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My Valentine

0 · Feb 13, 2014 ·

Since it’s the week of love, I thought I’d share a little about my Valentine. I’ve been trying all week to write a little about our love story… but it seems pretty lame. I haven’t been able to come up with a post that describes us – everything that I’ve started sounds cheesy, or insincere and just isn’t us. That “ah-hah” moment never happened for me, when I KNEW Josh was the one I was going to marry. There was nothing special or memorable about our meet cute. It wasn’t love at first sight, and I actually don’t even remember the specific day that we met.

I’m such a sucker for a good, sappy love story so I always thought I would be a part of one. That’s not how life turned out. Sometimes ordinary is okay. It’s the little things that mean the most. We can just be us, just be together and know that we found the person that we’ll spend the next 60+ Valentine’s Days with.

So this guy has been my Valentine for 7 years now, which seems pretty crazy looking back. This picture is a little throw back to winter 2010 (taken by Unikke Photography), and was the closest thing we had to engagement photos. And by the way, I highly recommend having engagement pictures taken, that moment in your life is gone in a blink – capture it!

P.S. – I just did the math, I’m not sure I want to spend 60+ Valentine’s Days together, that would make us really really old!

Pep Talks: Hovering over the “Send” Button

0 · Jan 23, 2014 ·

I have chatted about fear before. But that doesn’t mean I have overcome all of mine. So here we are again… I’m thinking about the risks we take every day. They may be large or small, but they still exist. Every time you leave the safety of your own house there’s a chance that something good or bad could happen to you. There’s a chance something could happen if you stay at home too. But most of us don’t stay cooped up, afraid to exit our front doors because we could get hit by a bus or attacked by a swarm of angry bees. We can’t think about all the bad things that could possibly happen to us.

Remember when the weather was warm and we could eat outside? {Sigh} Photo by Bradley James Photography

Earlier this month I had the amazing opportunity to see the Zac Brown Band in concert. Awesome. I highly recommend. As I was standing there watching them perform, a line to one of their songs really hit me, “You may fall down on your face, roll the dice and have some faith”. I have heard the song a hundred times. But for some reason it really resided with me that night. I made a silent vow to myself; I was going to take more risks.

So here I am, twenty days later dreaming about an idea, reaching out to others in the industry and afraid to hit the “send” button. What if they think it’s dumb? Why are we so scared to taking chances? I hate that I care so much what others think!

But I do. Even though I try to tell myself that I don’t, that I need to make myself happy and do what’s best for my family. “Roll the dice and have some faith.” Faith. Faith. Faith. That’s what I need. You don’t know if you don’t ask, right?

What are you scared to fight for? Is it worth the risk?

Fear

0 · Aug 6, 2013 ·

I let fear hold me back. That’s an honest and open, bold and truthful statement. I get scared and am unsure of what my next step in life should be.

Two years ago (summer 2011), I received a promotion to Dining Room Manager at the restaurant where I was currently employed. It was a decent job with good pay, the hours were not exactly what I’d like in a perfect world, but I could go shopping, we could continue remodeling our house and life was pretty comfortable. I continued to work here and there on weddings, although there just wasn’t too much time for that.

It was not where I was supposed to be and I knew it, but I continued on with my comfortable life. That fall my grandma, who I was VERY close to was diagnosed with cancer and she began failing fast. As the holidays approached work got busier, life got busier and the question arose as to whether or not Grandma would make it to Christmas.

During one of the most joyous times of the year my heart was so heavy. I remember being bitter towards all the people celebrating with their loved ones as I served food, greeted guests and tried to stay somewhat upbeat. I have over 10 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, so customer service has become second nature to me. But not during this time. All I wanted to do was scream “My Grandma is dying, and you’re upset that your steak is slightly overcooked!!”

A time like this really has a way of putting things into perspective. We find meaning in life’s dark times and are able to focus on what’s really important. For me, that was family. I felt like I needed to be with them and I needed to make a difference and give my life more purpose than just overseeing a dining room of overindulgent seafood lovers.

Three days before Christmas I approached my boss and told him I would not be into work for the next few days. I had to go see Grandma and focus on what mattered most.

We had the best Christmas EVER. I cannot even begin to describe it more than that… it was just an amazing time being surrounded with family and love. Period.

January 9, 2012 Jesus called Grandma home. On one extremely snowy and blusterous day we all gathered around to celebrate her life. She was an absolutely amazing God filled woman who I was so proud to also call my friend. She always pushed me to do my best and was filled with simple words of wisdom and comfort.

More than ever, I knew it was time to leave my restaurant home of six years. It was time for something new, but what? I accepted a new position as an event coordinator at a private club in downtown Grand Rapids, leaving my old job on a whim. I was there for a few months but nudge, nudge…

So why is this post titled “Fear”? This is just the beginning, the story doesn’t end here, part 2 will soon follow.

Reality Check

0 · Apr 15, 2013 ·

I had a bad day today. Baby girl was being super fussy, I was late for a meeting with a client (which I hate, hate, hate!) and I was trying to get some work done and figure out what to blog. On top of it all, I was working on finances, which is stressful in both my personal and business life. I’m trying to build a business based on love, commitment and happily ever after – not an easy task when you’re having a “bad” day.

And then I was faced with a huge reality check. The news is blasting stories about the tragedy in Boston. Life is suddenly put back into perspective. I am having a bad day? I don’t think so! I cannot imagine living through an event such as the disaster at the Boston Marathon. What evil has overcome the world?

There are people every day that live in constant fear and uncertainty. Victims of hurricane Sandy are still homeless, parents in Newton are still childless and those in Boston are being warned to stay away from crowds and stay indoors because who knows what will happen next. In a flash, life was changed forever.

Meanwhile, I am nice and warm on my sofa staring at flowers and home décor ideas, wishing my Pottery Barn pillows were a different color. What a spoiled little American I am!

While we cannot live our lives in constant fear, we also need to realize that any moment could be our last. Snuggle with your children, your husband/significant other and don’t push those relationships away. Don’t put things off until tomorrow. Call your mom. Have the lonely neighbor over for coffee. Tell your sister that you love her. Nurture broken relationships. Find balance in your work and personal lives. Sign off from social media and have a real conversation with someone. Do not take tomorrow for granted and make every moment count.

This pep talk is designed to be motivation for myself, just as much as anyone else. Yes, I am guilty of not taking my own advice. But stop and think, what are the moments in life that I am missing?

Just a few Instagram moments that I am glad I did not miss this month… I have the best family! What moments are you thankful for???

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