxes at night propped up against the headboard engrossed in his book, I am relegated to playing with the pups, annoying him while he attempts to concentrate, or willing myself to sleep with his lamp on. Not fair, I tell you, not fair.

I always keep a list of books people have recommended, reviews I've read in magazines, etc, etc, but I have not gotten around to buying any books and I CANNOT get the hang of reading on the iPad.  Therefore, my mission this week is to stock up on new books to keep on the bookshelf in the office so that I will never be bookless again.

On this topic, I came across a list of 10 Books every girl should read in her twenties.  I've read a few, but the others will make it onto the list for this week.

http://www.lovetwenty.com/2012/01/10-books-every-girl-should-read-in-her-twenties/

What do you think?  Any suggestions?

A wish. A prayer.

I was browsing the internet and came across the following.

I watched. My heart swelled and tears ran down my cheeks (I'm at work, btw).

Dear God,

Please don't worry about riches, don't worry about beauty, don't worry about anything else in life. Just give me the ability to love and be loved.

Amen.

Lindsy

Please watch. allow your hearts to swell and don't stop the tears that may run down your cheeks.

And then: change your expectations, change your wishes, and change your prayers for what it is you want to be, have and do while on this earth.

http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2010/09/til-death-do-us-part.html

I am alive, and in fact not dead in a ditch.

It is already August! Where is time going?  I feel like it was just last week that it became socially appropriate to wear my sundresses and sandals (and I say socially, because we all know I would wear them year round if I made the rules).

Life has been crazy lately. I have done lots of things, taken lots of pictures and had a pretty amazing summer so far.

That being said, I have not had the energy or time to update all of you who are chomping at the bit to hear about my life. It's super exciting, I know.

I promise I will try my very very best to post some pictures and the fun stories that go along with them soon.

Until then, you can all just let your imaginations run wild with what I have been doing here in the land of the sweltering heat.