Lazy Sunday

This is the first weekend that I haven't brought work home in so long. I have to be perfectly honest, with my boyfriend out of town, and Thanksgiving (aka Christmas shopping right around the corner and money being tight because of holiday travel) I didn't really know what to do with myself. 

I called or texted most of my girlfriends to see what everyone was up to and none of it sounded appealing... Tailgating, Sunday funday, bar hopping... Le sigh.  I'm tired. 24/7. I also had a rough week at school and I needed to have some fun or just get some rest. Enter: my sister. Carolyn. 

We went to the Hollywood Casino with our men Friday night. It was so fun!! Just what the Doctor ordered :) 

My soon-to-be sister, Anissa, called and told me her and my brother were going to Bob Evans for a late breakfast Saturday and wanted to know if Andrew and I wanted to meet them. Who doesn't love copious amounts of coffee, sausage, eggs and biscuits!?!? Oh and the company of Anissa and Heffe?!? Done deal. Except traffic on 23 was so terrible that we got there as they were finishing their breakfast... Fashionably too late. Truth: I asked Andrew to look up directions and he was guiding me very patiently and I got frustrated with traffic and lost my temper with him. :( That's only happened once or twice in the time we've been together. He was just as frustrated as me and I admire his ability to stay calm, and just hold my hand and tell me that everything was fine. He's such a good one 😊☺️❤️

So we get to breakfast, eat and drink everything in sight and then Andrew left to head up to the Browns Game in Cleveland. He went up early to catch up with old friends since he went to school up there. Heffe went home to do school work and then Anissa and I went shopping :) I got some Christmas shopping done and also a few things for myself ... 

What do you think?!? Confession: I hate selfies and think they are awkward but didn't know how else to share my new purchases?!?

Last night Anissa and Heffe and then Carolyn Michael and Maddy and I all went to see "The Hunger Games" (second time for me) and it was AWESOME!! 

After 10 hours of sleep, no stress, no Sunday anxiety, the browns, a soft blanket, and a fountain coke, I'm ready to take on these last two days before Thanksgiving break! 👍😉

This weekend was just what I needed. What have you done for yourself lately?!?

Christmas

Greetings!! 

So, we finally had our first snowfall of the year and I have finally gotten into the Christmas Spirit.  Something you may not know about me is that I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! Actually to a disgusting point.  I usually start listening to Christmas music around Halloween time.  Not only do I love snow, I don't mind the cold, I LOVE Christmas decorations, but mostly I love the feeling around the Holidays.  

I love watching Christmas movies. My favorite is "Home Alone" 

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK2Btk6Ybm0) 
Just in case you haven't seen this classic...  I could seriously watch it over and over again.  Who doesn't love when Kevin McCallister's mom tells him to go upstairs and he churlishly responds, "I AM upstairs DUMMY!"  

Or my personal favorite, "Buzz, your girlfriend... WOOF!"

 Speaking of over and over again, I also love how TBS plays "A Christmas Story" for 24 straight hours.  This way, I can watch the first 25 minutes, take a nap, wake up to Ralphe's brother screaming his head off coming down the slide when they go see Santa, and then take another nap, and catch the gaps in the next showing of this Christmas Glory of a movie.  

I also love Christmas Music!! My all-time favorite song is "When Love Came Down" by Point of Grace. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Smtxx3CQgA

I love this song because it is fun to sing to and sounds like a standard Christmas song, but mostly because, if this doesn't put you in the Christmas Spirit, I'm not sure even a kiss from Santa himself could.  

Happy Holidays and Cheers to Christmas!! 

Back in action...

Greetings: it has been a long time since I last wrote. A lot has happened. Do I want to talk about it? Not really... Not in great detail at least. My 25th birthday is a month away, and there are many things that are coming to fruition in my memory as this year comes to a close. 

This has been a big year for me. I moved to a new position at my school this year, made some new friends, strengthened some other friendships, helped my parents move to their beautiful new house in Texas, saw every single family member (extended family included) on my mom's side of the family, and said goodbye to my other grandpa this summer.  It was a crazy rollercoaster ride, but if you know me at all (or my family for that matter) you know I'm a woman of faith. 

Everyone always wants to know why?? 

Why is it already time to wake up? 

Why is there not more time in the day? 

Why didn't I go to the gym when I had the chance to? 

Case and point? Life is tough. Something my faith has taught me is that we are all here for a reason and when it's our time to go or we have served our purpose here on earth, it is time to go live eternally with our Heavenly Father. I take great peace in this because even though my grandpa's are no longer here, I like to think they have a hand in the beautiful things in life that I get to experience. I.e., this sunrise Monday morning (which was the year anniversary of my grandpa Tink passing away) 

(Switching grandpas) My grandpa Pete used to write me birthday cards and they always had some typical grandparent message like "Happy Birthday Ame, can't believe another has gone by and how grown up you are". Loved it! Then, as I got older, my grandpa started writing a post-scripts. He would say, "ps: have you run off and gotten married yet?!?" - this was mostly due to the fact that I hardly ever wrote him back (major sigh, I should have written to him more). These cards always made me laugh. I always thought he was crazy to ask me this kind of question! My response: "umm hello grandpa don't you think you'd know if I got married?!? You would be there!!" I can honestly say that there hasn't been I man I've dated while my grandpa Pete was living that I would be proud to introduce him to. Until now... 

Enter: Andrew Kelley. We have been dating for 5 months and he is everything (and more) I could ask for. He's supportive, he is easy to talk to, he keeps me grounded, he celebrates the good things, he's thoughtful, and he's hilarious. Things are funnier when he's around. I worry less when he's around. I don't bring work home from school because my time with him is important so I stay at school to get what I can done, and then we meet for dinner or a drink. The thing I like most about him is that he's catholic. We have spent most of our Sunday afternoons at church. He and I's relationship is strong because it's rooted in our faith and that is the most special thing in the world. Here's us :) 

So like I said: a lot has changed. Be willing to learn and grow. You never know what card God will play next. ;) 

Gracious and grateful

Hey there blog world... Long time no talk :( 

Truth: there has been too much going on in the last month to even explain. 

Theme of this blog: being gracious and grateful for the things we have. 

I could make a list of things I'm thankful for, but that would be so cliche and I would leave something really important out like oxygen... You know what they say about waking up with only the things you thanked God for the day before... 

Ugh rambling... Anyway. You know how when it rains, it pours? Life has been doing that to my family for about a year now. Through the thick and thin of this past year, however, one thing remains evident: My family is my rock. They never cease to amaze me with their ability to drop whatever they are doing to be with each other. Probably one of the things I'm most thankful for is that my family is a very strong Catholic family. Making our faith a priority has been a source of comfort through some of the difficult times that we have been through in this last year. Let me tell you a little about my family and then you will understand why my family is so important to me. 

Aren't they pretty?!? Okay, my mom and dad: I don't even know where to begin. They are such an amazing team/couple/partners in crime. They are such level-headed people who seem to always know how to rise to the occasion. Their decisions and choices have never been made with anything but love for each other and for their kids. My mom has always supported my dad in his career, moving 8 times with 6 young children, while my dad went ahead to the next city to begin working. She had been a stay-at-home mom our whole lives and we are truly the nurturing and loving adults we are because of her. My dad has always been driven, motivated and extremely ambitious. He has helped each of us kids pick a career that we not only love, but will be able to grow in and succeed in. He seems to always know what the next step will be, and gives the best advice ever. 

Carolyn: probably the most talented person in my family. She is the ultimate entertainer, from signing to dancing to doing movie star impressions. She is very devoted to her career in social media, and has a very sweet dog by the name of Hershey.. Also know as Hershel, Hersh, and dad's grandchild. Carolyn is a lot like my dad, very matter-of-fact but also had an extremely compassionate and loving side. She recently helped one of my friends from my childhood get s job :) She is so smart and funny and is a fabulous pedicure companion... Ps cdawg, can we go get one soon? 

Aileen: powerhouse, fitness queen, independent, intelligent, etc. Girlfriend has got it goin' on! Aileen is a lawyer and works with families who are going through divorces, child support cases, abuse and neglect cases, and so forth. We find ourselves lost in our jobs sometimes because it is difficult sometimes working with amazing families and kids on such a sad occasion. Aileen has a big heart and a lot of passion for what she does. She is so loyal to her family and friends, almost to a fault but its admirable. 

Maureen (and her husband Ryan): Barbie and Ken right?! Maureen and Ryan are both accountants and have been married for almost two years. When I look at them, I see two people who love each other More than they love their ownselves. They are a very selfless couple, inviting their siblings over for dinners, meeting up downtown, or whatever the occasion is. However, they also make sure to take time to do things on their own. They are an extremely active and healthy couple... They always have hummus and veggies!!!! 

Heffe and Anissa: another lovely couple :) I actually got to live with Anissa this year.. We recently moved out and I'm going through withdrawal. Heffe is a lot like my dad.. Go-getter, independent, driven, motivated, smart, funny and the list goes on... Anissa is a teacher like me, and we have so much in common in terms of how much time we over-devote to our job, how much we care about our kids, and getting excited about fun new lessons we plan!! Heffe and Anissa just got engaged last October and we couldn't be happier... She was always meant to be a Kent ;) 

Laura: my other half, my better half, my best friend and my CHIZZARD!!!! You don't know what a CHIZZARD is?!?!  Good, we don't know each other well enough to explain that at this point in time, blog world! Laura is also a teacher.  We vent, bounce ideas off each other, celebrate good things, give each other advice, take trips together over spring break and summer, and try to visit each other as much as possible, despite the distance between us. I actually look up to Laura a lot; she is very mature, calm, and sensible. 

So what inspires this rant about my family? As I was driving home this morning from planning out the volleyball season at school (I coach 8th grade) I had the windows down, it was 72 and sunny, music blaring, and I drove across a beautiful body of water, and all of the sudden, I realized how happy I am. I can't complain about a single thing in my life. That is one of the most peaceful moments I have had In a long time :) 

Happy Thursday!

It's been a while...

Hello family and friends :)

It has been a while since my last blog, sorry bout that!!

If you know me really well, you know that I put everything and everyone before myself.  Long story short, I have been trying to do a little "soul searching" of sorts.  When you go through a major transition in life, it is easy to get lost in the little things and forget what is important.  I know what you're thinking: What did you forget? Answer: how to be me. What is the major transition you are going through? Answer: school letting out for the summer/essentially not working at all/a break up that rocked me a little harder than I would have preferred.

Because I love my motivational quotes and have found some really great ones lately, here are a few that I keep on my phone so that I can remind myself that I made the right decision about my break-up.  Oh and before I share them, my first lesson that I have learned this summer: LISTEN TO YOUR FAMILY.  IF THEY DON'T LIKE WHO YOU'RE DATING, BREAK UP IMMEDIATELY. IT WILL NEVER WORK. 

#heardthat

... and we must be patient and pray for the grace to wait for this plan to unfold... #easiersaidthandone

might be a little bitter but it's true... stay tuned in this blog for a little explanation as to why I love this quote...

Must be okay being alone before you can give yourself to someone else and learn to depend on them for happiness... this is where I messed up in my last relationship.

alright you caught me... these are all from PINTEREST!! I just love this one because I have had a lot of these moments in the last few weeks and they make all the bad moments seem better! :)

Talk about an overwhelming sense of peace with this one... I don't worry about being alone for the rest of my life because of this quote... ;) 

This is something to always strive for... I have ZERO friends that are catholic and still go to church or are involved in their church... :/ Cheese stands alone (PROUDLY!) 

THIS.

just awesome. 

From here on out... 

Okay here come the next few lessons: 

2. It's okay to be a b**** - okay not really, but it IS okay to picky. I have made a promise to myself that I will not entertain the idea of dating someone who needs to be "fixed." ie: They will have to have a good job, be independent, have a good car, etc. If you think that makes me snobby, TOUGH ;) 

3. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF: eat healthy, exercise, sleep well, indulge in things that are not good for you (sometimes), invest in things that are beyond your control, distinguish between what you can and cannot control and let the uncontrollable go.

Okay, those are my "self-help" secrets for the week ;) 

SONGS.... 

I honestly have nothing... I love country and not many other people do.  So with that being said, one of my favorite shows is Nashville! Here is the trailer if you don't watch.. 

Nashville Trailer 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD6u9DFd5Ak

The season finale was really sad - Juliette's mother commits suicide and she sings this song at the end that was one of those that chills you to the bone....... and I have been singing it for 2 weeks now :) 

Nothing in this world...

FOOD...... 

Here is what I made for dinner tonight... north atlantic salmon, asparagus, zucchini and squash... on my George Foreman courtesy of my amazing mom :)

Time to watch Bachelorette and Mistress's  :) HAPPY SUMMER PEOPLE!! <3 

BRAVE

There is no rhyme or reason as to how the blog is written or in what order things are: so deal with it!! 

So, you know how everyone says "the hardest decisions are usually the right ones"??? Well I made a big decision for myself a few weeks ago, and it sure hasn't been easy, but it's definitely the right one.  My blog this week is inspired by the above phrase, however, I call it being brave. 

Here is what I am going to work on this week: complaining less, facing fears and stressful situations with a brave face, and using my skills, talents, and strengths to better myself and others. 

This was a fantastic weekend for me: my whole family was in town for my sister's SNAP show (where she played the lead, Izzy).  Friday we ate pizza and relaxed at Mo's house, and then I took my younger sister out for her birthday!! We got to see so many old and new friends and her and I always have such a good time when we are together!! Saturday, we were lazy all day long!! I may or may not have taken two naps and a very long hot shower!! Then we got ready and went out to Milestone 229 for dinner!! After dinner, we got headed to the theatre for my sister's show!! If you ask anyone in my family who to go to when you just feel like crying, they'll tell you to find me.  It was a matter of two seconds that Carolyn was out on the stage singing before tears were streaming down my face! I know what a talented singer she is, but I was always too young to remember her shows in high school and college.  I was completely amazed at her talent, poise, charm and inspiring passion for what she does!!! The music choices were AHHH-mazing and Carolyn just totally stole the show!!!! 

This morning, we had a delicious spread of amazing food and delicious coffee!! 

Sadly, everyone departed ways this afternoon and I have been in a funk since!! I hate it when my family leaves :( 

Confession: I didn't cook anything for dinner. I heated up the leftovers from when my mom was here and cooked for Anissa and I!!! Tilapia, beef tenderloin, grilled zucchini and squash, and brown rice!! 

On a more personal note, my quote for the week has to do with the personal issue I am going through.  Working on that whole self-worth thing... 

Take great comfort in God's plan for you... I do!! :)

Last but not least, I have been all about this song since it came out!! I had it on repeat for an hour at the gym today while I lifted and ran... loser??? Probably!! :) I DON'T CARE!!! 

"Brave" - Sarah Bareillis

Have a good week ahead friends... LAST FULL WEEK OF SCHOOL FOR ME UNTIL SUMMER!!!!! :)

First blog... holding back

Hello Blog World!! 

Here I am... pretty nervous about starting this process.  My sister Maureen asked  told me to start a blog, and I told her that I didn't know what I was going to write about.  Recent events in my life have forced me to evaluate how I spend my time, and what I do for fun.  After a week or so of intense reflection and several fantastic conversations with some of the best family and friends I could have, I finally came to terms with what I was going to blog about: peace of mind.  

I think there are so many wonderful things that we have to be thankful for each and every day.  Much like my roomie Anissa's blog says, if we don't stop and slow down every once in a while, we can miss some pretty incredible things.  

Here is what you can expect from my blog: 
1. Some sort of motivational/feel good quote (courtesy of the quotes tab in pinterest)
2. A song: music has always been a passion of mine and I love all kinds (minus death metal and hardcore rock)
3. A recipe or picture of food that I have either already cooked or am going to try cooking. 

You may be fortunate enough to read more from various blog posts because I have many special things planned for the future :)

Here's a little bit about me: I am about to finish my second year of teaching, I love my job (honestly and truly LOVE my job), I have made so many wonderful new friends at work, and have strengthened many friendships from college.  Here's the roadblock... if someone asked me what I like to do for fun, or what my hobbies are, I would be at a loss for words.  I don't have anything that I really love to do on my own time.  There is an ecard I saw on pinterest once that said "So tell me about yourself!.... Oh gosh who am I?!?" That's all about to change folks.  

I don't have a picture of what I am going to make for dinner tonight, but I will be grilling garlic and herb chicken, and serving it over a bed of baby arugula.  Simple and so tasty!! 

Here is my song for the week: 

Follow your arrow
Kacey Musgraves is fab! :)

Here is my quote for the week: 

Happy Sunday friends :) Lots of love!! 
-A