Summer 2018 Recap

Okay. Back to this blogging thing. Every year... let's be real... every month I tell myself, "This is when you'll start to be consistent with writing." But, you know what? The only thing I am consistent at is keeping a list of "blog ideas" in a note on my iphone. I know, #smh.

However, I am here. Although I have a TON of blog ideas, I still don't really even know where to begin. I think I'll do a little catching up of our summer, since it is technically "back to school" and I know as well as the next guy that the average reader of these things are nosy little buggers. Give the people what they want!

April-May 2018 - I went from full-time, super swamped, overwhelmed working momma of two, to putting in notice as a last ditch effort to keep my family together.

Of course notice would last two whole months but hey, I got to go down to part time! Oh, cue ALL THE FEELS. It was hard. Letting go of something near and dear to you, having to say goodbye to people you'd grown close to over the past few years, wrestling with lots of emotions and feelings at home and at the office. I had never felt so out of place and forced against my will. But, I knew I had to stick it out and see it through. Even if I  ended up going back to work a month after my last day (that's a clue). I had to save my marriage. I had to save my family. Wow. Talk about truth bombs.

June 2018 - I reached my last day and came home to my babies. Lucky for us, we kicked it off with a trip to Vegas with just my husband and I - talk about much needed. That was the beginning of several adventures for me this summer. Side bar: We had been talking about expanding... our family... and now #VEGASBABY has a new meaning. Yes, baby girl will be here in February!!! Video link for your entertainment...

We went to Dallas for market so I could pick things up with the boutique (www.LucyGrant.com) and ventured over to Tyler for my cousins baby shower. She had twins and I am DYING to meet them! Greg got food poisoning, so that was NOT fun. Oh, and we almost had a blow out on the way home - thank god for 24 hour tire men!

We went to Disney World - phew, lots to say about that. Overall it was an experience that we will not soon forget. We were so appreciative of the gift from my parents (it was a Christmas gift) and the kids had a blast. We will be going back... but not for a bit.

Also, in June, we decided to sell our house! We had been casually looking, because who doesn't love to stalk Realtor.com and dream? But when baby #3 was confirmed - it was game on.

July 2018 - Our house sold within DAYS... DAYS! Talk about awesome but equally stressful. We went through some back and forth on one house, bailed on it, then found the house we ultimately purchased and are absolutely LOVING it.

Remember when I said I went on a few more adventures and that I might go back to work? I had a girls trip to College Station with some friends which was nice but quick - we had JUST moved into our house... and being pregnant on a girls trip just isn't quite the same, you know what I'm saying! Then we took a trip down to Port Aransas and stayed at Port Royal (who else called it Port Royale growing up?!?!) for my birthday - the big 3-1 whoop! You guys, they need help. Stay there. Spend money. That little town is struggling to get back what Hurricane Harvey took from it. Lastly, I started back to work. Different company, same concept, part time hours. It's been great. I haven't been able to put in as much as I would like but I feel human when I am working so that's fabulous!

August 2018 - Another girls trip to San Diego and LA with my bestie!! It was a blast. Already looking forward to the next one! I am so thankful for this time with my friend. More on this. I can't write everything in one post, you guys. We had some set backs with the house... AC repairs, new windows (delayed, twice), broken sewage main (barf!). However, everything is fixed, the poop is back flowing to where it belongs, and our home is nice and cool in this gazillion degree weather we have here in southeast Houston. Lastly, we celebrated 5 years of marriage! Three of the five, I've been pregnant - hoping that trend changes soon haha But more on this marriage stuff later!

Here we are, all caught up! Till next time, my dear hearts.

For the Normal People

I saw this and laughed.

Do you ever feel like the old saying, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," just doesn't quite fit the bill? I am really trying to love it. Well, I am really trying to at least LIKE it. It being my job. The past week and the few days of this week have been fine. We have been pretty busy. That helps.

I'm normally the one who opens my mouth in meetings and can't seem to "shut up and listen" but shutting up and listening has come very easily these past few months. I usually have a lot of suggestions and honestly, I have some good ideas! However, I just haven't felt like saying much. This place will never change and if it's going to, it will be because of a few people who aren't open to suggestions and who will do it their way. I really hope I am in a holding cell. I really hope and pray for some type of answer as to why I am at this place.

Do you ever feel like that? Like you're in a holding cell? Just waiting around for 'the next big thing'? I feel like that unusually often. Too often. Patience is so incredibly cumbersome to endure. Would you agree? It's not that I want "things", I just want to have a purpose. To know what the heck is going on in my life more than 50% of the time. To know the general direction my life is going in. There are so many unknowns. Too many!

Wasn't someone supposed to warn us of this feeling? I went from wearing 100 different hats and balancing 50 different plates in high school and college, to NOTHING - diddly squat, if you will. Well, the year after college was exciting but in a very bad way, unfortunately. And sure, I can better myself by going BACK to school or studying for an exam that is 100% against me or joining a convent (extreme, I know). I just don't FEEL like those are the things I should be doing right now. However, I don't feel like I should be doing ANYTHING right now which is a really crummy feeling. I just need to go to work and be here. Here. Day in and day out. Here. That's it. Nothing exciting. You can all stop reading now.

Kidding.

But in all seriousness - doesn't reality suck??? No jokes, people. I know my parents and siblings are laughing right now because I tend to be a bit on the dramatic side, but FOR REAL! I want to juggle a plate and wear a few hats. I want to DO something. I don't want to be in this holding cell anymore. Oh dearest patience - how I loathe you - but I know somewhere, in the midst of all this that is boring, I am here for a reason, a season, a purpose, a - who knows what.

I know I am not the only one. I know I am probably going to feel like this at several moments in my life. Or, God could just hop me around from good thing to good thing and then I would never, ever be bored again. In my prayers (dreams).

The Hook (Line and Sinker, or is it sink her??)

Dear Readers - or maybe there is only one of you???

To my understanding, after my thorough study and yes, appreciation, for that which is a blog, I have come to find out that they each possess a hook. Much like that of a plot in a movie - of which I am a huge fan. So I have been brainstorming ways to keep the traffic up on this site. Since I am not "blogging" about anything specific, this could be difficult....verrrryyyyy difficult (some of you will get this).

I find it amusing that this has almost become a challenge.  Definitely a hobby. Subconsciously a way to occupy time.  Since my first post I have been creating 'drafts' of 'posts to come' when an idea for a good blurb finds its way into my head. One of these days (here is another blurb idea) I might write about my thought process - let me tell you, even I hardly understand where these things come from. It's like you're at a baseball game and instead of the ball (idea) originating at home plate, being hit to left field, then thrown back to home for the out (or not for a homer), the ball comes FLYING out of the stands and onto right field. The idea (ball) might get picked up, or not, to be carried through to form an actual sentence that I might write or say. Did I lose you? I think I did. Maybe I should leave the ball in right field and drop the topic of 'thought origination'. My point - I have no idea where this stuff comes from.

On the way to work this morning I didn't listen to the radio. It was nice not having a talk show host blabber on about Justin Bieber or reliving the events of this weekend's win for the Texas Rangers (whom I adore). I just drove. Well, and sadly put on my make up at the same time. But nonetheless it was silent. I was more aware. More cautious. More focused. More courteous. I actually let several people in the traffic line ahead of me. Why are we always so busy and in a hurry? Why must we always feel like we are in first place? As of lately I have been anything but in first place.

You should drive with the radio off. It's wonderful.

Maybe this was my hook? Half of your are probably rolling your eyes and thinking "DUH, of course driving with the radio off makes you more aware." And then you will never return to my blog. You're missin' out!

However, after driving without the radio on I feel unusually confident about this week. I might start doing things I've been neglecting, weeding out all the BS that I don't need, working out again finally, and working on positivity. We could all use a little of it. For example - I just asked off a day of work to go on a roadtrip (yes, I said roadtrip) to NEBRASKA - something I have been neglecting. And guess what - they said yes!!!!!! Last time I asked for a day off work from said job I was reprimanded with this snarky comment "Maybe you should stay at work a while" ... really???

Ok - I'm moving on. No more negativity. I am at this place for a reason (place = said job) and I need to just deal with it. It could be a hundred, million times worse....

Please don't take this as a cliché because it really speaks to me....

He DECLARES it, so it must be true. I hope it does something for you today too!

In Faith....