Life.In.Pictures

Random Shots from the last month or so...keeping caught up with my Project 365...sort of :)  Enjoy!

Wonderful Weekend!

I was very fortunate to spend some time at the campground for the long Easter weekend with my sister Jennifer and my good friend Deven.  We spent our first day with breakfast at Cracker Barrel, wandering around B and B Antique Mall and then supper at *gasp* a seafood restaurant (read my Yelp review for my take on that and for my thoughts on the antique mall - see box on the right of my blog...lol)  Below we donned some crazy hair visors, checked out some really cool booths and Deven even rode some kind of a toy...Despite the rainy, dreary day...it was great fun!

On Saturday, we sat in the sun (TOO long without proper sunscreen - ouch!) and then took a trip to a Thai restaurant in Myrtle Beach that I found on yelp too...it was really quite good!  Seriously you should try Yelp!  It's really great!  We had appetizers of chicken satay and spring rolls with a delicious sweet and sour sauce followed by entrees of Pad thai, Chicken Fried Rice and Red Curry with Chicken.  Didn't try any desserts at this restaurant - maybe next time!



On Easter Sunday morning I got up early to go the sunrise service on the beach - by far my favorite day on the beach!  What a wonderful sight to see the sun come up over the water while hearing the story of Jesus' ressurection from the grave!  He is risen, just as He said!

Trying to Understand

Sometimes in life we really do have to accept the things we can't change, whether that be in relationships or circumstances or other things around us that affect like work or family situations.  I tend to dwell on things that I can't change just for the sake of making myself crazy I think.  It's not helpful, I can't take care of anyone but myself and I know this logically, but tell that to my heart and emotions 'cause I don't think they are listening.

I truly want to understand where people are coming from, what makes them the way they are, and really have a genuine relationship with them and sometimes that just causes me to be so wrapped up in a situation that I have no perspective...dang there's that word again, thanks LL, you can come up with a new word for me now, like, seriously! I am struggling this week, well have been for a little while, about balance and maintaining what I need to and moving on from what I don't and paying attention to the Lord's prompting in these areas so that I actually know the difference.

I'm trying to understand where I am at, right now, at this point in my life.  I am sure as a young child, even as an young adult, I envisioned things so much differently for myself.  I never had the dream to be married, divorced and not having had the chance to become a mom at age 37, but that is the path my life has taken and I'm still wandering around along the way trying to figure out what God's plan for me is.  I don't think it's too late for me to make a difference in this life and I sincerely hope that I have someone to share that with.  And maybe I've put too much focus on that aspect of it.  Or maybe not.  Or maybe I've just made some bad choices and now I need to make some good ones.  Who knows.  But I know what I feel like is on my heart and I am going to try to follow God's will for my life...if only I could find the focus to sit still long enough to listen, but that's a whole other post!

Bottom line is this.  I am so very blessed to have the opportunities that I do in my life.  Seriously.  And I don't want to lose sight of that along the way.  So I'm going to keep moving forward, do my best to keep my eye on the plan that's His and not mine.  And I can only do that with prayer.  So that's the plan.

Blessings,
S

Food, Fun, Friends and Feelings

This post has some MORE of the food I've been able to enjoy this week...I'm seriously getting spoiled and not losing ANY weight while taking in some of these meals, but oh my goodness am I having fun...The first three pictures are from Macaroni Grill where I enjoyed a chicken and pasta dish (the 3rd pic if you're wondering) and catching up with a very dear friend of mine who I truly wish I got to see more often!  The last 7 pictures are from a local restaurant and one from one of my favorite chocolate shops...also very yummy!  I've been having so much fun the past few weeks expanding my taste buds and doing some new things with some new friends and even some I've know for many, many years!  I feel so blessed and just want to stay focused, with perspective as stated in my previous post - I need the reminder! and to remember that balance is my friend and all things have their own time in my life and I need to recognize when the time for some things is over and the path is wide open for new experiences and chapters in my life that can only take place when I let go and let God handle them!  How's that for a run-on sentence!?! Enjoy the pictures...interested in enjoying these meals yourself? Check out my yelp box on the sidebar...my review and the restaurant information is readily availble if you click the twitter box for my latest reviews!  Go on...enjoy yourself!

Tomato Bruchetta

Pollo Limone Rustica



Chicken marsala



Dark chocolate and key lime truffles from the Chocolatier



Fried Green Tomatoes with Cajun Crawfish Cream Sauce

Tomato Basil Soup



Filet Mignon at Union Street Bistro



Chicken in parmesan batter cooked with olive oil and white wine on fettucine alfredo

Mango Cheesecake at Union Street Bistro



Chocolate Cake again from Union Street Bistro

Perspective

Definition of perspective via google search:

a) A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view


b) True understanding of the relative importance of things; a sense of proportion

So my friend Lennie has been drilling into my head um, I mean, lovingly encouraging me to find perspective about some things in my life right now, and I know she really has my best interest at heart, I'm sure of it...I just don't have very good boundaries with my perspective, I'm afraid.  Meaning, I have perspective, I think, about things, but it is fleeting and flexible and not really doing me much good if I'm not really understanding the balance of things.

Multitasking is a required part of my life, for sure, with my job, my church involvement and my personal life! However, I really stink at it sometimes and I'm not afraid to say that I lose perspective of things when I get all gung-ho about something or a particular situation in my life.  I seem to lose interest, or am just too exhausted to keep up with all the day to day things and them I'm overwhelmed and then it's a big ol' cycle, etc etc...That's kinda where I am at right now.  I really have enjoyed all the fun things I've gotten to do over the last month or so, but I find myself falling further and further behind on cleaning, laundry, yard work and paperwork and there's gotta be some balance.  And there's my struggle...maintaining the balance and still feeling like I'm giving 100% to everyone or everything going on.

This week started out kinda weird, but has increasingly gotten better, and since it's been so busy I haven't had much time to even think much less make a dent in the 'I'm behind on this' list...but once our Easter drama is over this weekend, I'll be able to breathe a little bit better and be able to work back towards some kind of schedule.

I am SO blessed to have this problem...not of perspective, but of having SO many opportunities in my life to learn, grow, change and spread my wings.  I pray that I can keep my eyes ultimately focused on Him and keep that in perspective for sure!  I am thankful that my friend loves me enough to encourage me to seek perspective and I am praying that I can do just that.  I just may have to be reminded!

Blessings to all of you who stumble upon this post!
S

Randomness

There will be no 'topic' for this post because it's pure randomness, really...it is...and I'm just going to list the randomness as follows...for the sake of getting it out and then moving on.

1. This week is super crazy busy and I don't have even one night at home
2. I have already had Vietnamese food, listened to jazz music and watched 'Key Largo' at the museum and that was just two evenings worth of fun
3. Tonight I am eating dinner with someone I haven't seen in a while and I'm super excited
4. This weekend is our Easter drama at church and we have like a bazillion practices between now and Sunday...okay not that many, but it sure feels like it
5. I am super pumped about my haircut on Saturday because a) my hair definitely needs to be cut and b) it's time for some spring highlights to lighten things up around here and cover up some grey natural highlights. :)
6. I am suprisingly at peace about a situation that has been stressing me out lately - and that's got to be God's doing!
7. I am SO ready to go to the campground for Easter weekend...like REALLY ready!
8. I have been really focused on taking some pictures lately of food, fun and just random things and I am so thankful for the renewed feelings of my love for all things photography!
9. I have tried some really great food in the last month or so and I'm so looking forward to continuing the trend and sharing some of my new favs with some friends soon!
10. I am really loving Yelp! and I got chosen as a top yelper (in case you didn't read the previous post...check it out here
11. I have the bestest friend in the world...seriously! and you can't have her!  She puts up with my babbling on and on and on (well, you get the idea) and I can't even imagine one day without her!
12. Naptime today was a big ol' fat mess with two crying kids, one non napping toddler and frazzled tired nerves...whew!
13. My favorite moment of the day....while riding home from mother's morning out today, Haila, one of my daycare kids, had to ride in the front seat with me since I had so many kids today (airbag turned off - don't worry) anyway...here's the conversation between me and Haila (4 yrs old) Me: Haila, put your feet down in front of you - if we have a crash you are going to fly right out of that booster seat  Haila: (without missing a beat) Nannie, I have an idea...how about let 's not have a crash............yep I think that might be a good idea...thanks for suggesting it :)
14. I don't have a #14, but I didn't want to stop with 13, so there ya go...blessings, S

Check this out!

So I've mentioned that one of my newest obsessions is Yelp!, right? Well, I got chosen as a Top Yelper for the week...how cool is that?  I have NO clue what the criteria is to be chosen, and don't really care all that much, but I still think it's pretty cool...check it out here...scroll down about mid way and see the section on top yelpers!  If you haven't joined the Yelp! party, you really should...look me up and we'll be Yelp friends too!  I'm really having a LOT of fun on this site!