ReBlog: My Top 10 Favorite Things About Christmas

This post was written in 2019, but seems relatively timeless as my feelings about Christmas have not changed. ❤️

MY TOP 10 FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT CHRISTMAS

1. CHRISTMAS MOVIES AND SHOWS 

Every year I look forward to watching classic Christmas movies. Whether it’s an adorable Hallmark movie or classic Disney, I am all for it. Some of my favorite Christmas movies of all time are It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, The Santa Clause 1, 2, and 3; as well as Home Alone 1 & 2, and Christmas Vacation. 

2. LET IT SNOW!

As a child, I always looked forward to snow. I would start praying for snow as early as September some years. I can recall many times going to bed with no snow on the ground, and waking up like I lived in a snow globe. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to not like the snow quite so much. It can be very beautiful, but absolutely stressful when you have to walk to class in a foot of snow. Regardless, I still love snow and appreciate a white Christmas every year. 

3. COOKIES, CAKES, BROWNIES AND BREADS

There’s just something about baking warm, delicious goodies when it’s snowing and cold outside, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I love baking cookies, cakes, brownies and breads and making my home smell so good. 

4. THE PEANUTS & CHARLIE BROWN 

The Peanuts & Charlie Brown is absolutely a classic. Every year my house is decked out in The Peanuts memorabilia. I have ornaments, a rug, lights, and other Christmas décor all themed Peanuts. 

5. CHRISTMAS MUSIC 

By November 1st, I am ready for Christmas music. I love when my local radio station starts playing Christmas music. Some of my favorite Christmas songs include: Do You Hear What I Hear? It’s Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas, Christmas Song, Silent Night and All I Want for Christmas is You. 

6. TIME WITH FRIENDS & FAMILY 

Time with friends and family is so precious. We never know how long we have with one another. It’s sad how it sometimes takes a holiday to catch up with these family members and friends, but never the less I am thankful for these times. 

7. GIVING GIFTS 

Giving gifts is one of my favorite things. If I had all the money in the world, I would honestly spend a majority of it buy things for other people. 

8. CHRISTMAS CARDS 

Christmas cards are something I have started to cherish within the last several years. I feel like snail mail is practically extinct and we don’t write letters and cards to people as much as we used to. I really appreciate Christmas cards from others, and I love sending out my own Christmas cards. 

9. COMFY, COZY LAYERS 

Comfy and cozy clothes are my jam. A day I can wear a pair of leggings and a sweat shirt is a good day. I also love being able to bundle up in sweaters, throw on some leg warmers, and even top off my outfit with a cute little beanie. 

10. REMEMBERING AND HONORING THE BIRTH OF JESUS 

Lastly, I love remembering what Christmas is truly all about, the birth of our savior Jesus! Jesus is the reason for the season. I am so thankful Jesus was born and we take the time every year to celebrate his birth. 

ReBlog: Our Love Story (Part 5)

Dating Charles was better than I ever imagined. Even though neither of us drove at the time of our courtship, we still found ways to spend time together through the week and on weekends. During the week Charles and I would come to school early and leave later just so we could grab a bite, study and spend time together on campus. There were a variety of dates that I loved and will cherish forever, but here a few of my favorites. 

WALKING THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

For our first Christmas together, Charles and I walked the Christmas lights in the downtown of our city. It was chilly to be walking more than an hour outside, but it was absolutely thrilling to run through the 12 Days of Christmas, and dancing through candy canes to the Grinch song. At the end of the evening we bought some hot chocolate and got to know each other. 

SUNDAY AFTERNOON LUNCH AT CLARA’S 

On a variety of Sundays, Charles and I would try finding a place to eat lunch after church. Unfortunately, there weren’t a lot of restaurants open on a Sunday afternoon in our downtown area. One restaurant that was always open was a classic restaurant on the river called Claras. We spent many Sunday afternoons going to Claras, splitting a plate of chicken wings and enjoying each other’s company. 

THE AIR SHOW/ CARNIVAL DATE 

Going to the air show/ carnival our first summer together was one of my favorite dates. We had so much fun browsing through the flea market, riding the Ferris wheel and playing carnival games. One memory I do have from that day was getting conned by a Carney, but hey I guess that’s part of the experience. We ended the evening eating chili fries, and watching the hot air balloons. 

SWIMMING IN THE RIVER 

One day after work, I had about 5 hours to kill before my evening class. Charles suggested that we be spontaneous and find a place to go swimming. He told me to wear my swimsuit under my clothes and bring a towel. So after work we walked all around the city trying to find a place to go swimming. Our goal was to go swimming in the local river that ran through the city. However, we wanted to find a private, and quiet location to do this. We searched and searched for about 3 hours, walking probably 6 miles and arguing a majority of the time. I was tired, hot and just wanted to swim. Charles was determined to find the perfect spot for us. Eventually, after a long brutal walk, we found the perfect location. it was a cute little area off a sidewalk near the river and the woods. Once we arrived we couldn’t wait to jump in and cool off. After jumping in we quickly realized, we had made a terrible mistake… the river was dirty and smelled like dead fish. What was even worse was I didn’t have time to go back home and shower before my evening class. And it was my internship class, something I really couldn’t skip. So, I ended up going to class smelling like dead fish. Thankfully the windows were open and no one said anything. That night I called Charles and we laughed about the whole thing. 

CHINESE FOOD AFTER WORK 

When we were dating, I was working at a childcare center. Behind the childcare center there was a delicious Chinese place that Charles and I loved going to. The best part about this restaurant was the buffet. We loved it. 

CONEY ISLAND BREAKFAST 

Some morning before work, and even some Saturday mornings we went to our local Coney Island. They had the best breakfast. It was the perfect little diner for us to talk, eat omelets and enjoy each other’s company. 

BABYSITTING TOGETHER 

Sometimes, Charles and I had the opportunity to babysit his nephews. Sometimes it was fun and sometimes it was slightly overwhelming. I really enjoyed watching Charles wrestle and have fun with the boys. Charles really enjoyed me getting to know his family. 

MOVIE NIGHTS 

Movie nights were probably my favorite and what we did most often. We spent a lot of time in my parent’s basement watching movies. Sometimes it was dramas or comedy’s, and sometimes it was classic Disney cartoons. I would usually end up falling asleep by the end of the movie, but we both still had a great time.

ReBlog: Our Love Story (Part 5)

Dating Charles was better than I ever imagined. Even though neither of us drove at the time of our courtship, we still found ways to spend time together through the week and on weekends. During the week Charles and I would come to school early and leave later just so we could grab a bite, study and spend time together on campus. There were a variety of dates that I loved and will cherish forever, but here a few of my favorites. 

WALKING THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

For our first Christmas together, Charles and I walked the Christmas lights in the downtown of our city. It was chilly to be walking more than an hour outside, but it was absolutely thrilling to run through the 12 Days of Christmas, and dancing through candy canes to the Grinch song. At the end of the evening we bought some hot chocolate and got to know each other. 

SUNDAY AFTERNOON LUNCH AT CLARA’S 

On a variety of Sundays, Charles and I would try finding a place to eat lunch after church. Unfortunately, there weren’t a lot of restaurants open on a Sunday afternoon in our downtown area. One restaurant that was always open was a classic restaurant on the river called Claras. We spent many Sunday afternoons going to Claras, splitting a plate of chicken wings and enjoying each other’s company. 

THE AIR SHOW/ CARNIVAL DATE 

Going to the air show/ carnival our first summer together was one of my favorite dates. We had so much fun browsing through the flea market, riding the Ferris wheel and playing carnival games. One memory I do have from that day was getting conned by a Carney, but hey I guess that’s part of the experience. We ended the evening eating chili fries, and watching the hot air balloons. 

SWIMMING IN THE RIVER 

One day after work, I had about 5 hours to kill before my evening class. Charles suggested that we be spontaneous and find a place to go swimming. He told me to wear my swimsuit under my clothes and bring a towel. So after work we walked all around the city trying to find a place to go swimming. Our goal was to go swimming in the local river that ran through the city. However, we wanted to find a private, and quiet location to do this. We searched and searched for about 3 hours, walking probably 6 miles and arguing a majority of the time. I was tired, hot and just wanted to swim. Charles was determined to find the perfect spot for us. Eventually, after a long brutal walk, we found the perfect location. it was a cute little area off a sidewalk near the river and the woods. Once we arrived we couldn’t wait to jump in and cool off. After jumping in we quickly realized, we had made a terrible mistake… the river was dirty and smelled like dead fish. What was even worse was I didn’t have time to go back home and shower before my evening class. And it was my internship class, something I really couldn’t skip. So, I ended up going to class smelling like dead fish. Thankfully the windows were open and no one said anything. That night I called Charles and we laughed about the whole thing. 

CHINESE FOOD AFTER WORK 

When we were dating, I was working at a childcare center. Behind the childcare center there was a delicious Chinese place that Charles and I loved going to. The best part about this restaurant was the buffet. We loved it. 

CONEY ISLAND BREAKFAST 

Some morning before work, and even some Saturday mornings we went to our local Coney Island. They had the best breakfast. It was the perfect little diner for us to talk, eat omelets and enjoy each other’s company. 

BABYSITTING TOGETHER 

Sometimes, Charles and I had the opportunity to babysit his nephews. Sometimes it was fun and sometimes it was slightly overwhelming. I really enjoyed watching Charles wrestle and have fun with the boys. Charles really enjoyed me getting to know his family. 

MOVIE NIGHTS 

Movie nights were probably my favorite and what we did most often. We spent a lot of time in my parent’s basement watching movies. Sometimes it was dramas or comedy’s, and sometimes it was classic Disney cartoons. I would usually end up falling asleep by the end of the movie, but we both still had a great time.

ReBlog: Our Love Story (Part 4)

On Monday November 3rd, I was a mixture of anxious and excited to see Charles. Everything in me had hopes that Charles was feeling the same way I was, and wanted to start a romantic relationship. But there was still a small part of me that feared that he just wanted to be friends. 

After my first class Monday morning, I met up with Charles in the main hallway of our community college. Seeing Charles with a huge smile on his face gave me immense butterflies. I was falling in love with him minute by minute. 

We sat down in the student center and discussed everything that we had already talked about over the weekend. We talked about any previous relationships we had had, what we wanted out of a romantic relationship and our intentions. We discussed boundaries, values, expectations a potential timeline and anything and everything in between. We then decided to take a day to think about everything we discussed as well as pray about it, before moving forward and officially start dating. 

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On Tuesday November 4th, Charles and I met in the cafe of our community college before Spanish class. Charles asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes and we officially entered into a courtship (dating with the intention of marriage). We decided we did not want to rush things. We didn’t want to immediately say I Love You, hold hands or be too close. We also wanted to save our first kiss for if and when we got married. Together we decided we wanted to use this time to get to know each other, grow closer to God and be the best people we could be in school, in our families and in our relationship. 

After we made it official, we gave each other a hug, took a selfie, bought two frappes and walked to Spanish completely head over heels. 

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About two weeks later, Charles invited me to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family. Even though it was casual, I was very nervous for this family gathering. I decided to bring a plate of brownies to the meal, in hopes that it would help to make a good first impression to his family. 

Charles was living at his Pastor’s house at the time we started dating. When I arrived and met his pastor, I instantly felt welcomed and at home. Throughout the day I was also able to meet his nieces and nephews as well as his sister and other close family friends.

At this family gathering, I was able to get a little taste of an old fashioned southern Thanksgiving. The food was amazing. There was fried chicken, turkey, ham, cabbage, black eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, corn, and mashed potatoes. It was amazing. The best part of the day was his nieces and nephews. My brownies were a huge hit with his family and even one of his nephews said they were “divine” 

Celebrating our first holiday together was a lot of fun, and definitely one for the books.

ReBlog: Grieving

The smell of a specific perfume, or the noise of a powerful laugh; the thought of a memory that happened many years ago, yet feels like was only within a few moments. The thought of missing someone so heavily that all of time stops, and your entire body grows cold. 

This is grief. 

I recently had a dream that my grandparents came over to my home. They were over the moon and all smiles about my son. They snuggled with him, played with him and laughed so deeply that it shook the house. They were honored to be great grandparents. They were in love with my son. 

Then I woke up. 

I woke up and remembered my Grandma and Grandpa were gone. Both had been gone for a few years now. One died from Alzheimer’s and the other from cancer. I remembered they were no longer apart of this life. They never got to be great grandparents and they never got to meet their great grandson. 

This is when grief returns. 

There are moments, I look at my son and I just can’t believe he’s mine. He’s a perfect mix of both his father and I. I can’t help but think of his siblings, the babies we had before him that we never got to meet. 

Grief hits hard. 

Last year when I was pregnant for my son, my best friend was pregnant with her daughter. My best friend lost her baby before 21 weeks. It was painful. It was excruciating and it wasn’t fair. 

Grief has defining moments.

My senior year of high school, a girl I knew from youth group drowned. At the time I could hardly fathom someone around my age dying. How could it be? She had so much life to live and so much love to give. Why? 

Grief is apart life. 

Without death there is no life. Without life there is no love. With love comes risk. We risk loving someone even though we know we could lose them. Love is more than a feeling, yet with it sometimes comes loss which can be excruciating. If we don’t love we don’t live. And if we don’t live then, what’s the point? 

Grief is a reminder.

As hard as it is to grieve, it reminds us of what we had. It reminds us of the good in our lives, the relationships and the memories. By grieving we aren’t forgetting those we love, we are remembering and we are honoring those gone, usually way too soon. 

We grieve because we love.

ReBlog: Grieving

The smell of a specific perfume, or the noise of a powerful laugh; the thought of a memory that happened many years ago, yet feels like was only within a few moments. The thought of missing someone so heavily that all of time stops, and your entire body grows cold. 

This is grief. 

I recently had a dream that my grandparents came over to my home. They were over the moon and all smiles about my son. They snuggled with him, played with him and laughed so deeply that it shook the house. They were honored to be great grandparents. They were in love with my son. 

Then I woke up. 

I woke up and remembered my Grandma and Grandpa were gone. Both had been gone for a few years now. One died from Alzheimer’s and the other from cancer. I remembered they were no longer apart of this life. They never got to be great grandparents and they never got to meet their great grandson. 

This is when grief returns. 

There are moments, I look at my son and I just can’t believe he’s mine. He’s a perfect mix of both his father and I. I can’t help but think of his siblings, the babies we had before him that we never got to meet. 

Grief hits hard. 

Last year when I was pregnant for my son, my best friend was pregnant with her daughter. My best friend lost her baby before 21 weeks. It was painful. It was excruciating and it wasn’t fair. 

Grief has defining moments.

My senior year of high school, a girl I knew from youth group drowned. At the time I could hardly fathom someone around my age dying. How could it be? She had so much life to live and so much love to give. Why? 

Grief is apart life. 

Without death there is no life. Without life there is no love. With love comes risk. We risk loving someone even though we know we could lose them. Love is more than a feeling, yet with it sometimes comes loss which can be excruciating. If we don’t love we don’t live. And if we don’t live then, what’s the point? 

Grief is a reminder.

As hard as it is to grieve, it reminds us of what we had. It reminds us of the good in our lives, the relationships and the memories. By grieving we aren’t forgetting those we love, we are remembering and we are honoring those gone, usually way too soon. 

We grieve because we love.

A Little Check In on this Year’s Goals

I apologize for my absence these past few months. Life has been extremely crazy with moving, returning to work and so many other changes. Here’s a quick update on how I’m doing on this year’s goals.

1. BUY A HOUSE ✔️

Guys I did it! I bought a house. After 7 months of searching we found our home! It’s a one bedroom with over 1100 sqt that easily can be turned into a two bedroom and already has two bathrooms. It’s perfect for our little family. Even though it needs a little work we are up to the challenge and are able to make it our own!

Here’s a sneak peek at the process of updating the flooring. I’ll give a more detailed update on the house later.

2. GO ON A FAMILY TRIP ✔️

At this point in time we haven’t gone on any big overnight trips as a family, but we have gone on a few fun day trips. We took a trip to the zoo in May. My son loved walking the zoo and seeing all the fun animals. We also took a trip to the dairy farm where we had some yummy ice cream and explored the petting zoo.

3. PUBLISH ONE OF MY BOOKS

Once again these have been put on the back burner. I have been exploring other dreams and career pathways that I am eager to share with you all very soon.

4. DECORATE MY NEW HOME ✔️

We’ve sort of started decorating. Honestly we’ve done more remodeling and repairs than anything else, but I’m hopeful the redecorating will come very soon.

5. GET MY EYES CHECKED ✔️

After like 5 years of procrastinating, I finally got my eyes checked and I had nothing to worry about. The exams were minimally invasive and the results were good as my eyes have barely changed. Thank goodness!

6. START OUR HOMESTEADING LIFESTYLE

Unfortunately, we decided to get a home in the city and we are unable to raise chickens and goats like I had first intended. That’s okay though, we’ll hold off on that for now and save it for the next home we buy in 5-7 years.

7. HOST A PARTY OR FAMILY GATHERING 

I had every intention of hosting a family gathering for my birthday. But we had to redo our floors because we had a plumbing issue. I’m hoping to host something in October, and have a football game watch party.

8. WRITE 515 BLOG POSTS

I’m not sure how many blog posts I’m up to yet. I’ve been slacking since February. However, I am going to try to be more intentional and get on here more often.

9. IMPLEMENT FUN AND STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES WITH MY SON ✔️

We’ve played a lot outside this summer, and even found some fun activities to explore inside. Structured activities are great but it’s also good to have a little flexibility too… especially with a toddler,

10. START DEVELOPING OUR HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM ✔️

I did start this! And then life got busy and I haven’t touched it since February. Hopefully I can revisit it again soon.

6/10 goals met! Not bad at all. 🙂

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MY WORD OF THE YEAR… Resilience

The word resilience I’d say definitely rings true so far. I or we have had to be resilient quite a bit this past year, like when we felt discouraged and kept getting outbid when searching for a home. We also found resilience when our car got totaled but it ended up being a blessing in disguise. Things don’t always go as planned but, we are striving to be resilient and praise God in whatever storm may lay ahead.

ReBlog: How to Style a Bookshelf

I think bookshelves can be so pretty. It’s practically art when you take the time to decorate and organize pieces of your home. Here are a few tips I use to style a bookshelf

.

1. Don’t clutter your bookshelf with just books.

2. Add some decor such as a sign, a picture frame or even a faux plant.

3. Make your book placement intentional. Whether you organize your books alphabetically, by genre, or simply tallest to smallest, make it intentional. Don’t make it look like you just tossed them up there. 

4. Add some sort of space for treasures or basic household items, such as a small box or 3 tier drawer.

5. Adding notebooks, paper and pens looks great too! 

6. Finally, add something above your bookshelf that catches the eye, such as an inspiring quote, a clock or a piece of artwork. 

And ta-da! You now have a stylish bookshelf!!!

ReBlog: Why We Named Our Son Matthew

When I was 19 weeks pregnant, my husband and I started discussing baby names. I wanted to find a name for a girl and a boy. I wanted to do this so that when we found out at our 20 week anatomy scan what we were having, we could give the baby a name right away. There was something about giving baby a name for the second half of the pregnancy that made things seem even more real. 

On my birthday, when I was exactly 19 weeks pregnant, Charles woke up and told me he had a dream. He dreamt that he was at some sort of musical event and his old choir director from college saw him. They started talking and his old choir director said “How’s baby Matt doing?” Then he woke up. Charles had another dream that same night where he was playing with a baby girl named Grace. 

Later in the morning as we were getting ready for breakfast Charles told me about the dream. He then suggested that if we were having a boy we should name him Matthew and if we were having a girl we should name her Grace.

I was shocked at his suggestion for the boy name, because Charles had momentarily forgotten that I had had a brother named Matthew. My brother Matthew died before I was born. He was 9 months old and died of a rare genetic condition, At first I wasn’t totally sure how I would feel about having a brother and a son named Matthew. 

Throughout the week, I continued contemplating both the names Matthew and Grace. I focused mostly on Matthew because I still had this strong feeling we were having a boy. I decided to look up the meaning of the name Matthew just to see what it said. A gift from God. I thought How perfect is that!? Our rainbow baby’s name means A gift from God. Charles and I loved the meaning of the name and we also loved that it was classic, biblical and could be shortened to Matt or Matty. 

About a week later we had our anatomy scan. We found out we were having a precious baby boy. We didn’t tell anyone about the boy name we had picked out until 23 weeks. At that time, I asked my mom if she would mind if we named our son Matthew. She was absolutely honored that we had even considered that name. She loved that her first grandson would be named after her son and she loved the meaning of the name. 

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So there you have it. We named our son Matthew. He is named after my brother and is our gift from God.

ReBlog: Top 10 Things I Will Miss About Being Pregnant

This post was written in 2021, a few weeks before having our son Matthew. I will admit, I do miss being pregnant and baby fever is very strong now that my son is a year old. But, don’t worry. I’m not pregnant. Just wanted to reminisce about the season in my life when I was. ❤️

Top 10 Things I Will Miss About Being Pregnant

At 32 weeks pregnant, I am realizing how quickly my pregnancy is coming to an end and we will soon be able to meet our precious baby boy! This pregnancy hasn’t always been easy but I have been very blessed to have gotten this far, and gone through this much. 

HERE ARE MY TOP 10 THINGS I WILL MISS ABOUT BEING PREGNANT 

1. THE PRECIOUS BABY KICKS, ROLLS AND SQUIRMS

2. CLEAR SKIN (FOR SOME REASON THESE PREGNANCY HORMONES GAVE ME THE CLEAREST SKIN OF MY LIFE) 

3. NOT HAVING A PERIOD

4. PEOPLE BEING SO NICE TO ME BECAUSE I’M PREGNANT 

5. THE CRAVINGS 

6. THE STRONG PREGNANCY SMELL 

7. LARGE APPETITE AND EATING FOR TWO 

8. CUTE AND COMFY MATERNITY CLOTHES 

9. THE EXCITEMENT AND ANTICIPATION OF PLANNING FOR A NEW BABY

10. THE PREGNANCY GLOW

ReBlog: 10 Signs You’re a Crazy Cat Parent

10 Signs You’re a Crazy Cat Parent

1. YOU HAVE SEPARATION ANXIETY WHEN YOU ARE AWAY FROM YOUR CAT. 

Do you worry about your cat being home alone while you are running errands or at work? Do you wonder if they will be on their best behavior or they will get lonely, if you are never there? If so, then you might be a crazy cat parent. 

2. YOU REARRANGE YOUR SCHEDULE SO YOU CAN SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR CAT. 

Do you sometimes stay home for no other reason then to spend time with your cat? After a long week of working, do you look forward to spending time with your cat on the weekend? If so, you may be a crazy cat parent. 

3. YOU TALK TO YOUR CAT, AND WAIT FOR YOUR CAT TO RESPOND. 

It is true that often times, pets are the best therapists. But not everybody has actual conversations with their pets and waits for them to respond. I am going to make a little confession. Sometimes, my kitty Rocky and I have conversations, and I indeed do wait for him to respond. If you also do this, then you too may be a crazy cat parent. 

4. YOU CONSIDER AND/OR ADOPT ANOTHER CAT SO YOUR CURRENT CAT WON’T BE LONELY. 

Do you scroll through pictures from your local shelters or pet ads from Petfinder, and consider adopting another feline friend? Do you do this because you have kitty fever or because you want your kitty to have another friend. Maybe even both? 

5. YOU SPEND MORE MONEY ON CAT TOYS, TREATS, FOOD, AND PET FURNITURE THAN YOU ACTUALLY PLAN TO. 

Confession time again…. I spent over a $100 on Rocky this past Christmas. But he’s my only baby at the moment, so I have no shame. Do you also find yourself strolling down the pet aisle, or finding ways to adjust your budget so you can buy more things for your cat? If yes, then you too could be a crazy cat parent. 

6. YOU GET UP EARLY OR STAY UP LATE JUST TO PLAY WITH YOUR CAT. 

Do you get up early just to spend time with your cat? Do you just adore how loving your kitty can be when he is waking you up and begging you for food early in the morning? Do you jump out of bed, and join your kitty when you hear him bellowing opera kitty music at 2am? If so, then you may just be crazy, or a crazy cat parent.

7. YOU REARRANGE YOUR FURNITURE SO YOUR CAT IS COMFORTABLE WHEN LOOKING OUT THE WINDOWS. 

Do you get your cat’s opinion on how to rearrange the furniture? Do you consider how he might want to watch his live tv of birds flying, squirrels gathering nuts, and dogs walking their humans? If yes, then maybe you are a crazy cat parent. 

8. YOU LEAVE THE TV ON FOR YOUR CAT WHEN YOU’RE NOT HOME. 

Do you worry your kitty will go crazy being in a quiet home for too long and decide to leave on the tv for them? Yes? Don’t worry… I do it too. I’m probably just as crazy as you. 

9. YOU LOOK FORWARD TO AND/OR GET EXCITED TO GIVE YOUR CAT CATNIP. 

Do you want your cat to love you?… I mean really love you? Do you look forward to giving them catnip and anticipate seeing the cat be all consumed by catnip? I do. 

10. YOU CONSIDER YOUR CAT AS ONE OF YOUR KIDS. 

Do you? I do. My kitty is my baby. 

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If you haven’t already guessed, I am a crazy cat mom and this was all just for fun. I hope I made you smile and brought some humor into your life today. Well, I’m going to go snuggle my cat now.

Bye!

20 Things to Accomplish Before I Turn 30 Check In!

Hi Friends! Wow, it’s been awhile since I took a look at this list. As many of you know, I love making bucket lists. I usually have goals for the year and even summer bucket lists. I remember writing this list out in July of 2020. My life has certainly changed a little since then. Let’s take a look at the list and see what I’ve accomplished so far…

MY GOALS…

1. HAVE AT LEAST TWO KIDS (THROUGH BIRTH, ADOPTION OR WHATEVER THE LORD HAS PLANNED)

This goal is half completed or completed depending on how you look at it. I have a total of 3 kids, but only one of them living earth-side while the other two are in Heaven. My husband and I would like to have another baby at some point, either through pregnancy or adoption. But we are open to whatever the Lord has planned.

2. WRITE 5 CHILDREN’S BOOKS (I THINK PUBLISHING AT LEAST ONE A YEAR SOUNDS GOOD)

I’ve written 2 children’s book but only published one. So, I should get going on this goal.

3. PUBLISH MY MEMOIR (I BETTER HAVE THIS DONE BY THEN)

This has not happened yet. But every year I’m working on it and putting myself one step closer to publishing.

4. MOVE UP IN MY FIELD WORKING WITH CHILDREN (WHETHER THAT BE JUST MORE RESPONSIBILITY OR A PROMOTION… I’M UP FOR ANYTHING)

I technically completed this goal because in March of 2021, I was promoted to opener at my childcare center. However, At this time in my life I’m not really sure if and when I will return to the workforce. I am really enjoying the stay-at-home mom life. If I do return back to my field of child development/ early childhood, I hope to move up and test the waters in curriculum design or even administration. For now I’m going to continue to dabble in children’s literacy.

5. MOVE INTO A HOUSE (I WOULD PREFER HERE IN MICHIGAN, BUT WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS)

I mean we have started the pre approval process and looking around. We are very close to completing this goal and hope to have a house by the end of the year.

6. GET A DOG (SOMEDAY SOON!)

Eventually, I would like to have a dog. But I would like to focus first on homesteading and getting some chickens.

7. MAKE MONEY BLOGGING (SOMEHOW AND SOME WAY I WOULD HOPE TO MAKE A SMALL INCOME OFF OF MY HOBBY)

I still would like to do this, but I’m not sure how. I also feel like my niche is changing and I’m not sure what I truly want to focus on.

8. MAKE MY DOG A BRAND AMBASSADOR (FOR REAL, I WANT TO TRY THIS)

This would be fun. It’s not a super important goal to me anymore, but if we do get a dog, I’d like to try it.

9. GO ON A WEEK LONG VACATION TO SOME PLACE WARM (FORT LAUDERDALE, OR MYRTLE BEACH SOUND NICE)

Yes, yes, and yes. This hasn’t happened since the year we got married. We are due for a vacation. We should start planning!

10. HAVE 5,000 FOLLOWERS ON MY BLOG (TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT MY BLOG YA’LL!)

I have over 300 followers now. Slow and steady wins the race right?

11. GET A CAT (THE DOG WILL NEED A FRIEND)

I did get a cat! His name is Rocky! We adopted him in 2020, shortly after I wrote this original post! He’s the best little fur ball!

12. PAY OFF HALF MY STUDENT LOANS (GET THEM THINGS PAID OFF)

This hasn’t happened yet because of the pandemic.

13. ATTEND AN NCFR OR NAEYC CONFERENCE (NOW, THIS WOULD BE FUN)

I still think this would be fun! I should look into when the next conference is!

14. WRITE A SELF CARE JOURNAL FOR WOMEN (WE ALL NEED A LITTLE DAILY SELF CARE)

I have the beginnings of a rough draft tucked away in a filing cabinet. I should probably dig that out…

15. VISIT NEW YORK CITY (I WANT TO SEE TIME SQUARE, GROUND ZERO, ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER, THE STATUE OF LIBERTY AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS)

I still really want to do this. Even if it’s not before I’m 30, hopefully before I die.

16. BE ON THE TODAY SHOW (I KNOW THIS SOUNDS CRAZY, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE COOL… WHO KNOWS IF IT WILL EVER HAPPEN)

I still think this would be cool. I have no idea how it would happen though.

17. GIVE A TED TALK (IT WOULD BE TERRIFYING, BUT I’D LOVE TO DO IT.

Same thing as the Today show. Don’t know how it would happen, but it would be cool.

18. WRITE 1,000 BLOG POSTS (THIS SHOULD BE DO-ABLE)

I’m on my way! Written about 415, so at least 585 or so to go!

19. LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST

This goal is always In process.

20. BE A GREAT WOMAN, MOM, WIFE, DAUGHTER, SISTER, FRIEND, TEACHER, AUTHOR AND HUMAN

One day at a time. Always striving to be the best I can be.

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4 out of 20, that’s a good start!