A few weekends ago, Sarah, Ryan and I took a Sunday afternoon trip to Books-a-Million. I have a slight obsession with that place. The goodness of passing time in that place reading magazines and buying tons of books, when I should be working, is amazing. We let the five year old (aka Ryan) roam around in search of some book he saw years ago that he swears will be perfect for Dad to read.

The conversation went a little something like this:
Ryan: Yeh I really want to get this book for your dad, I think he's going to love it.
Rach: Ok, what is it?
Ryan: Yeh I don't remember the name
Rach: Who's the author?
Ryan: Yep, don't remember that either.
Rach: ummmmmmmmm ok? So do you remember what it looks like?
Ryan: Nope
Rach: Well, what is it about?
Ryan: I don't really remember to tell you the truth.
Rach: Ok, you know what, go look at the sports books and find me when you're ready.

I'm serious, it was EXACTLY like that, ask Sarah!

But, while I spent 45 minutes reading magazines and finding a few books to buy, I found myself being oh-so-generous.

I picked up, "He's Just Not that Into You" for Sarah. How I wish I could keep her from dealing with all the mess that comes with dating, especially in college. But, I will give her some credit. She doesn't put up with nearly as much as most girls her age.

I then grabbed, "Wild At Heart" for Ryan. The book was basically written about him. Girls, if you haven't read this yet, go buy it IMMEDIATELY. It is an absolute must read to be able to understand man's heart and how God created him. And then let your men read it. So far, Ryan has enjoyed it.



And surprisingly, the five year old picked this one out for me. "The Five Love Languages" is an absolute must read for any couple. I know, I know...I'm not engaged or married, but it is very eye-opening. GO BUY IT NOW!!!


And then he picked this one out for me. I HATE IT! Very cultish sounding and I'm suspicious of it so I've stopped reading it. Maybe its just me.

The Waiting Game

Its been pretty busy around here.

I've had this big house all to myself since Saturday. Mr. Overactive 5 year old (aka Ryan) surprised me and came a little bit early Friday afternoon and stayed until Tuesday morning. We had dinner with Sarah up in Auburn Monday night. I couldn't help it. Niffers was calling my name. Besides, the boy has an appetite close to that of a whale's and I knew he could go for some corn nuggets and fried pickles while we waited :) .

Now, I'm staying super busy with work (surprisingly), which has really helped pass all this alone time. I'm quite independent, but I'll be honest, I was a little sad Tuesday night when I got home from work and I was only greeted by two little pups. Secretly, I was hoping to drive up only to discover that he is full of surprises and decided to stay an extra day.

These days I'm always hoping for things I know I can't have quite yet.

I want a better job.

I want my own place.

I want to live in the same city as Ryan.

I want to fast forward to a few years down the road when hopefully my life will be a little more like I want.

I know that its always greener on the other side. It never gets easier. Circumstances change but one thing stays the same: Life is hard.

Patience is a virtue. As a girl, I always daydream of what I want my life to be like. I dream of coming home to my own family with my husband and precious children. To the home of my dreams.

But dreams aren't reality.

I'm really working on my patience and seeing the silver lining in every circumstance. I'm learning that happiness is a choice not an emotion you just wake up with one day.

HOWEVER, I do have peace in knowing that God listens to his children and their desires. And I have peace in knowing that his wisdom is infinitely greater than ours. His plan is flawless.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11.

I keep holding this one close to my heart.

Today I was reading a mother's blog about her journey through her daughter's recovery from a massive anurism. Her life is upside down and she just longs for the past when things were normal. She waits for that normalcy. I then realized that my circumstances aren't so bad.

So I have to maintain a precious relationship 3 hours away and only have the phone during the week. So I have to take the little tidbits of time I can get with him here and there.
We DO get to spend time together. We DO have each other. Im NOT alone anymore.

This mother posted two scriptures that have opened my eyes and will be holding close to my heart right now.

"For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait on Him."
-Isaiah 30:18

"But if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently."
-Romans 8: 25

I'm waiting patiently and confidently from now on!!

Hey Fall!!

I may be jumping the gun here, because its only September and its Alabama, but I can't help but comment on how there is a slight touch of fall in the air now. We went from upper 90's to upper 70's in a matter of about a week. Normally the thought of summer disappearing makes me sad, but this year is a little bit different. I've been looking forward to fall for quite some time now.

I'm a little jealous of my parents. They're leaving this weekend for New Hampshire to see the foilage. Yeh, they're old, but I have to admit it, I wouldn't be too upset to see it for myself.

HAPPY EARLY FALL!!

A little Catch Up...

The past month I've been sick. It went from tonsilitis to bronchitis to sinusitis. Basically, I'm used to constantly hacking up my lungs. I've gone strong and fought it all this time and came to the realization this morning that the more I fight, the longer its going to stay. So, guess who took today off! I've been laying in bed, feeling like I'm back in college again. Despite the constant coughing, I've really enjoyed having NOTHING to do. I honestly cannot remember the last time this happened!!


This past weekend I went down to Tallahassee to visit Ryan. The original plan was to help him with the final touch ups on his house that he has been renovating. I'm imagining that I was going to walk into an empty house with walls, cabinets, appliances, fixtures, flooring, etc. More like: concrete subfloor, only one wall put up, exposed ceiling. I'm probably the LEAST handy person alive, so when I walked into this, I was a little bit nervous. Believe it or not, Ryan actually convinced me to be his little assistant. Please picture me helping lay electrical wire, plumbing and building walls. I know. It was quite a site.


I'll be honest, I didn't last all day like he did. All the sawdust and mess everywhere on top of NO AC, I started hacking like no other and decided to sit in front of the fan and have a little magazine/pedicure time. Like I could possibly make it for a whole day!! All I have to say is that whenever the day comes that we start renovating a house, I'm in charge of decorating. Construction...not so much.

Has anyone seen this? I'm referring to Slade's loss of manhood aka the "manscarf." I am a HUGE fan of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Orange County, so when Bravo decided to get ultra-wierd new show, Date My Ex, I knew it was worth watching at least one episode. I'm sorry but I think the absolute LAST person on this earth I would let pick a new boyfriend for me would be my ex. Not because there's bitter feelings or anything negative like that, but simply for the fact that its just plain WIERD. "Hey I know we dated off and on for YEARS and at one point I thought you may be the one, but we're done now, so you want to find me a new man?"

No thanks.

Anyway...back to the man scarf. I know that the scarf thing is HUGE with celebrities (even in the hot summer heat), but when a man wears one, thats where I draw the line. Seriously Slade. I used to think you were so hot and quite the catch and that Jo was an idiot for leaving you. But now, I think you're simply a tool.

Its Official...

Either I'm turning into my mother with her neurotic Christmas shopping habits (6 months in advance) or I'm really just crazy about someone. Whatever it is, I'm suffering from serious shock. Just dropped a healthy $800 on a plane ticket for Ryan to join the family next MARCH when we go to Aruba. Hey Christmas gift!! Good thing I'm done with my shopping for him!!

Now, I can just look forward to this, as I count down the many months until this week long vacation in paradise.

**I know what yall are all thinking. But contrary to common belief, Aruba is actually VERY safe. My parents went last spring and if it gets their stamp of approval....trust me...its safe. Its sad what the media is capable of doing...destroying their tourism, which is a vital part of their economy.

Ok, so the last post was ridiculously sappy. I've had comments. Fortunately for me, the TV gods have put out quite a spread of shamefully great shows.

Currently watching the new 90210. I wasn't a fan of the original, but its looking like I will be quite addicted to this one. I've missed the OC and this comes pretty close. More thoughts on this later!

And of course, the guilty indulgence aka GOSSIP GIRL. This show is ridiculously addicting.
Mondays are now something to look forward to!!

So go ahead and re-set your TIVO or DVR because this fall is sure to please. Monday and Tuesday nights, you know where I'll be...GLUED to the TV!