friday favorites – october 3.

October 3, 2014October 3, 201423 Comments

Another Friday on the books! Is it mind boggling to anyone else that somehow it’s OCTOBER already? I feel like this entire year has slipped through my fingertips. Excluding today, we have 12 Fridays left in 2014. Gulp. Let’s make the most of them! Okay, without further ado ….

Favorite Honor: Guess who is the Featured Blogger for the month over on FertileThoughts.com!? This girl! For those who aren’t familiar with Fertile Thoughts, get familiar. This site is the world’s largest social networking site focusing on fertility and infertility and provides education, support and resources for people building their families. If you could support me and check out this link to see my feature (plus a mini post) and their page, that would be awesome. A big welcome to anyone checking out my blog as a result of this feature as well, thanks for stopping by! (Feel free to share it too using the link: http://www.fertilethoughts.com/fertile-thoughts-blogger-month-chelsea) Jump into the forum boards and connect with me too!

Favorite Celebration: Josh’s grandma turned 80 this Saturday and I loved that we were able to gather as a family and celebrate her! She is one of the strongest, toughest grandma’s around and when she says a book made her cry, you know you better plan a trip to Costco for Kleenex before you open the first page. We love you Grandma Jones! Here’s to many, many more birthdays!

birthday tierras are a must at a party, right?

Favorite Thing I’m Looking Forward to: My trip to Savannah with Josh’s mom and sister-in-law is finally almost here! I can’t wait to peruse the south with my fake southern accent and take in all of the history and beauty Georgia has to offer. (I also get to sneak in a lunch date with a dear friend and I can’t wait for that!). Any last Savannah must-see’s? Make sure to send them my way!

Favorite Quote: “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” -Charles R. Swindoll

I heard this quote during a podcast by Craig Groeschel (Part 1 – Contentment) this week and loved how true it is. I often find myself wanting to blame my circumstances on my attitude – I’m tired/stressed/hungry/pms-ing/acting this way because … you get the excuses. However it’s our reactions that alter how our day goes. When I respond short and snippy with Josh long enough, his attitude begins to match mine and then we waste an evening where we are just off kilter and quiet. I hate those kinds of nights! (And this totally happened last week so I am preaching to myself here!)

I usually have really good excuses too. I mean, trials and hardships make it sooooo easy as a back-up reason, but I have to remind myself that life is made up of the up’s and down’s. There’s a quote that says all of us are either in a storm, just coming out of a storm, or headed for a storm. Comforting, right? But because we live a world that’s messy and imperfect and can’t always be a highlight reel, it’s our choices, our attitudes and our decisions to embrace what comes our way and make the best of it that alters our daily realities. Yea, we may shed tears along the way and fail at trying, (me!), but we are still trying and I believe that the more we flex that muscle, the better we will get at managing our reactions.

Favorite Launch: Our next infertility exchange launched last Sunday (see all the details here!) and the response has been overwhelmingly exciting! In the last few days we have had almost 200 women sign-up and I anticipate many more to come until it closes on the 13^th. I love this community! (And yes, anyone who is in any stage of infertility, including those waiting for a baby, pregnant with a baby, holding a baby, adopting a baby, (you get the point), is invited and welcome to participate. Check out the post for everything you need to know.)

Favorite Hallmark Moment: No, really, this is a moment that actually happened AT Hallmark. I was browsing cards on Tuesday when the word ‘infertility’ caught my eye. Hallmark actually has a card – okay, just one card, but still, a card – that offers words of encouragement for those suffering with infertility. I felt like fist pumping in the aisle but Kenny G was playing overhead and it just didn’t seem appropriate. But in all seriousness, it’s encouragement that keeps us going and the thought that Hallmark recognizes this as ‘card worthy’ makes me happy.

Favorite “First”: The Starbucks a mile from my house just opened this week! *insert flashing caution signals here* It is dangerously en route to nearly all of my commitments and even has a drive thru. Cheers to endless caffeinated possibilities! Hehe!

Favorite Flashback: Okay, so you all know I love Harry Potter, right? Well the movie theater nearby is rerunning ALL of the Harry Potter movies in their reserved theaters for $5 a ticket. SCORE! Courtney and I had a sister-date this week and saw Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on the big screen. We relived the 2001 acting skills and movie quality and loved every minute of it.

Favorite Funnies: Gah, I love all of these and nearly cried from laughing while saving them. Enjoy and hope that this dose of laughter brightens your Friday.

Have a great weekend! Until next time …

friday favorites – september 26.

September 26, 2014September 26, 201410 Comments

Happy Friday! Man, I didn’t post Friday Favorites last week due to the Community Post (which received so much awesome feedback – I am so glad you loved it too!) and now my Friday Favorite list is 16 pages long. Well, not really, but close. I will try to trim and be as succinct as possible. You know how well that works for me, HA!

Favorite Accomplishment and Proud Wife Moment: Josh and I, along with my sister and one of my best friends Jana signed up for a 10-week fitness challenge last July through a local workout center (FXB) and finished our 10-weeks this last Saturday. Not only did we all accomplish it and feel great about our results, but my hubby ended up WINNING the challenge for the men and took home the $1,000 prize and champ title! Way to go Josh! Between the two of us we lost 37 pounds, 36 inches in our chest, waist, hips, arms and legs and crushed our sit-up and push-up per-minute challenges. (This man did 73 push-ups in a minute! And somehow I went from 0 push-ups – yes, zero – to 45. I’ll take it!) I managed to not only run a mile (twice) but shaved over 2 minutes off of my time. (Okay so it was 2 minutes and 2 seconds, but still …). Either way, I am super proud of Josh and us girls and am excited to continue the 6 days a week program and build on our results. So of course, let us take some selfies.

these are all post-workouts so ignore the sweat.

Favorite Starbucks Drink: I miss lattes, wahhhhh. But that being said, I LOVE getting an unsweetened iced coffee and adding a splash of half and half and then tons of cinnamon. Yes, powdered cinnamon! (Don’t get this confused and ask for their cinnamon syrup, which is delicious, but defeats the point.) Powdered cinnamon doesn’t dissolve and beware, it does take a few minutes of stirring before you can get it to disperse throughout, but it adds a delicious flavor and has great health benefits. It regulates blood sugar, slows the rate at which the stomach empties after meals, reduces LDL cholesterol, is highly anti-inflammatory and reduces cytokines linked to arthritic pain, reduces chronic inflammation linked with neurological disorders, reduces the proliferation of cancer cells, improves brain activity AND it contains a natural chemical called cinnamaldehyde, which studies show increases the hormone progesterone in woman. Oh goodness, I could continue but I won’t. But seriously, just adding a teaspoon to your drink is a great thing! Delicious!

Favorite Quote: I was in a bit of a funk the other day and my friend Jana sent me this. So perfect.

Favorite Dramatic Moment: For once it doesn’t involve me. HA! We have been having some strange weather here in Minnesota lately – 50 degrees one day and then this weekend, back to the 80’s. I flipped on my fireplace a week or two ago briefly and my dramatic dog wandered over to her bed and passed out. It made me laugh and goodness, doesn’t she look so comfy and cozy?

Favorite TV Moment: Um, 2 of them. 1) DERRICK WINNING BIG BROTHER!! (And Frankie not placing in the top 3 for America’s Favorite Player) and 2) alllllll of the fall tv shows which are making their way back to my DVR box. Parenthood, Grey’s, Vampire Diaries? I’m a happy girl.

Favorite Selfies: Can I even have this section? Well, I am anyways. Here are some of my favorite pictures with my hubby and sister.

Favorite Funnies: Here we go!!

What happens on a humid day

Hope you have a fabulous weekend friends!

friday favorites – september 12.

September 12, 2014September 15, 20144 Comments

As I type this it’s currently – wait for it – 55º outside with an overnight low of 37º. Wah wah. I am afraid summer ended pretty abruptly for us midwesterners. My allergies are looking forward to the near freeze but I feel like my open toed fall shoes are not going to get a good season in. I’m not complaining though. I do love that we get to experience all four seasons and fall is one of my favorites. So bring it on!

Alright, let’s jump in to the Friday Favorite fun! (Triple F? FFF? F x 3? None of these? Ha!)

Favorite Moment: Josh and I got to have a fun date with my nieces Scarlett (3) and Kinsely (2) on Saturday and we had SUCH a wonderful time. These little girls are hysterical, so loving and funny and so well behaved – it’s evident their parents have done an amazing job raising them so far. (Shout out to Joe and Monica!) We packed the day full of activities – starting with a treasure hunt and hidden clues (leading to the final prize in the oven, which the girls thought was so funny), spent time on the driveway painting pictures, had a surprise stop from the ice cream man (which as an uncle and aunt, we couldn’t pass up), played water ball tag, made button picture frames (and they both picked out Cali as the photo they wanted featured which melted my little fur-mama heart), had a tea party and tickle fight, and then attempted to dance like Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum as we watched Alice in Wonderland. We were tired afterwards but goodness, our hearts were full!

Favorite Recipe: We tried a great recipe this week, one that I found on a Whole30 page (IG @ Whole30Recipes). (But then I added parmesan cheese because I love cheese. Whoops!). It was delicious – give it a try!

(I wasn’t planning on putting this picture on the blog so excuse it’s unedittedness and uncenteredness, ha. Real life here peeps)

Cashew-Almond Crusted Tilapia Salad with Lemon-Pepper Ranch

Tilapia Prep: In a food processor (or Magic Bullet!), blend until fine: – 3/4C cashews – 3/4C almonds – 1 tsp ea. of chili powder, paprika, salt & pepper. Transfer to a shallow dish. In another dish, whisk 1 egg and 2T water .Rinse and pat dry 4 tilapia fillets. (I think any white fish would be yummy!) Dip in egg and then crumb mixture. Transfer to baking dish or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. (Always check the doneness of your fish, it should be white and flakey. Thicker fillets may need a few extra minutes and I took a thinner one out at 20 minutes.)

Salad: – Bed of mixed greens (I love butter lettuce and Trader Joe’s now has it bagged!) – a Thinly sliced red onion (in the recipe but I didn’t have one handy) – Tomato chunks (hiding in this picture of mine apparently) – and tons of Mini Cucumber slices (and parmesan cheese if you don’t mind the little bit of dairy)

Dressing: Whisk: – 2T homemade mayo (I’ll be honest, I used Hellman’s while is not Whole30 compliant) – Juice of 1/2 lemon – 1 tsp EVOO – Dash of: cayenne, paprika & cracked pepper.

{note: I sliced the tilapia after it was baked.}

Favorite Picture: Hands down, this adorable one of my niece Scarlett on her first day of Pre-K. Her smile! Oh my word, my heart melted. She can’t possibly be preschool aged! Gulp!

Favorite Thing I’m Looking Forward to: Damien Rice’s new album! He hasn’t had a new cd come out since 2006 and his new album that is supposed to drop on November 11^th. Love his stuff.

Favorite Tradition: Every year, on the first fall-like day, my sister and I sneak away to Starbucks and celebrate the new season with our first Pumpkin Spice Latte. Now, I have been trying to watch carbs and sugars so this year I rang in the season with a kiddie sized, no whip breve PSL, however, I believe that diets are all about balance and that one kiddie sized PSL wasn’t going to kill me. Traditions and new memories are so special and I am glad I splurged. :) Cheers!

Favorite Quote: “I am always available to you. Once you have trusted Me as your Savior, I never distance Myself from you. Sometimes you may feel distant from Me. Recognize that as feeling; do not confuse it with reality. The Bible is full of My promises to be with you always.” –Jesus Calling-

I loved this section from Jesus Calling this week. If you knew me at all, you know that I am a very feelings-based person. This was such a great reminder for me that even when I don’t FEEL like I am being heard, or He is present, that doesn’t mean I am not and He is not. It brings us back to basing our faith off of His Word and His character. I had an ah-ha moment last night at small group when I was sharing with my group how I just want some sort of feeling or affirmation that He is hearing us, and then I flipped to a page in my book that I highlighted (and clearly forgot), that said “Is it possible that when we are not getting the affirmation or confirmation that we desire, it’s because God doesn’t want our faith to rest in affirmation we can feel? In these times could it be that He’s at work on a deeper level, teaching us to rely on His character rather than our performance?” (Steven Furtick) I felt immediately convicted that I need to spend less time analyzing my feelings and spend more time trusting His character and Word.

Favorite Funnies: Apparently I was hard to impress this week because hardly any funnies cracked me up! So there are only a few this week – as always, if you have something to share with me, send it over via email! (Check out the Contact page). Enjoy!

As always, hope you have an awesome weekend. Thanks for reading today. :)

friday favorites – september 5.

September 5, 201414 Comments

Another week is behind us … let’s jump right in!

Favorite New Home Decoration: My brother-in-law and sister-in-law got me this awesome pillow for my birthday and it’s now made its home comfy inside my library. Seriously, loving the texture of the material and it makes me giggle whenever I see it. Whooo hoooo! (And while Cali jumped up on the chair herself, I totally pulled a Ross when rapping to get her to look at me. HA!)

Favorite Relief Method: Am I the only one STRUGGLING with allergies right now? Man, I don’t remember them being this bad before! I have small spurts of great moments and then other moments of complete and utter sneezy, snotty, pink-eyey-looking hotness. Yikes. I am keeping my go-to’s well stocked and should have bought stock in Kleenex before August hit. Next year.

Favorite Pens: I love all the back to school aisles. Like, to the point where I can’t pass them up and just wander down touching all the new folders, binders and notebooks. I am a little jealous of all the kids who get to use their new supplies this week. I loved strategically picking out which color notebook I wanted for what class, there always was some sort of rational to the color system. Blue …. hmmm …. blue like water, water like H2O, H20 like elements, elements like a periodic table, ah blue is for chemistry. See, it makes total sense. Anyways, I couldn’t pass up the Target aisles without picking up a new pack of my all time favorite pens – Pilot G-2 – but NOT just any kind, it has to be the Ultra Fine 0.38 kind. They are so perfect. I needed them for Bible Study okay??

Favorite New Couple: Yes, we have had a few things going on in the celebrity world this last week or two (I am ignoring Brad and Angelina, I still miss him with Jennifer Aniston) – but this new couple takes the cake…my sister and her new boyf! Yay! Sorry men, this amazing lady is off the market. Ahhh, gotta love observing this first season of a relationship, so sweet.

Favorite Planning Sesh: Alright readers, another vacation is in the works – Savannah, Georgia! Every year I am blessed to be able to sneak away for a few days with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law for a girls trip and I can’t wait for this next one! We were able to meet last night and go through the travel books and scribble down ideas and itineraries, however, we still need your help! Do you have a restaurant or MUST-SEE place in Savannah? Send it my way!

Favorite Article: This. Go read it. I am so guilty of thinking really warm and fuzzy things about my friends, how much I appreciate them, value them, and grateful for them, but there can be such a communicate breakdown sometimes! Do they know how much I love them? Are my actions speaking what my brain is saying? Shauna nailed this post – READ!

Favorite IG Picture: I follow this account on Instagram and loved this photo and verse they shared this week. One of my faves!

Favorite Funnies: Here you go! I was in stitches preparing these for this post. Enjoy and have a great weekend friends!

friday favorites – august 29.

August 29, 2014August 29, 201417 Comments

Friday Favorites after 2 of the busiest and funnest weeks of the summer? Nearly impossible. Instead of the normal format, I am going to share some of my favorite moments through photos and captions. Then next week I will be back with some regular posts and more of the usual! Enjoy!

Favorite Movie-Watching Experience: In San Diego, Josh and I got to watch Disney’s Planes on top of the historic aircraft carrier USS Midway. Being on the ocean with the breeze and a firework show in the background was truly spectacular!

Favorite experience with ocean animals: Yes, this one is a stretch. But we had a BLAST at SeaWorld!! I got to pet dolphins, I cried at a few of the shows (I am way overly emotional when I am excited), we laughed, I rode a ride – all in all, it was so much fun.

Favorite Sunset shot: Sunsetting over the ocean as we took the ferry back from Coronado. Gorgeous.

Favorite Historic Moment: Josh and I rode on the world’s oldest wooden roller coaster at Mission Beach. A little clanky, but so. much. fun.

Favorite food on vacation: Ceviche and fish tacos. We ate our weight in them. Oh and Iced teas. YUM!

Favorite Concert: Ahhhhh, you guys, seriously. The Jason Mraz concert was one of the top 10 favorite moments in my LIFE. The music, the theater, the energy, the songs …. I was a little nervous I would pass out before I could enjoy it all. Music speaks to me like no other creative force and great music (especially acoustic music for me) is such a raw, beautiful place. Love.

my super excited face.

Favorite Challenge: Josh and I decided to take a 14-mile guided bike tour all around Coronado and I have to admit, I was a little (okay a lot) nervous going into it! We were the only two signed up for that time slot and had a great guide who we could pedal and chat with. It ended up being a breeze to accomplish and we got to see the island from all angles. Such a blast!

Yes, we wore helmets. They are just not pictured here. :)

Favorite New Treat: Lemon Basil gelato for the win.

Favorite Get-Together: The Minnesota State Fair of course! Check out some of my favorite pictures from the night.

Me and my Mom :)

Me and my Sis

Love my girlfriends!

Favorite Views: The beaches and cliffs in La Jolla were just gorgeous. None of these pictures will do them any justice!

Favorite Summer Finale: Pretty Little Liars anyone? Oh my goodness! Anyone with a good theory, let me know immediately.

One of the only clues I caught – totally not the right hair!

Me the last 3 minutes.

Favorite Back to School Photo: Why it’s Cali of course! Who remembers always wearing the wrong type of clothing the first day? I swear I always wanted to wear my new fall clothes and sweat my face off the first day. Cali is no exception with her GAP hoodie. :)

Waiting patiently for the school bus.

Favorite Birthday Celebrations: I had so much fun celebrating my birthday this year! Thanks to everyone who made it SO special. There are no words.

My adorable nieces made me painted birdhouses. So cute! Thanks to my mother-in-law for hosting a great dinner party for me!

Josh decorated my car for me - and my birthday selfie was bombed with Cali. Ah, real life.

Josh decorated my car for me hence the balloon – and my birthday selfie was bombed with Cali kisses. Ah, real life.

My mom handcrafted 3 of my favorite mini desserts in little shotglasses. These look so much bigger than they really were. :)

My girlfriends took me out for dinner and spoiled me rotten. I am so blessed.

I got so many great gifts, but I especially love this necklace my cousin Brittany got me. The bar has the roman numerals on there for Josh’s and my anniversary. Love!

No funnies this week (whomp whomp), but don’t worry, all will be back to normal next week. Thanks for reading and letting me document my life on here! XO!

Elevator selfie!

friday favorites – august 15.

August 15, 2014August 15, 20145 Comments

Happy Friday friends! Does summer seem to be flying by for anyone else? Granted, I love so many things about fall, but as a Minnesotan, I savor every drop of summer I can! If anyone participates in the #FridayIntroductions on instagram with @jessaconnolly and @thetinytwig, you would have seen that last week’s question prompt was asking ‘what are you looking forward to about fall?’. This question made me excited to answer as my brain started spinning about the upcoming ROUTINE that would soon be established, the scarves and boots and sweaters to be pulled out, the pumpkin spice lattes and apple ciders to be consumed and the apple scented EVERYTHING to be set up around my house. I love the freedom and flexibility that summer offers, but I am also ready to get settled into new fall Bible studies and patterns. So I will continue to enjoy these last few summer days while they last, knowing that good things are ahead as well.

Ok, let’s jump into Friday Favorites!

Favorite Crop: My mother-in-law has a garden at our family cabin and the zucchini plants are going nuts! We were sent home this weekend with these beauties and have enjoyed zucchini noodles, zucchini breads, zucchini sautés, zucchini soups and many other zucchini snacks. Delish! (And yes, I managed to find a great gluten, dairy and sugar free zucchini bread recipe – I still want to tweak the recipe a bit before I share, but according to my sister, it was one of the “best things she’s eaten in a long time.” The drama runs thick in our family folks.)

The fork is there for size comparison … yes, they are HUGE!

Favorite Meal: Can you go wrong with kebobs in the summer? When asking for chicken recipes, one reader suggested kebobs and it has sounded so yummy ever since. We threw some chicken and steak on skewers, added tons of fresh veggies on others and even diced up a pineapple too. The overall flavor created in 15-20 minutes on a hot grill was perfection. This is what summers are all about!

Favorite Things I’m Looking Forward to: Um, is it childish to say my birthday? The big day is next Tuesday, the 19^th, and I just love everything that has to do with birthdays. I love the parties, the celebrations, the excuse to get together with friends and family, the note that fill my mailbox, the affirmative words that are given over Facebook and Instagram … it has nothing to do with presents and everything to do with feeling so loved. So I get to celebrate turning 29 and spending it with people I care deeply about. WIN!

Oh yea, and there’s this little trip to San Diego we are taking soon too that is making my heart beat faster and my smile spread bigger. I can’t wait!

Favorite Surprise: My dear friends Marilyn and Danielle showered me with surprise love this week. I was so thankful for their kind thinking-of-you gifts and encouraging words that filled the cards. Check out my new Alex and Ani anchor bracelet – inspired by Hebrews 6:18-19 “… So we who have found safety with Him are greatly encouraged to hold firmly to the hope placed before us. We have this hope as an anchor for our lives…”

Plus all these fun goodies!

A notebook? Tea? Colored pencils? Hair ties that sparkle? These girls know me well. I am so blessed!

Favorite Photo: A tie – it’s either this one of Cali and her auntie Bella, who both were waiting for the chipmunks to appear at the cabin this weekend (“Ummm, where are they?”) and this casual attempt at a selfie with Cali. Her face cracks me up – she CLEARLY has no interest in taking selfies with her mom. She is 8 after all.

Favorite Award: I recently was nominated by three fellow bloggers for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award! Thank you Mel, Elisha and Alexandria for this nomination – you all inspire me and I feel thankful to be on the receiving end of this. You ladies are awesome and I’d nominate you back if it wasn’t counter productive!

Here’s how the award works:

1.Thank and link the amazing person(s) who nominated you.

http://thereisahigherhope.blogspot.com/

http://waitingforbabybird.com/

http://inallthings828.wordpress.com/

2.List the rules and display the award.

3. Share seven facts about yourself. I will make these quick facts for the sake of your reading time …

1) I am the oldest child of 2, separated by a little over 4 years from my younger sister Courtney. I am wired so consistently with oldest-child traits that it’s a little scary.

2) When I am stressing and driving, I find listening to the radio on ‘scan’ to be incredibly soothing. I have no idea why.

3) I prefer paper planners to electronic planners but have to keep up with both since my husband relies on our shared iPhone calendar. (But really, nothing beats the beauty and simplicity of paper and pen.)

4) If I had to chose any cheese in the world to be my favorite, it would be, without a doubt, feta. The delicious briney Greek kind. I literally could add feta to anything. If only it had no calories…

5) I still haven’t updated my iPhone software to iOS 7. It might have to do with my resistance to change. But because of that, I can’t update about half my apps or use FaceTime anymore. Oh well, I am perfectly happy with my little phone.

6) Daisies are my favorite flower. In the words of Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail “”They’re so friendly. Don’t you think that daisies are the friendliest flowers?” I wish my house could be filled with them.

7) As a child I dreamed about getting the chance to speak at large conferences. Every convention I went to, I sent up a prayer that someday, I could be that person making speaking and impact. Who knows what’s ahead for me – it’s still a giant passion!

And lastly, I get to nominate some others who have inspired me! Without further ado … meet Caroline, who’s faith and heart for the Lord inspires me daily (subscribe to her blog and receive awesome verse-of-the-week posts each Monday!), Charity – who trusts the Lord with such steadfastness that it makes my heart swell (and also bakes amazing cookies), Anna, a real-life friend who has seen her share of pain after losing her first born daughter and yet still shines with beautiful faith and authenticity, and Justine, who’s raw posts and words of hope, recovery and struggle lifts my spirits. Thanks ladies for being a light to all who cross paths with you. Keep writing and know I will keep reading! (Feel free to keep the award going by following the above steps and passing along the nomination love!)

Favorite Funnies:

Have a great weekend friends!

friday favorites – august 8th.

August 8, 2014August 8, 201411 Comments

Whooo hoooo! Another Friday! My dad sent this to me this morning and I feel like it’s fitting:

Here we go!

Favorite Moment: After all our family had left after such a fun trip, Josh and I got to enjoy a date night and boy, did we have a blast! We first headed down to St. Paul where our friend Jason’s food truck (Jake’s Street Grill – check them out if you are in the Twin Cities area!) was stationed at an outdoor festival. We saved our weekly “cheat meal” for this occasion and Josh enjoyed some wings and I had lobster and shrimp tacos. OMG – SO GOOD! Anytime you put fresh seafood on a corn tortilla and add fresh pico, guac and cheese, well, you can bet I am swooning. From there we took a pit stop at Cabella’s, which is a favorite store of my hubby’s, a breeze through Starbucks for a cup of tea, and then we drove to the drive-in theater where we parked, played cards for an hour, then leaned back into the thousands of pillows and blankets we brought. We watched Planes 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy – both great! The weather was perfect and the company was my favorite. :)

Favorite Drink: I love Yogi teas and have found 3 that I have particularly been crushing on the last few weeks. I love the Green Team Blueberry Slim Tea iced, the Berry Detox hot and the Bedtime tea at night. Holy cow, the Bedtime tea knocks me out like a drug! There is something magical that is laced in there that puts my mind into an instant sleep-mode. Give them a try! (Plus the tags always have such a great little sayings on there too.)

Favorite Act of Obedience: You know those times when you are prompted to do something and you ignore it? And then the times that you are prompted to do something and you follow through? Well, I had one of those this week and am so glad that I listened to His gentle whisper.

It happened yesterday at the end of a long work day. My bladder was pleading for me to drive faster and my brain was reminding me of the meal I signed up to bring to a church friend and the groceries I had yet to buy for it. Stop now, make your bladder your motivator to get through Aldi fast. I swung through the store, racing around and pulled up to the front to check-out, noticing 2 cashiers working, one with a long line behind her and the other empty, just finishing checking someone out. I dashed to the near empty line and that’s when I noticed him. (He looked like a Bill, so that’s what I will call him.) He was about 40, standing far away from the register, almost in the first aisle, but facing the register.

Me (C): Are you in line?

B: Well, yes kinda of, you see …

And that’s when I noticed all that was going on. He had several copper rings wrapped around his neck, large ones, almost touching his belly button. His head was covered in a fishing hat that looked like it was lined with aluminum foil. On his right shoulder he held more large metal rings, those ones silver and he was resting on a cane while leaning into his cart. Around his neck he wore a huge cardboard sign that said “SEVERE EPILEPSY – PLEASE, NO CELL PHONE NEAR ME.”

He continued.

B: You can go ahead, you see I have to wait for her to come to me …

C: Oh gosh, you’re fine, no worries, I will just go in this other line.

My brain was still trying to process everything and I turned to wait in the long line while I observed several other people coming up to him to see if they could scoot in front. Thankfully everyone decided to either pass him and come to my line or wait behind him. People were starting to stare and I started feeling this deep nudge in my gut of empathy for this man. I watched as the cashier walked over to him and he handed her his credit card for the purchase. She was relatively pleasant and he explained that he couldn’t go near the register so would wait by the boxes for her. He then slowly held out his hand and I observed as he struggled for nearly a minute to open up his fist and drop some change into her hands for a few bags. By then it was my turn in line and I was pulled away from watching his struggle. As I breezed through, swiped my card, packed up my bags and turned, I noticed him standing by the door waiting and watching as the cashier rang everything up. My heart and my head just kept screaming to do something, say something, acknowledge him. (My bladder was screaming RUN FOR THE CAR!) I moved quickly to walk towards him as he turned to walk towards the door. There was an old lady, probably in her mid 80’s between us. He set the pace for the exit line, which seemed like it was in slow motion. You could tell every step was painful. He moved so slow that the old lady behind him gave an exasperated sigh and muttered “oh man, come on” more than once. His metal rings were banging and each move he made seemed to be in difficult. I waited patiently behind him as the old lady blew past him. I looked to my right where my car stood and to my left, where he was slowly turning and I knew I had to act.

C: Can I help you load those up in your car?

B: Really? You would?

C: Absolutely, let me bring these bags to my car and drop my cell phone off and I will be right back.

By the time I did that, he managed to move a few feet and I slowly walked with him back to his vehicle, where we unhinged the back of his blue beaten down truck. My mind was racing, what do I say? Just talk to him, the voice whispered back loudly.

C: How’s was your day today?

B: chuckled Hard.

C: I have to say, I really admire your drive to come out here today and get these groceries. It looked really hard. The line, the looks, I am so sorry that you have to deal with this. You have severe epilepsy?

B: I actually have muscular dystrophy and the epilepsy is a side effect from that. It’s really hard. He managed a small smile.

C: How hard, you still seem to manage to have a good attitude despite it.

B: No, you should see me when I get home. It’s really really hard to keep living. The cell phones are so hard, when people have them near me, it can set me into a severe seizure. I ask people to put them away in stores and they say no. I had a seizure in a store the other day and a man just stepped over me while on his phone. No one sees me. Less and less stores are willing to help me. The cell phone towers made it hard. I don’t have a good attitude, I just try to make it through each day.

By then I had everything loaded into the back of his truck.

C: Let me return your cart, I will be right back with your quarter.

As I pushed the cart back, my heart ached for him. I turned back, returning with his quarter as he slowly loaded his metal rings into his car.

B: Why did you stop? His voice started to shake. No one ever stops. No one ever notices me. I am just a big inconvenience to people.

My emotions were starting to take over and my words weren’t articulate anymore.

C: I stopped because I noticed you and I saw how hard this must be for you. I admire your persistence to come out here and buy your groceries and face the difficulty that it must be.

We soon after wrapped up our conversation and I headed back to my car and drove home. The whole way I drove home I was so mad at myself for not asking his name, for not telling him that I would pray for him, for not even thinking to tell him that I stopped because God put it on my heart to do so. I wish I would have grabbed his hands and prayed out loud for him. I was so mad at myself for not letting him know who I represented. But even in those moments of self-frustration, I heard But you saw him. And that’s what he needed today. Let Me handle the rest.

Friends, I am so glad I saw Bill. I am so glad that I followed through on those promptings and was richly and deeply blessed by my encounter with him. If you could, stop right now and say a prayer for him. God knows his first name, He knows his pains, his struggles, his worries, his hardships. Pray that God will renew his spirit, that others would see Bill too and that he wouldn’t feel so alone. When we obey, God acts. We may never know how, but we can leave that part up to Him. (And just so you know, I actually didn’t even think twice about my bladder from the time I said something to Bill until the time I walked in the door.)

Favorite Quote: “Intentionally look around for measures of joy each day … Remember joy is a choice we make, not a feeling we hope to get from our circumstances. It’s good to look for the good to celebrate it, even in small ways.” –Lisa Terkeurst-

Favorite Meal: I got to enjoy a patio night with some girlfriends earlier this week and loved it. My salad was amazing, but even more so, I am so thankful for friends who can laugh together and do life with.

Favorite Funnies: Alright, this has gotten long so I will wrap this up with some giggles for the day. Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

But wait, there’s more!!! Here’s an added bonus Favorite –

Favorite TV Clip: Bobbie Thomas opened up about her journey with IVF on the Today Show this week and I found it incredibly touching. One of the best videos I have seen about what’s it’s like. If you want to peer into our world for a few minutes today, I encourage you to check out this link. — click here for the video. (The image below is just an image and will not direct you to the video. You will likely get a 15-second commercial prior to the video starting.) I promise, it’s worth it.

friday favorites – august 1

August 1, 20146 Comments

Happy August! Gulp, August? Where have the days gone? Personally, August is a favorite month of mine so I am secretly excited, except it does mean the summer days are winding down. Sad. But this month we have a trip to San Diego to look forward to, my birthday, my grandparents coming into town, the Minnesota State Fair and much much more. So let the fun begin!

Okay, be prepared, this Friday favorite is totally my-life related. We have been having so much fun having my aunt, uncle, and cousins in town and this last week has been busy and full of awesome moments. So here is a Family Friday Favorites edition!

Favorite Moment(s): Playing mini golf with my cousins, exploring Fort Snelling, showing off the Mall of America, trying to bowl, laughing loudly while playing Apples to Apples, and in general, just creating so many fun memories.

(Cali’s) Favorite New Friend: Cali fell in love with my Uncle Jimmy and basically melted into his arms as he carried her around the house. I mean, seriously, how cute is this? She has found her new place of bliss.

Favorite Crop: Our green beans are finally ready for picking and eating! Well, okay, so many there aren’t enough for a whole meal, but we are excited that the seeds we planted actually produced a mini harvest. Yum!

Favorite Quote: “Fear less, Hope more, Whine less, Breathe more, Talk less, Say more, Hate less, Love more.”

Favorite Song: Is anyone else cranking up “Boom Clap” by Charli XCX every time it comes on the radio? It’s so catchy! Plus it reminds me of The Fault in Our Stars. I am sure I will be sick of it in a week since it plays every 16 minutes on one station or another but this week, I love it.

Favorite Mistake: Awww, I decided to try trimming Cali’s hair for our incoming guests. I mean, she is small and it didn’t seem that tough. Well, once I got the scissors in my hand it seems that I became incredibly uncoordinated and slightly blind. Poor Cali got a little butchered but I laugh whenever I look at her … I’m like that mom that tries to give her daughter bangs and we all know how that story turns out!

Favorite Reminder: Trying to balance this week has been tough. Super fun, but tough. It’s been a busy one at work and truthfully, I don’t want to have to be worrying about work, I want to be with my family! As I was driving home the other night, trying to think about what I couldn’t forget to do in the office tomorrow, what I was going to do tonight, the groceries that needed to be shopped for, the laundry that needed to be washed and put away, the friends that needed to be called back, a blog post to write, the blank ‘thank you’ cards that needed to be written out, and on and on and on, I couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed. But then I was quickly reminded that I can thrive in chaos. I made lists. I prioritized. I tried to think about what mattered and what I could delay slightly in order to maintain my sanity. I knew this week in particular I had to prioritize my devotional time in the mornings first – getting my head cleared and foundation reset; then focusing on the must-do’s at work and setting aside the things that could wait; then spending time with the people I love. Laundry can wait. We have food that we can piece together. The notecards can wait as long as I texted my gratitude. Basically I needed to remind myself that it was okay to not be able to do it all for a week. Yes, some people were probably disappointed and inconvenienced, my blog was left untouched for a whole week, my cards might arrive a little late, we may have just eaten a salad made from leftover greens, feta cheese and watermelon (because that’s all that’s in the fridge) and that’s okay. When I think back to this week a year from now, I won’t remember the salad or the need for clean white tank tops. I will remember the laughs, the trips, the joy of being with others. Remember today that it’s okay to let go of some of the little things. Make lists. There is a mental freedom that comes with seeing everything on paper – it’s a little less overwhelming. (I carry a small notebook in my purse at all times in order to jot down things to do as it comes to me.) I had to be reminded this week I can’t always do it all and that doesn’t make me any less capable.

Favorite Funnies: Enjoy!

Okay friends! I am off … next week I should be able to get a post or two out between Fridays. I am thankful for your patience when life gets busy. XOXO!

friday favorites – july 25.

July 25, 20146 Comments

It’s Friday! Whoa, this week flew by. I have to admit, I just sat down and wondered What did I even do this week? Or it’s more like, what didn’t I do? This week felt completely swamped which isn’t necessary a bad thing, just a busy thing! Let’s hope I can sort out my thoughts and that Friday Favorites makes sense today. (And if not, please just politely smile and nod and check back with me next week.)

Favorite Thing I am Looking Forward To: My uncle, aunt and cousins are coming in from Illinois on Monday for a week and we cannot WAIT to see them! It’s been too long and I know the days will be action packed and full of lots of laughs and new memories. Somehow in the last 9+ years, my “little” cousins grew up (seriously, how cute are they?) and are now in high school. Whoa! Of course us adults haven’t aged a bit though. HA!

Favorite Product: I don’t know about you but there are two must-have products on my bathroom counter at all times – a good dry shampoo and a good sea salt spray. Of course there are many great products there, but they cost way too much for how much I use them. I have been trying out over the counter products for a while now and have stumbled upon a brand I love – Not Your Mother’s. On days when I can’t get a good shampoo in, the dry shampoo is a lifesaver and on days when humidity reigns (like it has several days this week), a little sea salt spray works, along with a prayer that you don’t scare any children with your robust mane. You can find it at Walmart, Target, or any local beauty supply shop. Check it out!

Favorite Meet’N’Greet: Awww, I got to meet 5-day old baby Ty last weekend and let’s just say, he is a handsome little fellow! So precious!

Favorite Song: Oh Jason Mraz, you have done it to me again. 3 Things off of his new album Yes! had me in goosebumpy tears earlier this week. I was feeling a bit of stress, overly process-y, and a bit emotional going into a long day and when I heard this song, my spirits lifted and I felt totally rejuvenated. LOVE! Have to share the video shot at his avocado farm as well as the lyrics. If you need a pick me up, listen for sure.

There are three things I do when my life falls apart
Number one I cry my eyes out and dry up my heart
Not until I do this will my new life start
So that’s the first thing that I do when my life falls apart.

Oh, the second thing I do is I close both of my eyes
And say my thank-yous to each and every moment of my life.
I go where I know the love is and let it fill me up inside
Gathering new strength from sorrow,
I’m glad to be alive.

Things are looking up
I know above the clouds the sun is shining
Things are looking up
Love is still the answer I’m relying
On Three little things
Things are looking up

The third thing that I do now when my world caves in,
is I pause, I take a breath, and bow and I let that chapter end.
I design my future bright not by where my life has been.
And I try, try, try, try, try again.
Yes I try, try, try, try, try again.

Things are looking up
I know beyond the dark the sun is rising
Things are looking up
And I know above the clouds the sun is shining
Things are looking
Love is still the answer I’m relying
On Three little things
Three little things

Favorite Reminder:

Favorite Way to Hydrate: It can be hard for me to get in 100 ounces of water a day, but I find if I spice it up a bit and throw in fresh items, it makes it more fun to drink and disappears a lot quicker! A go-to this week for me has been throwing in a few strawberries (fresh or frozen), a couple of sprigs of mojito mint from my garden and a squeeze of lime. DELISH! What are your favorite ways to take your water? Share!

Favorite Funnies: Here we go! (And if you ever have any funnies to share, please send them over! trialsbringjoy@gmail.com I loveeeee getting ones sent!)

friday favorites – july 18th.

July 18, 201415 Comments

Sometimes when I think about Friday Favorites, my brain does a little chant, kind of like the ones you hear at basketball games. It goes like this …

FRI-DAY FAVE-RITES (yes spelled wrong, that’s how my brain says it) – *clap, clap, clapclapclap*

FRI-DAY FAVE-RITES *clap, clap, clapclapclap*

You get the gist. Let’s dive in.

Favorite Moment: I am back to work! Well, part-time anyways. My role in covering a maternity leave has officially begun, a few weeks early but perfectly timed. I have the privilege of jumping into a new role at the hospital I used to work at and covering my friends job while she gets to cuddle at home with her new son Ty. (Congrats Danielle and Darren!) She is super organized so it’s made this week a breeze and I love being able to give her the gift of not worrying about her job duties while on maternity leave. It was a blast to see so many old friends and truthfully feels like I never left. I’m looking forward to the next 12 weeks!

Favorite Thing I am Looking Forward To: San Diego! YEAH! Josh and I are taking a weekend trip to California next month and I am super excited to sneak away with my guy. We will be going to the opening night kick-off concert for Jason Mraz’s YES! tour in his hometown … awesome? I think so. If you have any MUST-SEE’S while in San Diego, send them over! We love trying new restaurants and experiencing new things. The countdown is on and I am getting gidddddy!

(Side note: Jason Mraz’s new cd came out this week… so if you haven’t already picked up your copy, do it!)

Favorite Quote: “I have to choose to operate in the reassurance of God’s love, the remembrance of God’s grace and the reality of God’s power.” –Lysa Terkeurst-

Each day is comprised of a series of choices. I have found incredible power this week in actively CHOOSING to operate with the reassurance of God’s love, being grateful for the grace I have and remember that I serve a POWERFUL God. Making that choice is tough in some moments, but possible. Don’t doubt the strength you have. Steven Furtick says “Weakness is a good thing because it gives us an opportunity to use and see God’s strength.” I have definitely needed to tap into that this week and I am so grateful for His mighty hands.

Favorite Recipe: I have two of them! I can find it tough to incorporate more servings of vegetables in my diet each day and wanted to share two recipes I have used and loved this week.

The first is for oven roasted carrots. You can use any carrots (I love the multi-colored ones from Trader Joe’s). Feel free to peel them or wash them off and place them on a big sheet of foil. Drizzle them with some extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. Wrap them up tight into a sealed pouch (I roast about 4-5 per pouch) and bake them in the oven at 400º for about 45 minutes. (They may take 30 minutes if you use thin carrots or an hour+ if you use thick ones. But you can’t really mess this up. Just cook till they are tender.) Take them out and unwrap the foil. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar over them and pop them back in the oven, still unwrapped, for another 5-10 minutes. (If you like to use honey, whisk up equal parts of honey and balsamic and drizzle that over it instead. AMAZING!). Take them out and enjoy!

prepping my carrots.

The second is for a simple and easy cucumber salad. I know many gardens are exploding with cucs this time of year and this is a favorite way for me to eat them.

Grab a cucumber (I use English cucumbers) and wash it off. Cut the cucumber in half and then slice the whole thing in thin quarter inch slices. (If you have a mandolin, feel free to use it. I just free hand mine.) Toss them in a bowl, then grab an onion, quarter it and slice it into same-sized slices. (I used a yellow onion, but a white or red one would be great too.) Throw that in with the cucumbers. Add crumbled feta and quartered un-pitted kalamata olives. Throw in a handful of fresh or dried dill, a good few gugs of white vinegar (maybe 1/4- 1/3 of a cup) and a few pinches of salt. Enjoy right away or throw it in the fridge to chill. Mine is good for almost a week and just gets better and better each day!

delish!

Favorite Book: I have been reading Steven Furtick’s newest book, Crash the Chatterbox, with my small group and am LOVING it. Reading it feels like therapy and it gives my highlighter a good cardio workout. If you struggle at all with the voices in your head – insecurity, fear, condemnation and discouragement, then this book is for you. Run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore or hit up Amazon pronto.

Favorite Surprise: My friend Julie surprised me with 2 – yes – TWO – new Starbucks City Mugs for my collection this week! EEEKKKK! If you didn’t know, I collect Starbucks City Mugs from different countries and states and LOVE when people help me add to my collection. Canada and Banff now get to join their brothers and sisters in my cabinet! YEA!!! *dancing* (And then whenever I see or use them, I either think about a place I have traveled to and a memory I have made OR can pray for and give thanks for the person in my life who brought one back for me from their trip. I love it.)