So, I’ve never been one to make a resolution and stick with it. I typically don’t make resolutions at all. Have you ever done it? Have you even come close? I’m not great at setting goals… I know, that sounds silly. I’m afraid I’d just fail at it, get discouraged, get depressed, and then it’d be all over. I just do what I do, and try to do it well. That’s a goal, right?
Well, I heard a few things this year about resolutions not really being a thing any more, but having a quote or even just one word that you live your year by instead.
I read this post on My Big Jesus (here it is!) by a lovely woman I know, and she had a great take on a New Year’s “word”. She chose “ordinary”. That may seem like underachieving, but truly, it’s providing a blank slate for God to create something really beautiful, wonderful, extraordinary, that’s He has ordained, not me. Not something that I that I’ve heard other people did and thought it might look nice on my social media when you read it.
Leaving myself open to God’s plan isn’t always easy. His road is rarely freshly paved, with wide lanes and glorious views. It can be tough, windy, hilly, and we can feel like we’re low on gas.
But I think I’m gonna intentionally choose to embrace where I am in 2015. I jokingly say sometimes that I feel like I’m constantly on the crazy train, and I should just embrace it because it isn’t going anywhere. But seriously, I want to embrace the crazy – embrace it because it is my “ordinary”. I won’t set unattainable goals, lofty and numerous. I won’t even try my hardest to do what I want to do. I’m just going to pray more, and let His Spirit lead me. Saying “yes” to His will is the biggest “resolution”, or “word” to live by. The best part? There will be grace when I fail. There will be forgiveness when I’m not following. There will be room for growth, no matter how I’m doing. And that is where the true blessing is.
In honor of my turning 29, here are 29 things about me that you might not know. Enjoy!
1. I am not at all nervous about ending my 20s. They were the best years of my life so far- meeting, falling in love with and marrying my husband, my first years teaching music, having my wonderful daughter and sweet son, growing in my relationship with Jesus. Everything about then was basically awesome, so my 30s are gonna be just as good, I’m sure!
2. I’ve got an affinity for Disney movies. I’ve been a huge Disney buff my whole life, and growing up hasn’t squelched my love.
3. I like ethnic foods. Of all kinds. A lot. I love funky flavors, unconventional ingredients and thinking out of the box. Yum.
4. I almost completed a minor in art history. It was really because I was busy that I didn’t. I love art (I don’t make it though, haha) and I could live in a museum and love it.
5. I’m a sucker for a romance novel. That includes everything from the Twilight series (I know, don’t say it) to the Outlander series to straight up trash. I don’t always read them, but sometimes it’s nice to have an easy read, where I don’t have to use my brain but I get completely carried away somewhere else.
6. I’m from Georgia, so I am a Coca-Cola Classic drinker exclusively. I don’t have time for other sodas, especially Pepsi. #gross
7. I love the movies, but I’ve never read anything by Tolkien. This baffles Hubby (and countless others, I’m sure) but every time I’ve tried, his writing is too detailed and meticulous. It’s been a while since I’ve given it a shot though, so it’s on my to-do list to try again.
8. I wear contacts. I’m as blind as a bat, and I mean that very seriously. For instance, they don’t make those fancy thin lenses in my prescription. Four eyes, unite!
9. In addition to drinking a ton of coffee, I also love drinking hot tea. I’m currently drinking a lot of Mighty Leaf teas, which I’m purchasing at Lowe’s Foods. They are so yummy!
10. To go along with #9, I collect teacups from random places in the hopes that I’ll retire with a tea house one day, full of singular, unique teacups.
11. I may lead contemporary worship at a Presbyterian church now, but I grew up in a Baptist church, singing from a hymnal, accompanied by a piano, an organ, and a sanctuary choir. I have such a deep appreciation for both worship styles that if I’m with one for too long, I miss the other.
12. I sometimes (read: often) have a foul mouth. I know. I’m a Christian. I have kids. I should clean it up. You’re right. It’s still pretty bad. It’s always been a vice for me.
13. I’m thinking I should’ve done this project for my 16th birthday, not my 29th.
14. I haven’t always been an in-shape person. I haven’t always eaten healthy. I played volleyball in high school, but didn’t do a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g. when I got to college. I didn’t start doing anything nice for my body again (including getting enough sleep) until I got pregnant with EK in 2011.
15. I have four tattoos. Each one of them is small and discreet, but I’m thinking about getting another that will be much bigger. Haven’t decided exactly what or where yet, but I’m sure I’ll post about it!
16. I’m terrible at math. I always have been, but now that I haven’t been in any sort of math class in six years or so, it’s a little embarrassing how out of practice I am at even the simplest math. Let’s just say I won’t be the one in my house who is able to help my kids with their long division.
17. Two of my favorite colors are coral and turquoise. If you look at my closet, you’d see that right off the bat.
18. I have only just recently started wearing purple again. My elementary, middle and high school all had purple and white as their colors, and I got so burned out on “Darlington purple” that I hated the color for years after I graduated. Only just in the past year or so have I allowed the color back into my life.
19. I love choral music. I’m a big nerd about it, actually. I like to go to see a performance of Messiah every year if I can (there’s a great one here; I went last night!) and I always like visiting churches where there are big choirs, concerts at schools, etc.
20. I like to dress up. I always liked it as a little girl, and that stuck with me. I like putting on a dress, sparkly earrings, and high heels. Especially because I love it when Hubby puts on a suit. He is dashing!
21. I love skiing. I’ve only really been once, and haven’t been able to go back, but it was incredible (we went to Beaver Creek, CO) and I wish I could go every winter.
22. I get a lot of cavities. It’s really annoying. I take great care of my teeth, and still discover one almost every time I go to the dentist. Ugh.
23. I just now downloaded the Timehop app, and I’m immediately loving it. I don’t know why I’ve been watching everyone’s Timehop posts for like a year, and I’m just now getting around to it, but I love it!
24. If I could choose, I’d be a night owl. My city has great night life (music, etc) and I am never sleepy when it’s time to go to bed (as she blogs at 10:39 pm). My kids have just in the past couple of months begun to get up early – around 7 am and yes I know I’m spoiled – and it’s been a tough transition. Hubby and I like to hang out late night, and then are extremely tired when kiddos are pooping and wanting breakfast so early!
25. If I could go to a new place, it would definitely be somewhere in Europe. I’ve been several places there before, and never to other continents, but I just have more of a heart for Europe’s history and culture. I’d love to see countries I haven’t seen. Maybe Greece, Spain, Scotland, anyone?
26. If I could go back right now to a place I have been before, I’d go to Ireland. I spent a month there in college, and it was one of the most incredible trips I’ve ever taken. I loved every moment of every place and every person I met. Incredible people, culture, food, and tradition. I think I could live there. (Other countries I have visited: Italy, Poland, England.)
27. I love living in North Carolina because I am close enough to the mountains, near enough to the beach, and in (or around) a city that has great things going on. It’s the perfect blend of all the things I love.
28. The chore around the house I like most is vacuuming. I like to see results. My least favorite? Folding laundry.
29. I am truly surrounded by wonderful people in my family and friends circles. I don’t really feel like there’s much drama (maybe I’ve learned to tune it out) and I genuinely like everyone I hang out with. I’ve been blessed with people who love me well, and who I love well, also. So thankful for that, after years of people coming and going and changing and growing apart. You guys who are my friends now are stuck with me!
Well, I made it all the way through 29. Don’t look for one of these next year because it was tough to talk about myself for that long – I actually wrote this over the span of a few days. Yikes! And now, at 11:00pm on the third day, I’m uploading the post and going to bed. Night!
Just so you know I’m a human, here’s my tired, ready-for-bed face. You’re welcome 🙂
Friends, I have a December birthday. It’s December 13th. And every year, my mom would do pretty much whatever I wanted to make my birthday special, and make sure it didn’t get lost in the midst of the Christmas hustle and bustle. (Thanks, Mom!) That included many things, but most importantly always, always making sure to wrap my birthday presents in birthday wrapping paper. My number one, biggest ever pet peeve? Getting a present on my birthday that’s wrapped in Christmas paper or in a Christmas bag. You know what the grocery stores and drug stores all sell year-round? Regular, plain ol’ paper and bags. Even if it’s a solid color! Just not a teddy bear in a Santa hat holding tinsel. Come on, guys.
Anyway, because I’ve got a mom who made my birthday special, and because I managed to have a son sandwiched in between Christmas and New Year’s, I figured writing a post about making your December-birthday kid feel special was appropriate. (Note: This can also be applied to a birthday on any holiday – Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, Halloween, etc.)
I think one great thing I always got to do was choose whether or not I wanted the Christmas decorations to be up yet. I went back and forth pretty much every year about whether I wanted them up. Sometimes, it felt too rushed to have them up already – I mean, the first two weeks of December were about my birthday, right? But other times, it made the occasion even more festive to have everything decorated and lit up! Most important part: the choice being mine.
Another really wonderful thing my mom did was let me have a party. It must’ve taken some planning, too, to get the decorations and favors and treats that weren’t Christmas-themed. Usually, all I wanted was a ridiculous number of my friends over to spend the night (aka not sleep) but she still let me do it, even though we were always horribly busy (read: we were musicians), already exhausted, and there were already a thousand other parties happening that month. She was a champ, let me tell you, with my room right over hers, full of dancing, singing, giggling girls, playing weird games and calling boys on the phone all through the night, and still making us all pancakes in the morning.
I’m sure lots of things she did were just regular moms-doing-nice-things-on-birthdays stuff. But it really made me feel special in the midst of a season that is (thankfully!) not about me. The season of advent can be celebratory, but it can also be contemplative and somber. Not losing sight of the birthday celebration in the midst of that will make a December birthday feel special.
So bottom line, thanks Mom, for not wrapping my birthday presents in Christmas paper. Not one time. You’re the best!
J’s fall outfit from Thanksgiving dinner with Hubby’s family last night. My baby blue eyes ❤
Today, I challenge you to love your family a little extra, hug your friends one more time than you normally would, savor the flavor of your favorite dish, and linger in a moment of celebration. Reach deep down and find things you’re grateful for… even if you don’t have much. Holidays can be tough. Families can be complicated. Budgets can be tight. Expectations and tensions can be high. Sometimes, holiday gatherings can bring out less than the best in us.
But find a few simple things to thank God for today. The laughter of a child. The smile of a grandparent. An encouraging word from a friend. The chance to sit down for a few minutes with a friend. Hey, you might even get a start on your Christmas decorating today! Take the extra sets of hands, and put them to work. If you are the extra set of hands, then do a little work for someone else. Soften your words as you speak them and show some love. Everyone’s Thanksgiving will be a little better. Good luck, safe travels, happy eating, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Today’s Currently isn’t a link up. But I just haven’t posted anything in what feels like AGES, so here I am, telling you what I’m Currently up to, in the style of the link up!!
Thinking about || Thanksgiving and all that that entails. For me, it has entailed rearranging my basement for guest space, two (so far) extremely expensive grocery store trips in preparation for cooking and baking, ordering a Honeybaked Ham (we could give or take a turkey, haha!) and making copious amounts of phone calls and emails planning, preparing, and getting excited. My parents, my brother and his girlfriend, my grandmother, my aunt, uncle and cousin are all coming up here from GA for the holiday. It may be a little hectic, but wonderful. And I haven’t even gotten to things I am thankful for!
Thankful for || family, friends, food to eat and a roof over my head. Here in North Carolina, we’ve had a couple of weeks of drastically changing weather, and I’m thankful for warm boots, rain boots, coats, scarves, and heat in my house. I’m also thankful that I have wonderful family and friends to spend my holiday with. It’s nice to not dread the family coming into town and the hours and days that we will spend together. I know many who are not this fortunate.
Cooking || some of my family’s favorite Thanksgiving staples to take them to Hubby’s family’s T-Giving meal. This will include my family’s dressing recipe and our well-loved cranberry salad. Today I also worked on one of my favorite holiday snacks to have around the house: ranch oyster crackers (basically a package of oyster crackers baked with olive oil, ranch mix, dill, lemon pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper) – yum! I’m also baking some cookies (the cherry shortbreads I talked about a few weeks ago and a gluten/dairy/sugar free sugar plum recipe that is SO GOOD. I’m basically excited about it.
Anticipating || some renovations around our home! Hubby and I have decided we’re staying put, and hiring a friend’s company to renovate the basement. The idea is that we will get two more bedrooms, a bathroom spruce up and a laundry room out of the project and we are PUMPED. Hubby and I also have a few projects on the main level that we’re going to be working on during the times that EK is at preschool and J is napping, such as repainting baseboards, touch up painting on walls, etc. I’m excited about this process, and loving my (already well-loved) home even more.
Hoping || I’ve been praying and hoping for more patience with EK. Confession: I don’t know how much better I’ve been getting. She’s amazing – communicating, behaving, potty training, being sweeter to her brother… but still there are attitude issues sometimes (I mean, she’s 2!) and some things she does (to her brother, mostly) that I feel like trigger me losing my cool. I’m working on it. Prayers for that, if you’re the praying type.
Loving || two new pairs of leggings and two new chunky, tunic-length sweaters, all from Crown & Ivy. They are comfy, the leggings are thick (think can’t see through them when you bend your knees, and no panty lines, because they aren’t painted on, either!) and therefore warm, and the sweaters are cozy. Basically, I’m living in them.
Alright. There’s my long-overdue update. What are you up to? What are your Thanksgiving plans and recipes?
Crumbled biscuits and cornbread that I made this morning in preparation for the dressing I’ll put together tomorrow!
Ranch Oyster Crackers, straight from the oven. The ones that I haven’t already eaten, at least.
Cranberry Salad – a little complicated, but always a hit. My great-grandmother’s recipe (one of EK’s namesakes!)
How is it that Hubby and I can live in the same house, have mostly the same friends, work often from home, raise the same kids, and feel like we haven’t had a real conversation recently?! It seems silly that we could spend a lot of time together, and not feel like it’s quality time. I’ve actually heard, in the past two days, two other couples say that same thing: we haven’t gotten to really talk recently. For Hubby and me, it goes like this: sometimes, by the time we are alone together, it’s 8:30pm, there are dishes to be done, laundry to be folded, and we are bone tired. Other times, it seems that we have so much to talk about that we can’t stay on one thing for very long. We’re trying to talk about life and feelings and opinions, but we end up talking about grocery lists and “don’t forget EK has preschool tomorrow.”
As a wife who needs some connection and conversation from her Hubby (who also craves that connection), I’ve thought of a few things I’d like to try.
First of all, Hubby’s going to be out of town this weekend. That means that the only way to connect is to talk. We can’t snuggle, we can’t do things for each other, we can’t share a meal together. But we can ask some of those questions, or share those feelings over the phone. It’s definitely a different beast to talk on the phone rather than in person (can’t see the body language or facial expressions, can’t get hugs or see smiles – aka the worst) but it’s a start. Sometimes, conversations can be started on the phone and finished later.
Secondly, I’m going to try to keep the “housekeeping” items concise and necessary only. I have realized that I can use up all of Hubby’s energy and patience on what needs to be cleaned, where the kids’ this-and-thats are, and what we are doing for dinner tonight. I can clean it, I can find it, I can make a plan, and require much less of him in that department. I’m not saying he won’t have input about dinner and that he won’t have to clean anything. But I’m saying I’m going to nag less and communicate more intentionally.
Thirdly, I need an attitude adjustment. Sometimes my role as nag (see #2) can drown my role as wife. I neeeeever want that to be the case, but my OCD and planner’s brain take hold of me, and all I can see are to-do lists and calendars. It’s a vice, for sure, to always think this way, especially because I really do love spur-of-the-moment activities. I love when my sisters-in-law call me and invite us to dinner or to a play date on the spot, and I love when Hubby wants to go out for drinks or to hear music in two hours, leaving me scrambling for a last minute babysitter. I am okay with it! But sometimes doing that too often creeps into the “I never know what’s going to happen” realm, and I freak out.
Last one… speaking of going out for drinks or to hear live music, Hubby and I often go on dates with friends or to places where we know we will run into people we know. We have wonderful friends that we love, and we really like going out on dates to places we can’t take our kids. But it has dawned on me that we need a few dates soon that are just the two of us. Luckily, we aren’t one of those couples that those words (just-the-two-of-us) scare us. We love time with just us, we have great conversation, and (at least) I always feel fuller and more complete when we’ve had time to connect and talk by ourselves. So that’s on my radar for the next week or two, also. At least one date. Hubby and me, out together, alone. That’s it.
How do you reconnect with your spouse during a busy season? If you’re a parent of small kids, how do you find time for adult conversation, past grocery lists and holiday plans?
This week’s edition of Currently is on INSTAGRAM! If you already follow me on Instagram, you know I’m a big fan… If you don’t yet, follow me (@whitneymaeve) to see what I’m currently up to! If you want to link up, add your link at Hannah’s Joyful Life and use the hashtag #currently on Instagram.
In the mean time, here’s a couple of photos of the kiddos from Halloween…
Three little rodents… and we didn’t even plan it! Mama Deer holding her little field mouse, Rafaella and Master Splinter, and April O’Neil interviewing Mickey Mouse!It’s hard to get all four of them looking and smiling, so this one might be the best! At least no one is crying!
After we got a few pictures of the kiddos dressed up, we had dinner together, and then we all went out to Hubby’s gig. It was a night of being silly and dancing. What fun!
What did you do for Halloween?
And don’t forget to link up to tell me what you’re currently up to!
Since today is Halloween, but I haven’t dressed my kids up yet, here are a few photos from Halloweens past… Enjoy!
Not a great photo, but one of my favorite costumes ever. The first year we were married, Hubby and I were the Incredibles. Stay tuned to see it again in a year or two, plus the kids!
Here’s a shot of Hubby’s whole costume! That’s a proud moment of making those costumes ourselves!
Lady Gaga was one of my most fun costumes, and the only thing I bought was the wig!
The year I was pregnant I was just growing out of my clothes, so I wanted something silly. Reverse Cowgirl it was! Kelly (on the right here, and on the right in the one above) and I always get pictures together!
Ella Kate’s first Halloween – and you can hardly find her, haha!
Photo cred. Sophie Van Zandt
Last year, Hubby was Sully and EK was Boo. I ran out of time before turning my belly into Mike… but my two loves looked great, and EK had fun at our church’s Trunk or Treat event. That’s where we’re headed tonight, so you’ll see pictures soon!
What are you dressing up as this year? What are your kids going to be? How many Elsas have you seen?!
This is my sixthtime linking up with some awesome bloggers to share life, connect, and give and get ideas! Love this link up – join us!
D O I N G || We are working on potty training and house purging/organizing, almost to the exclusion of all else. Both are very productive and healthy for us to be doing, and we have a ways to go yet.
P L A N N I N G || We have already started making our plans for the holiday season. Are we going to go see my family in GA? Will we invite everyone to come here? Will we plan lots of things or be a little more relaxed? All valid questions. All have no true answers yet. My schedule is already gearing up for church, since there are extra services and functions I’ll need to attend, as well as social gatherings of friends far and near. It’s going to be a busy few months, folks.
R E M E M B E R I N G || My maternal grandfather passed away in November of last year, and I think about him all the time, but especially now. My son has his eyes and his hairline (read: cowlick) and sometimes I look at him and want to weep for his great-grandfather and the fact that he won’t know him. He so would have loved my son, and my son would have loved him.
W I S H I N G || I love my kids at their stages right this minute… I’m wishing they could stop time for a few months and not change.
L O V I N G || I got a tip from my friend Aida about some fantastic boots on Amazon… so I bought them. And they are wonderful. I have worn them every other day almost. I’ve worn them with dresses, jeans, leggings, tights, and been completely happy every time I’ve put them on. Here’s the link: Very Volatile Women’s Mel Boot. I got the dark taupe. They come in teal, and I’m thinking about telling Hubby that’s what I want for Christmas…
Today I’m linking up (belatedly haha) with Hannah at Joyful Life for the next installment of the Currently series. I love building community with these fantastic bloggers who inspire me. Join us!
T H I N K I N G || As you might know, I’ve been training for a 10K that’s on October 25th. I ran 6.23 miles (just a little over) on Monday for the first time – usually I have been doing between 4 and 5 miles – and it killed me. I am still sore. I thought that when I lost the stroller (I usually run with my double jogger and both kids) the last mile and a half would come easily. It didn’t. I managed to finish, but I was really dragging my booty at the end. I’m hoping I can get at least three more of those actual 10k-length runs in between now and the race. I’m not going for a certain time… I just want to finish!
M A K I N G || This makes me think of crafting… but Lord knows I haven’t been doing that. I love to craft, but just haven’t had the time. I will stick with making friends. Building relationships. That’s a good thing to be making, right? I’ve been learning more about the gals in my women’s small group and I love it!
A N T I C I P A T I N G || I’m really looking forward to church this Sunday. I’m leading worship at a different service since J and his cousins are getting baptized, and all of our family will be in town. It’s going to be a joyous occasion all around!
W E A R I N G || Scarves. And. Boots. And. Boots. And. Scarves. Seriously. I’m wrecked because the weather hasn’t really gotten that cool for more than a few hours at a time, so I’m sweating in my boots and scarves. Oh well, it’s October, and I’m in the right and the weather is in the wrong.
T H A N K F U L F O R || I’m thankful right now for a mother-in-law that I not only get along with really well, but who also speaks truth and goodness into me, Hubby and the kids. She’s a fantastic lady, and she is one of the reasons our family is so darn awesome.
Here’s a little glimpse of our fall photo session from last Saturday. I’ll go into detail about it later… But we love working with Sophie Van Zandt – the best 16-year-old photographer you’ve ever seen! She always cranks out tons of cute photos of my kids and our family.
Image from http://www.123newyear.com
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