can we say inspired?

wow. just wow! word for the weekend :)

friday after work my MIL & I went up to Charlotte to spend some time with Claire & Aunt Mary. They'd told us about a Women's Lenten Retreat at their church and we signed up then and there. what better way to start off lent?

our speaker spoke of hide and seek. people seek the Lord, always searching for God. Wandering around "Where are you God??" but think of it this way: he isn't hiding. He is seeking YOU. the thing is, God knows where you are-literally, all the time. but He is seeking you to come to Him.

This made a lot of sense to me. The whole experience was very eye opening for me. Surrounded by such inspirational women, going to Mass, receiving communion, time for reflection, confession, and fellowship. It re-lit my fire in a big way, and filled my heart with peace and love. You know its funny, seems like whenever you get excited and passionate about God-SOMETHING happens. Some...thing. As soon as i got home..some THING happened- of course! and the stress set in, but i caught myself realizing- thats the devil. he KNOWS my love for God and how uplifted this weekend left me feeling. so he tried to attack that. on my way home, alone in my car- i turned off the radio, and just started talking to God. this is the first time i've ever done this and it felt so natural. and now? i feel peace. yeah the THING that was stressing me out is still there. BUT i know its not in my control, i know God will never give me more than i can handle, i know theres a reason and it WILL be ok. i offered up my suffering, ended by prayer/convo, turned the radio back up & with a smile on my face started singing along.

i have such a blessed life. i have so much to be thankful for- and i need to focus on that more. i need more peace :)

so now im going to cuddle up on the couch with my husband, whom i missed dearly, and relax before another hectic week begins.

GOD bless, peace & love...cheers! :)

motivation?

who else struggles with motivation? Lord knows I do.

Theres so many things/areas in my life I want to change or improve...
-weight
-self image
-over all attitude
-stronger faith
-stronger friendships/relationships
.....

and the list goes on. All positive changes, so why so hard? Probably because its not easy making changes, and easy to stay in your ways. I've been praying a lot more and trying to hand everything over to God. I know He will be my biggest supporter in these challenges. I think people (aka..me) always look for the easy way, the short cut, we get lazy. I'm very guilty of this.

For instance, working out & eating right. I was doing well...for about a week! and then fell back in to my old ways. I have a membership to a gym, Joey & I grocery shop together..theres no reason why I shouldnt be at the gym or buying the right foods. SO why is it so difficult? I always say "I'm so tired...I just want to go home..." or "I ran out of healthy recipes, sick of eating the same thing everyday..." and just give up, cause its easier. But I'm consistently unhappy with how I look, I look in the mirror and don't recognize myself or like what I see. I lost that confidence, that sense of feeling pretty-inside and out. I beat myself up with negative thoughts, yet lack the motivation to get myself in to the gym. Its a vicious cycle. I want to love myself again and feel confident. I have my family's support, my friends, of course my sweet husband, even Miss Amanda Adams! She is such an inspiration to me and I am amazed by her daily!

or with my faith. We miss Mass and always feel guilty when we do- but we don't make ourselves get up and go. Why is that so hard? That should be the easiest thing, the biggest priority. Without God what do we have? Not to mention I have so many people around me, praying for me, supporting me, and being great role models in faith. Aunt Mary, MIL, Claire, Aunt Becky-- not to mention friends on facebook: Lauren & Mel, the ladies I've met in my new bible study: Marti, Joy, Adrienne, Erika... and of course my beautiful cousin Christina has always encouraged me. With all these amazing people you'd think it would make it even easier for me. I say I "forget" to pray- but looking at now, its not that I forget, its that I get distracted by less important things. God should always be my top priority- because again, without Him what else is there? I see all these amazing people in my life with such a strong relationship with Him- and I crave that! The sad thing is its nobody's fault but mine, I'm the only one holding me back.
This weekend I'm going to Charlotte with my MIL and Aunt Becky to meet Claire & Aunt Mary for a ladies Lenten Retreat at their church. I'm really looking forward to this and hoping it'll be a new start, to re-light that fire in my heart for God.

The thing is, I know I'm a good person. My biggest enemy is myself. I know I have it in me. Its like I keep waiting for this big shift, a big change inside myself. But duh kelly! I have to make it happen, its not going to happen on my own.

I really want to start making moves in the right direction. Its time to make these changes Ive been wanting, and I'm the only one who can do it.

So...here goes nothing.

Cheers!

if you're happy & you know it clap your hands...

hello world!

well we're a few weeks in to the new year and i already have so much to be excited about!

first of all : VACATION!! we've already got our trips planned for the year!

In March we're going to Baton Rouge,LA to see all the Rickels! We'll be staying with Mamaw and Papaw and we're SO looking forward to it! its been way too long since we've seen that side of the family!

For 4th of July we're going back to Topsail Island,NC and I can hardly wait. This year we even get to stay a whole week instead of just a few days- thinkin bout spending time with my beautiful God Daughter and all my favorite Soignets on the beach is whats gettin me through this cold winter! We always have SO much fun with them, and its so relaxing! I can hardly wait :)


In December we're hoping to go to Washington D.C. ! Neither of us have been and we really want to go see Arlington Cemetery -- and I really want to tour the White House! I think itll be an awesome trip :)

So far thats all! Hopefully with lots of trips to Charlotte in between :)

Also! I had a great day at work today-- they moved me from the front desk in to an office! how cool! I'm so excited! In all my jobs, I've never had my own office--and its an awesome feeling :) I'm excited to jump in and learn/do more! As soon as I got home I started going through pictures to stick in frames for my new office lol. Nerdy I know but I'm excited :) I love RCD and am so so glad I work there!

And lastly- but CERTAINLY not least! This weekend!! This weekend is Owen's 1st birthday! I cant believe it, I feel like he was born just yesterday! Friday is his birthday but Saturday is his party. MY Payton turned 3 last weekend! and whenever we get her again we're gonna have a little shin dig for her :)





and hopefully Sunday Britt and I will be meeting up with Tanya!! Shes back from Germany!! Her and Chase are here looking at houses- her husband is back in Germany but they are PCSing to Fort Rucker and I couldn't be happier. As soon as we heard Britt and I started talking about planning trips lol. It feels like shes been gone forever! and now shes gonna be just a few hours away! britt and I both are so excited!




thats all for now! cheers!

well hello :)

been a minute! needless to say (as always) life has been hectic!

I think Sept. was the last I posted so a quick recap:

October: nothin major...halloween!?
November: Lilliana's Baptism in Charlotte- such a fun weekend with the Soignets/Bakers!
Thanksgiving of course, and then the birth of my cousin Christina's baby Emma! she is GORGEOUS!

and now December: full of holiday parties, MIL/Dad/Husband birthday, and of course Christmas!

We had an awesome Christmas this year! Christmas Eve we had my uncle, cousin, Mom and grandparents over to our house for dinner and gifts. My mom spent the night with us and we woke up with her Christmas morning- did gifts and had a good time. Then hubs and I sat on the couches in our PJs being lazy till it was time to go over to his Mom and Dads! We were over there most of the day..and it SNOWED! we had a white christmas!! SO unheard of in Ga!!
Today we went to my Dads to do Christmas with him and his wife Donna- ran a couple errands and then spent the rest of the day cleaning/putting up Christmas junk (sad!).

Gearing up for work this week, and New Years this weekend! I think we'll be spending NYE with the Sotos again this year-- nothin like dinner, friends, ( a bit of drinkin!), and bringing the New Year in with a Rosary :)

I'm excited, and hopeful, for what the New Year will bring us. From last year to this year is such a huge change I'm ready to see what happens this time around!

Promise Ill try to be better with blogging! For now: Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, and tomorrow: Happy 24th birthday to my wonderful husband!!!

Cheers!

Happy Fall Ya'll!!

thats right, fall is here! but you wouldnt know it by the weather- its still pretty hot here, but the mornings/evenings are cooling down which is nice porch-sittin weather :)

our fall fest at church is this weekend and im so excited! i love this time of year for many reasons, but all the festivals/craft shows are one of them! before we know it christmas will be here! and yes, i HAVE already started my christmas shopping ;)

not a ton new this month- its been a month since i posted last, hard to beleive! on Labor Day weekend we went to the Avenged Sevenfold concert and it was AWESOME, they are incredible live- going to the show made me an even bigger fan! we got there about 1 and started tail gating: booze, food, cornhole, music, and just hangin out: we had a blast!
thats the biggest thing we had this month: other than that its been Pampered Chef party, Baby Shower for my cousin, bible study, church, ect.

Yesterday my mom and I gave a baby shower for my cousin Christina- shes due in Dec (baby Emma) and its prob the prettiest pregnant woman ive ever seen! pregnancy suites her! i can only hope i look that great :) i was happy with how everything turned out, and she seemed to like it so im glad!

ive been cooking a lot more- and loving it. my recipe book has grown and grown and i love trying out new things! especially after getting some goodies from pampered chef- they have such great stuff,and theres so much i want!

anyhoo im rambling: im doing two different bible studies, one is a 'thought closet make over' and im really enjoying it- another is only once a month at my cousins church on "Frazzled Female" and Im starting that tonight, so Im really looking forward to it. Hoping to meet some ladies I hit it off with and acquire more couple friends- joey and I only have one or two couple friends and are so ready to have more! double dates, and just friends in general, are more fun!

comin up next month is fall festivals, birthdays, wedding, parties, and halloween! lots of stuff planned :) Lilliana's baptism along with sisters weekend is coming up in November and I can hardly wait!

SO MUCH to look forward to!

*cheers!*


TV addict...here are the shows we've been watching lately..(YES, all at the same time, its ridiculous! and we're adding on to it with Nip/Tuck and Sons of Anarchy!)

nostalgic

i've been in a weird place lately.

grumpy, tired, sleepless nights, bad days back to back, wondering where i'm going in my career, wondering what kind of mother ill be, trying to keep myself in check...

i catch myself being selfish, or bratty-- so weird. its weird to be able to catch myself! im glad i can do that now, because selfish and bratty are not two things i ever want to be.

the thing is, i strive to be the best person i can be. the best friend, the best wife, the best daughter, ect ect. and sometimes i think i put too much pressure on myself and it all blows up in my face. its interesting when you hit that point in your life where you're getting to know yourself. TRULY know yourself.

im human, which means im not perfect- because im not God. and i do know im my own worst critic. i beat myself up over everything! i want so badly to do great things.

more and more im starting to see who my true friends are- its becoming so clear to me now and making me cherish those true friends more than ever. i all of a sudden feel the need to purge myself of any negativity. stress and worry are two good friends of mine, unfortunatley-- and i get so worked up, so upset--i literally get sick! so how do i purge all of that out? im an adult now, i should be easily able to decide who i want in my life, and who i dont- what i want to be, and what i dont, ect. but its just...not that simple. its so much more complicated than that. LIFE is a lot more complicated than that. so what to do?


"it's sad to see that two people who use to be so close don't even recognize each other anymore... not because they grew up, but because they grew apart"

"Sometimes your friends...or 'friends' hurt you so much more than any of your enemies ever could"


i guess all i can do is continuously try to keep myself in check. try my best not to get caught up in the drama, and try as hard as i can to steer clear of the negativity i want to get rid of. try to be the best Kelly i can be. get my priorities back in order and realize: joey is my number 1, my family, my love. but even then-- before him comes God. i need to come back to him, ive wandered away in a big way and its definitley not made things better for me! i need to get back to Him. and i also need to work on ME.

i need to try HARDER to lose the weight ive been desperatley trying to lose. i need to feel good about myself again, feel pretty again.

i need to find some ME time. spend some time doing things i love like reading, writing, ect.


life is such a gift, and im ready to stop wasting it away by feeling sorry for myself- being angry- being a door mat to WAY too many people in my life... its time to LIVE.

so cheers to that-- L.I.V.I.N.G.

a whole lot of nothin!

a whole lot of nothin has been goin on-- pretty boring!

JOEYS HOME! which is def. a cause for celebration :) I missed him so much and its so great having him home finally. That was the longest two weeks ever!

we are gearin up for the A7X show next month...i couldnt be more excited :)




pretty dang excited, the new album has been on repeat in my car since i got it a couple weeks ago :) theyre missing The Rev (drummer/singer,died in Dec 09) bad, but its cool knowing he wrote a lot of the songs on the new album, and his voice is even on a few tracks- he was my fav!

nothing much else going on with us..like i said: a whole lot of nothing!