Wisdom Wednesday

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Happy Hump Day!

Here's some words of wisdom that I've gravitated to this week...

I hope it resonates with you in one way or the other as well :)

as long as i stay true to myself, it really shouldn't affect me what other's say or assume.

I'm not religious...but this has been my mantra for years. there's no need for any of it if it's not met with kindness.

if you have a dog...you understand. :)

so very true! i've always said this about my andrew :)

exactly!! is it TRUE?? is it KIND?? is it NECESSARY? 

7 Questions Linky Party

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{Gentri Lee} is back again with 7 Questions!

Here's my funny photo:

Although this photo is obviously not of me, I couldn't resist sharing this! Last  Friday Bella woke up with her lip stuck like this...I almost peed myself!!

1. It's the first day of August - Are you savoring the summer or ready to jump into fall?
Tough question, because I love summer...yes I even don't really mind the heat. But I also love fall, the leaves changing colors, the smell in the air...and this year it just so happens that my two best friend's are getting married in September! Lots of exciting stuff going on over the next two months now! :)

2. You need a quick and healthy meal, what do you make?

Couscous with tofu and either nori or asparagus - super easy, healthy, and delicious!
{adding a little low sodium soy sauce adds a little more flavor to the meal :)}

OR

Caprese Salad - grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and a little olive oil and pepper. So good!
 {I made this salad with Andrew's grandma's fresh basil...even better!}

3. You're at a mall, how do you shop? 
I used to take my time shopping, which partly had to do with me growing up with the closest {good} mall being an hour and a half away. But now that I can go to the mall anytime I want, I usually go with a specific purpose in mind. I already feel like that old person who thinks malls are over-crowded and too noisy. {ha!}

4. Would you rather buy a new house or renovate an old one?
100% buy a new house! But not for the reasons people may think. I grew up in the same house for 18 years of my life and then when I moved to Minnesota {from Wisconsin} I've moved a total of 7 times...ugh! And I've lived in places anywhere from being completely ghetto with a crack house across the street to the brand new condo I'm living in now. And what I've realized from all the different places I've lived is that some places I felt extremely safe in {regardless of how "unsafe" the neighborhood may have been} and others I felt completely unsafe. I believe in "vibes" and energy from homes..of the people who previously lived there. Some good...some bad. Moral of the story is, if the place is brand new...then no one else could have lived there...therefore I'll know full well that there won't be any bad energy in my home.  

5. Long hair or short hair?
LONG...obviously. Always have...always will.

6. Who is your oldest (not by age) friend?
My best friend in the entire world, Samantha! We've been best friend's since the age of five...so we're going on our 20th anniversary! She's truly the most remarkable individual I've ever known and I'm so blessed to have known her nearly my entire life! I have no doubt that we'll be friends forever!

What is your favorite blog - currently?
I'm definitely guilty of not reading a lot of blogs religiously...but one blog I recently stumbled upon that I love is {Love Chugs}. Weslie's writing is so honest and real...plus she has literally the most adorable family ever!!

Want to link up??

It's fun I promise!

Knowing When to Hold On and When to Let Go

Pin It We all have things we want and need in life. Identifying our wants and needs is a good thing, because it means we are always striving towards better things...always seeking out a happier life for ourselves.

But ultimately where does this leave us in the end if these wants and needs don't happen {or take longer than we desire}?? We are left with wants and needs, simply unmet. Unmet wants and needs can lead to feelings of hurt, anger, helplessness and sometimes obsessive behaviors.

Wants and needs are such a catch-22. We all should have them, but if or when our desires aren't being met...then what? Do we just give up? Tell ourselves that we no longer want or need "these things?" The answer is...well...yes. It's one of the harsh ironies of life that no matter how hard we attempt, push, fight, and even obsess over our wants and needs...sometimes we simply must let them go. When the pain of desiring our wants and needs outweighs the benefits of continuing to want them...it's time to simply give up.

Now, giving up isn't as simple as it may sound. Why would you want to give up on something you're certain will make you a happier, more content person?? The answer is, because if you don't give up...eventually you'll drive yourself crazy. After all, the definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results." You can't keep staying on the same cyclical path...going round and round, and expect it to just finally happen. Yes, it still may...but why not learn to be happy without it.

I've always been someone who has known what they wanted and needed. Even at a young age, my parents told me how relentless I was regarding something I wanted or needed. Now, wanting my belly button pierced at 14 and wanting a tattoo at 15 is very different than needing something in your life...perhaps more intangible or external that is less out of your control {although I did end up getting my belly button pierced at 15 and got my first tattoo at 16...see? Told you...relentless.}

I've also been this way towards friends, family, and relationships. I couldn't make a person be loyal to me if they choose not to be, I couldn't control my families dysfunctionalities and I couldn't control being treated poorly by significant others. I simply could only control my own desires within these relationships.

As I've gotten older, my desires for certain things in my life have only continued to grow. I know I want to be a wife and a stay at home mom...I know these things. But when these things continue to not happen, I only am left with frustration, sadness, and an overall hopelessness.

I obsess, crave, and almost morn over desires that simply aren't being met right now. The more I hope for something and the more I don't get what I hope for, the more unhappy I get. It's a vicious cycle that too often I find myself getting caught in.

Letting go is the only option to find some peace of mind when our wants and needs aren't being met. But the ironies of life always seem to prevail. That the only way to get what you desire is to simply let go.

Letting go is part of what we must do to get what we desire!

skydiving two years ago. complete and utter freedom. letting go was the only thing i could do....

Where Did the Weekend Go?

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Per usual, this weekend flew by...

which is surprising, considering Andrew was gone for the second weekend in a row... {ugh}

but I was busy busy with sports, family, and friends! 

Here's what I've been up to.... :)

Friday night was softball. Unfortunately we lost...like...horribly. We've been undefeated until that game. I'm not sure what happened, but we failed...epically. Regardless, it was still a lot of fun! Afterwards, I went out with friends to a rooftop bar in downtown Minneapolis. We drank, danced, and laughed. It was a good time!

go team go!

we not only bring beer to the games...wine is also provided. awesome, right?

my boyfriend's best friends...super proud. aren't they lovely? ;)

andrew's best friend's pup {the guy above on the right} mav is the man!!

jeff and i pre-bar.

christy and i {the lucky man above's gf} :)

jen and i ...cabbie pics of course. 

Then on Saturday, I went to the mall with my best friend to find her a dress for her Bridal Shower that's coming up next weekend! After that, I met up with my parents who were in town for my brother's 33rd birthday {Happy birthday bro...I love you!!!} 

caribou with my parentals :)

my momma and the girls hanging out at my place. they LOVE their grandma :)

all ready for dinner with my beautiful mamasita!

i LOVE my papa!

my beautiful children :)

Today consisted of a lot of cleaning and organizing the condo. I then went to grab some apps with my best friend, Anastasia, before I went to the airport to get ANDREW! :)

our kitchen spic and span!

zo zo wanted to make an appearance ha

bathroom clean. CHECK!

throwback photo of andrew and i...always BELIEVE IN FOREVER :)

I couldn't be happier that Andrew is back! 

There's definitely certain times that I miss him more than usual...

and this weekend was one of them! 

We took the girls for a walk {who were beyond excited their daddy was back!}

then ordered sushi take-out, 

and are now watching the Olympics {while I blog of course}

I'm a happy woman :)

park time!

my family :)

Wisdom Wednesday

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happy wednesday...

i'm exhausted, 

but before i call it a day,

i thought i'd share some words of wisdom that has inspired me this week :)

one of my new favorite quotes...because this is so me. my heart constantly craves whatever it wants.

i'm blessed to have found someone who knows me...all of me...and loves me all the same.

although i don't have kids yet, this is a great reminder....i need to emulate who i want my kids to become :)

resentment is ugly...and it's something i've had to work on my whole life. thankfully, i've been able to let go a lot of it as i've gotten older. 

i'm such a believer in this.

andrew would appreciate this quote, because let's be honest, sometimes i'm just utterly ridiculous {i can't help that i'm such a passionate person ;)}

have a beautiful night.

My Super Low Key Weekend

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I had by far the most low key weekend in months...

I loved and hated it at the same time.

Andrew was away on his annual "guys trip" 

and all my friends were either gone or busy {it always gets that way in the summer}

Friday night I had softball again {a double header}

Andrew was happy to hear that we won both games and are undefeated!! 

Softball is always a blast, but playing really well and winning really sweetens the deal!

The rest of the weekend consisted of a lot of snuggling with my girls, getting my hair done, walks, reading, and relaxing. {I did end up meeting up with a girlfriend and got some bloodies at one point...yummy!}

walking with my girls. i love my backyard :)

bella putting herself to sleep, per usual. i also tried to get her to help with laundry...no such luck!

enjoyed some delicious popcorn and a movie with my babies :)

It was great having me time, but I definitely missed Andrew.

We're really each other's best friends...

or as he put it last night,

"we're each other's companions." 

Last night we made tacos and snuggled with the girls...

bella was really happy to have her daddy back :)

Well, until The Bachelorette Finale started...

in which I proceeded to stare at the tv for 3 hours, 

crying throughout most {I'm such a hopeless romantic!}

My Life Through Instagram

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It's FRIDAY!! 

It's been a long week and I couldn't be happier the weekend is here...

I've been lacking on here with updates on my life,

 so here's some photos of what I've been up to. :)

zo zo and my "it's FRIDAY bitches!" picture ha

"my dog winks at me sometimes...and i always wink back in case it's some kind of code." hehe

after doing the gel nails it unfortunately made my nails really weak and frail. they're finally starting to grow again. my latest self-mani.

my lucky mom got to go visit my brother and his family. she sent this ADORABLE photo of her and my niece, isabella. she is just to diiiiie for, isn't she??

andrew and i went out to dinner with his grandparents...but first grandma liz showed me her herb garden. yummy!

i've been on a serious health kick. fresh fruit, pita bread, hummus, asparagus, tofu, couscous, and fresh basil from andrew's grandma :)

being sassy for some reason HAHA

bell and i have staring contests all the time...that's normal, right?

bella also sleeps with her mouth open sometimes. such a weirdo.

snuggles with my baby, per usual.

hung out with my best friend, her brother, and her nephew. my second family :)

Well, I'm off to a double-header for softball...

wish me luck!!