Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone!

I had a wonderful Easter weekend, and I especially loved today! My mom came to Birmingham on Friday, and we have been hanging out all weekend. Unfortunately, Michael had to work Friday night and all day Saturday. We got up early this morning to attend 8 a.m. church. Our church is normally crowded on traditional Sundays, so we decided to go earlier which turned out to be a great idea!

Celebrating our 8th Easter together!

Me and my mom!

After church, we met our friends Jamie, Eric, and baby Eli at Cracker Barrel for brunch. Sundays our my cheat day, and this was the first day I could eat sweets after lent, so I chowed down! Well, I knew I was going to work it off later because we had an afternoon of yard work waiting on us at home.

The ugliest, most overgrown trees line our driveway, and they are out of control! I can't believe how much work it was to just clean the darn things, and it still looks like we barely touched them. Michael used an electric tree trimmer, but we are seriously going to have to take a chainsaw to them really soon!

You can see how much the trees were growing over the driveway

Poor Michael! All he wanted to do was sleep all afternoon, but I made him work.
Look at all of those leaves!

Much Better!

We also trimmed Miss Scarlett as well! Her skin allergies are out of control again, and I think it's because grass and ragweed and all sorts of things get caught in her fur and make her itch. I pretty much butchered her, but I think she feels better. She looks like she lost a few pounds too!

She is such a good doggy!

After her hair cut!

I made a non-traditional Asian Easter dinner tonight. I love Asian food, and I am slowly learning how to cook some of my favorite dishes. I'm going back to my diet tomorrow, so I wanted to go all out tonight. I made homemade Asian lettuce wraps and shrimp pad thai, and I feel like they turned out pretty good!

I have gone 40 days without any dessert, sweets, or candy, and I cannot wait to get my hands on my dessert that's waiting on me in the refrigerator. I picked up a piece of 4 Star chocolate ganache cake from Whole Foods, and yes...I plan to eat the whole thing!

Doesn't that look good!?

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter Weekend! I am so blessed to be a believer, and I am so happy to know Jesus lives!

Eggs Are Bad!

But wait...I thought eggs were good for you! What's all this about the "Incredible Edible Egg?" Eggs are good for you, eggs are bad for you, do you like eggs? Well then eat them!!!

The debate over eggs is one of a gazillion confusing issues we Americans have about food - I being one of them! What we eat should be easy, but I think we can all admit, what we put in our mouths is the topic of debate every day! We are obsessed! Off the top of my head, I can easily spout off different types of diets that are all supposed to produce miracles:

The Cabbage Soup Diet, South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet, Lemonade Diet, Hollywood Diet, Weight Watchers, Sugar Free, Gluten Free, Nutrisystem, Vegetarian, Vegan, Grapefruit Diet, One Good Meal Diet, Slim Fast, Protein Shakes, Special K Diet, Soy Diet, Whole Wheat, No Red Meat, Diabetic Diet, Alli Weight Loss, Acai Berry, Low Fat, Zone Diet

Sadly, I knew all of these, but I promise I have not tried all of them! Ones I have kicked around a bit are the Atkins Diet, Vegetarian Diet, Slim Fast, and Whole Wheat.

About two years ago, I drastically cut down the consumption of meat. My anxiety was very severe, and I read several articles that claimed eating meat creates anxiety because the animal produces anxiety and adrenaline hormones when slaughtered, and these hormones are in the meat we eat. I don't doubt that there is merit to that argument, and I followed it strictly. So, for two years, I have been eating a ton of whole grain and dairy, almonds, some veggies and beans, little fruit, and lots of ice cream! I thought I was eating healthy because I didn't eat meat, and I ate whole grains.

My day to day anxiety has diminished compared to where it was; however, I have the brittlest nails, my stylist says my hair is thinning, I am always bloated, my stomach hurts every day, I have had little energy for a while and I just haven't been feeling my best. I don't feel bad, but I just don't feel really good either.

I started researching (because that's what I do) other diets, and I ended up so confused because everyone's opinion was so conflicting. Obviously my list of diets proves that point! I came to the conclusion that all of our bodies are different, and what I have been eating because someone told me to eat it may not be working. I need to figure out what works for me.

So, here are two "diets" that I have started to follow to see if they will improve my energy and curtail some of my symptoms. I don't really like to call them diets because they are more about changing my lifestyle and eating habits rather than losing weight. I want to feel better and be healthier, and I want to cut down on processed food.

I have pretty much combined the ideas of The Paleo Diet and The Blood Type Diet to suit what I want and like to eat. I was introduced to The Blood Type Diet by my coworker Keri whose trainer told her to try it. Basically, you eat and avoid the designated foods depending on your blood type. I am O Negative, and funny enough, I am supposed to avoid all grains and eat lots of meat (pork excluded), which is not even close to what I have been doing! Some fruits and veggies are excluded, and mostly all dairy is excluded. No Ice Cream!!!! Some of the foods that I am "not allowed to have," I refuse to give up. These include: avocado, oranges, strawberries, blackberries, eggplant, pistachios, peanuts, Greek yogurt, and coffee. Supposedly, my blood type receives the most benefits from beef and lamb, cod, olive oil, pinto beans and black eyed peas, broccoli and spinach, plums and tea. Mostly, I've followed the suggestions for meat and grain with this diet.

The Paleo Diet is interesting as well. This diet is followed much more strictly by major meat eaters who are trying to bulk up. Many who practice Crossfit follow this diet to add protein. I'm not interested in bulking up, but what I like is that it promotes whole foods. Processed foods are not allowed on this diet. It is strict when compared to the average American diet because it only allows foods from the Paleolithic Era, including grass fed meat, game, fish, vegetables, wild fruits, eggs, and nuts. Only water is allowed as your beverage of choice. That means NO dairy, beans, grains, sugar, coffee, tea, or alcohol. I found some great recipes that don't make this diet seem too bad. I just have trouble giving up beans and some dairy. I have been trying to eat less cheese, but I think eating yogurt is good for you. I can't and won't give up my one cup of coffee, and I don't want to give up my occasional glass of wine. Besides wine and cheese are perfect together!

Here's how I've been doing: My dinner at The Beacon last Saturday was sorta my last supper! For five days, I have given up all grain. I have eaten no bread and no sweets. I've increased my meat intake (grass fed), which has taken some getting used to. I've eaten lots of eggs, green salads with chickpeas, olives, feta, and balsamic vinegar, fajitas without tortillas, lots of water, and much more fruit. I have needed to increase my fruit intake for a while. I have eaten protein with every meal and snack.

The verdict: I feel really good! I think it may have a lot to do with no grain and no gluten. I'm not as bloated, and my stomach feels better. I have lost 1 1/2 pounds, my clothes fit looser, I get up easier in the morning, and I am not yawning all day. Hopefully, I'll have thicker hair and beautiful nails soon!

I am still researching ways to ensure I have enough fiber and calcium, but all in all, I think this way of eating could work. I did forget to mention that I fully intend to cheat once a week on Sundays. I gotta have a little ice cream and some biscuits in my life!

Don't forget that diets vary with every body. I have learned that I need to figure out what my body needs, and I may need to switch it up and add some grains back into my diet. But if you are interested in seeing what works for your blood type or looking into The Paleo Diet, see if it could make you feel better!

Oh yeah, and if you feel like eating an egg, then eat one!

A Fun Weekend!

I am now crashed out on the sofa after a very long but fun weekend traveling to South Carolina and Georgia to spend some time with Michael's family. We were blessed to be able to leave early on Friday to head east toward Atlanta before some major storms hit Birmingham. Most of Birmingham was spared, but nearby Tuscaloosa was damaged by heavy storms and tornadoes. We arrived at Michael's mom's in Spartanburg, SC, late on Friday and went to bed pretty soon after arriving.

On Saturday, we got up and drove to Simpsonville, SC, to visit Michael's cousin Elizabeth who just had her second baby. Her daughter Mary Hart was born on April 1. She is precious and so sweet! There are a lot of sweet babies who have been born lately! Her older brother Brayden is almost 5 years old, and while I held Mary Hart, Michael played outside with him.

I feel like I'm getting pretty good at this baby holding thing!

After we left Elizabeth and Jack's, we drove to Greenville, SC, to help Michael's other cousin John and his wife Cindy move into their new house. Well, I guess Michael helped them move, and I sorta sat there and watched! It only took about an hour to unload all of their things, and after they got all the boxes moved in, we headed to dinner.

Michael was dying to go back to Spartanburg and eat at The Beacon. It's a famous drive-in dive where you go up to the counter and tell an old man your order before he yells it out and sends you down the line. It's a grease pit, known for its plates "A-Plenty," but it's a landmark in Spartanburg. It was actually featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, which is one of our favorite shows. I am glad we went, but I had to do some serious detoxing today after eating there!

Just check out our plates - Burgers "A Plenty"

This morning, we rolled out of bed and headed to Young Harris, GA, to visit Michael's brother Sean. We ate lunch together and walked around Young Harris College where Sean works. It was such a beautiful day, and it was nice to break up the drive.

We finally got home around 7 pm tonight, and I have been enjoying some time in the den. You would think I would want to go outside and walk since I have been sitting all day! Oh well, sometimes it's nice to be a little lazy!!!

Fear

My last post was about my journey towards getting rid of some major junk in my life and refocusing on the the aspects of life that should matter. I have been expoloring my beliefs, my values, my relationships, and my time. More than anything though, I have been evaluating my fears. I hate to admit it, but so much of my life is motivated by fear. There I said it...that was scary!!! I am motivted in may ways by fear, and I hate it. I don't want to be this way, I promise! I've been drudging through my fears a lot lately, and I've even discovered more fears I didn't even know I had. When will I ever stop punishing myself?!! Anyway, those fears are serious and need a lot of love, attention, and privacy. However, I did think it would make me feel better to share with you some of the other fears that I have - at least to make light of the subject!

Here are five irrational perfectly normal fears I have:

1: SNAKES - My fear of snakes has always been and will always be at the top of my list! I spot a snake and BINGO! I lose my breath, I sweat, I panic and shake, and I beg Michael to let me ride on his back (this happened twice last summer) because I know that nasty snaky thing will strike me from 50 feet away! I am extremely grossed out by snakes, especially the white and yellow albino snakes at the zoo. I mean seriously!

2. BLOOD CLOTS - About two years ago, I developed a sincere fear of blood clots that resulted in a couple of doctor's visits and my very own lovely pair of support hose for diabetics that I wore quite often. So, I don't really wear the support hose much anymore, but I still sit at a desk a lot. At the first sign of leg pain, I panic that my leg is going to burst open!

3. RUNNING OUT OF GAS - Just today, I borrowed my friend Keri's car to pick up some lunch. Michael dropped me off at work today, so I didn't have my own ride. She was nice to let me borrow her car to pick up Subway, but as I drove away with no cell phone and suddenly realized she was on EMPTY, I seriously considered turning around and eating crackers for lunch. Maybe I'm more afraid of running out of gas with no cell phone, but it creates major anxiety to think about being stuck at a red light with a million cars behind me because I am out of gas! Do you know the kind of looks I would get!

4. DARK WATER - I think it is one of the eeriest feelings in the world to be in water when I can't see what is lurking down below. This isn't a fear I've had my whole life because I grew up on the lake, but I just can't hardly go in water anymore because I picture car sized catfish eating me or worse yet, JAWS! I don't know, it just creeps me out!

5. NO COVERS - I know I'm not the only one who gets creeped out when you are sleeping with no covers. I cannot sleep unless I'm covered up. End of story. We live in Alabama for heaven's sake, and it gets hot! It will be 80 degrees in our bedroom, and I will still have covers on me. It's a fear of feeling exposed I guess or maybe it's a comfort thing. I am just anxious if I'm not covered up!

Okay, so I've exposed some of my sillier fears, now if I could just get around to the others.

Refocusing

Life for me lately has been about refocusing my priorities. Lots of weeding has been going on in this little heart of mine! In so many areas of my life, I have pretty much had enough. I have wasted a lot of energy on things that do not matter. Too bad I didn't realize this much sooner! In wasting my precious time on the crap in my life, I have failed to appreciate what I am finally realizing actually matters! I am nowhere close to figuring out what my refocusing means and where I'll end up, but what I do know is that I want life to be simple.

A simple life guided by intention, consciousness, and self-awareness. A life where I'm guided by God and my heart rather than by the world around me.

I want to remove myself from the distractions and the influences that make me insecure, afraid, and anxious, and I want to embrace and appreciate the relationships, opportunities, and moments in life that create love, joy, peace, and hope. I know that so much of this is open-ended, and I have lists and lists of changes I want to make that are clouding my head right now-but just moving toward minimizing the crap and maximizing my joy is making me smile as I tell you about it!

I know I will share my progress when its time. For now, I want to share a great post from an inspiring blogger who gets it when it comes to fleshing out the unnecessaries in life. This post is written by a man for men to read, but it's so beautiful and so perfectly aligned with how I feel. As a woman, I enjoyed what he had to say.

Do yourself a favor and take a few minutes to read his post. If you are a woman, change the genders around and replace men for women, husband for wife, and father for mother. I think it was written for us too!

The Hairs on my Head

"And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows." Luke 12:7

Doesn't that just make you smile?

In my quiet time this morning, this verse spoke to me and calmed me in so many ways. God knows every part of me and loves every part of me. He knows what I am worried about, he knows what I'm going through, and he is right by my side loving me and seeing me through life's challenges. I struggle daily with fleeting moments of anxiety, worry, fear, insecurity, and doubt, but this verse, breathed by the word of God, tells me that I don't have a reason to be afraid.

Afterall, "Can all my worries add a single moment to my life?" Matthew 6:27

I am blessed beyond measure, and I feel ashamed sometimes to know the things I worry so much about. They are so trivial! So many people in this world have far more to fear than I do. But this world is difficult no matter who you are or what your circumstances may be. But I am learning by the grace of God that faith makes this world less scary! I pray that my faith will increase with every second, so I can rest assured in a God who knows the very number of hairs on my head!

We're Going to Boston!

I forgot to tell everyone that we officially booked our 5th Year Anniversary trip to Boston last week! I can't wait! I am even happier because Michael is so excited! We are going fin May, and I hope it is going to look like this every day! Originally, my Christmas Post exclaimed that we were going to Boston and New York, but let's just say EXPENSIVE!!! We would love to do both, but time and money got in the way, and I think Boston is more our speed. So that's where we are going! I also have family in Boston who are going to hook us up while we are there, so it's perfect. Some of the things we are going to do include The Freedom Trail, a game at Fenway Park, snooping around Harvard, eating at a pub named "McGreeveys," and taking a day trip to Cape Cod. Michael even mentioned that he wanted to take me whale watching, which is something I wanted to do in Australia but we never did.

I think I am most excited about going here!

If any of you have visited Boston, please comment and tell me where to go, what to see, and especially where to eat!

Funny story...yesterday morning I woke up at my mom's house to the lovely headline about the Southwest Airlines flights being cancelled after a horrible weekend for the airline. You can read the story here, if you haven't heard it. Well, guess what airline we are flying? Southwest baby! It's kind of crazy because a year ago, I would have gone into panic mode when I heard this story, but I was pretty calm about it. Besides, I told myself that by the time we fly, all of the planes will be in tip top shape. Right? (Taylor, you know I want you to comment about this!) I guess it may be a blessing that they found the problems before we leave. I am very proud of myself, and I feel like I have come so far with my fear of flying. Still, any prayers about that flight are greatly appreciated!

Don't forget! If you've been to Boston, let me know where to go!

Trip to Arkansas

I traveled to Arkansas this weekend to spend some time with my girlfriends in Hot Springs to celebrate my friend Andrea's bachelorette party. I planned a few extra days in AR to spend with my family as well. I arrived Thursday afternoon, and my mom and I hopped in her car and headed to the mall to do what we do best! On Friday, we got up early and headed to the salon. My mom got her hair cut and highlighted, and I had my hair lightened for the second time since I went darker. It feels nice to be blonde again! Later on, we headed to the ball fields to watch my cousin's son play his first game of baseball this season. This was an experience! I was highly amused by the game because the boys were so fun to watch, but I could have killed some of the parents. It is a shame how some of the parents yell at their kids and get so serious about the game. I thought playing ball was supposed to be fun! After the game, my family and I went to my favorite place to eat when I come home. I love US Pizza, and I make sure I eat it every time I am in Arkansas. I've been eating there since I was a baby!

Me and the baseball star!

On Saturday, I headed to Hot Springs to celebrate my friend Andrea's bachelorette party. Andrea was my college roommate for three years. We pledged ASA together, and she was in our wedding five years ago. I am so glad I got to see her and all of our best friends this weekend, and I am so happy for her! We stayed in a beautiful condo on the lake, and we celebrated with a fun lingerie shower in the afternoon before heading to dinner on Saturday night.

Me and the beautiful bride at the shower!

It was so great to see so many of my friends this weekend. We don't get to see each other enough, but when we do, it's so much fun!

I haven't seen Britnie in three years! We also lived together for a while, and I was so happy she could come to the shower. I also got to see her son Dax who is such a little looker!

Dax is a man on the move, especially when there are so many pretty girls around! I barely got this picture with him! I wish you could see his beautiful eyes!

I love me some Nicole! :)

We all went out to eat on Saturday night before going out. I love this picture of all of us. I am very blessed with some amazing and beautiful friends!

On Sunday, I hung out with my mom and we watched a million episodes of Real Housewives! I was tired, and I knew I had to get up early this morning to drive home, so we ordered in and vegged out on the couch. I love just chilling out with my mom!

I had an awesome weekend, but I am glad to be home with my favorite person in the world! Michael made me a delicious welcome home dinner, and we took Scarlett on a walk. It's good to be home!

Elijah Paul Wagner

I can count on one hand the number of times I have spent with little babies, and I have had the opportunity to spend time with two sweet little boys this week! My toddler time was great, but I held a newborn baby for the first time in my life yesterday. It was pretty surreal! Elijah Paul Wagner is the beautiful and perfect son of our friends Eric and Jamie Wagner. He was born yesterday morning at 7:24 a.m., and from what I know of his birth story, his arrival was not like any I've heard before. I think Jamie might be a freak of nature because she laughed the whole time she pushed (and her epidural didn't work on one side), and she said the whole event was much easier than she thought! From the pictures I saw from minutes after Eli was born, she looked like she had done nothing more than take a walk around the block! Michael got to meet Elijah this afternoon, and I got to hold him again today. He is so sweet and tiny!

How does a baby look on us? I think Michael was scared he would break him at first!

I wish we would have taken a picture with him together, but Michael said it was best we didn't send the wrong message! Ha!

I love his nose!

Right before we left, Jamie unwrapped him to get him ready to nurse. He was so much smaller once he was unswaddled (is that a word?). He kept making the funniest noises because he was mad that his mommy was trying to wake him up.

I am so happy for Jamie and Eric! They have so many family and friends who already love Eli so much. He is going to be one spoiled little boy!

The Tillmans come to Birmingham!

Our good friends from Henderson, Richard and Lacey Tillman and baby Asher, came to visit us yesterday. They now live in Savannah, GA, while the rest of their family is in Arkansas. Birmingham is halfway between, so Richard and Lacey and her parents met in Alabama and stayed with us. This was our first time to see their sweet little boy Asher!

My experience with babies is very limited, but I was very impressed by this little boy! He is so precious and sweet, and he is very, very happy! Lacey and Richard say that he sleeps 12 hours a night and takes naps during the day. Now that's my kind of baby!

In the 20 hours we spent with Asher, I found out that he is definitely a daddy's boy, and he loves balls, stairs, and puppies! He kept running to his daddy and to his grandpa, but he also loved Michael too. I really liked this picture of him and Michael playing together.

Asher loved Scarlett. He kept walking around pointing at her and saying "puppy, puppy." He hugged her all night long when she would let him, and he would rub his sweet little face against hers. I don't think Scarlett knew what to think of him though. I believe she was a little jealous!

Big lick from the Puppy!

Asher and his daddy Richard! He looks so much like his daddy.

Oh yeah...Asher also loves food! He didn't get those cute chubby cheeks eating Cheerios! This morning, I caught him giving Scarlett a piece of bacon his mommy had just given him. Scarlett warmed up to Asher really quick after that! She was his little buddy because she likes food too!

Scarlett begging for a pancake!

Everyone left around 11 a.m. and headed back home. I didn't want to see them go, but just 20 hours around a baby, and me and Scarlett were pooped! We took a little afternoon nap together, and I think she was happy to have her mommy to herself!

I am so glad Richard, Lacey, and Asher got to visit us this weekend. And just in case your wondering...we did not catch baby fever even though Asher was a little convincing!

What a Difference a Year Makes!

One year ago, I overcame two long years of panic attacks and anxiety to take that flight to Houston, TX. The occasion was seeing McGreevey Field dedicated to Michael's dad Kevin who had passed away months earlier. That flight was exhilarating and overwelming, and it ended a chapter of fear that had held me back for way too long! We will be flying again in May, and I am not nearly as nervous as I was last year. I am so thankful for the support I was given that helped me take that flight, and I am happy to say that a year later I am steadily kicking my anxiety's big fat butt! Just yesterday, my mom told me that I was much stronger than I give myself credit for. I think she may be right!

Excuse Me Doctor, What Did You Say?

I had a scary doctor's appointment yesterday. I'm proud to say that I have not been to the doctor in a year, but I guess yesterday's appointment made up for it! I admit I let my symptoms pile up before I finally made an appointment to get myself examined yesterday. I've been feeling tired a lot lately, I've always had trouble sleeping, I've got a bad case of TMJ, and I found a decent sized lump on my neck the other day. It was the lump that finally made me make that call! Trust me...you don't want to search WebMD for "neck lumps" or you will scare yourself to death! The lump is more toward the back of my neck, so I assumed it was just a knot in a strained muscle since I sit at a desk all day. I figured the lack of sleep is just a symptom of my anxiety, the TMJ is something I am just going to have to live with, and being tired is just my nature! I rattled off all of my symptoms to the nurse, and she said the doctor would be in to see me in a few moments. Instead, a few seconds later, she came back in with the news that my doctor wanted her to prick my finger and check my white blood cell count because of the lump and my fatigue. HUH?! Prick what? I have Cancer? I have a Disease? White Blood Cell Count? Nerves rising, stomach sinking, clammy palms! How am I going to tell Michael and my mom I have cancer? And you wonder why I have anxiety! It's not self induced I promise!!! Finger pricked, and I'm back in the office. Doctor checks the lump, and she says it's definitely a very swollen lymph node we need to watch. She asks if I feel bad other than the fatigue. I don't feel sick or anything, so I'm confused about why my lymph node would be so swollen. But into the conversation, I draw a connection to the fact that I pulled a tick out of my head last week (I know, it's so gross!) after we had hiked in the Boulder Fields. My doctor concluded that most likely, that little tick bite is causing my lymph node to swell. I was feeling better, but then the doctor moves on to my TMJ and tells me that there is really nothing that can be done. Here are the progression of steps I was offered: 1. Start with an anti-inflammatory 2. Move on to a muscle relaxer 3. then see an oral surgeon and have my jaw broken! I DON'T THINK SO!!! I left the doctor's office a little shaken up, but I was over the experience pretty quickly. Last night, however, I opened up my anti-inflammatory for my TMJ and antibiotic for my tick bite. The anti-inflammatory didn't scare me, but you should see the freaking horse pill I have to take to cure my lymph node! It's huge! As I always do, I read about the antibiotic before taking it, and I was shocked when it stated plainly that it is mostly prescribed to TREAT and PREVENT MALARIA! All I have is a tick bite from the Boulder Fields in Hoover, Alabama. I haven't been treking through the continent of Africa!!! I hate taking medicine, especially something strong enough to cure malaria! I felt doomed! Well...I sucked it up and have taken two horse pills so far, and that little lump seems a bit smaller today. I hope I'm in the clear, but I promise you I don't plan to have my jaw broken anytime soon!

Six Days of Randomness

This past Friday, my cousin Sydney and four of her friends from UCA stayed with us before heading down to Panama City for their first spring break trip. They got in late on Friday and packed up early Saturday, so I didn't get to spend much time with them. They were sweet girls though, and I am glad we could let them stay with us. Having them around made me think about my first and only experience with Panama City Beach my freshman year circa 2002!

Here is the group on Saturday morning before they left! Syd is the cutie on the far right.

I desperately searched high and low for a picture of me and my four sorority sisters who went to Panama City Beach nine years ago. So much has changed since then, most importantly, the fact that we didn't have digital cameras! We were rocking the wind up disposable cameras in my day! I went through all of my albums to take a digital picture of my film pictures of spring break, but I came up empty! I just think it would have been funny to compare the two. We dressed so differently, we definitely didn't text, tweet, or facebook, and we didn't use a gps system to get us from Arkansas to the beach.

After the girls left on Saturday, I went shopping while Michael went to work. On Saturday night, we dropped off Scarlett with our friends Nicole and Chris before heading to Auburn to watch the girls NCAA tournament game between Samford and Florida State University on Sunday. It was nice to stay the night away, and it felt like a mini-vacation! I think Auburn is such a cute town! The campus is so beautiful, and the town just feels so homey. I wish we could have stayed more than a night, but unfortunately Florida State beat Samford and we headed back to Birmingham on Sunday.

While in Auburn, Michael and I ate lunch at the original Momma Goldberg's just a block from campus. They have the best sandwiches, and the weather was perfect for sitting outside for a nice lunch.
We drove through the campus after lunch because I wanted to see the trees at Toomer's Corner. It is awful that someone would poison these magnificent trees, and I hope they are going to be saved. You can see that they are still alive, but the ground around them is blocked so you can't get close. I hope there is some way to save them. Rolling Toomer's Corner is one of the best traditions in college football, and I know that so many Auburn fans hope their children and grandchildren will partake in the same tradition twenty years from now.

As always, it was hard to go to work on Monday. I love my job, but I like weekends much better. When I got to work Monday, there was a huge cake to celebrate our company's 15th Anniversary in the breakroom from Edgar's Bakery. Oh my gosh this cake smelled heavenly and sinful at the same time, but I couldn't eat a bite because of Lent. A little wouldn't hurt, right? Just a lick of icing?! Don't worry, I was a good girl! It hasn't been that difficult to refrain from sweets (Michael would disagree), until this week, and I'm suffering a little bit! Today the cake was still there, and I can only hope they eat it all tomorrow and get that thing out of the office!

So last night, Michael brought home the first season of Mad Men. I've always wanted to watch the show, and I know I'm about 4 years late, but we started with episodes 1 & 2 last night. I loved the show, and now I know what everyone has been talking about for so long. I've heard it gets better, so I think I might just have to go on a Mad Men watching spree very soon! It is hard to get past the "man's world" mentality at first, and I am so glad I don't live in the 1960's! But I really do like the show.

Today, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed to say the least. I haven't slept well in two days, and I woke up several times last night-once to Michael sleepwalking and turning on the bedroom light because he swore he saw something! I yelled at him to come back to bed and after a session of mumbling, he finally turned off the light and went back to sleep. I could have killed him! I don't function well with no sleep, and my coffee didn't help this morning. I was already late to work and hustling to get there, and the most annoying thing happened on my drive in. This girl was behind me, and she was driving way too close to me. I could feel my blood pressure rising because she would not back off, and then she started putting on makeup while she was driving less than 20 feet away from me! I was ticked! I am pretty sure that if its against the law to text and drive it should be against the law to put on mascara while driving!

I promise I felt better later on today and finally snapped out of my crabbiness! We made a really delicious dinner tonight, and now I'm just hoping for a good night's sleep! Thanks for letting me be a little random tonight!

Caught by the TV Camera!

On Monday night, Michael and I went to the Samford Women's Basketball Team NCAA Selection Party. The women are 2011 Southern Conference Champions, and this is their first trip to the tournament. I think it's exciting that Michael gets to be a part of Samford Athletics history, and I am glad I got to go to the Selection Party with him. All the local news media were there interviewing the basketball coach during the party, and one reporter just happened to be interviewing the coach while Michael and I were in the background. You can't really see me until the end, but you can definitely see Michael. And it is FUNNY!!! His boss Grant has the cutest little girl named Maggie, and she loves to flirt with Michael. Well...the video shows Michael flirting right back, and even though he realizes he is on camera and tries to get out of the way, you can see him the whole time. If you want to see my goofy husband, check out the Samford Selection Party! On a different note, how is everyone doing with the one or more things you have given up for Lent? I gave up candy and sweets and Michael gave up sweets, cokes and sweet tea. Luckily, it hasn't been too hard for me, but I think Michael is struggling a little bit. He keeps counting down the days! Last night, he said "7 days down, only 33 to go!" I am pretty sure he was addicted to sugar! Giving up something is so simple, and it is irrelevant to give up sweets when I know all that Jesus gave up for me. But whenever I want some candy or a piece of chocolate, it feels so good to be reminded of the many blessings God has given me! Let's just hope Michael will survive :)! I hope you are all having a great week! Happy Wednesday!

A Perfect Weekend

After a week of rain in Birmingham, we were blessed with the most beautiful weather this weekend. We spent the entire time outside, and we had so much fun! Saturday morning we got up and started working on the outside of the house. Michael and Eric fixed the screen porch in the back, and they took down all the screens and Michael washed all the windows. I was so scared watching him clean the top windows. I'm a little afraid of heights I guess because my stomach had butterflies the entire time he was on that ladder! While Michael cleaned the windows, I raked the leaves in the front yard...and sadly, I was so sore from raking the next day!

All the screens are gone, and the windows look so much better now. They are clean and shiny and ready to sell the house! Saturday night, we had our friends over for dinner. We grilled out and ate delicious hamburgers and tons of other yummy food! After dinner, we challenged each other to a game of Scattergories. It was so great to all get together! I love it now that the weather is warmer because everyone wants to hang out more often.

All the girls and Baby Elijah who is going to be here in less than a month! Nicole and me with our fur babies Zeus and Scarlett

The love of my life :)

On Sunday, Michael, Scarlett, and I went hiking in the boulder fields. It was a gorgeous day, and it's best to get all of the hiking in before it gets to hot around here. Exercising in Birmingham can get pretty miserable pretty quickly in the summer.

There were several waterfalls and pools for Scarlett to play in while we hiked, and she loved it. I wish she would swim more because she loves the water, but every time she gets in she will only go as far as she can touch. If she gets too deep, she freaks out!

The wet girl after a little plunge!

She got so muddy, but it was worth it!

Scarlett and her daddy!

Some people hate losing an hour, but I personally love spring daylight savings. It may be one of my favorite days of the year because it means more daylight to hang out in once I get home from work. I love spring and summer, and the longer days seem to melt my anxiety away! This was a perfect weekend, and nothing could have made it any better!

McGreevey News!

On Friday, Michael's brother Sean and his girlfriend Caroline got engaged!!! Caroline called us late Friday night to tell us the big news, and we are so excited! Michael and I love Caroline very much, and I am personally so happy to have a new sister-in-law who is as cool as she is! They are perfect for each other, and we are blessed to have both of them in our lives. We can't wait for Caroline to officially join us as Caroline McGreevey!

Congratulations to the fabulous couple!

Me and my soon to be sister-in-law!

Scarlett Goes to Work

Recently, I told you how I have been blessed with a really great job. Just when I thought I was going to have to tough it how at a job every day that I hated, I was given the opportunity to work for a really great company who took a chance on a girl with no accounting experience. Today, I love my job even more!

Late yesterday, our real estate agent called to ask if we would be able to show the house. We really need to sell this house, but I really don't want Scarlett in the house while we are trying to sell it. It's pretty common that babies are allowed to join their mommas in my office (yes, they are that flexible!), and I hoped they would make an exception for Scarlett, my little fur baby!

No problem! My boss said I could bring her anytime!

So today Scarlett joined me in the office. It was nice having her around, but I doubt I will make a habit of it. She's spoiled, but not that spoiled!

Here are some pictures of our fun day at the office.

She slept most of the morning!

Chilling out looking out of the window in my tiny, but cozy office!

She was so good today, and she chilled out on her pillow most of the time.

I wonder if she hopes that we will show the house more often?

Some Things Never Change

Just as all weekends go, this weekend was not long enough. I feel like I blink my eyes and it's Monday again! Some things never change I guess, and I feel like a few things that occurred this weekend made me realize just that!

Michael and I would like to think of ourselves as free and spontaneous, not tied down by anything that would hold us back from late date nights and spur of the moment plans. But really, life for us isn't much like that; in fact, how we spend our time away from work hasn't changed much over the years. We are pretty good at being homebodies and more than anywhere else, home is where you will find us. Friday night, we spent the evening at home cleaning and doing laundry, and I am pretty sure we were in bed before 10 pm! I think it was 9:30 pm on Saturday. Spontaneous huh?!

Saturday morning, we helped out at the Dream Center before Michael dropped me off at the salon to get some highlights. Again...some things never change! I am officially on my way to bringing blonde back into my life. I liked my darker hair, but I honestly don't know why I ever change it because I always go back blonde. It will be a gradual process to get back to the color I want, but as you can see, I'm getting there!

This is me and Scarlett in November after going auburn/brown

This is me and Scarlett on Saturday after my appointment. This is a pretty bad picture of me, but you can see there is a little more blonde. I think it's going to take a few more times to get it where I want it.

P.S. Every time I look at this picture of me, I see my mom!

Another thing that unfortunately never changes is the unpredictable weather in the South. It was so dreary on Saturday, and I thought the rain would never stop! Yesterday, it felt like winter again, and it was very, very cold and gray. After weeks of gorgeous weather, it was depressing to feel like we were still dealing with winter.

Well, that was our weekend, pretty much the same as most weekends are for us! I hope you had a great weekend!

A Year Later

Today, I took a look back at some of my posts when I began blogging last year. Boy! I had a lot of time on my hands! I blogged a lot! Much of what I wrote seems like it happened so many years ago, which makes me realize how much change we have been through in such a short amount of time. It's been almost a year since I took the flight I was dreading terribly, and I am already anticipating another flight in a few months for our anniversary. I don't even feel nervous! It was interesting to read over the blogs about my struggles with anxiety and panic disorder. It's obvious I was going through some rough days there for a while! I was also doing a lot of soul searching when I began writing. I'm not much different now, to be honest. I'm still doing some soul searching, and I still have anxiety, but something in my life is different.

Our lives are no less chaotic than they were a year ago; in fact, here recently, I believe we've gone through a lot. We have been living in Birmingham, AL, since June after making a decision to move here so Michael could begin his career in athletics and I could begin my dream job in PR. We were both so excited to move here for better jobs and to be around many of our friends who have known Michael since high school and who were a part of our wedding. Soon after we moved here, the honeymoon was sort of over, and I realized my job was more of a nightmare. I was so disappointed in myself! I went to work everyday miserable, but I felt so guilty because I was mostly to blame for moving us here.

In the meantime, we started attending church regularly for the first time in our marriage. Many of our friends attend this church, and I immediately loved it. The music takes some getting used to if you aren't into contemporary worship, but the messages have always been great. The more we went to church, the more I felt my relationship with God strengthening. With church came a small group bible study, a daily quiet time, a stronger marriage, and a better relationship with God. My relationship with God grew as the difficulties at work grew, and I could not imagine how life would have been if it were simply me trying to deal with everything without a little help from the man upstairs!

For a few months, life was hard, and I questioned why we were here. But as time unraveled, I quickly realized that we weren't in Birmingham for jobs, we were here because it's where God wanted us to be, I believe for several reasons. He wanted us here to be with friends, to take care of a house that was going to need some TLC, to learn to budget, to strengthen our marriage, to seek our purpose in both our personal lives and in our careers, and most importantly to find a place where we would grow closer to Him.

Early November, my friend Jamie called me out of the blue to tell me her company was hiring, and she thought I would be great for the job since it required a person who likes to talk to people. Her company is a sales tax auditing firm full of accountants and numbers people. I sort of blew her off to be honest, I've been around some accountants, and they can be really crazy and really scary!!!! I'm a word person for heaven's sake! But I was desperate, and I thought "what the heck!" I sent her my resume but never heard a thing. My mom came to visit me over Thanksgiving, and she saw how stressed I was about my job. The whole week she was here, I was more worried about a stupid brunch I had planned for early December, and I couldn't even enjoy myself. Yes, I was miserable, and I was making my mom miserable too! By the time she left, I knew I had to find a new job. I planned to call a temp agency first thing the next week. I did a lot of praying that weekend, but after talking it over with Michael, we decided to my dismay that I should stick it out for a few more months. I had accepted my fate and went unhappily to work the next day. Two days later, I received a text from Jamie saying that the person originally hired for the job I applied for didn't work out and I was asked to come interview. That week, I experienced the shortest interview of my life and was hired the same day. Before I could catch my breath, I had made the decision to give up the job I had worked so hard to get to, the job that was going to take me places, and accepted a job as an audit coordinator scheduling sales tax audits! In a million years, I never would have guessed a girl like me who is still terrified of numbers would be working at an auditing firm and loving every minute of it! It is the best job I have ever had, and it is the only place I have worked where everyone gets along and truly cares about each other. It's right where God wanted me to be!

So a year later, when I look back at some of my posts about soul searching and anxiety, I still feel like I am the same person who struggles with finding who I am while dealing with anxious days...but there is one fundamental difference. I have a deeper sense of gratitude, a stronger faith in God, and a better sense of self that makes life a little less fearful when dealing with the change and chaos that comes our way.

If you were to ask me where I have loved living the most since Michael and I got married, I would have to say Birmingham, Alabama because it's the place I began the journey towards a strengthened relationship with God! For now, this is exactly where He wants us to be!

Murphy's Law

Murphy's Law - "If it can go wrong it will!" This is how Michael and I felt right around 7:00 pm on Saturday night up until I finally went to bed last night and decided "I'll get through whatever else goes wrong!" On Friday and Saturday, Michael and I attended the Ignite Marriage Conference at our church. Only speaking for myself, I learned so much, and I am so grateful that Michael and I are committed to making our relationship stronger. I was on a high Saturday afternoon leaving the conference, and I thought to myself, "the rest of this weekend is going to be great, and I can't wait to get home and talk about all we've learned!" Just a side note - Michael had to work Saturday afternoon, and I stayed for the last session by myself, and I couldn't wait for him to get home Saturday evening so he could tell me how much he loved the conference and how it made him realize I was the best wife ever! Okay, so maybe I was a little too optimistic! :) At 5:30 pm on Saturday, Michael called and said he was able to leave work early and he was heading home soon. Him leaving early never happens, and I was so excited. He asked what I wanted for dinner, and we ended the conversation by deciding on pizza. About 6:00 pm, he called and said he was heading home with two barbecue sandwiches and some chips he got for free at work. And the steam started billowing from my ears, but I made myself calm. The lessons of the conference started repeating themselves over and over in my head! I was so looking forward to that pizza! I don't like barbecue on a good day, and free, dried up bbq sandwiches from his work sounded awful! But...I had learned to be a patient and loving wife, so I agreed to the free sandwiches. Besides we have recently committed ourselves to Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover, and Dave would be proud of me for saving money! At 6:30 pm, Michael called again. He said, "Brandi, your wish has come true and it looks like you won't be eating barbecue afterall. I was driving down the highway, and I put my foot on the gas, but my car wouldn't go. I'm stranded on the side of the highway!" WHAT!!! But I had it all planned out...dinner and talking! Now he's on the side of the road waiting on his friend Eric to come help him out and who knows how long it's going to take! Did I mention, this is one day before we were planning to do our first budget since we have been married! Dave Ramsey warned us over and over in his book about "Murphy's Law"...if something can go wrong it will! The night before our planned Sunday budget meeting, Michael's car breaks down one day after getting serviced, and we know it's probably going to cost us! But wait...it gets better! Eric and Michael got the car pushed to a parking lot on Saturday night. Michael got home around 8 pm with his cold, soggy barbecue sandwiches. He didn't make me eat them, and we took my car to Taco Bell. It was kinda gross, but I was starving. Sunday morning, we got up and headed to his car to wait for a tow truck. His car miraculously started, so we decided to see if we could get it to the shop ourselves. He drove about 500 feet and once he got on the main highway again, it quit! So there we were on the side of the highway, with him pushing his little car and me at the steering wheel hopelessly making it to the next parking lot! On Sunday afternoons, you are at the mercy of any tower who you can find working. We called three times and we kept getting put off. So we killed some time with lunch and a trip to the bookstore. While we were at the bookstore after hours of waiting, our real estate agent calls and says an agent wants to show our house in two hours. Sure no problem....if we weren't on the other side of town waiting on Michael's car to get towed and the house didn't need to be picked up, dusted, vacuumed, mopped, sanitized, and de-furred, which on a good day takes us about 2 hours. We couldn't turn down a showing, so Michael took me home and I began cleaning. Everything was going well because I was determined to hurry up and try to enjoy my afternoon, and on our way back to the house, the man called us back and said he would tow Michael in the next 30 minutes, so our luck was turning around! I was upstairs, in the middle of vacuuming (I hadn't made it to the other two floors yet) when all of the sudden our brand new vacuum just stopped! I thought it came unplugged, but it looked to be securely plugged in to me. I unplugged it just in case and plugged it back it, but nothing! This was my worst nightmare! Two more floors to go, and have you seen the dog hair my little 18 pound baby sheds! I didn't know what to do! Michael got home shortly, and made it work again, well...for 15 more minutes! It quit again! Needless to say, the other two floors didn't get vacuumed, and I resorted to lent rolling both of our dark brown couches to hide some of Scarlett's hair! It was the best we could do! So after all of these disasters, we had a nice afternoon at the park while our house was being shown, and we came home to tackle our budget. I don't care what anyone says, budgeting is stressful because it requires a lot of discipline, which is a virtue I need to work on daily! But we got some things accomplished, and I had a good night's sleep! I want to thank Church of the Highlands for giving me the opportunity to attend a marriage conference before these disasters occurred because it gave me a little patience with my wonderful husband :). I also want to thank Dave Ramsey for warning me about Murphy's Law...this man is absolutely right! If it could go wrong it did, but we made it through!