In Awe.

Wow, where to begin . . .

Eden was born on Dec. 1st, but here we are almost 6 weeks later, & I'm finally stealing a moment to blog about it. Thanks to my dear friend, Sarah, for encouraging me to do so. I know these memories will elude me too quickly, & this little angel is changing on a daily basis.

Week 1, I spent staring at her & wondering when her real parents would be coming to get her. By Week 2, I was still staring at her & getting glossy-eyed realizing she was really here to stay. She had already stolen my heart & was developing in leaps & bounds. She exceeded weight gains to mine & the pediatrician's delight. She was also only waking for 1-2 feedings per night. By the 3rd week, we saw frequent smiles & by Week 4, they were obviously intentional smiles when we locked eyes & she looked straight into my soul!

So petite & perfect in stature, I could watch her day & night. So many of her features remind me of my husband. The dark hair and eyes are his. The narrowly-there bridge of the nose & prominent cheek bones belonging to him as well. Precisely 2 little, curved lines frame the bottom lid on each of her eyes, mirroring the shape of his. A nice full set of lips that we all share, paired with the most precious smiles I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. Everything down to her legs & little flat feet remind me of my husband. I guess she'll just have to get her sweetness from me.

When we lock eyes, she stares as only a pure, new soul can. She knows no limits or boundaries to staring intently into another's eyes. We exchange expressions & surely a million thoughts and feelings in those moments. She'll cry, she'll smile, she'll grunt & moan and I think of every bit of it as a sweet little achievement in her young life & relish in the fact that I get to share it with her.

I could boast for days about this little miracle & I'm happy to say that keeping my promise to live in the moment & thank God for her daily is the easiest promise to keep. She is a Blessing that is far beyond my ability to articulate. So, for now, this meager post will start my attempt at documenting this amazing gift, & I'll try to determine how I can explain this experience more eloquently and thoroughly to truly give it justice.

In the meantime, I'll continue snuggling her on my shoulder and nuzzling up to the nape of her neck, smelling her intoxicating scent and soaking in every precious moment.

Are you nervous?

This seems to be the "appropriate" question for an expecting woman of 39 weeks. At least, that's the most frequently asked question.

The more I think about it, it's just an ugly thing to ask. What is one to say? Nah, labor is going to be a breeze & I've got this motherhood thing figured out! ......HA! ....... Or, do you contemplate all of the many facets of childbirth and motherhood that are about to be thrust upon you and start to panic, listing the infinitive list of things one is nervous about. That sure sounds like a great idea!

Frankly, I'm not letting it ruffle my feathers. Quite honestly, I'm still living in ignorant bliss and have absolutely no idea what is about to come at me! I've read and watched videos and read and went to classes and read some more in preparation for what this new life may hold. 

All I'm really sure of is labor is going to be hell, but it will all be over in less than 48 hours. Surely, I can do anything for 48 hours! We're delivering at 1 of the top 10 hospitals in the nation, so I'm confident I'll be under great care and supervision. Most important of all, I have faith that God has a plan, and that is for me to mother this child, so a lifetime lies ahead of us after the initial task of getting baby girl here.

After that, well it's anybody's guess! I will surely doubt myself more often than not, and continue pumping myself full of as much information as possible regarding proper care of our newborn.

Then, somewhere there in the middle and hopefully at the beginning and for a worthwhile portion of each day, I'll realize that I'm only human, and God has Blessed me with this opportunity because He knows I can handle it. That's when I'll let all of the anxiety drift right out the window, and I'll sit back, relax and simply be in awe of the little person we've created.

I hope more than anything, that my husband and I will relish in every little smile, every giggle and celebrate every milestone . . . . not getting caught up in the stress of the inconsolable crying, the financial strains on our budget, or the sleep deprivation that will surely ensue. I hope we can look past those, in the moment occurrences, to cherish this beautiful gift and not allow one day to pass us without realizing how truly Blessed we are......

So, am I nervous? Hell yeah! Is it going to stop me? Not a chance! I'm definitely not going to lose sleep over it. I have plenty of sleepless nights in my future . . .  & I can't wait!!

Embarking on a new BOOK!

Not just a new chapter, but I feel like we're about to open an entirely new book!

We're exactly 32 weeks along, and this little cutie pie is measuring in at 4.2 pounds & measuring and looking perfect in every single way.

Let the joy, anxiety, nerves and excitement commence!!

New Ideas = A New You

I've slowly come to understand how much I've changed since leaving the small, rural area I used to call home. Since venturing out into the big world & continuing my education, I'm constantly confronted by new ways of thinking, new ideas and different sets of beliefs.

I see this as a great Blessing.

I am also disheartened.

Disheartened....... yes, partly because it is a big, scary world, and you realize how crazy it is when you delve into a metropolis........... However, more disheartened because it forces me to confront the narrow thinking often evident in the environment I was raised in.

I saw that quaint community and the warm people who filled it as something nostalgic. A place and time that moved slower than the rest of the world; however, we were all good-hearted, hard-working people. It's not that that has changed per say, but my view on the limited ideas of people confined to such a secluded space definitely has changed.

It saddens me.

I loved that area, but I'm also now more aware of the prejudices that existed, a fear of outsiders, fear of change, and the uninformed thinking of the unknown. I now realize how limiting it is not to have others challenge your ways of thinking and cause you to think outside the box.

I don't know where I'm going with this. I just know I still love my original home, my childhood and the amazing people who shaped me into who I am today.  . . . and while I still know plenty of great people there, I also know of statistically more than I'm comfortable with, having extreme, unhealthy perspectives of life, in my opinion.

Of course, who am I to judge another, but on one hand, that's why I'm disheartened, because a large percentage of "them" so unfairly judge others. However, if they never get out of their comfort zone or never have their beliefs challenged, then this shall be another vicious cycle.

I just wish I didn't feel like my home was "home" to that cycle.

Snow, bring it!

Gearing up properly for a Chi-town winter! Can't wait for these to arrive. . .

What I learned in 2012 . . .

1. The Blessing of having my life partner is greater than anything I will ever be able to express.

2. We have no control over other's actions, & our day-to-day protection is only by God's grace.

3. I'm as liberal as I am conservative, and that does not necessarily relate to politics.

4. One of the greatest gifts someone can get is exposure to the outside world.

5. I must constantly push myself to be a better person, because it's so easy to revert to bad habits.

6. There is no greater peace than knowing family is only a call away.

7. My body is starting to age. I am now on the downhill slope & must work harder to minimize the effects.

8. I am comfortable with aging, and will not allow myself to obsess over it, nor will I go to drastic measures to reverse the signs.

9. My life feels complete, until I think about what it will be like to be a mom.

10. As life changes, so do our friendships, and not everyone feels they are a priority.

Does a joint' ensure you remain joint?

There are so many accounts we have open at any one time, and it makes me wonder, is it better to have joint accounts with your spouse, or better to treat it like the principles of church and state. I mean, we are from Venus and they're from Mars.

So, do joint accounts save marriages?

It's been said, Facebook is currently cited in 50% of divorce cases. It's no wonder, when you think about how many people one can come into contact with on a daily basis (i.e. all of the old flames you never thought you'd see again.) Mix that with a vulnerable person bogged down by the monotony of their household, yearning for a little attention & you've got a danger zone!!

We'd all love to think we can play around with temptation & remain in control. However, everybody knows the old saying, you play with fire, you're going to get burnt. . .

So is setting up a joint account the solution? When your husband wants to spout off a status update about the football game, or you want to brag about the yummy dessert you whipped up, your friends & family can just take guesses as to who is doing this posting? Private messages are essentially between you, recipient and spouse. Who knows, it may come off as overprotective, overbearing, or even elude to a jealous nature. . . but who are we to judge? In the end, I have no problem being overprotective with my family and anything that tries to come between us. Also, we live in the most transparent age to date, and opportunity is all to opportune!

                                        ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~

I wonder how this relates to other accounts as well, such as our checking accounts. Many couples have their paychecks disbursed into a joint account, which they "jointly" use to pay bills and for daily expenses. While others find it reasonable to keep those accounts separate, simply agree whose paying what bills, and shuffle money together when necessary. Does one feel their spouse's earnings are inaccessible? Does a stay-at-home mom feel inferior when she has to ask for grocery money? If a husband is coming home with a new i-phone & his wife is counting pennies till the end of the month, somethings gotta give. Right? However, what if he saved up for that i-phone, while she bought Starbucks & cigarettes each day . . . . maybe this is a fair method.

Even though I'm still a nuptial newbie, I feel like eliminating potential questions up front can save countless amounts of stress, resentment and emotional roLLer-coASTers. When you know up front that your wife spent $300 at Target and that female friend from high school thought twice before "poking" you, you cut down on a lot of questions. You're not left wondering if your partner has your best interest at heart, or if you're on the same page. 

This came to mind because my husband and I have separate FB accounts. I don't foresee any issues, but I thought, hmm, maybe it would be cute and more socially acceptable if we had a joint account. As is, we know each other's passwords and neither feels threatened by any aspect of it. There again, we keep separate checking accounts, but we have online access to each others' and the authority to withdraw, transfer, deposit as we see fit. He can send more deposits my way anytime!

I know everybody has to find a way that works for them, but I wonder how many desire to live jointly, but for risk of being thought jealous or controlling, suffice with living their two separate lives side by side.

To each his own, but peace-of-mind is priceless.

Clarity.

Now that I'm a young, vibrant, flourishing 30-something ( let's see if I can come up with more adjectives to make the 30's sound cool!) ..... a real go-getter, probably not a jet-setter... but that girl, that normal, every-day kinda girl, trying to live a purposeful life, making educated choices, minding my tongue, seeking wisdom and thriving on those little things in life that bring me joy . . . I have also acquired an appreciation for so many things which I used to take for granted. The one on my mind today.......

VOTING.

It's that little thing all Americans feel entitled to as soon as they're 18. Some anticipate casting their first ballot incessantly, while others glide into their middle ages never even bothering to register. As for me, I registered when I turned 18, and although I mostly turn a blind eye to local politics, I always vote for the presidency.

I know my measly little vote out of all the millions will have little impact.... however, if everyone decided their 1 little vote didn't matter, then the masses would cease to vote, and each little vote would have a much larger impact....... which in the end, it turns out, is quite scary.

So, I do my part, and cast my ballot. Even though I try to diligently follow the campaigns, I generally cast my vote, go on about my day and then relish in the fact that I won't have to watch any more political commercials. Great. It's over, end of story... at least for 4 more years.

...... but something was different this year. Since it's my first year in the Chi, and I already leave the house for work at 6:45am, I opted to do an absentee ballot. I didn't foresee a joyful morning at the polls with the rest of Chicago.

So, I received my ballot in the mail a few weeks past, calculated my decisions and put the pen to the paper. It wasn't so much choosing my candidate on the ballot, but delivering that ballot to the post box was the powerful moment.

I did so on my lunch break, so it's a short walk down the block, upon which time, without any forethought whatsoever.... I began to think of the power I wielded in that very moment. Not in an egotistical sorta way, but in a way that validated all of the work women did to fight for our rights during the last century. I began reminiscing stories I'd learned in history class of activists taking a stand, demanding women be considered equal and given the opportunity to vote. . . I began to clench my ballot tighter & thought of the women in this world who still don't have that luxury. Women in the Middle East are fighting for the right to drive, let alone vote! Others, over the past few years have been showcased in news clips with pride across their face as the struggle and strife they endured to garner the right to vote has finally been granted. .......... My mind was racing, my heart starting to pound and emotion coming over me, as I realized how very Blessed I am that I live in a country, where it's not even a question. It's such a simple right that we do take it for granted and we do feel entitled....... As I was swarming with feelings of pride, anger, joy, frustration, responsibility and duty I looked up to discover I was approaching the flag pole that stands about 20 feet prior to the post box ...... my eyes slowly followed the pole higher and higher.....& higher.. .. only to find .... it was empty.

Nevertheless, in my mind, the bountiful flag's red, white and blue was billowing in the wind and flapping proudly at the justices and opportunities that it stands for. I dropped my ballot in the post box, a ballot that would have merely equated to a large envelope any other day, but today it was a ticket. A ticket to freedom, to all those things we should be thankful for and to the hope that the same justices are spread throughout the world.

In that moment of clarity, I found a new appreciation for my rights and my claim as a U.S. citizen. Whatever your political beliefs, if you've been granted the privilege, get off your bum & go vote on November 6th!

Journey

Divine Intervention.

 

How is it that two people,

from two totally different worlds

end up........ together.

(Literally, 22, 052 miles apart according to google maps. Although, I wouldn't have taken the much longer route through China & Russia myself, but apparently google doesn't fly the Atlantic) 

I shall never know.

Nor do I care.

All I am sure of is that God could not have cultivated a more perfect human being for me. 

Someone who challenges me at every curve,

Forces me to dig deep when I'm getting weary,

Greets me with a beaming smile every morning,

Cherishes me,

Supports me in all that I do,

Can Cook & does so,

Is full of faith and inspiration,

Loves to love me,

and speaks to my heart in a way that not even I can comprehend.

This weekend marked our 1 year wedding anniversary! The year flew by, and I pray it is God's will that we have many happy years ahead of us. Although, I won't be disappointed if they slow down a little.

So now, we celebrate ....... In the words of my baby, 1 down, infinity to go!

Off to New Orleans, be back soon. . .

A bachelor's degree in . . . nonsense.

So, maybe that's a little blunt and sure, judgmental. However, it seems our bright, young adults in this country are following their possibly, slightly immature hearts a little too much, when they're opting to finance their education, only to attain a degree in Exploring, Archaeology or dare I say it.... Art.

Don't get me wrong, I'd hate to see the arts and creative minds stifled, and everyone forced to work in cubicles. However, the reality is, where will you find a job? Art majors have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.

The opportunity to access higher education in this country is one of our greatest legacy's. However, any number of studies can validate that tuition rates have practically doubled just in the last 10 years. (Sure, it's tied to politics, state & federal budget cuts & a number of other influences). . . but even if costs weren't soo inflated, the goal of education is and always has been to open the doors of opportunity for job security.......... right??

All of these generic, liberal arts degrees can get someone's foot in the door, if having a post-secondary education is one of the main job requirements.... but essentially, have you learned a trade? Do you have a skill that gives you the upper hand over the next guy? Not really .........

What is the solution? Well, definitely a more profound focus on career planning in high school, with a continuation overflowing into freshmen, college orientation courses. Pshht, I had no idea as to the purpose of my high school counselor! I told him what courses I wanted to take each semester, and he input them in the computer. I thought that was the extent of his job. Little did I know, students at other schools were receiving real-world advice and guidance on college preparation and career choices. Perhaps, I should have reached out to him, but I didn't even know those things fell under his job duties or knowledge-base. Being the first in my immediate family to go to college, how crucial that information could have been. Instead, I stumbled along, making plenty of unnecessary mistakes due to this omitted information.

Also, when it comes to college planning, families need to take a step back & consider the benefits of attending a community college first. Has anyone been looked over for a job, because they began their degree at community college?? ............. I don't know, but I'd imagine it's very rare! Nobody has ever questioned it on my resume. People are really looking at the college you graduate from, if that's even relevant in your chosen profession. Why not start out taking 60 credit hours of gen. ed. requirements and spending the equivalent of $5,000. Then, transfer those on to your chosen university, and you've avoided two years of extensive student loan debt, while maximizing your educational opportunity. At least at that rate, if you do major in Arts, you're only indebted by two years of the four year degree!

Higher education is such a complex matter, but it is definitely a decision worth mulling over and doing some strategic planning. A 16-18 year-old with little real-world experience may not make the wisest overall decision, so parents need to step up and provide some guidance. Just because a parent didn't go to college, doesn't make them a hypocrite for doing their research and trying to guide their children to make wise college choices.

In the end, it could be the difference between them figuring out how to repay $60,000 in student loans, while working at Subway during the day & playing their guitar in the subway by night! .......... OR making a comfortable living, not strapped by debt, but able to start a family, purchase a home and truly live the American Dream by the time they're out of their 20's.

Nobody wants to be a starving artist. . .

Bling! Bling! ........... Blah.

Now, please don't take this blog as some self-righteous, goody-two-shoes (how the heck do you spell that?) type of thing, but I'm getting quite frustrated with a new trend & wondering......... is it just me?

I would truly  like to know if I'm the only person who is stunned, saddened and confused by the desire for a bigger & better diamond! Don't get me wrong. I live in America too, & know that our individualistic ways of living the American Dream, are often translated as- having the biggest and best of everything mentality, too focused on keeping up with the Joneses'.

BUT.......

when your husband handpicked a wedding band for you, back at the start of this journey, didn't he pour his heart & soul & tiny little pocketbook into that ring? Sure, most marriages start off when we're young, so there's not exactly a nestegg to purchase this bling, but does that really matter?

It seems like all I hear about lately is the request for a wedding ring UPGRADE.

Umm, really? ...... Rather than keep the ring that truly holds the sentimental value & was given to you with love, anticipation, anxiety and --- heart......... you want something that portrays you have more money?! ............ maybe because you do have more money now. If so, fantastic!...... Or, maybe because you don't want to be the friend with the itty bitty little yellow diamond on their ring finger. I don't know.

I mean, I get it .... sort of............ but I would never want a replacement. Granted, my husband did a great job the first go-round, so maybe that's why I have this high & mighty tone about the whole issue. Nevertheless, I'm frequently surrounded by these women with their big rocks, & I just hope the love and value of their marriage isn't inversely correlated (you know, one goes up, the other goes down) to the size of that BLING.

I mean, we all know what they say about men who try to buy the fastest cars, have the loudest mouths & show off the most. . . . they're compensating for something else.

Even my sweet, caring husband brought it up recently, maybe we'll look at getting you a bigger (& supposedly) better ring sometime. ...... WHAT?! Even he is affected by this superficial mania that is surrounding us!!

I protested immediately! I do not want, nor will I ever wear another ring on this finger. Sure, he can buy a lovely ring for any of my other 9 fingers at any time ;)...... but this is the ring that he placed on my finger, that cool night in January, when he was down on one knee pouring his heart out to me......... This is the band he placed on my finger as we stood before God, our family, our friends & vowed to love each other unconditionally for as long as we both shall live.

I refuse to get caught up in this nonsense. A beautiful ring doesn't equate to a beautiful life...

I'm baaaaaaa-ack . . .

Well, maybe not a fixture, but popping in for a quick bit!

Since abandoning my blog last February, I now have 12 credit hours under my belt & working on acquiring another 9 this semester. Found my back-to-school rhythm & life is good :)

I'm LOVING school......... I mean, seriously LOVING it! I was always a good, focused student, but this is the first time in my life I'm studying something & can wait to soak up what's on the next page of my book!!

I have found my passion.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Since I've returned to school, I figured why not take it to the next level........ & I recently acquired braces! So, if I'm ever MIA, I can be found in the bathroom, hogging the sink, as I pick away at leftover lunch, brushing, flossing & reapplying that heavenly thing known as wax!

Hello world...... I'm 30, going on 13!!!

Flatlined_______________

Yes, I know, that is what happened to this blog.

2 master's level classes & every waking minute is devoted to research, reading, studying & trying to stay awake!!!

So, until further notice, this blog is on hiatus :( I miss you already blogworld.

Peace, love & happiness . . .

No-Lack Person

This morning I turned on a Joel Osteen episode recorded a few weeks ago, and what do you know, it was titled a No-Lack Person. He was referring to the verse in my previous post & the entire sermon was a message of hope & inspiration, living your life with this mentality.

I encourage you to watch for yourself. Click on the Jan. 8th episode......  http://www.joelosteen.com/Broadcast/Pages/ThisWeeksMessage.aspx

To making it count. . . .

My dear friend's blog this week was focused on one of those things everyone needs to know. Her poetic way of saying it, is a great read. Check it out here. I love it so much, I feel the need to give my parallel take on it.
 
The message is about making it count. Everyday. Don't let life get the best of you. Don't allow negative things to pull you down & leave you broken.


Instead, have a little faith. Find the part of you that has the ability to hope for something better & cling to it! When your mind wanders off into PityParty Land, yell STOP on the inside. Redirect your thoughts & refocus your mind on the positive side of things. Personally, I draw from my faith in God. One of my favorite verses, I silently recite to myself on a regular basis is....


Psalm 34:10   ..... those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 

When you truly believe that with your heart, you begin to believe positive things will happen, because you have God's favor. He will direct your paths & you will find open doors. When I was young, I thought people that talked like this were crazy. They thought some magic in the universe was listening to their thoughts and it affected their lives. It seemed like hocus pocus. However, slowly but surely I have a found a rich, pure faith in a higher power, and I now KNOW this is true. How do you know something? Well, you know, once you've experienced it. You begin believing when you hear stories from others. Then, it begins happening to you, again, and again, and again. Until the time comes, when there is no other explanation, it is a higher power that is directing you and bringing you this favor. 



However, when you allow your mind to succumb to thoughts of inadequacy, sadness, pity & depression, then you are revealing that you don't have faith in God. You don't believe in anything besides yourself and this carnal world. You don't have faith that the God who created the universe can fix your small problems. No matter how big your problems, ask yourself, How big is your God?


He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. ~ Psalm 147:3, NLT

For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. ~ Psalm 84:11, NLT

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ~ Philippians 4:6, NLT

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - 18, NLT

Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. ~ Psalm 97:11, NLT

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. ~ Psalms 73:26, NLT

“For I know the plans I have for you” says the Lord, "they are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11, NLT

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. ~ Romans 12:2, NLT       


It wasn't until I started looking to God in every aspect of my life, consulting Him before I make decisions and praying for His hand in everything I do, then believing that He would come through, that I realized the power we hold. When you change your attitude and start praising the Lord because you know He will make a way out of no way, then change will come. Once you start being thankful for all of the many ways you are Blessed and trust that He will guide you into the future, then peace and happiness overcomes you. No matter what may be happening on the outside, you are at peace on the inside, because you know you have God on your side. There is no greater Blessing. There is no greater power.


No matter what life throws at us, we should see the glass half-full, always finding something in every situation to be thankful for. If your partner left you, that means God has somebody better in your future. When you meet him/her you will appreciate him even more. If you lost your job, this is an opportunity to pursue something which you're truly passionate about. Once you find it, you'll live with a fervor you've never experienced. If you've had health problems, praise God for alleviating the pain and consider how He may use you to inspire others. If you were down on your luck and things have turned around, praise God for allowing you to see the worst. You'll never again take the smallest thing for granted and may you never look down on someone in that situation. Sometimes, God doesn't bring us out of the muck immediately and sometimes it may be about finding a way to live life with the changes that have transpired. Tomorrow is a new day. We can remain sad and depressed over the circumstances in our lives, or we can hold our heads high & say, I don't know what He has in store for me, but I know I have a purpose and His word says "they are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

It doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful.

Something fishy . . .

Something's fishy......... & it's my hair! Haha

Recently, I've seen the cutest braids, but didn't know what they were called or how to do them. Well, I found out.

Fishtail Braids

A coworker was using youtube for cute hairstyles, & I couldn't believe I'd never thought of it before. All kinds of people, with too much time on their hands, have made videos for any & everything you can think of.

We found some really cute & easy one's & this one wasn't hard to do at all. However, I will say, doing this style with any regularity may induce arthritis. It takes some time & some lengthy hair, but it doesn't take much skill.

Not sure why the somewhat scared look on my face (lol), but this is how it turned out. I was pleasantly surprised for the first try. . .

This cute, little girl has some great videos. So, if you're feeling fishy too, here you go...

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkV4ptjPf3M

I recently discovered she has one on cutting bangs. I may try that next!

Life...... Isn't it beautiful!

I'm not sure what tripped my trigger this morning. (Hahaha, I just like saying that!) ... Seriously though, I'm really not sure what made me start thinking about it. . .

This morning, I was obviously not focusing on work & my mind began to wander. My mind began to wander, thinking of all the sacrifices made by my parents & their parents & I'm sure their parents............ & why were those sacrifices made? More than likely in hopes of providing better lives for their children.

I remember my great-grandmother telling me how she was widowed in her 20's with a brood of young children. She had to figure out how to provide for them & keep the family afloat, while she was trying to run the farm. (As God would have it, my pretty amazing great-grandfather walked into her life & the rest was history.) I think of how my grandfather fought under General Patton in WWII and nearly lost his life when a jeep toppled onto him. It's hard-telling how many other close calls he had. My paternal grandfather came to the U.S. as a toddler; how hard must his parents have worked to make that happen! My father worked tirelessly my entire life, sun-up to sun-down to provide for our family. I recall my mother working the night shift when we were young, all in the name of providing for her children.

Numerous, infinite sacrifices made by my loved one's and ancestors, each and every one striving to be better and to make the lives of their families better.

Who are we not to be thankful for those sacrifices & utilize the opportunities afforded to us because of them. Education is a good start, but I'm also referring to every other facet of our lives. There should be an innate sense of motivation, fueled by that gratitude to live our lives to the fullest in every way, in some meager attempt to repay them for all they've done. We should try to be the best human beings we can be, helping & doing for others as much as possible, always sharing a kind smile and a kind word. We should instill strength & confidence into our children, by standing up & showing them what it means to be an honest, strong person, making difficult decisions when necessary. We should nurture & encourage our children, trying to open as many doors of opportunity as possible. We should take care of our bodies, out of respect for the amazing being God has created us to be & because we need to be as healthy as He deems possible in order to carry out His purpose in our lives.

How can we have the audacity to take any of this for granted & not give this life our all?! We should always keep pushing, always trying to be more.

I don't know where this is coming from, but I am overwhelmed and humbled by the absolutely amazing people in my life. I know everyone isn't so fortunate. I can proudly say I have a family full of good character & integrity, who have always had my best interests at heart. It is my duty to make them & God proud of the woman I come to be. I cherish this life & plan to make the most of it.

~Amen

Day 1 Down

So, after the first night of classes, I'm feeling:

EXCITED

anxious

Intrigued

nervous

Slightly Overwhelmed

INTIMIDATED

Motivated


Ready to take the plunge! It's not going to be easy. It's going to be challenging, but I'm in this 110%.

It's totally worth it.


      Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be. ~ George Sheehan

Dim Sum

Yes, my friends, dim sum. 

Per the all-knowing, Wikipedia, it is defined as:  a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates. Dim sum is also well known for the unique way it is served in some restaurants, wherein fully cooked and ready-to-serve. Dim sum dishes are carted around the restaurant for customers to choose their orders while seated at their tables.

(No, I did not take a pic of the lady. I stole this off the web!)

Per Jaime, it is defined as: yummmmmmmy!

As with many things I've discovered in Chicago, this was completely new to me. I had never heard of dim sum & once I did, I can't say I was that interested in trying it out. However, hubs, who believes himself to be an honorary China-man, insisted we go. (Which, if you saw this man wield a pair of chop sticks you'd know why.) Once again,. . .  as with many things, after I take his advice, I'm usually quite pleased ;)

Dim sum is something we eat for breakfast. They usually serve it until about 3pm, so I assume it's a customary breakfast/early day menu worldwide. At first, it didn't strike me as breakfast food. There are many meat dishes, veggie, rice, etc. However, this is food from another culture. After I acquired the taste for it, now it's something I crave...

We order several different small dishes & share them all. Some of our favorites are:

Shaomai (燒賣 siu maai): Small steamed dumplings with either pork, prawns or both inside a thin wheat flour wrapper. Usually topped off with crab roe and mushroom.

Spare ribs: In the west, it is mostly known as spare ribs collectively. In the east, it is Char siu when roasted red, or (排骨 paai4 gwat1, páigǔ) when roasted black. It is typically steamed with douchi or fermented black beans and sometimes sliced chilli.

Chiu-chao style dumplings (潮州粉果 chiu-chau fan guo): A dumpling said to have originated from the Chaozhou prefecture of eastern Guangdong province, it contains peanuts, garlic, chives, pork, dried shrimp, Chinese mushrooms in a thick dumpling wrapper made from glutinous rice flour or Tang flour. It is usually served with a small dish of chili oil.

These are just a few of the hundreds of options to choose from! Also, you have to enjoy it with some jasmine tea :)

I know it's a stretch from biscuits & gravy or eggs & bacon, but it has become a staple breakfast food in our household, & I'm on my way to mastering chop sticks!

享受 (Xiǎngshòu)