For the Love: Chapter 4 & 5

Chapter 4- Fashion Concerns:

This chapter seriously made me LOL! I cannot express to you how many of these thoughts about fashion I have had. Leggings and tights.... I could cringe just thinking about it! UGH! Not to say there isn't a place for leggings and tights... but please don't show your butt and lady parts- PLEASE! Cover that stuff up. I totally agree with her on this. She also hates man capris, workout pants, mom jeans, overalls, etc. I agree with some of that for sure! I will tell you some of the things in fashion that drive me crazy:

People who dress their kids like adults. Kids are kids. I love a good outfit, but I don't feel our kids should look like adults when they get dressed. There are some fashion statements that are not meant for children. My style is totally Mudpie.

People who dress their kids to the T, but don't take care of themselves. Come on momma, take some pride and time to look nice. If your kid looks like they just walked out of a GAP commercial, you could at least look Target style. 

Mismatching, wrinkled, frumpy clothes. There is a place for that-it is called "running to the store". Otherwise, again take some pride. If you are going somewhere, try and look nice. Iron those clothes, match. If you are at work, for sure,- please LOOK like you tried.

I know momming is hard and I know as women, we put ourselves on the back burner sometimes. We need to stop. We need to plan ahead, do whatever we need to do to make sure we are walking out feeling and looking good. Stop waiting to lose the weight, fit back into that size, stop sleeping too late to take time for yourself. You feel good when you look good. Our kids aren't the only ones that need that!

Chapter 5- Run Your Race

What are you good at? Stop being ashamed of it. This part of this chapter got me in the feelings: "I don't like it when people minimize their gifts. There is a difference between humility and insecurity, and self-effacement does no one any favors." AMEN! Be proud of what you do. Don't back down when someone praises you for the great things you are doing! Stand tall and be proud. Chances are, you have worked hard for what you have done. Don't belittle it or be shy about it. 

If you haven't found what you are good at yet, maybe it's time. Do you have a dream? Something you want to do but haven't tried yet? Now might be the time to make that happen. You might fail. You might succeed. Do you and run your race. Life is too short to sit around and wait for the perfect moment. Now is the time! I have tried several things over the years. I did some painting and hangers for people. I don't have the time for that now with the littles. I thought about signing up with Ever for a long time and I finally did it and I have been doing it for almost 2 years now. 

What fashion makes you cringe? 

What is your race and how can you start working toward that?

Chapter 3: On Calling and Haitian Moms

Point 1 from this chapter: Theology is either true everywhere or anywhere. Many times people get caught up in the "American Dream" mentality and think that is how God thinks. What about the single mom in Haiti? Does the fact that she is poor make all those promises of health and wealth to the faithful false? Just because she isn't married, does that make her not worthy? Try and think outside of your thoughts and stop speaking for what God thinks. God loves. He shows mercy and grace to all. We need to start thinking about loving everyone and not just who we think is worthy. God is the only one who has the right to judge.

Point 2: A calling... the dictionary defines it as: a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence.

Are you waiting on your calling? We all have a desire for a purpose in life. The key is to not pause our lives waiting on it. I can't tell you how many times I have said "When my kids get older"...."When the weather is better". Why do we do this to ourselves? We can live out our purpose in life now. The single, poor mom in Haiti does. She has no choice. She has to work and do her thing. She may not be famous and live a grand life, but she has a purpose, just like you and me. We are all worthy of the calling we have received, including her. Your calling may seem ordinary to you, but it  might make a huge difference for someone else.
What if we actually stopped worrying about a calling and started thinking of our GIFTS? You might be good at praying for others, encouraging others, serving others, teaching others, helping others...whatever it is- do it TODAY. Don't wait for something miraculous. Pray and ask God to show you what your gift is and how you can use it to help others and live out the purpose He has for your life. When you truly surrender to what he wants you to do with your gifts is when great things happen. What is your gift and how can you use it to bless others?

Reading with purpose

I love to read... there is nothing better than a good book-whether it is on the couch with a cup of coffee, on the beach listening to the waves roll in, or just a simple quick read when I have time (this is more the norm these days with two littles at home). I love to read for enjoyment, but I also find myself reading  more with a purpose these days- a purpose to grow in Christ, to be a better wife, and to be a better mom. Here are some things I have been reading lately.

I have said it before and I will say it again- I love first5.org . It is a daily devotional and simple, but helps you to grow closer to God and learn about scripture at the same time. 

My husband and I just started this challenge. While we don't get to it every night, because kids are demanding and we both work and are tired, we do our best. It has scripture to read, prayers to say, and acts to do together. It has been great for us and helps us to really have some in depth conversation about God, life, and so much more. I highly suggest it for anyone who is married and just looking to grow together in your journey and be closer to Him.

Another great book! It really gets you thinking about how you as a mother set the tone for your household. It is easy as a mom and wife to feel overwhelmed and tired. It is easy to let the negativity come over you. This helps you realize you are alone in a lot of those feelings that people just don't talk about enough. I think there is this false sense of what mom life is like. It is not all yoga pants, trips to target and Starbucks. It is HARD work. Today when I was reading, it talked about 10 things you can do to create a home of warmth and grace. Get Rest, Time with God, Simplify Schedules, Clutter Busting, Give Up Perfection, Meal Plan, Schedule Mom Time Out, Play Music, Give Grace for Limitations, and Scripture Memory.

I try to do many of these. The ones that spoke to me most today were Give Up Perfection and Scripture Memory. I am too hard on myself and lately I have had to really take a step back and say "It is ok that the house is a little messy, we live here and it's not for show".... "It's ok if it doesn't get done today"- I am not perfect. The Scripture Memory is something I want to try and do with my family. I am going to be looking for a cute way to display a scripture every week and work on that. 

What are some books that you read for enjoyment on for a purpose? I am always looking for suggestions! 

Lydia's Birth Story

Here is the crazy story of how sweet little Miss Lydia entered the world. This story is very different from my last delivery, which I will back track and do a post about soon. 

So, this was my second pregnancy. The whole pregnancy was different. I got pregnant first try, which did not happen last time. I was sick this time. I made it to my due date this time. All in all, it was just a different experience. Boy vs girl pregnancy? Maybe. I think every pregnancy is just different. 

With my son, I made it to week 39 and then he came into the world. Lydia was not coming early. I was due on Thursday, April 18 and honestly shocked when I made it to that day and went in for my 40 week appointment. My doctor is truly amazing (Dr. Patel at UTMB if you are looking for a great doctor) and she wanted to be supportive and do whatever I felt was right. She did tell me I couldn't go more than a week overdue. She gave me the option to come in that night or Sunday night or Monday.... as long as I did it soon. I was so torn. I was scared, honestly. My water broke the last time and I was still induced with Pitocin  but I have heard horror stories about inductions and I just wasn't sure. The husband and I headed for a Target run and discussed it. (Doesn't everyone go to Target when you are stressed? LOL)

Luckily, we had packed bags just in case. We started thinking about our options. We ultimately decided to go ahead and go into L & D that evening after one last good dinner. We headed to Chili's (this turned out to be a bad idea later) to have dinner with his parents and Landry before heading to the hospital. 

We arrived at the hospital and I was in the room at 7:30. We met the doctors that were on duty that night and I was hooked up to a monitor. Immediately the nurse noticed something that didn't look right. She told me the baby was having a variable in her heart rate. Her heart rate would take a dip and stay there for a minute or two and then go back up. I was also having crazy long contractions- 5-6 minutes long. I really wasn't feeling these. These drops in heart rate were happening with the contractions. This is when the doctor came in and started explaining other options to us, in case we had to go that route. I knew then that this was not going to be easy. The plan was to give me some medication to help my cervix prepare for birth, but they chose not to go that route and use the bulb to help open it up instead. That was inserted. The heart rate drops continued to happen. My doctor arrived. We discussed more options. They had to stop making me contract, so they gave me some medicine for that. Everyone was so supportive and wanted to let me know we could keep trying for a vaginal birth. My doctor knows me. She knows I can't make a decision. She knows I just need her expert advice. She was honest and told me she felt the baby would not handle the stress of labor. It could be caused by so many things. She could be holding on to the cord, the cord could be wrapped, etc. The main problem was contractions. I have to contract to be able to give birth and when I did, the heart rate dropped. It wasn't likely going to work. We began to talk about a c-section. I am not one of those moms that goes in having an elaborate birth plan. I don't get my hopes up or stress out when things don't go as planned. I just want a healthy baby at the end of it all. Whatever you have to do to make that happen, I am game for it. Tyler and I talked it over and we chose a c-section. The chances that I would endure 12, 14, 18 hours of labor and then have to have an emergency c-section in the end were high, so we chose not to wait on that and have it be a panic situation. We chose to just go ahead and opt for it. We wanted to get the baby here and not put her through anymore stress. 

As soon as the decision was made, things happened very quickly. They started prepping me for the OR. Tyler got ready. They took us down to the OR and set me up. I was given a spinal tap and it began. No more than 10 minutes after it started, at 11:16 p.m., Lydia was crying and it was over. The scary part was that the cord was not only wrapped, but wrapped THREE times around her neck. I would not have been able to deliver her without causing her stress and likely a c-section would have happened anyways. We made the right decision. 

I think of what could have happened. What if I had waited a few more days? What if I had chosen to keep trying for a vaginal birth? What if...what if... I know God was guiding us in the right direction. I am so thankful that we went that night. I am thankful that I had an amazing team of doctors and nurses that took great care of me. I am thankful Dr. Patel is so amazing! I am thankful that my baby girl is here with us, unharmed, healthy and happy. 

The worst part of my recovery to this day was throwing up that Chili's after the c-section. This was caused by the anesthesia. It was awful. If I could go back, I wouldn't have eaten. Other than that, I am on the mend. I have to take it easy and can't lift things or do much. That is hard for me to do, but I am trying. I plan to do more posts about vaginal vs c-section, the differences in my pregnancies, etc. More to come. 

All The Little Children book review and movie review of Green Book

Over Spring Break, thanks to my social media detox, I had plenty of time to read and watch movies. Amazing what can happen when you aren't glued to social media all day.

The book I read over the week was "All The Little Children" by Jo Furniss. Here is the summary from Good Reads. I use Good Reads often to find books that I might like to read. 

Struggling with working-mother guilt, Marlene Greene hopes a camping trip in the forest will provide quality time with her three young children—until they see fires in the distance, columns of smoke distorting the sweeping view. Overnight, all communication with the outside world is lost.

Knowing something terrible has happened, Marlene suspects that the isolation of the remote campsite is all that’s protecting her family. But the arrival of a lost boy reveals they are not alone in the woods, and as the unfolding disaster ravages the land, more youngsters seek refuge under her wing. The lives of her own children aren’t the only ones at stake.

When their sanctuary is threatened, Marlene faces the mother of all dilemmas: Should she save her own kids or try to save them all?

Ever since watching "The Walking Dead", I enjoy the post apocalyptic type book every now and then. This book was kinda on that wavelength. I won't spoil it for anyone who might want to read it. It was a quick read. There were parts of it that kept me reading. Overall, I would say it was a 3 out of 5. There were no zombies or anything like that. There were times when it really made you think like a mom and wonder what you do if you were in Marlene's shoes. The best part about it was that it was free with my Prime subscription. Do you have Prime? Do you read the free reads? I am actually already on to my next read- "Say You're Sorry" and that one is one I can't put down! Excited to finish it.

Now, on to the movie I watched. Green Book.

AMAZING. I loved this movie! If you have not had a chance to watch this, do it! It is based on the true story of Don Shirley, a classical and jazz pianist. It tells the story of the journey he took to play down south during the 60s and his relationship with his driver and bodyguard, Tony. It really evokes emotion about that time and what he had to go through. I truly enjoyed it and both actors in it- Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen were amazing! I love Ali anyways from True Detective, but he really did a great job in this movie and Viggo- he was so funny and so raw. 

Have you seen any good movies lately? Read any good books?

SPRING BREAK!

I'm baaaaaack! I knew I wouldn't get the chance to blog much over Spring Break and I sure didn't get to once. It was a very busy break. 


Lent Challenge
I am still reading my Bible passages daily as part of what I am adding in to my Lent time. I also continue to read my first5 passages daily as well. I really love daily devotional time and feel very connected to God.

I am also still on my social media detox. I don't use Facebook or Instagram right now. Some things I have done in place of wasting that time: cooked, spent more time with Landry, gone outside more, worked out, read a book over the break, spent time with my husband, watched several movies.....just had more time where I am not distracted by other people's lives and I actually get to live mine. I honestly don't miss it. It isn't as hard as I thought. I know I won't completely stay off of it forever, but I do know my time with it will change drastically after the Lent season is over. I am still determining what that will look like, but I will be talking about it soon.


A couple of topics that I will be writing about this week:

• The book I read and movies I watched over spring break
• Time with Landry before baby #2 comes
• Nursery for Lydia
• Baby favorites

My side gig has a great deal going on right now if any of you readers are interested! 

This deal is only good until the end of the month- order a regimen and you will get the complexion quickie ($115 set) FREE! I love it all. 

www.everskin.com/with/melissaanderson

Feel free to email me with questions! 

OHHHHH I almost forgot! The husband and I celebrated 4 years of marriage this week! We went to the Houston Rodeo and saw Kings of Leon. It was a great time. Funny thing, we forgot it was our actual anniversary a few days later- LOL! I guess you can say that we are in a "busy" season of life. We are blessed with a great marriage and truly feel we are married to our best friend. We don't do gifts or anything. Instead we try to share time and experiences with each other around that time. What do you and your spouse do for anniversaries?

I look forward to a great week of blogging! :) 

Lent day 1- social media detox and bible reading

It's Day 1!  
I am posting this on Day 2, because I forgot to post it yesterday. I was on my phone a LOT less without social media, so it just didn't happen.

I deleted both apps off my phone. The only thing I kept was Facebook messenger, because that is how I communicate with some people. Otherwise, I am not checking or scrolling at all on either social media app. It felt a little weird waking up and not looking at it right away, but overall it feels great to be able to go through the day without worrying about that world. I read more yesterday, I played with my son, and I just relaxed. So far, so good!


I added in a Bible reading daily and here it is for today(Wednesday):

John 1 New International Version (NIV)
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.


15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.


This reading is telling us that Jesus is coming. He is God' word. He is the light. He is with God and will always be with God. Jesus is important and we should pay attention to him. Jesus will show us what God is all about. 

Motivation Monday

The dreaded day.... Monday....sigh! Why do people dread Mondays so much? Here is an article I found recently that has a little insight into why we don't look forward to Monday.

https://www.inc.com/nicolas-cole/8-very-real-reasons-people-hate-mondays-and-why-you-should-be-concerned-if-you-f.html

Here are the main reasons and my commentary below!

1. You got a full night's sleep and yet you still feel tired. This is a very clear indicator that sleep is not the problem. The problem is you're not emotionally invested in what you're doing. Have you ever gone on a vacation or a trip where you're doing stuff all day, going to bed late, and still waking up early with tons of energy because you're excited to do more exploring? That's how you should feel every day, in some way, shape, or form. Do you love what you do? I think this is one of the main reasons that people do not get excited about Mondays. It means heading back to work for most. When you have a job that you don't love to do, it makes it so much harder. Now, I am not saying that you have to love working- who wouldn't rather be at home, somehow collecting a paycheck and not doing much for it? That is just not the way things work for most. We have to work to earn a living. I would suggest really looking at your job. Is it something you like to do? do you like the people you work with? Look at your commute, your workload and commitment. If the job is truly why you dread work days, try looking into something new to do, something you can feel good about doing and be at least a little passionate about. Change is hard, but sometimes change is necessary. 

2. You did not prepare yesterday for today. People despise feeling overwhelmed, and yet so many fail to realize they do it to themselves. Failure to prepare means you are preparing to fail. Mondays are only overwhelming if you did not take Sunday to get all your ducks in a row. And the reason why most people choose not to do this is because whatever it is they're doing isn't enjoyable to them. Routine! Routine! Routine! I have posted about this before. Make your life easier. Get organized and have a routine in place. We do all kinds of things to make life easier for us: Amazon Prime, Clicklist, certain days to get laundry done, cleaning schedule, iron clothes for the week. Prepare yourself for the week and it takes so much of the stress off.

Here is my post on this:

https://msenseneysjourney.blogspot.com/2019/02/lets-talk-routine.html

3. Everyone else hates Mondays too. It's easy to hate things other people hate too. "Misery loves company." It's impossible (or very, very difficult) to stay positive when your company culture is, "Hey Bob, how was your weekend?" / "Too short. Can't believe it's Monday. I hate Mondays." Next time someone asks about your weekend, try to think of something great that happened and share that versus saying "too short". Be positive and maybe others will follow! 

4. You aren't doing something you love. Obviously. You are not going to wake up feeling excited to go to a job you don't genuinely enjoy. It's astounding how many people choose things out of comfort, or fear of the unknown, and bite the bullet on years upon years of dissatisfaction. See #1! So true!

5. Social media either hates Mondays or crushes Mondays. Browse through Instagram on a Monday morning and you'll see half a dozen coffee cup quote graphics either sharing the pains of waking up on a Monday, or the relentless ambition one must possess in order to crush Mondays goals. What's more important is, what do YOU want? How do YOU want to be spending your Monday? And then what can you do in order to bring that to fruition? This is so dang true. I bet people post more about Monday and working that any other day (except maybe Friday!). Try to put a positive post out there in the world on Monday and give someone something good to focus on! 

6. You don't enjoy the people you work with. Most of the time, it's the people around you that define how long you stay in any given situation. Regardless of how you feel about the work, it can be very difficult to take satisfaction in doing something with people who don't bring you positive energy--and vice versa. See #1 again. I love my co-workers and the ones that don't bring that positive vibe, I try to be extra positive around them or avoid them if I can. Sad, but sometimes you just can't surround yourself with that if you are going to stay in the mindset to make Mondays better, make work better, be more positive!

7. Mondays mark the end of one life and the beginning  of the next. When you "live for the weekend," a Monday is the door shutting on your 48 hours of freedom--and that's a pretty strong indicator you are living double lives. One life is how you "pay the bills," and the other life is what you do for personal enjoyment. In some capacity, you want to find a way to merge the two. Otherwise, you will never find your work all that fulfilling. I am not going to lie, I LOVE the weekends. I always say I work to live, not live to work. I think it is super important to have priorities in life. I also think it is important to find that balance as well. People always want to separate work and life. Honestly, that's almost impossible. There will be times you have to take care of personal stuff while working or work while at home on your weekend time. Try to find joy, no matter what you are doing.

8. Because Monday means doing it "all over again." This speaks directly to our culture of chasing rewards as "means to an end." If you see every week as a sprint, and you endure it with the hopes that one day you'll be "done" and you can finally "enjoy it and relax," you're doing it wrong. You're missing the entire journey. You are aiming for something that doesn't actually exist. Fulfillment is found along the way, not in a treasure chest at the end of the rainbow. Every single day is a gift. God did not intend for us to view the days as something to "get done". Stop looking at it that way and try to enjoy the moments, days, weeks you are given. I would say also try to aim for productivity and relaxation in the same day. When you balance things out a little more and have time each day where you do something productive and then also have some relaxing time, you are likely not to view certain days as better than others. 

Semi personal questions about me!

What question can you ask to find out the most about a person? What are your thoughts on life? See which direction they go. A lot can be learned about a person and how they view life. 

When was the last time you changed your opinion / belief about something major?

In this day, I am always developing new opinions and beliefs as our world is constantly changing and getting away from the way that I prefer it to be. 

What was the best compliment you’ve received? Anytime someone tells me that they notice I am good at being a wife or a mom, that is the best. 

As the only human left on Earth, what would you do? Probably freak out- I don't see myself being resourceful and doing well in that situation.

Who inspires you to be better? My husband constantly challenges me to think outside of what I would normally think. I would say it makes me a better person. 

What do you want your epitaph to be? I would hope that people remember me as a Christian, as a good person, as a friend

What did you think you would grow out of but haven’t? I really thought I wouldn't have time for fitness once I became a mom. Although I have had to make some adjustments, I still have time so I am happy to have not grown out of that. 

In what situation or place would you feel the most out of place in? I try not to put myself into awkward situations, but I would say big parties, places that are toooooo fancy, a comicon convention lol....those seem strange to me. 

What’s the dumbest thing you’ve done that actually turned out pretty well? I am not a big risk taker, but I would say most people viewed my decision to marry my husband so quickly as dumb and it has turned out more than pretty well. 

They say that everyone has a book in them. What would your book be about? Changing your life. How you can't let the past define who you are today. I didn't always make the best decisions, but I am a happy, successful person today and I truly think I had to go through all of that to get here. 

What is something you will NEVER do again? scuba dive or snorkel. I do not like it! I feel claustrophobic under the water. It's just not for me. 

What do you spend the most time thinking about? I try to focus on the positive side of things.... church, my family, the future and all the exciting things I am looking forward to doing. 

What are some of the events in your life that made you who you are? Working at a young age, heartbreak, my grandpa's passing....just to name a few. 

What do you wish your brain was better at doing? Remembering stuff! 

There are two types of people in this world. What are the two types? Old school and Politically Correct

What is the strangest thing you have come across? I can't remember something super strange. 

What is something you are certain you’ll never experience? Sky diving...no way...never ever

What dumb accomplishment are you most proud of? 

If you could make one rule that everyone had to follow, what rule would you make?

What are you addicted to? Peanut Butter (seriously- every day) 

What stereotype do you completely live up to? Basic white girl- I am a little gaudy, totally normal, love starbucks, dress the part...all of it. 

What is something you can never seem to finish? Books! It takes me a while when I am working to be able to stay up late and finish reading a book. 

As you get older, what are you becoming more and more afraid of? Something happening to me or someone I love suddenly and leaving my kids without family members.

What is one of your favorite smells? Pumpkin Spice- fav time of year

What would be the scariest monster you could imagine? Monsters, whatever! lol

What song or artist do you like but rarely admit to liking? I don't hide what I like- mostly country, Christian music and some oldies.

What would you do if you knew you were going to die in one hour? Be with my family!

What book impacted you the most? I would say reading the Bible all the way through several times has made an impact on my life. I try to use stories from the Bible and apply it to my everyday life. 

If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? I am happy with Melissa

If life is a game, like some people say, what are some of the rules? Have common sense would be my number 1! 

Who is / was your most interesting friend? I have had many friends over the years, for different reasons and seasons of life. I have met a lot of really interesting people. I don't think one in particular stands out to me. 

Have you ever given to any charities? Yes, my husband and I try to donate frequently to charities, especially those that are local and associated with our church.

What is something that your friends would consider “so you”? Anything fleur de lis or Boston terrier-ish :) 

What risks are worth taking? LOVE- definitely worth it!

What can you not get right, no matter how many times you try? Can't think of anything.

If you could convince everyone in the world to do one thing at one point in time, what would that thing be? Many times I would convince people to let it go! Sometimes people stress and worry over things that they have no control over and that will not matter at the end of this life. 

What do you take for granted? I try to be conscious of this and not take things for granted. Being grateful and thankful daily, even in the midst of things you feel aren't worth being grateful for is key to not letting this crazy life eat you up! 

What would be some of the most annoying things about having yourself as a roommate? I am overly picky about being clean and organized. I was so much better living alone than living with roommates! 

What’s something you are self-conscious about? My weight- always! It's a struggle. 

What personality trait do you value most and which do you dislike the most? someone who can enjoy life and laugh- someone who is funny! Don't take life too serious! Dislike- someone who is full of themselves. Can't stand it!

What small gesture from a stranger made a big impact on you? Most recently someone paid for part of my family's meal at a restaurant. It's the little things. 

What gets you fired up? Working out, being productive, Ever

What challenging thing are you working through these days? Just learning my new job! It has been so different this year, but I love it!

What irrational fear do you have? Roaches- so silly but I hate them! UGH!

What’s the best and worst piece of advice you’ve ever received? Lots of things related to mom life. Sleep training and so much more. Every kid and family is different. I would say do not stress over things and do not google stuff! Do not compare yourself or your child to others!

If you had a clock that would countdown to any one event of your choosing, what event would you want it to countdown to? Right now- Lydia's arrival- when will she come? 

What makes a good life? Faith, having people to love

What do you strongly suspect but have no proof of? The NFL is rigged! My Saints were robbed! LOL!

What’s the last adventure you went on? We haven't been anywhere in a while, but last summer we went on a fun vacation to the hill country. 

When do you feel truly “alive”? When I am in good shape, feeling healthy and strong!

What was the most memorable gift you’ve received? Again, I am not into material things.... don't have one in particular.

What chapters would you separate your autobiography into? Kid life, teenage life, single life, married life?

What do you like most about your family? We all get along and have fun when we are together. No drama! 

What do you hope your last words will be? Don't want to think about this

What stat for your life would you most like to see? Weight loss and gain- it's all over the place! 

What are three of the most significant numbers in your life? 3-16-15 my anniversary date... the day this whole new life began for me and it's been the BEST! 

What could you do with two million dollars to impact the most amount of people? I would have to think on this one- that's a lot of money!

If you were put into solitary confinement for six months, what would you do to stay sane? Read, write

What’s something horrible that everyone should try at least once? I would say there are some foods that are pretty horrible to some people, but I would say don't knock it until you try it! 

What fact are your resigned to? This country is going crazy

Have you ever saved someone’s life? No

What were some of the turning points in your life? Getting a teaching job, getting married, being baptized again as an adult.

What would a mirror opposite of yourself be like? Impatient, non-believer just to name a few things

What are you really good at, but kind of embarrassed that you are good at it? Not embarrassed to be good at anything!

What are three interesting facts about you?  I am horrible at these kinda questions- there's one! LOL!

Which of your scars has the best story behind it? I have been very fortunate not to hurt myself and have many scars so there is no interesting, jumping over something, super cool story to tell. 

What’s the title of the current chapter of your life? Wife/Mom Life

What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned? You can't live this life without God. Period.

What mistake do you keep making again and again? Can't think of one! I try to learn from my mistakes the first time. 

What do people think is weird about you? Not sure- maybe someone will tell me?

When people look at you, what do you think they see / think? I have often been told I look like I am mean. LOL but I really am not!

What have you created that you are most proud of? 2 babies!

If you could make a 20 second phone call to yourself at any point in your life present or future, when would you call and what would you say? I would call my single self and say- stop worrying, the guy will come. ENJOY life! 

What annoys you most about the in-groups you are a part of? in-groups? ummmmmm no

What do you have doubts about? Where my family and I will live in the future? Where will we work? We always keep our options open and are ready to go where God leads us. 

What do you want to be remembered for? Being ME :) 

What are some of your personal “rules” that you never break? I try to commit only to things I will do. I rarely ever don't do something I said I would do.

What do you regret not doing or starting when you were younger? Being into health and fitness. Being more active.

If you could have a never-ending candle that smelled like anything you wanted, what fragrance would you want it to be? Pumpkin spice! duh!

What’s the best thing about you? I am reliable- you can count on me. 

What bends your mind every time you think about it? Some of the current issues in our country- I won't make it political, but some things make me crazy. 

What’s the best thing you got from your parents?

I would say my personality- I am am mix of my mom and dad. Hard working and stubborn like dad. Organized and a natural homemaker like my mom.

What’s one responsibility you really wish you didn’t have? Some of the stuff at work isn't too fun.

What is the “holy grail” of your life? Can't think of something

If your childhood had a smell, what would it be? Outdoors! We spent a lot of time playing outside.

What are the top three things you want to accomplish before you die? How close are you to accomplishing them? Travel. ( Do this as often as we can) Be financially secure and debt free (we are getting there quickly) Be in the best shape of my life (after this baby).

What do you wish you could tell yourself 10 years ago? What do you think you’ll want to tell your current self 10 years from now? 10 years ago- Don't worry, God has a plan! 10 years from now- Enjoy every moment with your kids- good and bad, one day you will miss it!

In your group of friends, what role do you play? The one who always tell you like it is, no matter what. 

Among your friends or family, what are you famous for? nada

What is the biggest lesson you never learned? Life does go on, no matter what happens.

What’s the most immature thing that you do? Watch reality TV- kinda dumb, but a guilty pleasure! 

If your life was a book, what would its title be? Can't think of a good one

What’s the best and worst thing about getting older? Living another day....worst thing: gray hairs! 

What’s something that happened or something that someone said that changed how you view the world? I think the way I found my husband, the way things worked out was a pivitol moment in my life. It really solidified for me that God has a plan. I view the world much more differently now.

What are you most likely very wrong about? Me? Wrong? Never! HA! JK! I am wrong in fights with the hubby SOMETIMES.

If you had a personal flag, what would be on it? Fleur de lis, of course! 

What lifestyle change have you been meaning to make for a while now? Using beachbody on demand for workouts- LOVE it! 

What would be your spirit animal? Tiger----- like LSU

What incredibly strong opinion or belief do you have that is completely unimportant in the grand scheme of things? My opinions about what a mom and wife should and should not do are probably unimportant to most- I view things very differently that most people, but to each their own!

What chance encounter changed your life forever? Meeting the hubby!

If you could have a video of any one event in your life, what event would you choose? Wedding day- to show my kids :) 

If you were forced to relive one 10-minute block of your life again and again for all eternity, what 10 minutes of your life would you choose? A quiet morning at home with my family, coffee and a fire going