Under the Boardwalk..

I found lots of unedited, unposted photos from last January/February and I am having fun with them.

These were taken on the last day of our Walt Disney World vacation last year, while touring around the Disney's Boardwalk.

Ahh. It makes me so excited that we are going back to a Disney park in less than a month, this time, back to Disneyland Paris we go!

xoxo

California Dreamin'..

Last year at this time, J & I were enjoying beautiful California.

I love the water! 

I have never lived close to the ocean, but I grew up near lakes in East Texas.

Stay tuned for a little trip to the water J and I are planning.

xoxo

Dad..

Last night, I went to bed missing my Daddy and this morning, I woke up feeling the same dull pain that I have learned to live with.

On a beautiful, hot (it was Texas) August day, he went out riding his new motorcycle and he didn't come back in the way we expected. The next time I saw my Daddy he was no longer in this world. It's hard to put in to words how missing someone feels. Really, there are no words to express the pain. For months, I woke up screaming or crying or gasping for air. My body's way of dealing with the pain, I guess. And, my mind's way of holding on to the last piece of sane I still had. I never thought I would make it through, honestly. It was hard to see myself out of that despair. My family all handled it in their own ways. We cried together, A LOT. Lots of late night phone calls, trying to help each other by talking about the wonderful times we shared as a family. Or, time spent with close family friends. Or, the fact that my Dad videotaped the day Jason proposed to me. I guess if he couldn't walk me down the aisle, at least I know how excited he was that day. 

I know I was so blessed to have called that man my Dad. Lots of people weren't blessed with great parents like my siblings and I. Conversations I heard between them that I couldn't understand at the time, I do now. I know how much they sacrificed so that we could have things that we needed and lots of time, things we just wanted. Or vacations we took, that honestly they were hard pressed to afford. Those are some of the most wonderful memories that my family likes to reminisce on now. I am so thankful that my parents knew how important those things would be one day. I hope he knew how much I appreciated everything he did for me. I hope he knew that even when we got upset with each other, how much I loved him. I still do. I will never stop loving or missing my Dad. How could I? I knew him my whole life, until he was gone. 

Of course, my Dad was not perfect. I know he messed up. A lot. We all do. But, he also did a lot right. He raised 3 kids who are respectful of others, who love deeply, and have learned to be strong and make it through, because he lived life as though it was wonderful, even when it wasn't. I strive to be better, because that is what he always did. He stayed angry for a short time, then he was grinning and joking with the same person who had hurt/angered/ or frustrated him. He knew life was short. He knew there was not time to hold on to silly grudges that only make you bitter inside.

Sometimes I get upset or angry at people who really don't know loss. They whine and complain about superficial problems and think their lives are so 'terrible.' I guess I have little patience for people like that. I am trying to be more understanding. But, here's the thing, if my family and other families I know who have experienced the magnitude of serious loss, really know what losing is, and can be happy and try to look at things with such a wonderful and positive outlook, remembering how short is; I have little patience for people who have experienced nothing near that and can't get it together and realize how blessed they truly are.

I am not perfect. I know that. At the end of my life, I don't want people to be able to say I took for granted a second. And, I don't want to feel like I took it for granted. I want to look back and be proud of who I was, who I became, how I loved, how I lived. 

I sure hope one day, if everything I've always believed is true, I will see him again. I can only imagine the happy tears. And, the embrace of a man who helped, along with my Mom, mold me into the person I am. And, a lifetime spent with him, that this time, will never end.

Chocolate Chip Blondies.

I tried this recipe today.

They definitely don't taste like traditional blondies, but you can't beat how good for you they are! :) I actually substituted almond extract because I am apparently out of vanilla extract. Oops. I liked the almond taste, though. I also omitted the flax, because I don't have any of that either. 

If you try them, enjoy!

Lower Calorie Shake Recipe.

In an effort to cut back on so much white sugar and sugar in general, I have been being a bit more conscious of what I am putting into my body and how it is helping or hurting me. Don't get me wrong, this girl loves her sweets, so I'm not giving them up, rather I'm trying to find healthier and more beneficial alternatives.

So, tonight, I tried a 'shake' recipe from here and adapted it.

The base shake recipe:

1/2 cup cottage cheese

5-10 ice cubes

1/2-1 cup of water

2 Tbsp honey

(I used honey as the sweetener, because in my opinion, it is more beneficial than low-cal sweeteners and I did not use protein powder, because I don't have any, YET. :)) I also used 6 cubes and 1/2 of water which made for a thicker shake.

And, my add-ins:

2 Tbsp oats

2 tsp semi-sweet chocolate chips

dash cinnamon

If you want a thicker shake-style, use more ice cubes and less water. :)

I only added 1 tablespoon of honey to start and then tasted and it wasn't sweet enough for me, but next time I might try 1.5 tablespoons instead, to see if that sweetness would work. But, the 2 tablespoons were definitely sweet enough for my taste. 

Also, honey has many health benefits, so even if I had a few more calories than the no-cal sweeteners, I am okay with that, because I am getting honey's goodness. :)


I really liked it! Jason said it wasn't his cup of tea, though. My shake reminded me of my favorite, Doubletree chocolate chip cookies!!

Judging..

via 

Y'all. This is so true.

When I pinned this last night, it was like a light bulb went off. Not that I haven't felt this way for a while, but I woke up thinking about it. I guess I just need to get some of my thoughts out.

The thing about judging people is that it is so very unnecessary and so pointless. Think about it. What purpose does judging EVER serve?

Now, I am the first one to admit that I have definitely judged others, and guess what, I'm not proud of it and it didn't make me feel any better about myself. If anything, it made me feel small. Real small. 

Here's the thing..not one person on this Earth is perfect. Not ONE. So, who am I or you, to judge someone else based on their looks, attitude, personality, who they love, who they are friends with, what color they are, where they are from, what clothes they are wearing, etc? 

I used to be a judger. Yep. A real big one. But, y'all, I was insecure. I was hurt. And, I thought that focusing on others flaws would make me feel better about my own. Guess where that got me? Not very far. I am sure, however, that it cost me knowing some people that I bet were really great.

Knowing how insecure I was also helps me to understand a little better why other people treat people the way that they do. In judging others, you are showing people how insecure and unhappy you are, it's not saying anything at all about them. And, that bitterness you're carrying around, it's not hurting anyone else, just you. Thinking that people don't know when you are pitting them against one another, yeah, surely people have caught on to that too. Insecurity does some nasty things, if you let it.

Here's what I have realized..

I have loved immensely.

I have lost tremendously.

I have laughed hard. 

I have cried harder.

I have been free.

I have been broken.

And, you know what? So has everyone else. No one has lived a life without sadness, without pain. That brokenness does NOT give me a right or a 'pass' to treat people as if I am better than they are. And, it doesn't give you one either.

I read this quote in a book while in high school, and anytime I don't understand why people act the way they do, this reminds me to try to be patient and understanding. It is amazing how something I read one time has stuck with me..I think it's because looking at the things that have shaped and molded my life, good and bad, I realize this to be true. So, next time you want to judge someone, or treat them as if they are beneath you, or just be hateful or spiteful, remember, you have no right. And, loving people feels so much better. :)

If we could read the secret history of our enemies we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

xoxo,

Heather

METZ, France.

On Saturday, J and I decided to take a little day trip to Metz, France. We decided to check out Metz' flea market that is hosted every first Saturday of the month. I am definitely always up for some flea marketing. :) 

We hopped into our trusty little car and away to Metz we went. We got there about 2 hours from the scheduled time for the market to close, however, apparently the French had somewhere to go, because as soon as 11 AM hit, they were packing up, though they were slotted until 12. Nevertheless, J and I found a couple of fun things. We got an umbrella holder in the shape of..wait for it..an umbrella. Love it! I got a wrap around sterling silver tiger ring with little bits of turquoise for eyes. Despite the stereotype of being rude, J and I have enjoyed most all of our interactions with the French people. And, we love France!

We also drove into the center of the city and were able to see their beautiful cathedral, as you saw from the previous post. We also meandered through the little Saturday fresh market.

For lunch, J was set on this place called Bouguignon. I was starting to get a bit hungry at this point, so we almost gave up the search, but as it always seems to go here, we stumble upon the right place at the right time. 

It seems my sweet husband picked this place because of my sweet tooth and love of French pastries, namely the French macaron.

As soon as I saw this window display, I was most definitely on board!

For lunch, we shared a tart Lorraine and a Croque-monsieur (a hot ham and cheese grilled sandwich). For dessert, we shared a Mont Blanc. A Mont Blanc is a French dessert made with pureed chestnuts atop meringue and finished with a thick, whipped cream. And, mirabelle macarons to go. :)

Tart Lorraine.

Mont Blanc.

Bourguignon.

Macarons!

Pastries at Bouguignon.

Mirabelle candies. The Mirabelle is a type of plum found in the Lorraine region of France.

The cathedral.

The Saint Étienne de Metz.

J & I had were able to see this beautiful cathedral in Metz, France this weekend. Admittedly, sometimes I grow a little tired of all the cathedrals, UNTIL I see another one and then am in awe all over again.

The cathedral in Metz is one of my favorites that we have seen. The stained glass was stunning and there was so much of it! My favorites were the ones created by Jacques Villon in 1957. 

The cathedral is sometimes called  la lanterne du Bon Dieu, or the Good Lord's lantern, because it possesses the largest expanses of stained glass in the world.

The cathedral also has the 10th highest nave in the world.

The windows by Jacques Villon.

The windows by Jacques Villon.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! New posts soon, I promise.

I hope you all have a blessed 2012. 

xoxo,

Heather