3 Things Married Couples Should Stop Doing

Thank you for taking the time to read my post! My last post about "7 Things Happy Wives Do Not Do" received positive feedback and provoked my thoughts to think about couples!


There are a lot of things married couples do, but oh so often, they do a few that are actually quite harmful to the relationship. The following are 3 crucial things couples should stop doing. If you love your spouse and want your relationship to be fruitful and joyful, read the following, and I hope it blesses you.

1. Wanting to Be Right

Let's get one thing straight, when it comes to being married, you don't have to be always right! I get it, it's hard when you feel your views are held dear to you, and cannot even fathom that they would be wrong. But honestly, is it worth it? Is it worth your time and energy to make the other person feel.. WRONG? When the situation arises, take a step back, and ask yourself, "Does it really matter?" Most of the time, it doesn't. Above all, being kind is better than being right. We must learn the art of expressing our opinions, respectfully and not in a downgrading, "I'm smarter than you", manner. If you can't respect while expressing, you are stirring the pot to an excellent mixture of bitterness.
And when you get down to it, life is much better when you get along with your spouse, and not being Mr. or Mrs. Right.

"Being kind is much more important than being right."

2. Not Willing To Compromise

A happy marriage doesn't just happen, it takes effort, time, patience, and 2 people that are willing to compromise and meet in the middle. Let's face it, just based on my own experience, it is not easy to adjust my way of thinking to meet the expectation of Justin! But here's the thing, when there is a disagreement, work together so that both parties are satisfied. Don't argue to the point that one of you feels like they have to give in. Trust me, this does not work. Take a break, and have each person say what they want. Then, find somewhere in the middle where you both can come to an agreement. I'm not telling you it's easy, it takes practice and a lot of patience.
Bottom line, love is when you care about the other person's happiness, more than your own. Love is not just the fun dates, smooches, and sleeping with each other, it's a lifetime commitment of cooperation and compromises!

“We don't give to get, we get to give." -R. Allen Woods

3. Getting Too Comfortable to Appreciate Each Other

So your honeymoon stage is over and real life kicks in. You become very busy and basically, let life take you by the reigns. I get it, you don't have time to tell your spouse nice things, in fact, they should already know how you feel about him/her, being that you chose him/her to be your partner for life! However, this is not a good formula for a happy marriage. The key to having a joyful bond, is EXPRESSING how you feel towards your spouse through words and actions.  To you, it may be a small thing, but just a quick appreciation remark can make your spouse's day a little brighter.
Tell each other how much you love one another every night, and prove it every day. That is something Justin and I practice daily. I make sure to let him know how much I appreciate all he does, whether it's closing a business deal or picking up after himself.
Acts of appreciation do not need to be extravagant, they just need to be true, and they need to happen daily.
So go ahead, and compliment each other. What you focus on, becomes the bigger pictures. And what we appreciate, grows in value.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

Leo Buscaglia

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"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." 

- Leo Buscaglia

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/leobuscagl106299.html#gUlIzghgrGpcw7Bc.99

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

Leo Buscaglia

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/leobuscagl106299.html#gUlIzghgrGpcw7Bc.99

Thank you for reading my blog! If you found it useful, please feel free to share!

 

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! Don't be so busy with the holiday season, that you forget to love each other! Merry Christmas to you from the Van Kirks!

7 Things Happy Wives Do Not Do

Hi ladies! I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of December, always a festive atmosphere - which I simply LOVE. Thank you for taking the time to read my post!

There are a lot of things happy wives, or ladies in general, do! They stay positive, trust God, are secure in themselves, love the moment, & hope for the best!

But being that I'm married, I've become unhappy, here and there. During the unhappy moment, I don't realize what's causing it... but after I've realized what a grump I was and somehow, I was able to get passed it, I don't want it to happen again! AND, I don't want my lady friends to go through it EITHER!

|These are 7 things that happy women DO NOT DO|

1. THEY DON'T: Compare Their Marriage to Someone Else's Marriage

Look it happens. And it is SO much easier with the internet. We see it ALL over FB, Instagram, Twitter, blog sights, etc. -- all our girlfriends, and their happy little statuses, living their happy little lives, being happily married, raising their happy little kids, & living in their happy, happy home. And boy does it feel like adding salt to injury if you are having a bad day!
Well guess what? STOP! If social media is causing you to have "compare-oritis", stop scolling down your newsfeed and go do something! You cannot base your happiness on comparing yourself to others. It's a LOSE, LOSE situation. You're basically saying, "I cannot be happy until I'm like you," OR "You don't deserve to be happy, you should be like me." It's not fair to both marriages. You don't know what they've been through or what their current situation is.

You are a unique individual, & you have a unique marriage, like no one else. Your marriage has gifts & qualities that no one else has. Focus on you & your marriage, and watch your happiness increase.

"You cannot compare your behind the scenes to someone else's highlight reel."

2. THEY DON'T: Try So Hard to Be Perfect

Ladies, let's get one thing straight -- don't buy into the myth of perfection- it doesn't exist. In saying that,  STOP TRYING TO BE PERFECT. Procrasitination and perfectionism go hand and hand. Why? Because a perfectionist is so fearful that it won't be perfect, they will literally wait for the stars to align before they DO something. There is no perfect moment, no perfect opportunity, and no perfect state of being... moments aren't going to be perfect; moments are what you make them.

We as wives have the abiblity to grow into our highest potentials by not caring to have the "perfect" environment to do something. Once you do what you want to do, perfect or not, you should be happy with yourself that you dared even try.

 

 

“If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” Ecclesiastes 11:4

3. THEY DON'T: Read Into Things

I know, it's hard. It's hard to not read into things, since we are almost like that by nature. I used to read into things, A LOT. For example, when my husband didn't do a certain thing, I would think that he didn't care for me... when in reality, he didn't even realize it! OR, when my boss didn't smile or say hi to me, I would feel like he didn't like me... when in reality, he was just having a bad day! OR, when friends and family members forget to send me a birthday wish on my birthday, I would think that they were being spiteful... when in reality, they were extremely busy! I could go on and on and on.

Here's the thing ladies, we are great at fantasizing and playing the victim. Reality is, we believe that the world revolves around us and basically become self-centered. If you notice when you read into things, it's usually a fantasy that has YOU, playing the victim...and somehow, in your sick and twisted play, YOU are the main character, the damsel in distress. So stop it. You're making yourself miserable when you read into things. You are NOT that important that everyone around you, is trying to offend you, or pick on you. And please, just see things as they appear, not as you fantasize them to be.

"People who constantly read into things, will constantly create the perfect atmosphere of misery, and will become miserable people."

4. THEY DON'T: Beg For Friendships

Happy wives know their worth. Being married, I've lost and gained some friends. I do know that, with marriage, keeping a friendship will take more strategy, selectiveness, and effort. Reason is, my husband comes first, above all. Now with that said, I've come to a realization that I can lose friends over time... and now, I don't take it personally, because it happens. But I USED to be so sad and distraught when I would lose friends. But guess what, I've gained more precious and quality ones!

When you know your value, you don't have to beg people to like you, spend time with you, be your friend, speak kindly of you, or love you! When you're confidant and secure with yourself, the right friends will naturally come to you! In fact, the saying goes, "Birds of a feather, flock together." You will attract friends that are JUST LIKE YOU. So the kind of friends you want, should be the kind of person you should be!

"There are no rules for friendship. It must be left to itself. We cannot force it any more than love."

5. THEY DON'T: Mind Other People's Business

Don't be so caught up in the business of others that you forget to handle you own business! What's the point of watching the Jones' grass grow greener and letting yours die! You don't have time for that - and if you do find yourself doing it, it probably means that you are letting the Jones' world take over yours!

As a wife, if you want your life  to soar to new heights, you must stop thinking of what others are doing and start focusing on you and yours. I've realized that the more I paid attention to what other people were doing, the more I find myself being critical of them, judging them, envying them, angry at them, and basically, wasting my time on them! The only time one should mind another's business, is if one is learning from another. Otherwise, MIND YO OWN BUSINESS!

"The grass is most green, where you water it."

6. THEY DON'T: Try to Make a Huge Difference All At Once

Happy wives know that, in order to make a difference in the world, they start with the world around them. Well, first off, making a difference all at once is usually impossible, unless you're already in a VERY influential position, but even getting to place like that, took a lot of time and effort.

As a wife, I've dealt with things that normally happens when you become a wife -- unpacking, packing, organizing, saving money, decorating, cleaning, getting fit, etc. And guess what, in a perfect world, I would love to have unpacked the house in a day, or packed the house in a day, or decorate the house in a day, or clean the house in less than an hour, or save a bunch of money in a short amount of time -- basically, trying to make a huge difference all at once! Well guess what, reality sets in and it does not take a snap of a finger to complete anything! However, if we work to make a bunch of small splashes, we can let the ripples spread naturally.

Of course you can apply this to any area of your life. Change the world by starting with the world around you. If you can make one person smile, their smile just might make others, smile too. It's call the ripple effect. You can touch masses, without putting yourself through the anxiety of trying to make a huge difference all at once.

"Some quit due to slow progress. Not grasping the fact that slow progress... IS progress." - Rosley

7. THEY DON'T: Feel Entitled                    

Here's a good one. Happy ladies know that they don't deserve what they have been blessed with. The moment you start to expect people to like you, to be generous to you, to be merciful to you, to be gracious with you, -- is the moment you're going to feel a rude awakening. You see, when you feel entitled to receive, it is no longer a blessing or gift at all. Would you give a gift to a recipient that is demanding you to do it?

Feeling entitled and ungratefulness go hand in hand. Ungrateful hearts are unhappy hearts. Why? Because, how can one rejoice in a blessing that they expected in the first place! And what makes it worst, the giver (which could be anyone, including God, Himself) will less likely bless you if you are walking in the attitude of, "I need to be given  ________, because I DESERVE it." This attitude proves a lack of humility and meekness - which is frowned upon in the eyes of God. (Read Joshua 17:12-18)

Guess what? You and I both don't deserve ANYTHING good. In fact, without the gift of the life of Jesus, you and I actually deserve hell, itself. The fact that we are blessed, even with the little things in life, we should be in a continuing state of thanksgiving to God, and we must not forget to thank the ones He used, to bless us. Let us not feel like we are entitled, because not only is it wrong, we will be very disappointed when the results end up not as we expected. And yes, Jesus did warn us as well, that when we try to seek a more significant position, or seek to feel more important -- we can and will be embarrassed by something or someone, least expected.

 “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11

"Don't go around saying the world owes you anything. It owes you nothing, it was here first." - Mark Twain

God has two dwellings; one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart.

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"God has two dwellings; one in heaven, and one in a meek and thankful heart." - Izaak Walton

God has two dwellings; one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart.

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12 Reasons Why You Should Host Thanksgiving...

I am so excited that Justin and I will be hosting Thanksgiving this year!! And I was just thinking about how every other year, we would go somewhere else... whether it was to a friend's house, family member's house, a church function, or even eat out --

I've always wondered what it would be like to HOST Thanksgiving! Some may view it as a hassle and some may view it as a chore... A lot of people get unnaturally stressed about it! If you're like me, I HATE stress. I'm going to make it a point to make sure that this Thanksgiving is STRESS FREE.

Therefore, let's focus on all the GOOD reasons why you should host Thanksgiving...
____________________________________________________________
1. You don't have to drive anywhere.

2. You don't have to dress up, cause it's your house... your rules.

3. You can sleep in.

4. You don't have to worry about getting there on time.

5. You don't have have to cook the night before.

6. You can tell your guests what to bring.

7. You don't have to worry about your pet.

8. You can control what channel your TV is on.

9. At the dinner table, you can sit wherever you want.

10. You can cut the turkey.

11. You can play whatever background music you want.

12. And best of all, your guests will get so full, they'll forget to pack the leftovers. (That means, you don't have to cook for another week.)
______________________________________________________________

Well, with a list like this, I think everyone should host Thanksgiving at least once! 

And I can't wait! :)

Thanksgiving 2009 (Justin & I were dating)

Thanksgiving 2010 (First Thanksgiving as a married couple!)

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving 2012

Encouraging Our Husbands Through Prayer...

Ladies, one of the most important tasks about being a wife is being a helper. Genesis 2:18 - It is not good for the man to be alone, so I will create a companion for him, a perfectly suited partner. 

With that being said, there are numerous ways we can help our husband... one of the most IMPORTANT way is by prayer.

I wanted to write about this because in my 3 and a half years of marriage, I've had conversations with newlywed couples and couples who have been married for decades! And through these experiences, I've noticed the pattern of how women would talk about & pray about their husbands. 

• Some women pray like this, "Lord, please change my husband."

• Some women pray like this, "Lord, why is he so blind to the truth?"

• Some women pray like this, "Lord, show him what's right."

• And some women pray like this, "Lord, help me be a better help & encourager to my husband, and that my actions may minister, encourage, and bless him."

From the options above, it seems like the women who prayed like the first 3, had friction in their marriage. Most of the time, the woman has a difficult time finding chemistry with her own spouse because she's TOO busy trying to change him!

ME? I've noticed a night and day difference when I prayed to CHANGE HIM vs. praying for CHANGE, IN ME. When I wanted HIM to change, it felt like nothing in our relationship was going right! We would argue A LOT, I would sass talk him back, I didn't respect what he had to say, and I sure didn't want to listen to his thoughts... BECAUSE I THOUGHT MY THOUGHTS WERE BETTER. When I noticed that the dynamics of our relationship was headed for disaster, I pleaded to God to help. To help ME. To help me see the things in ME that needed to change... The willingness to humble yourself will make all the difference in the world.

So how do you pray? Do you pray to God to change HIM, to show HIM the truth, to show HIM what's right, or do you pray that God helps YOU to be a better wife?

I know,  I know what you're thinking. "But HE'S the one that needs changing, growing, maturing, & be a better husband!"

Sorry to break it to you, but although you MAY be right, you are wrong in so many ways. The fact that we, ladies, pray to God to CHANGE our spouse is NOT in our job description. No where in the Bible calls us ladies to pray to CHANGE our husbands --

1 Peter 3:1-2: Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

If you feel like your husband isn't living right, don't pray to change him, pray for YOURSELF. 

Pray that God will change your heart, to give you grace, mercy, & patience. Because when your heart is right, your actions will follow. And with that, the bible tells us, "they [husbands] may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives." 

So above all, make sure your heart is right when you come before God. He knows your desires. He also knows that ultimately, what you want is what's best for your marriage... HOWEVER, sometimes, what we, ladies, think is best, may not be God's best.

So how exactly should we pray for our husband? Instead of praying to CHANGE his actions, pray that God blesses him GENEROUSLY with comfort, confidence, wisdom, & peace. TRUST ME, God will answer, and will honor your diligence in being a great wife & helpmeet. (Matthew 7:8-11 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!)

The following are verses that will help you when you encourage & pray for your husband. YES, there WILL be trials, struggles, & temptation. The Bible never promises us that life will be a breeze. Therefore, we must know the truth & SOLUTIONS to whatever life throws at us!

WHEN HE FEELS INCOMPETENT -  James 1:5 - But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

WHEN HIS IS OVERWHELMED -  1 Corinthians 10:13 - Any temptation you face will be nothing new. But God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can handle. But He always provides a way of escape so that you will be able to endure and keep moving forward.

WHEN HE FEELS INADEQUATE - 2 Corinthians 12:9 - “My grace is enough to cover and sustain you. My power is made perfect in weakness.”

WHEN HE IS OVERCOME WITH WORRY - Romans 8:28 - We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan. 

WHEN HE CAN'T UNDERSTAND GOD'S PLAN FOR HIS LIFE - Matthew 6:33 - Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be given to you too.

Back to Basics

I love social media. I love keeping in touch with people through the web. However, before we had all the technology & expedient ways of connecting with each other, we had --- visitations! You know, when people would come and visit you, or you visit them, and that's how you would catch up with them! There was no, "Oh I saw what you posted yesterday..." or "I see you've been busy...." -- it was a REAL conversations!

Not only were there actual conversations, usually, there were photo albums! And that's something I miss DEARLY.

I recently had some visitors and I wanted to show them some pictures of before and afters of our house. No, they didn't have a FaceBook, Twitter, or Instagram. AND I didn't have any tangible pictures. SO guess what I had to do? That's right, pull up my FB account, let it load, click my albums, get that to load, and scroll through the pictures on a tiny screen. Let's just say that.... the moment passes quickly when you do all that!

So, I've decided that from now on, I will make and have a photo album.

For me, I chose to do a yearly album, and call it our YEARBOOK. Basically, in it, I organize pages by events or seasons, that way it's SO much easier to get it in order.

If you are my FB friend, you'll notice how I am a VERY active participant. :) Mainly because, FB helps me organize my pictures into events and seasons! So at the end of the year, when I'm ready to make my tangible album, it's a PIECE OF CAKE.

I use the website: PICABOO.COM

I do not pay full price for my albums. I keep up with Groupon.com to see deals! My albums have cost me $9.99 - and that's 20 pages of color, hardcover, 8.5" x 11", & free shipping!

So why don't I print pictures and stick it in an album like back then? Well first off, it's cheaper (with the Groupon deal) to put it in a photo-book. Second, remember when your parents/grand-parents had albums with missing pictures? Yes, we all do. And I hated missing pictures! Having a photo-book makes it IMPOSSIBLE to conveniently take pictures! Thirdly, the website I use keeps a copy online... so if I LOSE a yearbook, I can just order a new one!

I feel like it's SUCH a good thing to have tangible memories at hand. Not only is it a neat thing, but it helps us, as humans, see our progress in life! Think of it as a "Look at what we've accomplished" or "Look how far we've come" books! Studies show that the more you can see what you've been through, accomplished, and achieved, the more likely you will be happier and have a positive outlook on life! :)

Here's Justin and I's 2011 & 2012 yearbooks! So far I've kept up! :) Can't wait to start 2013 yearbook!
CLICK ON THE ALBUM TO VIEW

Drysdales Photo-Shoot {Behind the Scenes}

This past Monday, 3/4/13, I had the privilege of modeling for an amazing company called Drysdales. It is a western clothing company... been around for years and popular throughout the country for those who LOVE some cowboy & cowgirl clothes!! Here are some pics from the photo-shoot! It was a long one but SUPER fun! I work with the greatest people!! Click HERE to sign up for their free catalogues and don't forget to follow them on Instagram and Twitter (@_drysdales).

Golf Club of Oklahoma - where the photo-shoot took place

Such a pretty view!!

The gorgeous Miss Rebecca. She's absolutely the sweetest! Oh &, she is 5 months pregnant!!!

AWESOME belts!

All the items that need to be worn by the models!

This is for online shopping- shooting with the whiteboard!

All the clothes we had to wear!!

My last outfit for the day! Can't see my cute Capri's!

Outside shoot - pretty Midwest background for catalogue.

Models in the dressing room... they were a little camera shy lol

Preview on the MAC.

JEWELRY GALORE!!!!

Installing Our Energy Effecient Product {Wind Turbine from RPS}

Well, about a few days ago, Justin and I decided that we are going to install a wind generator unto our house! We've only had the house for 4 months now, but we believe that IT'S ABOUT THAT TIME.

Two days ago, Justin and I (only) moved a 20 ft tower up a 2 story house! It was TERRIFYING. Why? Cause I'm DEATHLY afraid of heights. I was able to get unto the first story, with not much difficulty... but because of the steepness of our roof, it was hard for me to get a good grip. Once I got to a safe spot on top of the first floor, reality hit. I am at least 10 feet above ground. I can feel my breaths getting shorter and my heart pounding faster. And what made it worse- I had to climb another 6 feet to get to the top of the 2nd floor. Justin kept saying that I could do it... but my palms started to get clammy and I can feel my body temperature decreasing. Ok, so you may think I'm exaggerating. NO. I am SO serious. It was THAT bad. Justin was already on the top. Aggravated, he started holding out his hand and giving me pointers.... I started crying. Yes, I started, crying. I was extremely scared!!!!!!! So how did I psyched myself into doing it? How about the fact that there's a 20 feet pole that's halfway up, the sun is setting (15 min of daylight left), and it's COLD. Well, the desire of getting it done was a lot stronger than taking it down, and doing it all over again later. So... I grabbed my husband's hand and he pulled me up. PHEW! I did it!

He hopped up and ran up the side of the roof adjacent to the one I was on... like it was nothing. I am very jealous of how fearless my husband is. Anyway, he grabbed the top of the pole and pulled it up, while I was holding the middle and then, the end. I then directed the end of the pole into the hole that my husband had drilled into the edge of our roof. There was a little trouble, but in the end, it was complete!! The pole is up!

 

Today, Justin carried the body of the wind turbine up! Then he connected blades to it! And then the cover. Honestly, it is much harder than it looks! This unit will be powering our home office! Whoop-whoop!

 

 

 

 

 

Happy People are Open to Change - Unhappy People Resist It

 Two nights ago, my husband and I watched a movie called, "Flight". The movie had Denzel Washington as the lead role (for which Denzel Washington earned a "Best Actor" Oscar nomination for his portrayal of an alcoholic and drug-using airline pilot). This movie was so intriguing that I HAD to write about it. I'm not going to give it away (don't worry). In this movie, there was an ugly and destructive power of a lying your entire life, which I call a "life-lie." It's a gut-wrenching and gripping film, but if you do choose to see it, I think you will appreciate how the concept of a "life-lie" (and the eventual confronting of that lie) is played out in the life of a single human being. However, just to warn you, there is strong nudity in the beginning of the movie.

Here's a quote I found to be terribly true...  "We would rather be ruined than changed." -W.H. Auden
What does this mean? Basically, it's someone deciding to risk everything, even flirting with personal ruin, rather than make a change that needs to be made. The phenomenon shows up most dramatically with addicts and alcoholics, of course, but it's such a regular feature of everyday life that psychologists have a phrase ("highly resistant to change") for such people.

In everyday life, we say that people who are unwilling or unable to make changes are stubborn or recalcitrant. But psychologists are fond of searching for deeper reasons, as Alfred Adler did when he wrote about patients who, instead of taking personal responsibility for their lives, blamed forces outside themselves. Such people, he wrote, generally lived their lives according a "life-lie" which they concocted in order to safeguard their self-esteem and maintain the status quo. The challenge to the therapist, he argued, was to help patients confront their "life-lies."

The film also illustrates other important lessons that we have learned from others or from personal experience:

(1) Change is never easy, even when we know it is needed.

(2) Even when we are committed to change, there are often dark forces
within us that ferociously battle these healthy desires.

(3) When change does occur, our lives can be transformed in the most amazing ways.

(4) If change does not occur, we will almost certainly experience consequences
that will not be to our liking.

It might be worthwhile to give all of this a little thought as you consider the changes that you -- or others in your life -- need to make. Here are are some quotes that should help motivate you to make the necessary changes in your life, or at least see the changes necessary to made, in order for you to live your life to its' maximum potential!

 

 "The need for change bulldozed a road down the center of my mind."
Maya Angelou

"We shrink from change;
yet is there anything that can come into being without it?"
Marcus Aurelius

"Before you'll change, something important must be at risk."
Richard Bach

"Most of us are about as eager to be changed as we were to be born,
and go through our changes in a similar state of shock."
James Baldwin

"All birth is unwilling."
Pearl S. Buck

"The world hates change;
yet it is the only thing that has brought progress."
Charles Kettering

"There is no sin punished more implacably by nature
than the sin of resistance to change."
Anne Morrow Lindbergh

"There was that law of life, so cruel and so just, which demanded that
one must grow or else pay more for remaining the same."
Norman Mailer

"What is necessary to change a person
is to change his awareness of himself."
Abraham Maslow

"It's the most unhappy people who most fear change."
Mignon McLaughlin

"Life is a process of becoming,
a combination of states we have to go through.
Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it.
This is a kind of death."
Anais Nin

"Adapt or perish, now as ever, is Nature's inexorable imperative."
H. G. Wells

Valentine's Day in Texas!

Well, today was the famous LOVE day.... Justin and I were on the road for the first part of the day. We headed to Allen, TX, a suburb of Dallas. Yes, it was the most romantic road trip ever.... filled with country music, McDonald's for breakfast and lunch, with Funyuns and Hot Cheetoes in between. (It was my break day... junk food is my weakness! Anyway, we arrived at the Allen Event Convention Center. Took us about 1 hour to set up. This is our first show for 2013. I quit my job just for this. (I'll write my next blog on our business that we do trad shows for)



 

Starting last Valentine's Day, Justin and I started a tradition. To eat at a buffet on Valentines Day. Why? So that we can both be satisfied to our uttermost desires... Yes.... Anyway, I may regret this tomorrow morning. haha. So... we got all DOLLED up. I was wearing my new dress from mom and what my husband calls, stripper heels.. lol. He was in some slacks and a nice button up. Boy was he handsome. Don't worry, we exchanged gifts before hand... he gave my chocolates, earphones (for my workouts) and a lil witty card! I gave him, well, what every man wants from their wife... encouragement! LOL JK! It's Valentine's people! He wants a little LOVE-A-DUB-RUB!! ;)



 

My man was so beautiful. My 4th year spent with him. Honestly, I feel like I've known him for YEARS!!! Doesn't seem that short... maybe it's because we've been through so much together!!! But it has really gone by SOO fast! Anyway... hope you enjoyed reading my blog. My first one posted since last summer! And if you read this and I sound lackadaisical, it's because I am currently holding a food baby. Seriously. I literally had at least 6 plates of food. I may have an eating problem.

Oh and yes, we were definitely overdressed for the Chinese buffet... oh well. He liked me, that's all that matters!