Remember me?

To be quite honest I feel like my creativity/writing juices have all but about dried up as of late. Hence the two plus month blogging hiatus! You see, life has been, well...how do I put this? It has been crazy. There's been a lot on my plate. When it rains it pours. Put one foot in front of the other. Etc etc. Any other cliches you can think of? Add here. In other words, I've been exhausted emotionally and mentally {more on that another time}. Quite frankly, blogging was at the bottom of the priority list. It IS just a hobby after all. But, when you feel like you're in survival mode, hobbies get pushed aside. Am I right? Or, am I right?

I digress.

Today is my birthday! And in two days it's Thanksgiving. 'Tis the season! So I thought I'd wrap up this post  by being grateful and giving thanks.

Side note: I felt this picture was blog worthy because even though I am now 27, I am obviously still cool and trendy. I mean, check out those leggings! Also, my post needed some pictures, and well, this was the most recent picture I took of  myself on my phone. As you can see, I live a very exciting life.

I have so much to be thankful for. I could go on and on. I want to say that even though life just plain sucks sometimes, my heart is also full at the same time. I can't help but hum to myself the classic hymn..."count your blessings name them one by one..." as I'm writing this. I think we all need to get into the practice of doing this. It helps, honest! It helps even when circumstances are less than ideal. It helps when you don't want to get out of bed and face reality. It helps when you longingly look at another persons life, wishing you had what they have. I can honestly say I am in a better mood when I focus on the good rather than the bad. This is no new theory, just a great reminder for us all as Thanksgiving approaches.

I am thankful for my family. This is a nobrainer! Thank you, Lord.

I am thankful for my naughty, silly goldendoodle, Jake. Because he's a good snuggler and keeps a girl company.

I am thankful for my new house. Because it just fell into place so perfectly that I knew it was all Him!

I am thankful for the Peace that passes all understanding. Because when the storm rages all around me, He calms me with His presence.

I am thankful for my friends. Because they encourage my heart and make me laugh.

I am thankful for my dear sweet Steve. Because he's taking me to dinner in 30 minutes and is willing to watch movies with me that he doesn't really care for {ahem, Hunger Games}. Yay! ;)

And on that note...I'm outta here! I hope to get back into writing more regularly but no guarantees! After all, it's the holidays!

Random Thoughts Tuesday {DQ Style}

So I don't have much to say tonight. Mostly because it's getting late, and there's really not much worth sharing. But, it is RTT after all. So, instead of boring you with a lengthy post, I thought I'd bore you with some random kodak moments from this evenings visit to the local Dairy Queen with my parents.

Enjoy.

 

Look at me being all adventurous opting for a cone{chocolate covered nonetheless!} instead of a blizzard! I know...shocking, right?!

This isn't one of my most flattering moments if I do say.

Next time I'll stick with the blizzard. Less mess.

YUM! I just love ice cream. And Dairy Queen. And the sticky fingers you get after opting for a cone instead of a blizzard. NOT. Ah, life lessons I say! In layman's term: "less mess is best".

Until next Tuesday...

Random Thoughts Tuesday

So, I wasn't feeling very inspired to write today. I was planning to skip RTT and save all my random thoughts for NEXT Tuesday. Wouldn't that be something? But then, as I'm sitting here on my couch sipping some boxed chardonnay {from a glass mind you} and feeling the cool breeze making its way through our open windows I thought to myself, yes, yes I will write! I can sense your relief. So get ready for a bunch of nonsense! I'll blame give credit to the wine.

There's a frozen pizza in the oven right now. Steve is mowing the lawn. It's an exciting Tuesday evening at the Olsen residence! Jake is moping beside me on the couch. You see, he about gave his momma a heart attack as he went into a barking frenzy. That jogger, I'll tell you what. Scary stuff. The same jogger that passes by our house every. single. day. Also, I may have suffered from a minor ear drum injury during the whole fiasco. TBD.

It feels like fall outside today. You can even see it in the clouds. The sky has a touch of gray and the air feels cool. I dig it. I'm SO ready for fall. But, isn't that how it goes? At the end of each season we long for the next. And before you know it you are wishing away the very season you longed for in the first place! Hmm, I'm feeling a life lesson moment here. 

Longing for fall may have something to do with moving into a new house. May. We are about to begin a new chapter in our lives. It's a chance to stake our claim on new territory. Start out with a clean slate...make new memories...annoy some unsuspecting neighbors with a very voicetress goldendoodle..etc etc. 

Furthermore, what's not to love about fall? The colors. The decorations. The boots and sweaters. The sitting around a fire with loved ones. Fall is the gateway to all things festive! Thanksgiving, my birthday{naturally} and Christmas! I already informed my mom I would be hosting Thanksgiving AND Christmas this year. And the next year, and the next. She just chuckled. I need to learn how to cook a turkey eventually! She thinks this "I got a new house and I want to play hostess with the mostess" drunken stupor will eventually wear off. We'll see about that, Ma. 

And speaking of the house...it appraised at value! Meaning, it's pretty much ours!!! Not many more hoops to jumps through now! Seventeen days, baby! But, who's counting? ;)

Random Thoughts Tuesday

First off, can I just say I have the greatest friends and family ever? Things haven't exactly been easy lately, but oh do we feel loved on by so many! People may wonder, how can you say "God is good" in the midst of pain? He is the God that comforts {see 2 Corinthians 1:3-4} and he uses other people to bring comfort and joy, even when circumstances in life just plain suck. So, I just wanted to give a shout out to YOU! You know who you are. My mom. My sister{s}. My dear sweet friends. My church family. My Steve. And the list goes on. Even my pain in the butt goldendoodle brings comfort! When he curls up on the couch beside me and rests his head on my lap...I can't help but say, thank you Lord! You are good! Okay, maybe that sounds silly, but it's true! You just have to {do your best} focus on the blessings. Even when I am hurting, I can't help but feel blessed and thankful for my loved ones. Thank you God for providing what I need in the moment.

Secondly, I can't remember the last time I went to Wal-mart. Just throwing that out there. I usually HAVE to go there about once a month to stock up on bathroom essentials such as shampoo and toothpaste...they're just too expensive at the grocery store. BUT, I'm so excited that I discovered Amazon {let's just take a moment to thank The Lord for Amazon} also has most of these items for the same price, if not cheaper! I'm an Amazon Prime member {so worth the 80 bucks a year} so most of the stuff gets shipped for free in two days! Win win! Maybe you too can skip a trip to Wal-mart by doing this. You're welcome. 

As I type this I'm listening to Pandora. I'm singing along to the song I and Love and You by The Avett Brothers. Another great band! And guess what?! Allison introduced me to their great sound. Fun, easy to sing along to music. Bummer is I found out they're playing in Philly when we'll be vacationing in the Outer Banks. Well, that's not the bummer. The timing is just a bummer. Oh well! I suppose I have been to enough great concerts this year. Speaking of which...

Hear ye hear ye! The Olsen's are going to see 30 Seconds To Mars live in concert at the end of September! Score! The excitement cannot be contained. Mumford & Sons take two! Although this time we get to see Jared Leto {ladies, can I get a swoooon} instead of Marcus Mumford. We will have fun.  

Indeed, there will be much to blog about coming up in the next several months.

I gotta wrap this up because we're heading on over to Olsen Central for dinner tonight! Woot woot! We normally don't go more than a week without seeing one another and it's been...what...ten days?! Say it ain't so! A mid week meeting of the Olsen's had to be in order. Bonus, my brother in law can cook like it's nobody's business. Thanks, Matt! 

Have I mentioned before that I have THE cutest niece and nephew ever? It's true. And I'm not just saying that. It's a fact.

See?

I'll end with this thought. Lets try to focus on the good in our life, because let's face it, there will always be some sort of bad happening. On the other side of the coin, there is always something to be thankful for. You know how that song goes..."count your blessings...name them one by one...count your blessings see what God has done..."

Anyway...happy Tuesday! At least it's not Monday. See? I'm focusing on the good. It's not too hard. Just takes some practice :)

Random Thoughts Tuesday

Randomness. That's what I will write about on Tuesday's. Whatever is going through my mind I will attempt to spill out onto my blog. I know the excitement is hard to contain! Apparently this is what bloggers do. Pick a day of the week. Write about a certain subject or topic. I thought I'd create my own. Only difference is there's no specific topic OR subject. Bear with me.

Last night we had the whole house/termite inspection for our new home{eek!}. Overall it was very uneventful. Although, I may or may not have skipped around in the yard and did a ballerina twirl or two throughout the home. Other than some minor issues, and the fact that we couldn’t find the switch to turn the gas fireplace on, I’d say all went well! No signs of termite damage, either. Phew! I feel it's worth noting there was a 1990’s radio/cassette tape player mounted under the kitchen cabinets. The tape inside was the dirty dancing soundtrack. My only question is, since it’s attached, does this mean it’s ours?

Here’s another sneak peak of our future home. A lovely view into the backyard. Happy sigh.

Moving on...

What I’ve been listening to as of late: Fleet Foxes. I will say I have to be in the mood to listen to them. It will look as though Steve is in pain as soon as I mention them. It’s really not that bad, people! Steve is just critical and does NOT appreciate my taste and variety in music. Oh but his voice! {the singer, not Steve’s} It’s beautiful. SO WHAT if it’s a bit over the top in the “mountain music” genre?! {is this even a genre? I do not know}. My sister Allison introduced the band to me while I was visiting her in big, beautiful Montana. Ding ding ding! Now things are starting to make sense. ;) I will ALWAYS trust my sister’s taste in music. After all, she introduced me to The Lumineers. Enough said. Fleet Foxes' sound would be best enjoyed on a long road trip, or while enjoying nature on a hike in Glacier National Park with a granola bar in hand. Kidding! Sort of. I’m really into their album “Helplessness Blues” right now. A favorite song that I’ve had on repeat is this. I'm loving this album. Oh the sweet harmony! It's just pretty. Easy to listen to. My ears are happy. I’ve been singing it to myself all week. I just love music.

image via pinterest

The End.