Sunday nights.
As of late, I have been loving Sunday nights.
They’ve been following the same pattern for a few months, and the type A in me loves it.
Sunday nights mean comfort, and warmth, and family, and communication.
I love Fridays and Saturdays and the memories they bring – fun and friends and busy and irregular. But Sunday evenings are something special.
As we prepare for the week ahead, we clean and meal plan and grocery shop. (Not exactly my favorite things.)
But at 5pm, the cork comes out and the music comes on. We put a new record on the player, pour some wine and start cooking dinner together. Husband grilling steaks. Me prepping veggies and salad. Puppy moving from one of us to the other, dying to be in the middle of all the action. We talk about the week behind and the week ahead and the things we’re looking forward to.
After dinner, we catch up on our shared TV shows or watch an 80s movie from our list, then turn in early to read and rest up for the week.
Even as we’ve been traveling a lot lately, we’ve been home by midday Sunday and able to keep our cherished tradition. Or as I’ve been returning from work trips, Husband has meal-prepped ahead of time with wine ready so we can just enjoy each other after time apart.
It’s perfectly boring, perfectly an old married couple evening, and I’m perfectly content with it.
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
Thankful.
I’m writing this post mostly for me. In no way am I trying to “humbly brag” about the amazing things in my life that I’m thankful for. Instead, I’m using this as a reminder to myself of how blessed I am even though it is so easy to forget.
Last year around this time I did daily posts about what I was thankful for each day, ranging from good food to clean sheets to “a busy August and a quiet September.” But this year I want to focus one thing I so easily take for granted: my job.
I have been at Walmart for a little over a year now. If you work at Walmart or know people who work at Walmart, one of the most common phrases people say about Walmart is that they get their moneys worth out of their associates, meaning it’s quite often long days, nights and weekends. We work hard for the money.
It’s often hard and stressful and frustrating, but as I’ve been looking back on my last year at Walmart I have been blessed in so many ways by this job. Now, I might have drank the kool-aid here, but bear with me. I’m not saying Walmart is the best company in the world to work for and I’m not saying I’ll work there my entire life, but I believe the experience I’ve gotten from one year of working there is unparalleled.
Let’s recap –
I’ve gotten to meet Drew Barrymore, Trey Songz, Kori Robertson and Steve Harvey. I will be meeting Garth Brooks and Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman) next week.
I’ve gotten to see Miguel, Jill Scott and BEYONCE perform at Essence Festival, and Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Hugh Jackman and John Legend perform at Shareholders.
I’ve traveled to New Orleans, Cleveland, Cincinnati, West Palm Beach, Nashville and San Francisco – including spending a day at Facebook Headquarters, which was just as amazing as you’d think it is.
I LAUNCHED WALMART’S INSTAGRAM. I was given the opportunity and the support to develop the strategy and content to launch the hottest social channel for the Fortune 1 company. I will forever be thankful for that opportunity.
I’ve been more challenged than I ever have been and ever thought I would be, whether making presentations to senior executives or managing 21 women on a day to day basis.
But most importantly, I’ve built some incredible relationships. I truly love the people I work with every day, and I strive to make a positive difference in their life. I started a women’s prayer group on our floor that gives me so much hope every time we meet because the ladies are just so inspiring.
I could not be more thankful for where I am in my life right now and the job the Lord blessed me with a year ago. I have no clue what my future holds, but for now, I’m content.
xo xo
10 teensy things that make me happy.
1. Immediately taking my heels off when walking in the front door after a long day.
2. When my favorite song comes on the radio.
3. Crawling into a clean, made bed.
4. Opening the sunroof.
5. That first sip of Diet Coke (every day).
6. Getting something unexpected in the mail.
7. Starting a fresh book. (A real one, not on an e-reader)
8. Putting the last dish in the dishwasher before turning it on. (Very strange, I know)
9. A smell that reminds me of a specific memory.
10. When husband sends flowers to brighten my day. (Okay this isn’t so teensy, but just made me so so happy today.)
xo xo
You might also enjoy: 10 things you probably don’t know about me, but should., 10 things I love about my life right now.
If you want to be happy, be. ~Leo Tolstoy
Happiness is:
friendship
the greeting of family when you haven’t seen them in a while
waking up to the smell of coffee
gorging on chocolate
laughter, and laughter, and laughter
a fresh, new magazine
clean sheets
a joke that rocks you to the core
spending time with your best friend
sunshine
a genuine hug
finding your passion
a child’s smile
opening a fresh page of a notebook and writing away
an unexpected text message
hearing a meaningful ‘I love you’
finishing a book
connecting with someone
recognizing the beauty of God surrounding you
realizing you still have time to sleep in
freedom
finding a song that connects with your soul
traveling with people you love
not giving a damn what people think
a breath of fresh air
giving
Life.
XOXO
