The weekend that my poor hubby's heart is just sad....

I finally had a little bit of a relaxed weekend... but it was just a strange one.  A somber weekend.
Somber cancels out any enjoyment of a relaxed weekend.

This past week, Ricky lost his best buddy.  The guy that became his friend when they were just 6 years old.  So for 50 years, as Ricky said, he's spoken with this guy, spent time with this guy, stayed in touch & contact through all the years... for 50 years.  Ernie.

& this past June, Ernie was diagnosed out of the blue with Pulmonary Fibrosis.  We googled it when we heard the diagnosis & we were terrified for Ernie.  But the fight was on for a lung transplant.... that never was able to happen.

To say that how fast this all moved is shocking is an understatement.

& its just left my poor Ricky heart broken... as you can imagine.
It's like he said, "How do I do life without talking to my friend?"....
50 years together... its so crazy to think...

So if you dont mind, lift a comforting prayer for Ricky & of course, all of Ernie's family.  He has 10 children & 2 sister & 4 brothers.... I cant imagine what they are all going through.

(Ricky & Ernie skating together)

The funeral will be Saturday.... so hard days still lay ahead.

In light of all that, I'm just going to do a random weekend update... everything is scattered in my brain anyways lately.  So here we go.....

* I swear,  I can never get out of the grocery under $120. Ever.

* Ricky had to work on Saturday, which I was hoping meant I could sleep in.... & was up at 6:00am with him while he was getting ready & couldnt get back to sleep.  What to do? Cue the Stranger Thing 2 marathon.

* I honestly think Stranger Things 2 is way better than the first season!

* When I finally crawled out of bed after the Stranger Things 2 marathon, I started my day with knitting & coffee enjoying the warmer air. It was a much needed break to just slow down for an hour.

* Is it me or does pizza just taste better on the weekend?

* I had to take advantage of the warmer weather & get in a walk.  The scenery was PERFECTION.

* So I have ran 9 half marathons & I've let myself go so bad that walking 3 miles, I thought I was going to die.  No joke, I was so sore.  I think that's the saddest thing I can say about my body right now.

* When someone talks about seeing your wedding pictures from our anniversary post, & they go on & on... & on... & ONNNNNN & ONNNNNNNNNN & ON about how young you looked - OK - I get it, I look a lot older now. Geez.  & OUCH.

* I hate the time change. HATE IT. WORST TIME OF YEAR.  Dark at 5:30?  Just punch me in the face every day until February or March please.

* Harvey Dent caught another mole.  He's on a roll.  & once again, my sweet husband to make me happy, drove it down the road to release it. It was a FATTTTT sucker.  Harvey hunted for it for an hour after Ricky took it down the road. He just wanted his friend back.  (He really does just play with them & is gentle with them.... so cute)

Look how fat that thing is!!!!

* We love McAllisters for lunch but we gotta learn not to go there after church. I think our huge church ALL goes there after service. You have to wait for a table & then it took 25 minutes to get our order of a potato & half sandwich. & then they messed it up. UGH.  I was so hungry (Thanks time change) that I didnt even care.

* Target has a Christmas ornament that I feel like I just need in general. Ricky even said, "You can hang it off your rear view mirror"... I like this thinking.

* With the loss of Ernie & all the reminders how short life can be, I didnt find it one bit shocking when the message at church was about how our life is a mist & we need to invest in the eternal.  I just shook my head at God - love those perfect messages at the perfect time.

* Poor Harvey could tell his daddy was sad.... & just wanted to love on him all weekend. #peencha

I know this is blurry, but look how he's looking at Ricky... oh my heart.

So how was your weekend?

Did you get one last dose of warm air?

How are you handling the Daylight Savings change?

Friday Favorites

Favorite Food Idea

Some new toast ideas... I'm all about a good toast!

Favorite Beauty & the Beast




Favorite Motivation




Favorite Fashion



Isnt this jacket so pretty?
I love the color of it



Favorite Dog Bed



If Bruno could see, he'd love this.
He always loved getting in 'hiding' places
But its just cute, isn't it?



Favorite Knitting Item


WHAAATTTTT?!?!?!?!!??!?!
This is perfection!

Favorite Peencha

Favorite Funnies

... every time I see Harvey Dent come in from outside when its raining & he gives no cares about running in the mud

... when I get home from a day out with friends & see my hair & makeup is a hot mess




... me when I start looking at the Open Enrollment Health plans that are offered for 2018

... me at 4:00pm

Happy Weekend Y'all!!!

Early morning dates, 40 days later & GOTCHA!!! {Thankful Thursday #148}

Sorry - this one is a little longer since I missed last week!!!

& I did take a lot out too - so you're welcome ;)

This week I am Thankful For:

{Numbers go with my One Thousand Gifts Journal - just ignore}

696 / Vet visit
So I COULD be really aggravated at this.... everything the vet told me last time about Bruno & his skin & the yeast infection.... all of it, she changed & said none of that was correct.  All that home cooking of beef & chicken for Bruno? Apparently that was the bad thing to do because what he has is apparently NOT yeast, but a bacterial infection. I was FURIOUS. FUUUURRRIOUUUSSSS.  But I'm going to focus on the good & be grateful that they have an antibiotic that has seemed to help his skin... for now. It's always something with my poor little man.

697 / Harvey's Gotcha Day
Four years... I cant believe we've only had him for 4 years - it feels like he's always been with us. Love our little villian.





702 / Baby is 29
STOOPPPPPP - Our youngest turned 29 Oct 21. I just can't y'all... I really just can't.  We got to talk to her on the phone with her being states away on her big day. It was so nice talking to her.  Cant wait to see her at Christmas.

703 / Sitting outside reading
Yep... this makes the list all year long - but something about sitting outside in fresh, crisp, fall air - on a Friday!!! It's top notch.

705 / Perfect Fall photo session weather.
I did my last photo session & knew it was perfection when I saw 7 - SEVEN!!!!! - other photographers in the same location doing pictures. We were all going for the perfect shot on a perfect day before the trees shed their leaves & the temps dropped.

707 / Meeting Sr. High Girls for coffee.
First, more than anything, I loved these girls called me & asked if I wanted to meet with them to chat about life & love & all the good stuff.... & the cherry on top of the cake? They introduced me to their cool, hip coffee shop I've never been too before.  I tried something new since it was a new place - a White Mocha - OH MY GOODNESS!!!! I'll be back... hopefully to chat with the girls again too!



710 / MSM Meeting
So it worked out perfectly that I was on vacation when the Middle School Pastor asked if I could make it to a meeting where they discuss ideas & sermons & thoughts on the upcoming semester for the MSM & HSM teams. Being on vacation, I was able to take my morning & go spend with these incredible people & see how the brain storming for the ideas of the lessons comes together.  It was truly a blessing to be a part of!

711 / New Bag
Ricky got me this new bag to put all my bible study stuff & bible & pens in... isn't it the cutest? I am always a messenger bag kinda gal.  & I loved carrying this to church on Sunday.

715 / Parents Printer
I had to print something for a meeting I had on Friday & our printer, if you dont use it on a daily basis, it dries up.  So of course, when I needed something, I couldnt print & it was late & I wasnt able to drive the 35 minutes to go get ink... so my parents to the rescue with their printer! YAHOOO!!!

716 / Breakfast Date
Some people are dinner people for date nights... we are breakfast people. Ricky is an early riser & an early snoozer so this is more his style anyways.  But we always love going out early & getting breakfast together.  Something about going out in the morning air that makes the day so much better.

718 / Celebrating 22 years of marriage.
We just have some traditions we do on our anniversary. Things like going to the movies, going to the Disney Store for a new Christmas ornament, going to Rocky's (which I love & he hates, but lets me eat there on our anniversary) going out for dessert ... its just nice to look back & think of all the years we've shared together.  We've not been together 25 years total... a quarter of a decade!!! WHAT?

Obligatory anniversary picture

721 / Friend at church.
It's rare we get to go to church with our friends anymore since they lead at a different church, so I loved it even more when Chasity made it to go to church with me on Sunday.  & the message was perfect because it was talking about how important it is to have friends & community in God's family & how important those connections are. 

723/ Redeemed
We did a 40 day Bible study in our Joy Group & it came to an end over the weekend. The full 40 days. It was so wonderful... such a good study... & totally got me in the routine of doing my Bible study & reading the Bible daily. I am so sad its over, but its really pushed me to continue in that daily digging of God's Word. 

So what are you thankful for this week?

One Sentence a Day {October 2017 Edition}

Whew... survived October.

It is ALWAYS a busy & hectic month for me.

& now, we venture into the Holiday Season.

(Shaking my head in amazement)

Before I jump off the deep end at the stress of the Holidays, let's just look back at October

One Sentence A Day

1.  Love always kicking off every October celebrating my momma's birthday. #Birthdaysmeancake

2.  Woke up to the horrific news of the Vegas shooting that killed 59 people. #whatiswrongwithpeople

3.  Bye Bye gray .... for now. #itcomessofast

4. I knew I was exhausted when I was asleep by 9:30 #didntevenwashmyface

5. Scandal is back on! #IdontlikemeanOlivia

6. I had a doctor's appointment that once again had me walking out knowing nothing more than when I walked in. #noonecantellmewhymyribshurt

7.  Many a belly laugh was had at game night. #girlswon



8.  Got to celebrate baby Theo at Carly Sue's baby shower #hernameisntreallyCarlySue #justwhativealwayscalledher

9.  I go to the post office maybe once every two months & I try this day & get there & its closed for Columbus Day. #postagefail

10.  Crocheted my first rose ever for a baby hat & pretty proud of how it turned out. #alwayslearnnewthings

11.  Time to start charging up all my camera batteries for wedding weekend. #alltheplugsarefull

12. I literally cant stop reading The Selection books. #teamMaxon

13.  Sat in line for a stupid chicken sandwich for Bruno for over 30 minutes... that he didnt even eat. #thethingsyoudoforyourdog

14.  Got to capture the day of one of my middle school boys as he's become a man & now a husband. #itotallycried

15.  Wedding brain hangover. #goingovertheday1000times #didIgeteverythingdone #alltheupload

16.  Got home after work to a house with no electricity which gave me permission to do nothing but to read for a few hours. #illtakeit

17.  Took Bruno to the vet only to find out EVERYTHING they told me about his skin in June is totally opposite of what they are telling me now. #SOAGGRAVATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

18. Edit all night long, but had to stop to watch Riverdale before bed. #loveJugheadJones

19. My whole set of The Selection books came in the mail & I sat outside & read nearly half of the 3rd book as soon as I opened them.  #addictedtothesebooks

20.  I basically ran out of the office at the end of the day. #VACATION

21. Tried to go to an eye appointment but apparently they dont know the point of a scheduled appointment when there was 12 walk ins ahead of me. #Iwalkedout

22.  This was the Fall winning appointment for a photo session & so glad it went to this cute couple for their engagement pictures. #perfectweatherperfectleaves

23.  Got to hang out with 3 amazing high school girls that I get to lead with in MSM while they introduced me to their favorite coffee shop. #nowmyfavorite  #whitemochaROCKS

24.  Had our usual onion ring dinner for vacation. #atradition

25.  Got to go to a youth meeting at church to help discuss next semester's lesson plans & just loved hearing some amazing Christian leaders go through their thought process. #inspiringpeople

26.  We took advantage of the last pretty day of the week for a great date day that took up the entire day. #soakingupthesun

27. A huge meeting that I'm hoping works out. #Fingerscrossed

28.  22 years doing this dance together!!!! #happyanniversary

29.  Our JOYSTER group finished up a 40 day of prayer & study that was the best!!! #redeemed

30.  Back to work after vacation is THE WORST!!!!!!!!! #surprisinglydecentlycaughtup

31.  Totally horrified for Halloween when I found out I lost my cross necklace that I've wore for 15 years. #Iamstillcrying

What was the best thing about your October?

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