I never got on here to share about my goals for myself for this year.
Honestly, I was feeling so overwhelmed in the beginning of year with life that I didn't really want to take time to assess goals.
Balancing life and letting go of fears are constants on my list every year. Because I'm still learning how those two things work. Also, if you didn't read my last blog post, I talked about how my pain has played into every part of my life. And that is something else I'm working on.
I'm still striving to look more like Jesus, and as I've mentioned before, that will always be an ongoing thing.
I picked a word for this year, something I haven't done very often. I usually look back at the year and see what word stuck out to me. But this year, I picked the word Shine. These are the reasons why:
1. I want to Shine in all I do. I want to be a light and a bright spot in the lives of those around me and in those I come in contact with. I want to Shine in my day-to-day and in my work.
2. I want to help others to Shine. I want to be an encourager to those around me to Shine in all they do in life. I want to help spur others on to achieve their goals and dreams.
I wrote those words out in my Color Street group on December 29th. Almost 9 months later, it makes me a little teary-eyed thinking about how this has already happened in many ways.
I don't talk very often about my Color Street business to those in my life (unless they are a part of this business). I don't mean I don't talk about the product (because I do), but I don't talk about the business side of it. I'm not the type of person that wants to bug anyone or turn anyone off. I don't want to come across as spammy. So I refrain from sharing things often because I don't want to annoy anyone.
But I'm going to share a little now. Because I've seen that second point happen quite often this year.
As I mentioned above, I wrote those words on December 29th in my group. That very day, I had my very first person join my Color Street team. My team continued to grow each month and is now 24 strong (at the time of publishing)!
I take my responsibility as a leader very seriously. I have always believed wholeheartedly in leading by example and in being the biggest cheerleader for anyone I'm leading. This is the first time I've been in this type of leadership position. It is definitely challenging at times, but the rewards far outweigh the challenges.
I have literally watched girls on my team achieve huge goals and dreams in their lives. I have celebrated their achievements in Color Street, but also their achievements outside of Color Street. I have mourned with them, I have cried with them and I have cheered them on from the front row. I have watched them Shine.
A lot of hard things happened this year. A lot of really beautiful things happened this year. And a lot of in-between things happened this year.
But I am still striving for my goals for this year. I'm still striving to Shine in all I do. I'm still learning to be a better version of me. I'm still learning how to balance life and let go of fears.
I've cried many tears. I've laughed a lot. I've squealed with delight. I've felt tired and worn out.
But I keep going. I keep moving forward, I keep striving and I keep loving on those around me.
That is how my 2018 has been so far.
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Friday, September 28, 2018
Pain and Trauma
I still haven't really decided what I want to do with this space yet.
It's been five months since I've typed up a new blog post, but today I got the itch to write.
I've been reading Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis this month with my Color Street team. I have found many amazing things in this book that have really stuck out to me, but I think the chapter I read today took the cake.
One of the things that really struck me was this:
One of the things I've been learning about myself over the past 2.75 years that I've been doing myofascial release therapy is that I have literally been responding to trauma and painful situations the same way my entire life: I freeze or stiffen up. I was reminded this week while at one of my appointments of a painful experience that happened in my childhood.
I was in elementary school and was literally in a constant state of headache. My mom took me to the doctor and they ran a bunch of tests. One was some sort of CT scan. I believe it was a contrast CT, because I was being injected with some kind of liquid when this painful experience took place. The man injecting me was having an issue finding my vein, and instead of pulling it out and trying again, he was moving the needle in my arm back and forth to try to find it. Honestly, it was one of the most painful things I've ever had to endure! I literally could not move that arm for three days after. It was bent against my abdomen, like your arm would be if it's in a sling.
As I was recalling this story, my myofascial therapist responded, "So your reaction to pain has always been to stiffen up".
I don't know why I never put those two pieces together, but I realize now that she was right. Every time I've been in a painful situation, I have made myself stiff so as not to feel the pain, or at least not to feel it fully. And whatever brought on this intense stiffness that I'm experiencing now (which is more than likely my body responding to years of this), has been much more intense than those 3 days or any other episode ever were.
Knowing this information now, and realizing that this has been a pattern of mine my whole life, I'm more determined than ever to break these habits. I often notice that even when I don't realize it, some area of my body is not relaxed. Sometimes it requires a lot of energy for me to relax and let go of whatever muscles I'm holding on to. And it's not even because of something super traumatic! I have just conditioned my body that this is how I am supposed to react to negative situations.
So where do I go from here? What do I take away from this revelation and the words I read tonight? That I need to acknowledge my pain, feel it, sit in it as long as I need to but also try to see what good possibly came from it. Maybe not every situation in my life is there yet. I'm a work in progress, as we all are, and maybe my body isn't ready for complete healing.
But knowing what I know now, and being more aware of how I've functioned my entire life, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. For many years, I thought I might live with this forever. And while I can't predict the future, I honestly have a lot of faith and hope that this is not going to be my permanent state. I've been in this place for 7.5 years now. Not as severely as I was 2.5 years ago, but it also wasn't as severe as it is now when it started. But I know I have hope that this will change. That I will continue to learn and grow and work on the areas in my life that need work. That I will keep striving forward, tears in my eyes at times, crying through the pain, to be a better version of me. To not be a pain-free version of myself, but a version that doesn't stiffen up and freeze when the pain does come.
******
Oh and in case you were wondering, my headaches were caused by the fact that my neck was out of alignment. My mom took me to a chiropractor after the doctors could find nothing wrong with me and my headache went away after a couple of treatments.
It's been five months since I've typed up a new blog post, but today I got the itch to write.
I've been reading Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis this month with my Color Street team. I have found many amazing things in this book that have really stuck out to me, but I think the chapter I read today took the cake.
One of the things that really struck me was this:
You cannot ignore your pain. You cannot ever leave it behind completely. The only thing you can do is find a way to embrace the good that came out of it - even if it takes you years to discover what that is (chapter 15: The Lie: I will never get past this).
One of the things I've been learning about myself over the past 2.75 years that I've been doing myofascial release therapy is that I have literally been responding to trauma and painful situations the same way my entire life: I freeze or stiffen up. I was reminded this week while at one of my appointments of a painful experience that happened in my childhood.
I was in elementary school and was literally in a constant state of headache. My mom took me to the doctor and they ran a bunch of tests. One was some sort of CT scan. I believe it was a contrast CT, because I was being injected with some kind of liquid when this painful experience took place. The man injecting me was having an issue finding my vein, and instead of pulling it out and trying again, he was moving the needle in my arm back and forth to try to find it. Honestly, it was one of the most painful things I've ever had to endure! I literally could not move that arm for three days after. It was bent against my abdomen, like your arm would be if it's in a sling.
As I was recalling this story, my myofascial therapist responded, "So your reaction to pain has always been to stiffen up".
I don't know why I never put those two pieces together, but I realize now that she was right. Every time I've been in a painful situation, I have made myself stiff so as not to feel the pain, or at least not to feel it fully. And whatever brought on this intense stiffness that I'm experiencing now (which is more than likely my body responding to years of this), has been much more intense than those 3 days or any other episode ever were.
Knowing this information now, and realizing that this has been a pattern of mine my whole life, I'm more determined than ever to break these habits. I often notice that even when I don't realize it, some area of my body is not relaxed. Sometimes it requires a lot of energy for me to relax and let go of whatever muscles I'm holding on to. And it's not even because of something super traumatic! I have just conditioned my body that this is how I am supposed to react to negative situations.
So where do I go from here? What do I take away from this revelation and the words I read tonight? That I need to acknowledge my pain, feel it, sit in it as long as I need to but also try to see what good possibly came from it. Maybe not every situation in my life is there yet. I'm a work in progress, as we all are, and maybe my body isn't ready for complete healing.
But knowing what I know now, and being more aware of how I've functioned my entire life, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. For many years, I thought I might live with this forever. And while I can't predict the future, I honestly have a lot of faith and hope that this is not going to be my permanent state. I've been in this place for 7.5 years now. Not as severely as I was 2.5 years ago, but it also wasn't as severe as it is now when it started. But I know I have hope that this will change. That I will continue to learn and grow and work on the areas in my life that need work. That I will keep striving forward, tears in my eyes at times, crying through the pain, to be a better version of me. To not be a pain-free version of myself, but a version that doesn't stiffen up and freeze when the pain does come.
******
Oh and in case you were wondering, my headaches were caused by the fact that my neck was out of alignment. My mom took me to a chiropractor after the doctors could find nothing wrong with me and my headache went away after a couple of treatments.
Sunday, December 24, 2017
Wrap Up
It's already almost time to wrap up 2017. Such a crazy thought!
I like to take the time at the end of each year to reflect on the goals I set in the beginning of the year and to see how they went.
I feel like I'm still working on most of my goals! Balance and letting go of fears have been the two major themes of my life the past three years. I think both are just going to be a long process for me. I also wanted to exercise more than just once a week at Pilates, and I did that...for about two weeks! It's been hard to get back into a regular rhythm of exercise, even though I have daily reminders on my phone to do so! Having three jobs now is making it much harder to add extra things to my schedule.
I also wanted to connect more with people one on one. I'm still working on this as well. I've been spending some time the past two weeks trying to reevaluate my schedule and trying to include more time not working, as I don't really have a day "off" anymore. So I've been trying to come up with ways to be more intentional with taking time off and using that time to spend with others.
My other goal for this year was to continue to strive to look more like Jesus. Obviously this is always going to be an ongoing goal. I've been trying to spend more time in the Word and really focusing on who Jesus was on earth and on what He did while He was here.
I'll share more about my goals for 2018 in a later post. Now it's time for a little wrap up of this year.
******
January was a month of celebrating birthdays! We celebrated our friends's son's birthday, my friend's birthday and my birthday!
February was full of celebrating our 9th anniversary, and I got to meet the founder of LuLaRoe!
March was full of events with amazing women! I celebrated one of my best friend's birthdays, attended our church's women's retreat and got to spend a lot of time with another of my best friends and her kiddos!
April was full of babies! One of my best friends had her third baby and one of my other best friends found out she was having a girl!
May was full of celebrations! We attended a fun birthday party, went to Disneyland (and spent time there with a friend and with Josh's dad) and attended our niece's preschool graduation!
June was hectic, but we found a few moments for fun!
July was fun and busy! We celebrated the 4th of July with family and friends, went to Disneyland and the d23 convention and I went to LuLaRoe's annual convention!
August was full of more celebrations! I helped throw a baby shower for one of my best friends and went wine tasting to celebrate the birthday of another friend!
September was full of so much goodness! We celebrated our niece's birthday, I went to CO to spend time with one of my best friends and her family and we got to meet my best friend's new baby!
October was full of lots of fun! I went to the Museum of Ice Cream, we went to our friend's Halloween party and went to a local corn maze!
November was crazy! We went wine tasting, Josh had a conference for work and we had our annual Friendsgiving, plus Thanksgiving festivities!
December has been fun and busy! We've had lots of Christmas fun, I celebrated a friend's birthday and we saw Star Wars! There's a lot more fun to be had in these few days of the year!
I'll be back later with the rest of my thoughts. 2017 is almost over!
I like to take the time at the end of each year to reflect on the goals I set in the beginning of the year and to see how they went.
I feel like I'm still working on most of my goals! Balance and letting go of fears have been the two major themes of my life the past three years. I think both are just going to be a long process for me. I also wanted to exercise more than just once a week at Pilates, and I did that...for about two weeks! It's been hard to get back into a regular rhythm of exercise, even though I have daily reminders on my phone to do so! Having three jobs now is making it much harder to add extra things to my schedule.
I also wanted to connect more with people one on one. I'm still working on this as well. I've been spending some time the past two weeks trying to reevaluate my schedule and trying to include more time not working, as I don't really have a day "off" anymore. So I've been trying to come up with ways to be more intentional with taking time off and using that time to spend with others.
My other goal for this year was to continue to strive to look more like Jesus. Obviously this is always going to be an ongoing goal. I've been trying to spend more time in the Word and really focusing on who Jesus was on earth and on what He did while He was here.
I'll share more about my goals for 2018 in a later post. Now it's time for a little wrap up of this year.
******
January was a month of celebrating birthdays! We celebrated our friends's son's birthday, my friend's birthday and my birthday!
February was full of celebrating our 9th anniversary, and I got to meet the founder of LuLaRoe!
March was full of events with amazing women! I celebrated one of my best friend's birthdays, attended our church's women's retreat and got to spend a lot of time with another of my best friends and her kiddos!
April was full of babies! One of my best friends had her third baby and one of my other best friends found out she was having a girl!
May was full of celebrations! We attended a fun birthday party, went to Disneyland (and spent time there with a friend and with Josh's dad) and attended our niece's preschool graduation!
June was hectic, but we found a few moments for fun!
July was fun and busy! We celebrated the 4th of July with family and friends, went to Disneyland and the d23 convention and I went to LuLaRoe's annual convention!
August was full of more celebrations! I helped throw a baby shower for one of my best friends and went wine tasting to celebrate the birthday of another friend!
September was full of so much goodness! We celebrated our niece's birthday, I went to CO to spend time with one of my best friends and her family and we got to meet my best friend's new baby!
October was full of lots of fun! I went to the Museum of Ice Cream, we went to our friend's Halloween party and went to a local corn maze!
November was crazy! We went wine tasting, Josh had a conference for work and we had our annual Friendsgiving, plus Thanksgiving festivities!
December has been fun and busy! We've had lots of Christmas fun, I celebrated a friend's birthday and we saw Star Wars! There's a lot more fun to be had in these few days of the year!
I'll be back later with the rest of my thoughts. 2017 is almost over!
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Some December Thoughts
I am so behind on blog posts and feel like I'm behind on life in general these days.
I'm not sure when life kicked into this high of a gear, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed this week.
It's December 12th. Christmas is 13 days away. And yes, we got all of our Christmas shopping done. And yes, we've watched some Christmas movies and done some fun Christmas activities. And yes, our house is decorated (I'm staring at my lit up Christmas tree right now). And yes, the majority of our Christmas cards have been sent out or delivered to the people receiving them. But I still feel like something is missing.
There's so much talk of Christmas plans and where we are going when. My brain already hurts just thinking about it. I really just want a morning, or an afternoon, or some chunk of time over the Christmas weekend to have some time alone with Josh, so that we can do our own Christmas at home.
And I've been doing a lot of vendor events. I did 5 within the first week of December. I've got 1, possibly 2 more coming up this month.
I just feel tired. And like I'm whining. I'm really not meaning to, though. I really just want to take some time and think about why we celebrate Christmas. What does it all mean? Why do we spend all this time buying the perfect gifts and then wrapping them? Why does our calendar instantly fill up when December rolls around? Where does Jesus fit into all of it?
I love Christmas. Don't get me wrong. It's my absolute favorite holiday. It always has been. There's something about all the colorful lights everywhere and the songs and the joy of spending time with loved ones.
But I want it to be more than just a fun, busy month this year.
It's really easy to lose sight of Jesus. I've been doing it all month. I've been so worried about everything we've had on our calendar and all the things we've needed to buy, that I've kind of forgotten what all of it means. Or what all of it should mean.
I want to give gifts because it's a small reflection of the love I have for someone, and because Jesus gave us the ultimate gift by dying on the cross for our sins, not because I feel like I need to or have to. I want to do fun events with the people I care about because I enjoy their company and who they are in my life, not because it's just something we've always done or because I'm fulfilling an obligation. I want to watch Christmas movies and listen to certain Christmas songs because they make me feel happy and nostalgic, not because I want to make sure to check those off a list of things I've done this holiday season.
And so I've decided to take some time out this month to focus on the reason why this season is so special. I want to spend some time studying and reading the Word: the prophecies about Jesus's coming, His birth and what He brought to our world. I want to spend some time thinking about and expressing my appreciation and love for the people in my life. All too often we take people for granted or assume they know how we feel. And I want to spend some time examining my heart and my life to really figure out what this new year is going to look like for me. It's something I enjoy doing at the end of every year and I think it's really important for me. It helps me to be able to set my focus on some specific goals and helps me to keep myself accountable to them.
I'm also determined to make sure that Josh and I get to spend some time together as our little family of 2. I don't talk very often on this space anymore about our journey and where we've come from, but at this moment in time, we are both content and happy to be just the two of us. I know a lot of people (and it's not really anyone's fault, it's just kind of the way our society is) assume that we aren't a family because we don't have kids. But we are a family and our time together is just as important as it would be if we had 4 kids. We have been married for almost 10 years now and this will be our 13th Christmas together. We got engaged on Christmas Eve almost 11 years ago. This time of year is very important to both of us and I don't want this time to pass by without us getting to acknowledge all that it means to us as a couple and individually.
My hope is that all of us would be able to take some time out in the next two weeks and really reflect on this month, this year and our lives. Don't let the busyness or the obligations or whatever else it may be keep you from enjoying this time of year.
I'm not sure when life kicked into this high of a gear, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed this week.
It's December 12th. Christmas is 13 days away. And yes, we got all of our Christmas shopping done. And yes, we've watched some Christmas movies and done some fun Christmas activities. And yes, our house is decorated (I'm staring at my lit up Christmas tree right now). And yes, the majority of our Christmas cards have been sent out or delivered to the people receiving them. But I still feel like something is missing.
There's so much talk of Christmas plans and where we are going when. My brain already hurts just thinking about it. I really just want a morning, or an afternoon, or some chunk of time over the Christmas weekend to have some time alone with Josh, so that we can do our own Christmas at home.
And I've been doing a lot of vendor events. I did 5 within the first week of December. I've got 1, possibly 2 more coming up this month.
I just feel tired. And like I'm whining. I'm really not meaning to, though. I really just want to take some time and think about why we celebrate Christmas. What does it all mean? Why do we spend all this time buying the perfect gifts and then wrapping them? Why does our calendar instantly fill up when December rolls around? Where does Jesus fit into all of it?
I love Christmas. Don't get me wrong. It's my absolute favorite holiday. It always has been. There's something about all the colorful lights everywhere and the songs and the joy of spending time with loved ones.
But I want it to be more than just a fun, busy month this year.
It's really easy to lose sight of Jesus. I've been doing it all month. I've been so worried about everything we've had on our calendar and all the things we've needed to buy, that I've kind of forgotten what all of it means. Or what all of it should mean.
I want to give gifts because it's a small reflection of the love I have for someone, and because Jesus gave us the ultimate gift by dying on the cross for our sins, not because I feel like I need to or have to. I want to do fun events with the people I care about because I enjoy their company and who they are in my life, not because it's just something we've always done or because I'm fulfilling an obligation. I want to watch Christmas movies and listen to certain Christmas songs because they make me feel happy and nostalgic, not because I want to make sure to check those off a list of things I've done this holiday season.
And so I've decided to take some time out this month to focus on the reason why this season is so special. I want to spend some time studying and reading the Word: the prophecies about Jesus's coming, His birth and what He brought to our world. I want to spend some time thinking about and expressing my appreciation and love for the people in my life. All too often we take people for granted or assume they know how we feel. And I want to spend some time examining my heart and my life to really figure out what this new year is going to look like for me. It's something I enjoy doing at the end of every year and I think it's really important for me. It helps me to be able to set my focus on some specific goals and helps me to keep myself accountable to them.
I'm also determined to make sure that Josh and I get to spend some time together as our little family of 2. I don't talk very often on this space anymore about our journey and where we've come from, but at this moment in time, we are both content and happy to be just the two of us. I know a lot of people (and it's not really anyone's fault, it's just kind of the way our society is) assume that we aren't a family because we don't have kids. But we are a family and our time together is just as important as it would be if we had 4 kids. We have been married for almost 10 years now and this will be our 13th Christmas together. We got engaged on Christmas Eve almost 11 years ago. This time of year is very important to both of us and I don't want this time to pass by without us getting to acknowledge all that it means to us as a couple and individually.
My hope is that all of us would be able to take some time out in the next two weeks and really reflect on this month, this year and our lives. Don't let the busyness or the obligations or whatever else it may be keep you from enjoying this time of year.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Moving Forward
It's taken me awhile to find the time to write this post.
I've been meaning to do it for a few weeks now but life has been very busy.
I've been writing this post every January for a few years now. I'm not one for New Year's resolutions but I like to share some goals and hopes I have for myself for the year.
I feel like I'm still working on some of my goals from the past two years: balance and letting go of fears. Both are getting easier and easier, but I still struggle with both daily. I'm trying to focus on how best to balance my two jobs and normal life stuff. I was exercising 5 times a week for awhile there but I haven't been doing that on a regular basis since October. I'm still going to Pilates every week but that's only one day a week. I know I feel so much better when I exercise on a regular basis so I need to find a way to get it back into my normal routine.
I also feel like I need to make more time to connect with people. Facebook has that On This Day feature that constantly reminds you of what you did on that day in different years. And I used to spend a lot more time with people one on one. My schedule is kind of hectic these days and I don't ever have a day "off" anymore unless I purposefully schedule one, so I have harder time finding the time to set up those one on one hang outs. But I miss them and I miss connecting with people that way. So that is one of my goals that goes along with balance.
One of my hopes for this year is to continue to strive to look more like Jesus. I feel like my faith has been stretched so much in the past few years and I've learned a lot and grown in ways I never expected to. I've had ups and downs, and I feel like I've gained a lot of wisdom, but I know I have so much more to learn. It's hard to describe all of it, but I really want to keep pursuing and keep striving and keep moving forward.
2016 was a good year. We had a lot of fun, we spent a lot of time with friends and family and we experienced a lot of changes. Life always has its ups and downs, but I'd say 2016 was a year of growth. I'm looking forward to the challenges and good times 2017 is going to bring.
I've been meaning to do it for a few weeks now but life has been very busy.
I've been writing this post every January for a few years now. I'm not one for New Year's resolutions but I like to share some goals and hopes I have for myself for the year.
I feel like I'm still working on some of my goals from the past two years: balance and letting go of fears. Both are getting easier and easier, but I still struggle with both daily. I'm trying to focus on how best to balance my two jobs and normal life stuff. I was exercising 5 times a week for awhile there but I haven't been doing that on a regular basis since October. I'm still going to Pilates every week but that's only one day a week. I know I feel so much better when I exercise on a regular basis so I need to find a way to get it back into my normal routine.
I also feel like I need to make more time to connect with people. Facebook has that On This Day feature that constantly reminds you of what you did on that day in different years. And I used to spend a lot more time with people one on one. My schedule is kind of hectic these days and I don't ever have a day "off" anymore unless I purposefully schedule one, so I have harder time finding the time to set up those one on one hang outs. But I miss them and I miss connecting with people that way. So that is one of my goals that goes along with balance.
One of my hopes for this year is to continue to strive to look more like Jesus. I feel like my faith has been stretched so much in the past few years and I've learned a lot and grown in ways I never expected to. I've had ups and downs, and I feel like I've gained a lot of wisdom, but I know I have so much more to learn. It's hard to describe all of it, but I really want to keep pursuing and keep striving and keep moving forward.
2016 was a good year. We had a lot of fun, we spent a lot of time with friends and family and we experienced a lot of changes. Life always has its ups and downs, but I'd say 2016 was a year of growth. I'm looking forward to the challenges and good times 2017 is going to bring.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Wrapping It Up
It's so funny to me that I felt the urge to write a blog post today.
I looked back on when I did this same post last year...and it was one day earlier last year! I think it has something to do with Christmas getting closer and with me realizing that the year is almost over.
I've been writing a post the last few years about what my hopes and dreams for the new year are. I will share mine for 2017 in a few weeks, but I wanted to go over the ones I had for 2016 to see how things measured up this year.
My first one was to figure out where I should be serving at church. After praying about it a lot, I was approached to be a part of women's ministry at my church. It's been such a huge blessing so far and I'm excited to continue diving into my role this next year.
My second one was to figure out a way to encourage women more. And that has been two-fold this year. Obviously, my new position in women's ministry is a huge part of that. The other has been selling LuLaRoe. I love being able to help women find clothing that makes them feel beautiful and confident, and I love encouraging them to step out and try new things.
I'm still working on balance and letting go of fears. Having two jobs has definitely been something I've had to learn (and am still learning) how to balance. I'm definitely having to learn how to carve out time for the things that I need to do, as well as things that I want to do.
And now a little recap of 2016 (so far):
We started off 2016 with a little New Year's Eve gathering at our house with a few friends.
I went out dancing with some friends to celebrate three January birthdays, and my friend S.W. and I had a combined Harry Potter birthday party!
We went to Disney on Ice with our niece, and I attended a baby shower for a dear friend.
We went to Disneyland again for our anniversary!
We went to a MuteMath concert, and I saw Wicked with two friends!
We did an escape room, and celebrated Easter with family.
We went on a weekend trip with some friends
We celebrated my sister's birthday, and did a wine stroll with a couple of friends
Josh and I had a spontaneous date day that involved wine tasting, a fun lunch, and a trip to a candy factory
We went dancing (and found out a friend was pregnant), and attended a gender reveal party for another set of friends
We attended a little girl's kindergarten graduation, and went blueberry picking
We went to a couple of graduation parties, and attended our niece's ballet recital
Our friends from CO were in town!
We went to a 4th of July party with some friends, and celebrated our nephew's birthday
We had a fun day out with some friends, and Josh took me on a special surprise date
I went wine tasting to celebrate a friend's birthday, and we attended a gender reveal party for some friends
We went indoor go-carting with some friends, and I went on a planning weekend with the women's ministry team
I went to karaoke for a friend's birthday, and we went to a Labor Day BBQ with some friends
We went on a cruise with some friends!
We celebrated our niece's birthday
We went on a fun trip to Disneyland and Universal Studios
We went on a train ride with my family, and we attended a co-ed baby shower for some friends
We went to a corn maze with some friends, and went to our friend's annual Halloween party
We went to a friend's birthday party, and had our 3rd annual Friendsgiving
We went to CO to see our friends
We took our niece to see Moana, and we went to our friends' baby dedication
I did a craft night with some of the females in Josh's family, and we had a little Christmas get together at our house
We have some other fun planned for this month! I'm excited for what the rest of 2016 holds.
I looked back on when I did this same post last year...and it was one day earlier last year! I think it has something to do with Christmas getting closer and with me realizing that the year is almost over.
I've been writing a post the last few years about what my hopes and dreams for the new year are. I will share mine for 2017 in a few weeks, but I wanted to go over the ones I had for 2016 to see how things measured up this year.
My first one was to figure out where I should be serving at church. After praying about it a lot, I was approached to be a part of women's ministry at my church. It's been such a huge blessing so far and I'm excited to continue diving into my role this next year.
My second one was to figure out a way to encourage women more. And that has been two-fold this year. Obviously, my new position in women's ministry is a huge part of that. The other has been selling LuLaRoe. I love being able to help women find clothing that makes them feel beautiful and confident, and I love encouraging them to step out and try new things.
I'm still working on balance and letting go of fears. Having two jobs has definitely been something I've had to learn (and am still learning) how to balance. I'm definitely having to learn how to carve out time for the things that I need to do, as well as things that I want to do.
And now a little recap of 2016 (so far):
We started off 2016 with a little New Year's Eve gathering at our house with a few friends.
I went out dancing with some friends to celebrate three January birthdays, and my friend S.W. and I had a combined Harry Potter birthday party!
We went to Disney on Ice with our niece, and I attended a baby shower for a dear friend.
We went to Disneyland again for our anniversary!
We went to a MuteMath concert, and I saw Wicked with two friends!
We did an escape room, and celebrated Easter with family.
We went on a weekend trip with some friends
We celebrated my sister's birthday, and did a wine stroll with a couple of friends
Josh and I had a spontaneous date day that involved wine tasting, a fun lunch, and a trip to a candy factory
We went dancing (and found out a friend was pregnant), and attended a gender reveal party for another set of friends
We attended a little girl's kindergarten graduation, and went blueberry picking
We went to a couple of graduation parties, and attended our niece's ballet recital
Our friends from CO were in town!
We went to a 4th of July party with some friends, and celebrated our nephew's birthday
We had a fun day out with some friends, and Josh took me on a special surprise date
I went wine tasting to celebrate a friend's birthday, and we attended a gender reveal party for some friends
We went indoor go-carting with some friends, and I went on a planning weekend with the women's ministry team
I went to karaoke for a friend's birthday, and we went to a Labor Day BBQ with some friends
We went on a cruise with some friends!
We celebrated our niece's birthday
We went on a fun trip to Disneyland and Universal Studios
We went on a train ride with my family, and we attended a co-ed baby shower for some friends
We went to a corn maze with some friends, and went to our friend's annual Halloween party
We went to a friend's birthday party, and had our 3rd annual Friendsgiving
We went to CO to see our friends
We took our niece to see Moana, and we went to our friends' baby dedication
I did a craft night with some of the females in Josh's family, and we had a little Christmas get together at our house
We have some other fun planned for this month! I'm excited for what the rest of 2016 holds.
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