life lately
{celebrating this || an 80’s themed birthday for this beautiful lady #madeinthe80s}
{enjoying this || gorgeous weather + an art installation on my sunday afternoon walk}
{eyeing this || cute husband during happy hour}
{obsessed with this || perfect FNL mug, made even more perfect while watching little league practice from my porch}
{savoring this || wonderful girl time + delicious wine}
xo xo
Whole30: Week 3 Recap
It gets easier.
Week 3 was far and above easier than week 2, when I felt like I was constantly craving things I couldn’t have. I still want things (like gooey-cheesy-goodness macaroni and cheese from The Tavern, thanks to a friend’s picture on Instagram…), but I’m not obsessing over it or thinking about it as much as I was a week ago. Yeah I still want a cappuccino some mornings, but I’m very content with my black coffee. Yeah I still want some chocolate after dinner, but I’m very content with eating some fruit instead if I’m still hungry.
My relationship with food has changed dramatically. I use to think about every meal almost obsessively and about how I could make it as delicious as possible with cheese and butter and sister schubert’s rolls and more cheese. But now, I’m just thinking about what to eat that will fill me up and give me good nutritional value. Of course I still want it to taste good, but dinner doesn’t have to be phenomenal every single night. I think that will make those cheat days even better, right? (I can’t say because I haven’t had one in 3 weeks, but that’s what I’m thinking…) But it’s not like we’re eating bad food. Last week I shared a recipe we both loved, tonight we’re making steaks, and check out husband’s breakfast from yesterday! It was pretty damn delicious (and healthy!).
I’ve really learned a lot about myself and my body, and I’ve learned to say no. My willpower has shocked the heck out of me. I honestly didn’t know I had it in me. This is our final week of Whole30; however, we’ll be changing what we eat quite a bit even after the 30 days. I’ll share more about that in next week’s recap.
Hope you all have a wonderful week! (Enjoy some mac and cheese for me)
xo xo
You might also enjoy: Whole30: Week 1 Recap, Whole30: Week 2 Recap
life lately
{loving this || wonderful friend time at sassafrass}
{starting this || read about my first week here}
{changing this || my hair color, and LOVING it}
{listening to this || on a beautiful saturday morning}
{celebrating this || these cute siblings’ birthdays}
{watching this || day date with the sistahs to see magic mike xxl}
xo xo
Whole30: Week 1 Recap
Whole30: a month-long clean eating program similar to Paleo diet (low carb, high protein), stripping away hormone-unbalancing, gut-disrupting, inflammatory food groups, considered to be grains, sugar, dairy, alcohol, and legumes.
Last night I was tempted by Mellow Mushroom Pizza and two different kinds of homemade cake, and I did not give in! I’ll take a pat on the back now, please.
That being said, this has definitely been the easiest diet I’ve ever done. I’m 7 days in and can honestly say I haven’t been hungry once. I’m eating enough to satisfy my body, but not overindulging which is so easy to do with unhealthy foods. It’s a lot easier to not indulge when your only options to eat are meat, veggies and fruit. They taste great, but I’m not going to eat 3 bowls of salad.
Let me back up for a second – why am I doing this? Husband and I have been talking a lot lately about doing some sort of healthy eating re-start. We are only 2 months out from our European vacation, and I wanted to lose some weight and eat better, so that I can indulge on the trip and feel less guilty about it!
Mom gave me the book It Starts With Food and it was fascinating. After the first chapter I was convinced this is what we needed to do instead of some ridiculous juice cleanse. The program touts higher energy, better sleep, reduction of cravings and even helping with some chronic issues, which for me is headaches, and you’re eating REAL FOOD.
My thoughts so far …
PROS:
– Since it’s super strict, you know what you can and can’t eat. There’s no guessing, which makes it easier.
– The food is delicious! There are some amazing recipes on Pinterest.
– I can honestly say I’m already starting to feel better, and eating healthier makes me want to exercise more, which gives me more energy.
– It’s harder to eat out, so we’re saving money by staying in.
CONS:
– You have to plan, and cook a LOT, so it’s very time-consuming.
– You don’t get any cheat days. It’s only 30 days so you shouldn’t need to cheat. (I AM allowing myself alcohol once/week, but no cheating on the food – see first sentence about what I didn’t eat last night!!)
– Did I mention you have to really plan? And cook every night?
What I’ve been eating so far …
Breakfast: I’ve been eating fruit and almond butter, Husband’s been eating eggs and sometimes canadian bacon, and we’re drinking (black) coffee. There’s no way I could give that up. Saturday we tried a new recipe with this Breakfast Pizza Quiche I found on Pinterest. The site claimed it would take away your pizza cravings – HA, not exactly, but it was pretty good. We’ll definitely make it again with a few ingredient changes.
Lunch: I pretty much eat salad every day, which gets kind of boring, but it’s not bad. My mason jar salads make it a little more fun.
Dinner: Dinner is the hardest since by the end of the day the last thing I want to do is to cook. We’re still building up our easy Whole30 compliant recipe collection. My favorite thing we made this week was these lettuce wraps with ground turkey, spices, and salsa. Also, huge shoutout to our friends the Hotarys who had us over for dinner and made an amazing Whole30 meal!
Well onward we go into the second week! Keep us in your thoughts, share your recipes and pleeease don’t offer me any chocolate.
xo xo
this is real [saturday]
an unvarnished look at my lazy saturday
[no judgment please – you know you have these days too]
8:30am
rolled out of bed, learned how to make aeropress coffee + spent an hour and a half leisurely talking to an old friend about life
10:30am
ZUMBA [the one non-lazy thing I’ve done today]
12pm
showered [only because I was soaked in sweat from zumba], didn’t put makeup on + and put my PJs back on
12:30pm
watched 3 episodes of friday night lights [bawled my eyes out at one episode, The Son], ate some ice cream to console myself
3pm
tried to take a nap, didn’t work out, so turned FNL back on
4pm
decided to get some sunshine, sat on the front porch + read 2 magazines
5:30pm
turned on FNL again for a final episode of the day + some blogging [okay, this might have turned into 2 more episodes]
next up: cooking dinner with the husband, backyard fetch with the pup + ending the lazy, hazy summer day with a movie and wine
xo xo
life lately
{loving this || a wonderful weekend spending time with an old friend}
{drinking this || a sidecar after running 3 miles in a beer run}
{team building like this || from top to bottom: modern mission laser tag with digital media team; aerial yoga with regine’s rangers; lip sync battle at marketing summer outing}
{snuggling with this || adorable six-week old baby everett} 
{celebrating this || 4th of july with my love and family}
xo xo
Here’s Why I’m a Yuccie and You Probably Are Too
YUCCIE: Young, Urban, Creative, Cultured, Intellectual, Entrepreneur
Here’s what I learned this weekend: The Hipster is dead, and the Yuccie is born. And I’m a Yuccie.
First, let’s start with the Yuppie: originally coined in the 80’s, a young, urban professional who has a high-paying job and affluent lifestyle and who’s not afraid to show it.
Then the rise of the Hipster: a subculture of men and women in their 20s and 30s who value independent thinking, counter-culture, creativity and PBR.
And now, the Yuccie: bringing together the successful nature and affluence of a Yuppie and the creativity of a Hipster.
I don’t think there’s been a better term that identifies me and my husband. Continue reading to see why.
21 Things All Yuccies Love
via this Buzzfeed article and this Yuccie checklist
Having a solid opinion about hot yoga – Um, yes. I even wrote a blog post about it once …. Hot Yoga, thank you.
Not being able to watch only one episode on Netflix – The struggle is real.
Taking it personally when someone says they don’t like Beyoncé – How would that even be possible? She’s QUEEN BEY.
Creating their own vacation hashtag on Instagram – I may or may not be known for this among my friends …
Calling guacamole “guac” – Absolutely.
Calling margaritas “margs” – Obviously.
Knowing that guac costs extra – Of course.
Not paying for HBO Go – We just got HBO Go. Meaning we just got someone’s username and password for HBO Go.
Talking about not having cable – And I’ve also written a blog post about this …. Summer Nights + Why You Don’t Need Cable
Getting pissed every year Modern Family wins all the awards – Husband and I say this every.single.year while watching the Emmys.
Thinking about getting a tattoo but never actually getting one because they’re worried they’re going to hate it in a few years OR SAYING “I only want to get a tattoo if it’s meaningful” – While reading this one to Husband, “Omg, they know me so well.”
Waiting in line at food trucks – FOOD TRUCKS ARE THE BEST. < What a Yuccie statement.
Saying they’re “dead” when they’re not actually dead – I can’t even count the times I’ve said this.
Talking about Mercury being in retrograde – HA. I have told anyone who will listen about mercury in retrograde.
Blaming things on Mercury being in retrograde – HA. I have blamed anything possibly on mercury in retrograde.
Talking down to your friend if they don’t know what “bae” means – While reading this one to Husband, “I don’t think you’ve ever done this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you have.”
Not understanding people who have Androids – Do you know my husband?
Making fun of your friend for having an iPhone 4 – Repeat. Do you know my husband?
Really wants to go to Austin soon because hears it’s incredible – Husband and I talk about going to Austin at least once a month.
Takes boozy painting classes – Currently have 4 paintings from said boozy painting classes in my garage.
Loves Seinfeld even though it went off the air when they were 16 – We JUST started watching Seinfeld…. And we love it…. And it first aired the year I was born….
xo xo
M. Davis Diary Entry [June 20, 2015]
Sometimes your heart knows something before your head does.
It tugs and pleads and tries to give you all these clues that something is going on up in that head of yours, but you just don’t realize it yet. You think your heart is crazy and your emotions are going wild for no reason at all. There is no logical reason you should be crying this much at the Gilmore Girls finale you’ve seen 10 times before.
Tomorrow is Father’s Day. And as much as I want to think it isn’t affecting me, it is.
This will be the second Father’s Day since my dad passed away. And this one seems harder than the first. Is that weird?
It’s just a made-up day. WHO CARES. Why would I feel any differently on this day than any other day?
Let me tell you when I hate social media – on Father’s Day. It is SO hard seeing everyone post pictures of their dads – throwbacks from when they were little, pics with dad at brunch, pics wishing dad a Happy Father’s Day from afar. It’s just hard to see. And I don’t blame you for posting it. I would be doing the same thing.
This week has been rough. Not for any particular reason, so I thought. I haven’t been sleeping well at night. I’ve been extra tearful. I’ve felt empty and moody and blah. My heart was trying to tell me something that my head hadn’t caught onto yet. I needed to face this. Think about it. WRITE about it, as is my catharsis. I want you guys to know it’s still hard. I want those of you who are also going through this to know I can empathize with you. I really can. It sucks. It really sucks.
Life is just hard. And I know everyone has told us this our whole lives, but there are moments when you really understand that. When something big is going on inside me, I get easily overwhelmed by the little things. Ask husband. I went on a tearful rant today about how it is just too hard to eat healthy, and to stay on an exercise routine, and to save money, and to not be greedy, and to pray more, and to keep the house clean, and to drink less, and to love more. [seriously, it was just like that.] I can’t do it all. And it all seems insurmountable in times like these.
Tomorrow, husband and I are going hiking around the Buffalo River. I’m not going to look at Facebook or Instagram and feel sorry for myself that I don’t have a picture to post. I’m going to focus on the natural beauty that surrounds us. I’m going to pray and reconnect my soul with what it needs. I’m going to soak up the sun, take time to notice the flowers and just breathe.
xo xo
life lately
{drinking this || so much iced coffee}
{dressing up for this || a kentucky derby party}
{eating this || trickdilly tacos}
{enjoying this || my beautiful farmers market flowers}
{celebrating this || our 4th anniversary!}
{working this || a busy week with these wonderful walmart mom bloggers!}
[1 Year Later] What I’ve Learned From Being a Homeowner
[first snow in our home]
I cannot believe it’s been ONE YEAR since we bought our first home – wow! It seems like just yesterday we were giddy beyond belief signing the closing papers, and headed home for our first meal (pizza + wine/beer) sitting on the floor. We walked the house dreaming of the knowns and unknowns to come, excited for it all, and mostly excited to be doing it together! What a monumental step to own your first home with your significant other. We’re putting down roots, planning for a family and a beautiful life together.
I wrote a blog post last May – What I’ve Learned From Being a Homeowner in the First 7 Days. Well, it’s been a year now, and I’ve learned a whoooole lot more.
1. Housewarming parties are always a good idea. I’ll always cherish some of the first memories in our home with our best friends and family. There are still blue feathers to be found.
2. Unless you’re very wealthy, it takes time to decorate a house, and you have to be okay with that.
3. A yard is HARD WORK. Why didn’t anyone tell me about the dandelions, the moles, the stubborn weeds and the cost of a lawn mower?!
4. Speaking of hard work, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and pay someone to help you. Because we do enough hard work on our own.
5. There should be a “things-you-need-for-your-home-but-you-haven’t-thought-of” kit, including things such as a ladder, water hose, edger, gardening gloves, level, hand vac, etc. etc.
6. Get involved in the neighborhood. Even if it’s just through the Facebook page. You want to know when the neighborhood garage sale is and when there’s been a rash of patio furniture thefts.
7. Even in a new, dream home, there will always be things you wish you could change. Resist the urge to covet. Be content with what you have, because it is such a blessing.
Finally, there’s no place like home.
xo xo
Photobook: Bentonville FILM Fest + Fayetteville FOAM Fest
B E N T O N V I L L E F I L M F E S T
What: An inaugural film festival celebrating women and diversity, co-founded by Geena Davis
When: May 5-9
Where: Venues all around NWA
[opening ceremonies at crystal bridges. first photo via bentonville film festival]
[the only movie I got to see during the festival, but it was incredible!]
[movie showing + panel with robert de niro!]
[thursday night baseball game + showing of a league of their own]
[hosts of the baseball game – geena davis + rosie o’donnel. photo via chris davidson]
[volunteering at crystal bridges and got to see some awesome panels]
[closing ceremonies with the husband]
[loved spending time on the blue carpet with kaity + had some awesome celeb sightings! from top: courtney cox, khandi alexander (aka mama pope!), melissa joan hart, soledad o’brien + nick cannon, bruce dern]
F A Y E T T E V I L L E F O A M F E S T
What: A craft beer sampling festival, showcasing 300+ beers
When: May 9
Where: Walton Arts Center parking lot, Dickson Street
xo xo
What I Learned From Hosting My First Dinner Party
It’s hard.
Parties are already hard enough, but add in the dinner part and it’s even harder. I’m not a cook, and never should have attempted to be one. Cooking for two is enough of a chore most nights, so cooking for eight is rough. How do people know when they should start everything so it all comes out at the same time? How do you finish cooking while greeting everyone as they arrive?
I’m the kind of person who wants everything completely done by the time the first person steps in the door, and that is not going to happen with a dinner party.
[Note: I am being a little overly dramatic – everything turned out wonderfully, with no mishaps to speak of. I was more stressed out on the inside, than I was on the outside, which is always a good skill to have.]
Before I share some photos of the evening, let me back up a bit – while in Vegas with the sistahs, we decided to do a family supper club. Each of the four couples hosts once a year, youngest to oldest. We started the tradition and will pass it to Sister E for summer.
When it finally comes back around to us next year, I have it all figured out – not only will we have a porch party again, this time it will be a pizza porch party. One of our favorite foods, and so easy. I can spend more time on the decor, drinks and dessert, which I love, and less on the rest of the menu.
The Location:
Front porch – with folding tables, butcher paper tablecloths + rented chairs
[Without a formal dining room table, or seating for 8, you have to get creative!]
The Menu:
Baked Parmesan Pork Chops
Green + White Asparagus
Crockpot Potatoes
Baby Wedge Salads
Sister Schubert’s Rolls
[Not Pictured: Appetizer – Baked Brie with apples, summer sausage + vintage cheddar cheese]
The Drink:
Sunset Sangria
15 oz. Blanco Tequila
1 bottle of Pinot Grigio
25 oz. Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
25 oz. Club Soda
1 cup Lime Juice
Mix together. Add ice and large fruit garnishes. Enjoy!
[Tip: Ask every couple to bring a bottle of wine. You supply a signature drink!]
The Dessert:
Pioneer Woman’s Lemon Lime Pound Cake – YUM.
So fresh, moist and very spring-y tasting. Also, goes perfectly with coffee the next morning.
The Guests:
The best part of any event!
The Morning After:
Coffee (and leftover cake) on the front porch, thankful for a wonderful family + the ability to get to host an event with abundant food and drink
Happy Sunday!
xo xo
life lately
{enjoying this || an evening on the Pedaler’s Pub patio listening to The Show Ponies}
{oohing and aahing over this || a beautiful remembrance of spring at our family house in Magnolia, AR}
{drinking this || moscow mules with family}
{eating this || (most of it anyway) at Crystal Bridges Wednesday Over Water event}
{celebrating this || a beautiful baby momma-to-be + a dear friend’s birthday}
xo xo
wednesday, my inspiration.
The most vibrant sound in the room is one that can either soothe or distress.
The wick is almost at its end, but fights for dear life, throwing its light from side to side and forcing itself to be heard and not forgotten.
At times it competes with the screaming thunder, but its benefit is its consistency –
laying a raspy baseline throughout the room.
The puppy is confused. He looks up from his sleepy state on the newly carpeted floor, searching for the source of the hissing and buzzing.
The thunder stops and the rain begins; the wick seems to play in harmony with the pitter patter. Occasionally birds add a verse, bringing the illumination of spring.
The girl sits on the couch drinking it all in.
She sits in her cushy sweats wine in hand, after removing her corporate attire. She sits with fragrant food in the crockpot, waiting for husband to arrive home. She sits on her immaculate couch, admiring her new rug. She sits oblivious of how thankful she should be of nearly everything around her.
She sits in silence.
She allows herself the peace and rest and lack of distractions that are so hard to come by. She doesn’t feel the need to turn on the radio, or the tv, or grab her magazines.
She sits in silence.
And then the hail begins.
life lately
{enjoying this || warm days + new books}
{surprised by this || snow days + mesmerized looks}
{cutting this || six inches! short hair, don’t care}
{singing this || happy birthday to FIL at his surprise 50th + marcus on his golden birthday!}
{celebrating this || a night out with co-workers to squander our bonuses away}
xo xo
Short hair, don’t care
Raise your hand if you’ve ever chopped off your hair.
Raise your hand if you were as nervous and stressed out as I was.
Y’all, I was a mess. Why is that? Why was I so wrapped up in myself about my HAIR?? I loved my long hair, and I felt like it was my identity. For the longest time I couldn’t even imagine cutting my hair. It took me so long to get it as long as it was and I felt so beautiful with long hair. I often thought if anyone really wanted to punish me they should cut my hair in my sleep and I would be devastated. I recognize how narcissistic this sounds, and that’s one of the reasons I went through with it.
My worth is not in my hair. It’s not in my clothes. It’s not in the car I drive or the house I live in or the trips I take. Praise the Lord for that, seriously.
When I finally cut it, everyone kept asking, “What does your husband think?” Of course he loved it, but when I told him that, he said, “Why does that matter? If you’re happy, I’m happy.” Awww.
But he’s right. I should be confident in myself and my choices. It doesn’t matter what other people think. I know that’s easier said than done, but I really do think self-confidence is radiant. You can tell when someone loves their body no matter what their size and it’s just so beautiful.
I’ve only had my short hair for two days, but I have been LOVING it. It’s so fresh and easy. I feel more trendy and modern. And I’m so ready for spring. It’s given me the push I needed to transform myself into a healthier version of me – working out, toning my body and loving me for me.
“A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.” – Coco Chanel
xo xo
life lately
Outside of my #26shadesofgold birthday party and the wedding festivities, here are a few more photos from my life lately.
{celebrating this || southern food + southern art}
{enjoying this || our first snow day}
{dying over this || puppy cuteness}
{excited about this || bentonville film festival coming in may}
{loving this || our valentine’s day celebration with a couples massage}
xo xo
favorites, round 4.
1. Joggers: New obsession of mine and husbands. I’m practically living in them any time I’m at home, and just wish I could live in them any time I’m not home. They’re so comfortable, and come in a million colors. We already have 3 in our household, and know it won’t be long before its more.
2. Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson + Bruno Mars: I’m obsessed with this song! Ask husband, any time it comes on the radio I freak out and turn it up. Even though I’ve heard it probably a million times at this point.
3. Bobbi Brown Lip Balm: This was a Christmas present from sister K and I now can’t go a day without it! It feels so good on, and gives lips the perfect amount of shine.
4. How To Get Away With Murder: This has been one of my favorite shows this season! I look forward to it every week and have been audibly surprised too many times to count. Viola Davis is perfection.
5. Salads in a Jar: I wrote a blog post about make-ahead meals, including salads in a jar. They’re so easy, delicious and versatile!
6. Podcasts: After Serial, our eyes were opened. There are so many amazing stories out there just waiting to be heard! We’ve started listening to This American Life, Invisibilia and The Dinner Party Download. There’s just not enough time in the day!
xo xo
To see some of my previous favorite things: favorites., favorites, round 2., favorites, round 3.
Lazy, Hazy Weekend
Sometimes all you need is a guilt-free, lazy, hazy weekend.
And that’s exactly what I’ve had.
After the craziness of the last month, husband and I were excited to have a weekend with very minimal plans. (I can’t have no plans, because then that would just stress me out.)
Friday night we went out with friends for dinner and drinks and had so much fun. We talked craft beer + $100 whiskey, laughed about shark bites/tacos and dreamed about a trip to Thailand.
Then it was glorious, wide-open Saturday. Some days I say I want to stay in bed all day, but then I really don’t. I get anxious and think about all I need to do or feel guilty for being such a bum. But that was not the case next weekend. I had no problem at all laying in bed all day (I’m talking literally since wake-up to 4pm) catching up on my current TV shows, watching Gilmore Girls, reading all my magazines and blogging. It was fabulous. We then got a call asking if we wanted to go to dinner and a movie. Since we had literally no food in the house and felt like maybe we should be social, we got out of our pajamas for none other than pizza.
[I call this my, just-rolled-out-of-bed-but-only-for-pizza look]
We decided to continue our laziness, and after dinner didn’t go to the movie, but went home to watch our own movie on the couch (back in our joggers). We finally saw The Theory of Everything and LOVED it.
Sunday has been almost as amazingly lazy as Saturday, but unfortunately I did have to venture out in the cold to go to Walmart.
[I call this my, college-student look – UA baseball cap, fayettechill sweatshirt, uggs]
Don’t you just love these kind of weekends? I certainly love my busy, fun weekends with husband and friends, but I also adore these where you can really experience some relaxation and peace. It was exactly what I needed this weekend. And to top it off, we’ll enjoy a cozy night in with champagne and The Oscars.
xo xo
weekend update [golden birthday party prep]
F R I D A Y N I G H T:
a satisfied craving [loaded baked potato]
2+ hours of a brilliant, moving film [boyhood]
an evening of pure RELAXATION on the couch with my boys
S A T U R D A Y:
[golden birthday party errand #1] cake dreaming + ordering with mom
[golden birthday celebration #1] mexican brunch (complete with sparkling margaritas and hilarious recounts of our separate, but both ridiculous new years eves) + pedicures with my girl S who unfortunately will be out of town for the golden birthday party
starbucks stop with husband for flat white + iced coffee [fuel]
[golden birthday party errand #2] my favorite employer: walmart for glitter, glue, frames + more
[golden birthday party errand #3] guess who for drink pricing (and drinks)
pizza, wine + 30 rock after a full day of errands
S U N D A Y:
[recharged] via serving coffee with a smile + worshipping at church
learned the background of piri piri chicken [while eating it] and deciding it’s our new favorite food
[golden birthday party errand #4] home depot for tools + things we know nothing about to mount things we bought at ikea we know nothing about
glitter + gold spray paint + wine bottles + mason jars and 3 pinterest projects later [golden birthday DIY complete]
hours [literal hours] realizing we are not the handy type [with said things from home depot], but figuring it out anyway and being so satisfied with husband’s job well done
breathing a collective sigh of relief that house projects + golden birthday projects are complete for now
sitting on our front porch [in the 60 degree weather! in january!] drinking a beer, watching the sunset + realizing how truly thankful we are for it all
xo xo
The only constant is change.
My mom is getting re-married in February.
The end of January into February will be a rush – from a golden birthday bash, into a weekend in Vegas with my new sistahs (we’ll get into that), straight into the wedding weekend full of everything wedding, including a big brunch at my house on the wedding day.
But I’m stopping to breathe, think and write about it – my catharsis.
I found out a few months ago, so I’ve had some time to really process. I’ve processed day and night, in tears and in smiles, with friends and in solace.
Y’all know I don’t sugarcoat these things. I haven’t sugarcoated my year and the difficulties I’ve gone through while losing my dad. So I’m not going to sugarcoat this. It took me a while to understand. It took some words of wisdom from wise people, some prayer and a lot of love.
A few thoughts from the small-minded, selfish head of mine:
Why so soon? What’s the rush? What does this mean for me? Who are these new people who will be my family? How am I expected to interact with them? How long will it take until everything feels comfortable and normal? Will it ever feel comfortable and normal? Am I disrespecting my dad? How can I move on? How am I the only one who seems to still be grieving? Why can’t I move on?
But, here are a few things I’ve learned over the last few months (again, thanks to wise people, prayer and a lot of love):
Life is short. We’re meant to love. We’re not just meant to love only once in our life, but potentially more. We just have to open ourselves up to it. Why would I ever stop love and happiness in the life of one of the people I care about the most?
God knows what he’s doing. He purposefully puts people in our lives for very specific reasons. God cares for my mother and know what she needs at this time. Who am I to say that God’s timing is incorrect?
Everyone grieves differently. This one has been such a hard lesson for me to learn. If I’m still crying and upset, I don’t understand why you’re not. If I don’t see or hear you talk about it, I think you don’t care abut it. Not everyone shares their feelings publicly like I do, so I can’t then assume they don’t have feelings.
But, here’s the best news of all – my mom’s fiance and his family are the best possible people I could ever ask for to become family. Seriously. I’m not exaggerating. If I didn’t believe that, I just wouldn’t say anything about them at all. I consider myself beyond lucky – I now have 4 incredible families I get to call mine: the wonderful Appletons, who I spent the majority of my holidays with growing up and will always love dearly; the beautiful McLaughlin/Woodwards, who I’m enjoying getting to know more and more in my adult years; the fabulous Aldermans, who have openly embraced me into their family; and now the Nelsons …
Not only do I now have another great male figure in my life, who is an amazing man of God and gives terrific advice and sermons, I now have sisters – as an only child, something I only DREAMED about when I was young, but knew it could never possibly happen. I’m reminded of the Bible story of Sarah giving birth to Isaac at age 90 – when she heard this was to happen in a year, she laughed because she thought it was impossible, but the Lord said, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
So here we are, almost a month from the wedding. Our families have integrated seamlessly. We’ve had Thanksgiving together and Christmas together. We’ve gone pole dancing together and had incessant group texts together… AND we’re going to Vegas together the weekend before the wedding to celebrate (“the sistahs” – me, mom and the two sisters E + K).
As husband said as we left Christmas dinner, “If you were going to add to your family, these would be the people.”
Thank you, Lord, for providing love and happiness for my mom. Thank you for providing sisters (and their amazing families) who are thrilled to be part of mine and husband’s new life stages (babies… soon! disclaimer: not currently pregnant) to share their advice, hand-me-downs and endless love.
But most importantly, thank you, Lord, for helping me through this constantly changing thing called life.
xo xo
life lately.
{laughing at this || a mother’s birthday celebration never to be forgotten}
{enjoying this || a wonderful christmas party with some of my favorite people + nerf guns}
{obsessing over this || #teamadnan}
{loving this || the best christmas present – one of my dad’s old scarves with my initials monogrammed on it}
{celebrating this || 2015 with my two baes}
{doing this || anything I can to stay warm during #polarvortex}
xo xo
Resolutions. [10 days later]
Turn off the TV by 9pm. Get in bed and read.
Cook more with my husband.
Step away from my phone when around other people.
Blog more. Blog about what matters to me, not for others.
Embrace who I am. Don’t force things I’m not, like spontaneity.
Read the Word of God every day, even just for 5 minutes.
Go outside. Enjoy our backyard. Enjoy our energetic puppy.
Be engaged. In world events, in relationships, in work, in play.
Do small, unexpected things for people I care about.
Make our house a home.
Be more conscious about the food that goes in my body.
Love my body.
Take each day as it comes. Do not worry about tomorrow.
Travel somewhere new. In my hometown, in my state, in my country, in my beautiful God-given world.
B E H A P P Y.
xo xo
2014: my year in pictures
{January: celebrating my 25th birthday with dear friends}
{February: Trips to Tulsa to see Aziz Ansari + San Francisco for work}
{March: an unforgettable weekend getaway in Hot Springs}
{April: Derby Party at Crystal Bridges}
{May: bought our first house!!!}
{June: vacationed in Gulf Shores + celebrated this beautiful couple’s marriage! #aldermansinalabama}
{July: took advantage of summer + floated the river}
{August: celebrated our new house by throwing the best housewarming party ever}
{September: ran our first 5k together}
{October: Halloween-ed it up as Lego sailor then Tom Cruise}
{November: second annual weekend getaway with our community group}
{December: celebrated birthdays + holidays with my favorite people}
xo xo
m.davis xoxo 
