Book Challenge

 

One thing I regretfully didn’t have much time to do last year was read. I love to read, but life seemed to get too busy to have the energy to read anything other than reports and emails. I’ve challenged myself to read at least one book for each of the 12 months of the year. Four of these books are for Soleil to read to Xavier before bedtime. Soleil is developing a true love for reading, and my hope is that she will influence her brother to do so also. Here are the books on my list to read this year. There is a wide variety of spiritual, inspirational, educational, informative, business, and imaginative. They are in no particular order, but since I’ve already started Unglued, I think I will finish that for the month of January.

 

 

12 BOOKS FOR 12 MONTHS (in no particular order)

1.Simply Christianity by N. T. Wright

2.Seven: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess" by Jen Hatmaker

3.Unglued by Lisa Terkeurst

4. Sacrilege by Hugh Halter

5. Great by Choice by Jim Collins

6. The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davis

7. The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan

8. The Shack by W.M Paul Young

9. Lucky Stars by Phoebe Bright (for Soleil and Xavier)

10. Junie B., First Grader Dumb Bunny by Barbara Park (for Soleil and Xavier)

11.Escape from the Forbidden Planet by Julie Anne Grasso (for Soleil and Xavier)

12. Holes by Louis Sachar (for Soleil and Xavier)

2012!

It has been an amazing year! I've felt the presence of God like never before this year, and although I've still got a ways to go, I know that I am closer and more secure in my relationship with Him. I've learned to not be anyone else's expectations of me, but to be the best me that I can be. I've learned to be okay with the mistakes of my past, and not let them hold me back from God's plans for me. I've definitely struggled with letting go this year, but I'm at so much peace with my life right now. Every day brings a new chance to be a better me, serve my God, and move on to be incredible the way He intended for me to be. What an amazing feeling!  My past will refine me and not define me. I'm so excited for the the new, beautiful, fun adventures that 2012 has brought to my family and me. I'm beyond grateful. I'm even more excited for what 2013 has in store for us. I read something that really inspired me today, and I wanted to share it before I put my top moments of 2012.

"We instantly embrace wins. But what happens when a dream fails to reach sunlight? It bends or breaks transforming both the dream and the dreamer. Some settle, accepting forgotten ambitions. Others become trapped, preoccupied with regret, rendering yesterday's inspirations as today's sorrow. Are you who you want to be?"

I love this quote. It really encourages me to, while still praising the victories in life, not let the failures become my regrets, but motivators to keep pushing for what I believe in.

2012

• Fell head over heels in love with my hubby again:) I didn't think it was possible to love him more, but we managed to find more love, fun, and a better partnership between us. We forced ourselves to set up more lunch dates and date nights. Marriage is something that should constantly be worked on.

“A successful marriage is an edifice that must be rebuilt every day.”
Andre Maurois

Marrying for love may be a bit risky, but it is so honest that God can't help but smile on it.
Josh Billings
  

• Watch this insane athlete of a daughter of mine grow into a big girl. Where did the time go? When did she start having grown up conversations? When did she learn to start journeying her life in a diary? How in the world does she master and blow every sport she tries out of the water? Oh, the joys and pain of watch your baby grow into her own. She becomes more beautiful everyday. 

• Watched my 4 YEAR OLD become the biggest computer and gaming nerd I never imagined anyone his age could become. I think about the things we played with at his age, and I’m blown away with the way this kid can navigate through a computer, gaming system, and Ipad.

  

• Took a leap of faith and got a retail location for our learning center. It was definitely a God thing. I am thanking God for a wonderful year, and claiming another in advance. It has blessed me in so many unexpected ways. There are so many changes coming, and I can barely contain my excitement!

 

• FOUND ADULT ONESIE PAJAMAS!!!  Yes, it is that serious. My husband and I were jumping for joy.We are silly like that.

 

• Took my daughter to her first ballet to see the Nutcracker.

• My ten year Delta reunion

 

• Seeing my Big Papa for Thanksgiving.

• Taught my first women’s retreat lesson. It was so much fun.

• Experienced the most snow ever in Texas (or maybe just my lifetime).  Christmas 2012 in Dallas! We were sinking in it!!

• Started a garden!! We produced more okra than anything else. This year we tackled okra, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, basil, green onions, garlic, green beans, sweet peas, beets, spinach, chocolate mint, and carrots. Not all were successful, but most of them were. Not bad for our first year gardening. 

• Found two tumors in my body, one which was removed. They were not a threat, but it was the eye opener that set me on a path to ALWAYS strive to be the healthiest April I can be. This year I STRIVED to eat healthier, and in the words of Forest Gump, “I just started runnin.” It is always at the forefront of my mind. I’m more aware of the things I put into my body, and when I get off track I’m very motivated to get back on.

• Watched more TV shows than ever before. LOL. My husband and I made a routine of ending every day with a show or two. Here are just a few of our favorites.

 A little comedy and mystery solving

  A little syfy, action, and extraterrestrial

A little SCANDALous action and plotting!

  Just pure grossness. My husband drug me into this one. It is quite gross, and yet I can’t turn away.

More syfy with a little fairy tale. This show really grew on us. I love how they tied all of the fairy tales together to make one big story.

   And of course comedy!!

• I’ve learned to love and serve others on another level.

 

• Celebrated entering my 30’s in Vegas!

• Grew closer to a dear friend. I've known this friend for a while now, but I usually enter my friendships with a big wall these days. This particular friend completely loved me in my good, bad, ups, downs, encouraged me spiritually, mentally, and physically. I've grown to love her dearly and despite my wall, she touched my heart (and drop kicked my wall down. LOL). Having her around lets me know what TRUE friendship looks like, and makes me value, appreciate, nurture all my valued friendships (old and new) even more. Oh, how I love my friends.

Yes, it has definitely been a good (no great), busy year!!

Sisterhood Weekend- DST

This weekend I celebrated my 10 year reunion with my line sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. That’s right! Ten years!! Boy how time flies!! I’d been looking forward to this weekend for months! I have a busy life. I’m a “not so stay at home mom”, what I call a fully part-time business owner (my business is only open for part of the workday, but I’m working ALL day), wife, and help often with city events and fundraising efforts. Together my family and I participate in martial arts, help with church activities, partially host Bible study, and the list goes on. It is such a fun and exciting life that is full of love, fun, laughter, challenges, and busyness! I love my life, but this weekend presented a chance to get away (only for a weekend). Yes ma’am. I will take it. So James (my nickname for my line sister and close friend, Jaime) and I packed our bags and headed straight to Dallas for the weekend anticipating lots of laughter, fun, sisterhood, and catching ups. I hadn’t seen some of my line sisters since we graduated from the University of North Texas. Even though Facebook has created a world of being able to keep up with everyone, I looked forward to seeing them behind the “Facebook curtain” (bragbook is my nickname for Facebook). You only get to see the surface of what’s going on in everyone’s lives.

It was great to catch up with everyone. It was so nice to see how mature everyone’s lives have become. We were now mothers, wives, business owners, hard workers, actresses, etc… It was great to hear the success stories, and very heart felt to hear the struggles and life challenges. We were now spread far and wide across the US. Dallas, Houston, Austin, and Los Angeles, California. These were the women I started my journey to womanhood with. We experienced long meetings, crazy parties, careless relationships, our first taste of independence, road trips, and just a little too much fun together. We once cried tears together, fought about silly stuff, and had our first experiences with learning how to run a business. My times with these ladies were, and still are, absolutely priceless. There is a special place in my heart for each one of them. I was so grateful for the opportunity for every single 21 of us to be together again. And yes, we are still the best looking line to come through the Zeta Eta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta at UNT (a little something we always say about our line).

Because of this sorority, I have lifelong friendships. Some of these women are my closest friends that I’ve been through everything with. Relationships, marriage, children, and life altering moves. It’s such a blessing to still have the women in my life that I’ve shared all of these experiences with. This sorority has given me so much, and though not fully appreciated before, as I grow older and more mature, I appreciate all that being a part of this sorority has contributed to my life.

 

Thank you to Jason Blackwell for taking the priceless photos. You can book sessions with him at http://www.jblackproductions.com/

Round Rock Chalk Walk 2012

Every year Round Rock hosts its annual Chalk Walk. Artists from Austin and its surrounding cities gather on Main St. in downtown Round Rock to impressively chalk up the streets while observers walk from artist to artist in admiration. I’ve participated in this event two of the three years . It is an event that I look forward to every year. I run a business, a family, assist with church activities, and choose to actively stay involved in community events that require much of my attention (as part of my mission). Needless to say that I stay very busy, and because of this I have chosen to express my art sparingly. I only do it as a hobby or gifts. I've found that this keeps it fun for me. It helps me to appreciate my gift without the added pressure of business dealings and deadlines. That decision was quite a struggle for me. I felt that by labeling my art as a hobby and not a business, I wasn't using my God given talent. God has shown me a lot these past couple of years, including what to do with my art. I concluded that God has blessed me with this talent so that I may bless others. This is a conclusion that has brought much mental peace. Of course, my friends insist on tipping me, and that is a blessing I will accept:) Here are a few snippets from the chalk walk this weekend.

Little Ms. Allison helped me on the first day. The best part of participating this year was allowing all my dear friends that wanted to help me create my chalk art. The kids LOVED it, and it was such a joy to see how happy helping me made them.

  My dear friend Erika and her son YoSeb. I am so thankful for her. She has a heart of gold.

 

 Little Ms. Kylie has been waiting on this event for at least a month now. She is a talented aspiring artist. I love watching her grow with love for art in her heart. 

My dear friend, "Mama" Barb. This sweetie was the first one to show up Saturday morning, grabbed hot tea and hot chocolate for my helper and me, took me to H.E.B. to get medicine for my increasing allergies, and was the last person to walk the streets with me to observe the art. I just love her. She is called Mama Barb for a reason. She takes care of her people. Thank you for being such a blessing.

My baby girl, of course, insisted on helping. She wants to be an "artist" like her mama.

 

 

This is one of my favorites from some of the student artists at McNeil High School.

  My dear friend, Rhea Brown, is insane with how she uses color in her abstract portraiture. She is amazing!! I love having her around to inspire me to play outside of my realm of using color in an untraditional and creative way.

  John Howell, owner of the Cordovan Art School in Round Rock, is one of the most phenomenal artists I've ever met. He has a way with making his art come to life, and I’m in complete awe of him every time I watch him paint, draw, chalk anything up. When I last passed his work at the chalk walk, his highest bid was $500!

It was such a great event. It is definitely worth attending next year if you missed it this year. They are not pictured, but there were also lots of vendors, bands, and performers.