make life hearty and plentiful

love


so far 2011 has been a roller coaster of emotions and we are only five days in. 

1.the mister and i have managed to get all the attire figured out & reserved/bought for the bridal party, minus shoes and jewelry for the girls, but i have a feeling that will be super easy. this has me super excited that i will have everything done and complete in PLENTY of time before the big day!

2. i learned that a dear co-worker of mine (now retired) has only 3-6 months left to live. he was diagnosed with cancer last year, and has been a determined fighter through it all. only thing, i  really hate when doctors play God & give death sentences.  the only person who REALLY knows is God. people should be able to live life without the worry of that sentence & how much time is "left." sorry little personal opinion rant just happened there. 

3. i found out my mother has a torn rotator cuff - thus requiring surgery.  All will be okay though - I'm just ready for her to have her arm feeling good again. 

4. the mister and i have a date to go cake tasting, flower picking and decor deciding for the wedding in february - i can't wait for all that yummy baked goodness to hit my tastebuds. hopefully my our decision on cake flavors aren't too hard, because i really love cake!

5. i watched a school friend bury her little sister. 
6. i've completed an item of my list of 2011 To-Dos - sent out my first round of pen pal mailings and received one back; Courtney - you are too cute and such a doll!

it sometimes feels as though we can't wait for things/events to happen.  we plan and plan. we hope and hope. just for that one day to get here.  and when its finally here, we look back, going where has all that time gone. what did i do during that time?  i thought that exact thing this morning when i typed out today's date - January 5, 2011.  i still have trouble believing its already 2011 and everything that has already occured in the short five days. 

i need to learn to savor the day more.  make more of each and every day that we have. it would make life more precious to me, if i feel content with each day knowing i lived it fully. i also need to capture more of my days with photographs & blogging them - so many times i look back thinking "shoot, that would have been a good photo op!"

and to help with that i'm also going to begin looking for volunteer work here in the next couple of days or so, once i decide what it is i want to do.. and if the mister wants to get involved - what he would prefer to do as well.  i really would like the whole soup kitchen type work again - it really allows for one on one contact with those you are helping, plus allows me to get my hands into one of the fields i love, cooking and feeding yumminess to the world.  (i will keep an update going on the volunteer work search and completion)

i want to make my life more plentiful and hearty like a chicken pot pie.  yummy, lots of components/ingredients & layers, nourishing, a semi-tough exterior but soft and surprising inside, and warm to the soul! 

if your life was a food, what food would it be a why?

are you truly & honestly happy?

courtesy of.

I don't know how many of my readers out there watch CBS on Monday nights, more particularly How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM.) The mister and I are pretty consistent on staying current with our TV shows, so after tux shopping last night, which ended with a check off our to-do list, we were able to squeeze in one of our Monday night regulars, HIMYM.

We managed to get caught up in the countdown of numbers from 50 as soon as the first scene began.  Did anyone else catch this countdown?  At some points I believe I was so busy trying to find the next number I missed parts of the show.  

Spoiler alert begins now if you haven't watched yet.  Next thing you know, Lily is getting out of taxi "001" crying and breaks the news to our ever so beloved Marshall that his dad had a heart attack and passed away, ending the episode with the two hugging and crying in the rain. 

Maybe it was just me, maybe it was everyone watching, but I was NOT expecting that.  And by not expecting that, I mean, I felt the tears a little beginning to fill in my eyes.  Seriously? The first episode into the New Year starts like this?   How can CBS do that?  But I started thinking, which we all know I'm terribly good at.

I'm sure things had to be bittersweet for Marshall and Lily; something terrible had to happen for them to be overcome with joy of a pregnancy maybe?  I don't know.  I'm the world's worst about NEEDING to try and predict what happens on the next episode.

But spoiling the show for someone or ranting about the outcome was not the whole reason for my post.  I think HIMYM and the producers had somewhat of a hidden meaning behind it for our New Year or maybe I just found/created my own hidden message so I can justify watching. I don't know, I'm goofy like that at times.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our day to day routines that we don't live our lives to the fullest that we miss tons of opportunities to be with those we love or doing what we love.  We do this because we want to ensure life is perfect. Life isn't always perfect. Let life runs it course, God has a plan for you. You're here for a reason. Maybe you won't have that baby like Marshall and Lily, but as we saw with Marshall's parents, that was ok - life wouldn't be ruined if they didn't have one. Marshall's parents were still beaming with happiness everytime we saw them, no matter what they were doing or how life was going. They were living their lives to the max! and wanted the same happiness for Marshall and Lily. I'm glad by the end of the episode Marshall and Lily found some of that happiness knowing that they are both able to have children, and that life will continue if they don't have that baby tomorrow.

So my challenge is to take one day at a time.  Live your life.  Be who you want to be and fulfill the dreams and wants you want to fulfill.  Its not always about making sure you're life makes everyone else happy, because your life belongs to you.  You are the first person that you need to make happy, then you will be able to make others truly happy. Its also not always about making sure everything is perfect and storybook.  Your life is going to have road bumps.  Its going to stray from the normal course sometimes.  THAT IS OKAY! That is what keeps our lives interesting and from being terribly boring.  That's why its YOUR life, no one else has it.  God planned it especially for you,  because he knows you can handle it. And you can handle it! No matter how low some days feel, I believe in you, as well as many others.

Make sure your days are lived as though they could be your last.  We aren't guaranteed tomorrow or the next day.  Hell, we aren't guaranteed the full day when we wake up.  God is the only one who knows when your last breath and blink will be.  So let's make every day count!

the countdown to a new year.

Friday night, New Year's Eve, we went over to my parents place to spend the evening with them and my brother and his family.

We spent it eating yummies, coloring (w/ the kids), playing on the PS3 and just having fun.

Here's a few pictures.

I hope you had just as splendid an evening as we did.

now is better than never..

via

I've had some time to think about 2011.  I know we are in day three of our new year, but now is better than never.   Some of us create lists of things to accomplish through the year, comprising of things that are so far overstated, like run a marathon, when you never have even put on running shoes, that it makes your list when you look at it seem impossible.  Thus, leaving you unmotivated, depressed, and feeling an extreme lack of self-confidence.  I myself have fallen victim to the "beyond your reach goals."

This year I'm doing things differently and not having resolutions, but a to do list.  I'm take a little more lax approach I guess you could say. I'm creating my things to do in 2011, but they are things that I've been telling myself I will do, but never got around to it, because I haven't had something/someone holding me accountable or to look back on; leaving me to think, "Man, I haven't accomplished squat this year!"  I dont want this year to be that. 

I have some wonderful things in my life happening this year, mainly becoming Mrs. Gregg, so I want 2011 to be MY year.  My year for accomplishments. My year for beginnings. My year for changes. My year to live. My year to become what I have been and what I've wanted to be.

My To-Do List for 2011:

1. Find volunteer work.  Whether it be a soup kitchen (which I would like most) or a Mission center to volunteer at every couple of months so I can help the less fortunate. I have done this in the past and it was so rewarding, but have since fallen off that train.
2. Make risotto.  I hear its an absolutely delicious dish and I've been wanting to try, but  just keep telling myself no. 
3. Take more photographs. Simple enough, I just don't do it.
4. Stop berating myself.  Love myself more - no matter my clothing size.
5. Eat better/exercise more.  I used to be really good at this, but have since failed miserably.
6. Write more.  Send more letters, cards, notes via snail mail.  Technology is really killing the vintage, heartfelt, personalized ways of communication we used to enjoy.
7. Learn something new.  I need to learn something, keep my brain young, like knitting.
8. Get back into arts & crafts/Start an ETSY shop.  I got lazy with this.  I used to make all kinds of things that I was proud of. What happened Bethani?!

This is just a start to things I hope my life can embrace & experience this year.  As a part of this new year, new Bethani lifestyle, a monthly blog update about my progress of my to-do list will be done, as a source of accountability.   Also the journey to Mrs. Gregg continues so keep watching for that.. 

What wonderful things are you hoping to accomplish and/or experience this year?

Project 365

Welcome to 2011 my loves! This week of pictures for Project 365 was the ending of one year and beginning of another. I still can't believe its 2011 ALREADY.

33/365 The mister and I were finally able to find him a casual coat/jacket. Thank goodness!

34/365 The Pen Pal Project is in full swing and the first round of mailings went out.

35/365 The calm before the storm.  Making my way to the highway from work.

36/365  One of my antique cups and saucers.  My dad found this one in Louisiana for me. ♥

37/365 I made cupcakes for the New Year's Eve get together at my parent's house.  Chocolate with blue vanilla frosting and confetti sprinkles! Yumm!

38/365 New Year's Day always consists of a bowl of black-eyed peas & other wonderful veggies.  Fried squash is one of my absolute favorites, especially when its a little burnt!

39/365  We got the bridesmaids' dresses picked out and purchased.  Another thing of the list off to-dos for the wedding. 

What all did you get accomplished during your last week of 2010 and first week of 2011?