Little Mrs. Married

Mikey, 15 months {photography practice}

2013-05-24T21:20:00.000-05:00

I am having so much fun with photography lately! It's like the passion & the desire to get better keeps growing & growing! Yay!

One thing I had been CLUELESS on is editing. I have been using Picasa to edit. Picasa is fine if you are staying in auto mode or if you are just taking snapshots of family events or something! But if you're doing shoots for other people, and if you're shooting in manual with the desire to have more professional photos, you should really try some professional editing software, like photoshop or lightroom. I have Photoshop Elements, and it was so confusing to me that i gave up and went back to my comfort zone (that is, Picasa).

Well, my friend Laura really encouraged me to give Photoshop Elements another shot! She called me and walked me through some basics, and wow! I am hooked. :) Yay! Just a few simple steps, nothing major, and i see a world of difference in my photos! I am not saying these are AMAZING! It's still only my 5th shoot, ever! But if you compared it to my last shoot, you'll see I have come a long way! Thank you, Laura!!!

Like Lauren, I met Hannah at bootcamp. We often had to have groups of 3 - so they were my group! Hanny & I are birthday twins (March 2, y'all!). She is so sweet & so pretty!

This was my first time to meet her son, Mikey. He is a total sweetheart.

You can see the rest of the pics on my new FB photography page. :)

This Weekend, I...

2013-05-20T20:02:00.001-05:00

This weekend, I practiced some photography at a friend's murder mystery party! So much fun!

Why so serious? ...They're trying to solve a mystery, people! :)

This weekend, I spent most of a day going through & editing pics from said murder mystery party!

This weekend, I went to my friend Susan's bachelorette brunch at Lava Cantina, a new mexican restaurant in town! Can't wait to see her tie the knot in August!

This weekend, I created a photography page on Facebook!! Even though I am no pro, I just wanted to separate practice photography from my regular pics! In the meantime, I scheduled FOUR shoots for this week! SO fun! :)

This weekend, I stage managed the LAST performance of the show I have been working on, Move Over Mrs. Markham. We had strike, which is some sweaty work. Took down the entire set. Finished in 2 hours flat & then i went home!

This weekend, I went to bed early Sunday night to be rested for my first day at my new job! It was today & went perfectly! Yay for an excellent new job! So happy about it! :)

How was YOUR weekend?!

A Murder Mystery Party {photography practice}

2013-05-20T17:50:00.000-05:00

Friday night, I got some more photography practice in by taking pictures for a friend at her murder mystery party. Robyn is a homeschooling mom who also teaches English classes for other high school homeschoolers in the area. She was having an end-of-the-year party for her class... a murder mystery party!

I was so excited to get to be a part of this! I was also nervous! I have been getting much better at taking OUTDOOR pics, especially at certain times of the day! But indoor pics in the evening? Not so easy! She did have a lot of light on, though, so i managed to get some good shots. It was great practice!

Her set-up & attention to detail was outstanding!

These are my weakness, y'all.

Look how cute! Milk shooters to go with the cookies. :)

Some of the kids... they're all dressed in the character they were assigned. Also, if you see any mean faces in pics - they were in character, I promise!

I told them i was going to recruit this girl for the theater! She maintained an excellent british accent the ENTIRE night, and she was soooo funny!

This is Robyn's oldest son, Quintin, who is now a teenager & as tall as my husband. Makes me feel OLD!! Haha!

3 of the parents participated in the murder mystery game. This was "officer nelson" & she was HYSTERICAL!

During this part, they're all mingling, talking, trying to gain clues to discover who the murderer is. They were so funny. And cute.

That would be my friend, Robyn, in the middle. I adore her!

(Pssst! This girl is our murderer!!!)

This was my fave pic of the night; I got it on accident!! But we're saying it's somewhat a foreshadowing because she ended up being the victim.

And there you have it! Sorry for the picture overload! ;)

Adalynn, 12 months {photography practice}

2013-05-18T23:51:00.000-05:00

Oooh, I am having some serious photography fever! I just want to keep practicing! Of course, I would decide I want to practice more a week before my new job starts! I wish I'd been doing this during my entire break!

Yesterday, I had a shoot with my friend Lauren's daughter, Adalynn. I met Lauren in my first bootcamp class back in 2011. I didn't know anybody, and plopped myself down on a mat next to her & we just hit it off. We became "bootcamp buddies" ...always on the same team, helping each other out. She moved away right after having Adalynn, but recently moved back. So, this was my first time to actually meet the little cutie pie!

I absolutely loved her. She was simply ADORABLE, giving me the sweetest smile or pucker or laugh. And those eyes! Love.

Enjoy!

P.S. I now have a photography page on Facebook. Feel free to like it here! :)

Malaya, 14 months {photography practice}

2013-05-15T23:24:00.000-05:00

Recently I was just itching to practice some photography! I hadn't done it in awhile, and I was ready to get my camera out again! I put a call out on facebook for models, and within minutes had several people willing to let me use them - or their child - for practice!

Yesterday was the first of those sessions. I practiced on a beautiful little girl named Malaya. I met Malaya's mom, Megan, when I first started working at Aveda. She graduated soon after, though. Malaya, who they affectionately call Mae-Mae, is now 14 months old, and just adorable. I love her complexion, her lips, and her chocolate brown eyes. Gorgeous!

Some challenges: I had told Megan that 11 am or 5 pm would be best, lighting-wise. Well, I should have said 9 or 10 am for the morning time! The sun was just too bright! So I had a lot of pics with bright sun & shadow on the same face! Oops! Secondly, she is just learning to walk well, so she was all over the place! Haha! But she still gave me the chance to get some good pics! :)

Here are my favorites!

One with mommy & daddy!

The best week EVER.

2013-05-13T21:39:00.001-05:00

If I was one to use the word "epic", I would be using it right now.

As in, "Last week was EPIC, y'all!". But that just doesn't sound like me. I don't use the word epic. I don't like it. Nobody used to say epic. Now everybody says epic. I don't like trend words.

Wait. That's not right! I don't hate the word, "epic". It's the phrase, "epic fail" that I don't love. But for no good reason, just ignore me. I'm weird, sometimes. Just read what is below...that's the point of all this!

Last week was the best week EVER! (That sounds more like me!)

{MONDAY}

On Monday, I hung out with mom all day. And then I went to my friend Mandy's Origami Owl party where my mom insisted on buying me a necklace with the charms i wanted. I already told y'all about this but since it was part of the week, I will tell you again! :)

Also, on Monday, I fit into some jeans that just a month ago would not go up over my hips or zip/button at all! Now they fit with ease. Well... a LITTLE tight but they fit fine after i was in them for a minute! Ha! Excuse the no makeup & blurry pic! You get the idea!

{TUESDAY}

On Tuesday, I went to my Ideal Protein weigh-in. I was PRAYING that I had lost 1 or 2 pounds. I didn't dare to hope for 3. But in one week, I lost 4.5 pounds! HOLY COW! I was SO amazed & excited & happy & thankful! It was CRAZY! 4.5 in a week! I have struggled in the past just to lose that in a MONTH - usually without success! Ahhhh!

Also on Tuesday, I went to have lunch with some ladies from church for my pastor's wife's birthday. I absolutely love this woman, she is so sweet! We had a great time visiting.

ALSO, on Tuesday, I had my second interview with Baton Rouge General. My first interview was the Tuesday before, I interviewed with HR & Radiology. I really wanted that Radiology job, but still hadn't heard anything, and figured i would give the purchasing one a shot. The interview went very well, i hit it off with the lady who would be my boss, and the ladies i would be working with. I felt like I had a good chance at this job.

{WEDNESDAY}

On Wednesday, I had another interview (with the state police) which also went well, but the best was that afterwards, I went to lunch with one of my besties, Shana. She treated me which she didn't have to do! So sweet! SO good to catch up with her! We laughed & laughed! While eating, I ran into two old friends & was so happy to see them, too! We went to Starbucks after lunch where i REALLY wanted a frappuccino, but i got my regular coffee. (The only thing i can have without guilt at Starbucks!)

And, another blurry pic for you! Sorry!

{THURSDAY}

On Thursday, I GOT THE JOB!!!!!! OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! I was offered BOTH jobs at Baton Rouge General, when i expected to maybe get offered one of them but not the other one! I was able to choose the one i wanted. How amazing is that?! I was on CLOUD 9 the rest of the day! Ahhh! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Also, on Thursday, I had lunch at my friend, Ashley's house. She invited me over for lunch & grilled me a DELICIOUS meal of chicken, asparagus, broccoli & zucchini! All diet-friendly for me! :) It was so good & I loved getting some one-on-one Ashley time! She has been a huge support for me in my weightloss journey & I just love her!

{FRIDAY}

On Friday, I met my dear friend Becca for lunch! We rarely get together and we definitely need to more often! LOVE this girl! She has been a good friend for many years. Love her! After our lunch (which she treated!), I went to my friend Robyn's to chat. We chatted a few hours before I had to go to the theater. She is the mom of the boys I used to babysit a lot. Now her oldest two are TALLER than me (like, much taller) & her youngest will be in a year or so! Haha. Geez. SO TALL. But i LOVED catching up with Robyn!

Me & Becca

So basically: weightloss, fitting in jeans that were too small before, ladies with women i love on 4 different days of the same week, & a job offer! IN ONE WEEK! Haha!

My weekend? Well, it didn't come close to the wonderful week I had, but it wasn't bad. I did a lot of theater...stage managed 4 shows in 3 days which was exhausting. We had some mishaps, which is always fun in live theater! Mother's Day was Sunday, and that can be a difficult day for me. However, I truly believe God answered my prayers that morning when I asked him for his grace and peace throughout the day. It was not a bad day, not at all. I am thankful for that!

This week is my last one before I go back to work full-time! I am going to enjoy it to the fullest!

So thankful, so excited!

2013-05-09T21:54:00.000-05:00

Thank you SO much for all the prayers regarding my job search. Many of you have already seen the news via Facebook or Twitter, but I should make an official announcement on my blog, right?I thought so! So, here it is...

{I GOT THE JOB!!!!!}

Yes! I am the new Patient Access Coordinator in Radiology at Baton Rouge General Hospital! Woohoo!

my new "office" (not really... this is the cardiology unit. I'm in radiology at the same hospital. But, you get the idea. :) (source)

Basically, I will be scheduling appointments, checking insurance, sending results to doctors, walking ladies back to the back for their mammograms, and a bunch of other things I don't know about yet.

So... I think I may have told you that i interviewed last week at a hospital. I interviewed this week at the same hospital for a different position.

I really really REALLY wanted Position A. Like, really. Position B wasn't one I applied for, and it didn't seem like something I would be interested in, but I was open to it. I mean, I have wanted to work in the medical community for a long time now, and this is the first time they've actually called me.

The first interview was last Tuesday, and it went well, but i hadn't heard anything back for awhile so i thought it was not the job. They wanted someone with experience in the medical field, and even though I knew they liked me, I guess i put those two things together & thought it wasn't happening.

The second interview...the one i initially thought i did NOT want... well, it went really well. I hit it off with the lady who would be my boss immediately. After the interview part, she gave me a tour and also introduced me to the 3 ladies I would be working with. They were all so sweet, I hit it off with them, too, and i could easily see myself working there. There were only two cons to this one: the pay would be a few dollars less an hour than what I was making previously. And the job itself wasn't something I could get too excited about. (Purchasing.)

I had another interview somewhere else on Wednesday and felt pretty sure that was not the one, too! I was positive the first one in radiology wasn't happening either. So i was PRAYING i would at least get the Purchasing one. I figured i would like it more than purchasing I've done in the past (since there's a whole department and not just, "Hey, Melissa's not doing anything - let's throw this on her!"). Also there is room to grow (& get pay raises) & i could even transfer in 6 months if i hated it. It would be a foot in the door and would be something I might end up liking after all. So i decided i would take it. I hoped i would get it! But I really didn't think the radiology one was going to be an option for me.

Well, she called today. The lady in HR (who interviewed me for both positions before they saw me individually). The conversation went something like this:

"Melissa? This is Jennifer from Baton Rouge General."
"Hi, how are you?"
"Great... So, are you still looking for a job?"
"Yes..."
(Laughs) "Well, i have two departments who would like to hire you!"
Pause. "Are you serious?!?!"

Haha! It was great. I was like, GUSHING, into the phone. I don't think she minded. I chose the one in Radiology, without hesitating, because that is the one that i am excited about the WORK itself. And i liked the people there, too. The pay is the same as what i was making before, so that's good. (Whew!)

It is kind of sad to NOT get to work with the people in Purchasing, after having met them and thinking they are so sweet!!! But i am sure i will meet wonderful people in Radiology also. I am really excited. If you couldn't tell.

God is SO good! I was so upset and hurt and angry about losing that photography job. But this one is SO MUCH BETTER! I remember just KNOWING that taking the photography job was a God-thing. And i do not doubt that still, even after what happened. Maybe it was just to get me away from my job before that (which was TERRIBLE). Maybe it was that, and also a stepping stone to get me to the next best thing. But i didn't imagine it would be this! I know it's less artsy & more sciency than what i would normally like. ;) But it's still something I think i will be good at, and a hospital - an environment I've always wanted to work in! Plus, they have stability there, great benefits, and much more! YAY!

So, yes. I am thrilled. I start May 20th. So i get one more week off. Ha! :)

What amazes me? By the time i go to work, I will have been out of work exactly one month. Lost my job April 20th, start new job May 20th. 3 interviews, 2 job offers. THAT is amazing! It took forever to find a job when i was laid off in 2011. Or 2010. Whenever that was. Financially, we are going to be just fine. :) Praise God!

Thanks again for praying for me!!! You are the BEST!

"For the Lord is good and His love endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:5

Today was Good!

2013-05-07T22:22:00.000-05:00

Today was good,

Today was fun!
Tomorrow is

Another one!

-Dr. Seuss :)

Had a great day today. First of all, today was weigh-in day. Eek! I was SO NERVOUS. I did away with my scale at home, Standing on it daily can play tricks on you!! Don't see a loss when you should, you get discouraged & eat things you shouldn't... See a loss you think you should, you think it's okay to cheat a little since you're losing! Ha! Lose-lose situation for me! :)

Since I am not weighing daily, and didn't feel that much smaller, I was so nervous. BUT! I went to my appointment anyway, hoping to see a loss. 2 pounds. That's what i wanted. I wouldn't have dared to hope for a 3 pound loss. But y'all. 4.5!!! 4.5 pounds down on that scale! EEK!

I am SO THANKFUL, y'all!

That, of course, set the tone for the day. :)

At noon, I went to the home of one of the ladies at church. They were having a lunch for our pastor's wife, Mary Ann's birthday! I couldn't wait to go because i LOVE Mary Ann, and because I NEVER get to go to these kinds of things since i normally have an outside-the-home full-time job! You better believe i was taking advantage of my time off!

Me & Mary Ann! She is so sweet!

There were 8 or 9 ladies there, and we had a great time. It was short but sweet. We had lunch and then went outside to visit. BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL DAY!!

After that, I ran home, changed clothes & headed to my second interview at a local hospital. I went on an interview with them last Tuesday. The Human Resources lady said she had 2 possible positions for me. I immediately interviewed with one of them, but she couldn't get in touch with the other one. So they called me later and i met with them today.

I feel great about the interview. It went well. Really well. I loved the lady i met with (who i think would be my boss!) & she introduced me to the 3 ladies I would be working with. They were SO sweet & fun. I could definitely see myself working with them. The actual WORK is not really something I thought I would be interested in. The pay is not as much as I was making before. Those are the downers. BUT I think i would learn a lot and like working with these ladies, which would make it more enjoyable. Plus, you get annual raises and there is opportunity to grow! SO... we'll see!

Initially, I really wanted the OTHER job (with the same hospital), and that one still seems more my cup of tea as far as what I would be doing! But this one seems more likely for them hiring me. Because i have more experience in this area. So...we shall see. She said she HOPES to have it wrapped up by the end of the week... I should hear by Friday or maybe Monday?!

Tomorrow I have another interview with the state. My husband works for the state and they have excellent benefits. So...that's a possibility too! Say a prayer for me tomorrow at 10:30 am (central time), okay?! Please?? (I get so nervous for interviews!!)

Oh, and last night (we're going backwards now...if you are confused!), I went to my friend Mandy's for an Origami Owl party. Have you heard of these?! I wasn't going to buy one even though i have really wanted one, seeing as how i do not have a J-O-B! But my mama bought me one! How sweet is she?! I love it. It's a necklace that you put little charms in to represent your life. Here is a picture of mine! Can you see it?

So here are the charms i chose to represent me! A flower, a camera, a coffee cup, drama faces (theater!), a dog bone (to represent Fievel), a treble clef (to represent my musician husband), a cross (to represent my love for Jesus!), and my birthstone (aquamarine for March). The back says "inspire". They also had "faith" & "dream" & i would have loved one of those! But i am also impatient and she didn't have one of those in stock, so... INSPIRE it is! But it fits. i am a creative person. I look for inspiration in everything. Photography, theater, music??? Inspire is a good word for me! :)

So that was a lot of fun!!

Just catching you up on my week so far! Hope all of you are having a good one! :)

This weekend, I...

2013-05-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I saw the movie MUD with my parents. (There are pluses to being without a job! Like...getting to join the parents for lunch & a movie in the middle of the day!) Did I like the movie? Um...yes. I think so!

This weekend, I was treated to lunch at VooDoo BBQ,. First time eating there. And yes...they actually had veggies... I could eat there without cheating on my diet! Whew!

This weekend, I watched my beautiful friend Natalie get married!

This weekend, I spilled my water & my wine at the wedding reception. At the same time. No, I was not drunk (I spilled the wine after having maybe two sips!). Yes, i was talking with my hands. :)

This weekend, I caught up with some dear friends at Natalie & Bradford's wedding!

This weekend, I stage managed another performance of Move Over, Mrs. Markham at TBR.

Zac & Jeff (actors) and Keith (director) - don't they look guilty of something?!?

2 of my favorite people...Beth & Kelly

My friend Ronald, whose hair is like that for the show. ;)

This weekend, I went to church. It was wonderful. And the day was just beautiful!

This weekend, I went for a walk with my love! Just because i wanted to exercise. I am thinking if you actually WANT to exercise... you better hurry up and do it before you change your mind! :)

What did you do this weekend? Link up with Syndal or Sar for This Weekend, I...!

Natalie & Bradford's wedding!

2013-05-05T00:34:00.000-05:00

Friday night, we went to the wedding of my beautiful friend, Natalie. I met her in 2006 during our first show at Baton Rouge Little Theater, Beauty and the Beast, and we have remained good friends through the years. I seriously made some lifelong friends in that cast!

Natalie was proposed to via flash mob (which i just watched again, and cried again!) and I knew their wedding would be just as special. There were touches of LSU everywhere, from the gold bridesmaids dresses to purple bouquets, to an LSU football stadium groom's cake! The LSU theme is very fitting, as they're both recent LSU law school graduates, plus she was an LSU golden girl as an undergrad. She also had a cute little llama at each table at the reception (this has nothing to do with LSU, Natalie is just obsessed with llamas!).

The ceremony was held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Plaquemine, Louisiana. What a beautiful church! Everything was so elegant.

This picture is a little blurry, but i LOVE it. They're so happy!

The reception was held a few minutes away at Nottoway Plantation. GORGEOUS plantation home in White Castle, Louisiana.

The wedding party made their entrance to the LSU Fight Song. They all wore purple or gold sunglasses. Honestly - it was adorable!

Brad & I had a great time visiting with friends we haven't seen in awhile. Actually, several of these we only see at weddings these days! Haha!

Lauren & Dan

Susan & Chris (She is glowing! Susan is gonna be a bride herself in 3 months!)

Evan & Sara

Charlynn & her new boyfriend, Andy!

The groom's cake was AMAZING. This pic does not do it justice!

Adorable

Finally got to meet my friend Noel's fiance! :)

Me, Charlynn & Evan!

Me & my sweet love (i need a haircut so bad!)

I love her so much!

Us with the bride! (I have no idea why Brad is laughing!)

Love her! What a beautiful bride!

5QF!

2013-05-04T12:53:00.002-05:00

I am late, but i wanted to participate anyway. Is that okay??

So, Five Question...Saturday. Yes. :)

1. What is your next home improvement goal?
To buy a new one. :) Seriously, we live in a mobile home and you cannot increase the value. So, even though i would LOVE to put in nice wood floors or put in new steps or build a little porch... I think it best to just put any money we save towards a house.

2. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be? (Not including religious texts)
This is hard. I mean, i am not one to read the same book again & again! I am going to say, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Astounding book, full of truth. I am partial to fiction, but not for reading the SAME fiction book for the rest of my life! (I know this is a christian book, but by religious texts i think they mean the Bible, Quran, Torah, etc!)

3. What is on top of your fridge?
a red dutch oven, foil, saran wrap, a lunch box, a rolling pin, and a sleeve of plastic cups... and a WHOLE LOT OF DUST! :(

4. What are your favorite or most used apps?
INSTAGRAM - my top fave!
I also like using Twitter & Pinterest more on my phone than on the computer. Just the way the app is set up. I use an app called MY Weight to track my weight...it's really cool and i love it. I also use My Fitness Pal. Red Stamp is fun for sending notes to people via text, and Cuptakes has cute backgrounds!

5. What's the one thing you hate most about your spouse's job?
That he should be supervisor. He does more of her work than she does. Seriously.

Happy ~~Friday~~ Saturday, y'all! :)

Move Over, Mrs. Markham!

2013-05-04T12:24:00.000-05:00

So, our show is FINALLY ready! Yay!

Sometimes you are ready for an audience before you actually get one. That was definitely the case for this show. I think our cast was ready for an audience on Monday. Really, Sunday, other than the fact that it was our first dress rehearsal. Anyway, our first audience was Wednesday. Finally! You see, it can get old fast performing for the same 5 people in the audience (who sometimes aren't paying attention because they're discussing lights & sound & such). The cast feeds off of the laughter of the audience, it helps them with their energy level, causing them to give an even better performance, if that makes sense. So, Wednesday. First audience. It went well, but nerves were high, as is to be expected. Thursday, though! Thursday was our 2nd preview performance and it was FANTASTIC! Everything just fell into place, and the people in our audience were laughing hysterically. Yay!

Because I have a co-SM this go-round, and she was calling the show on Thursday, i was able to sit in the back and take some production photos. It's hard to get great shots in a theater...even if the stage is bright, the house is dark, and the action on stage is fast. I was using a tripod, but still had to delete a TON of too-blurry shots. I did manage to get some good ones, though.

This is my friend, Ronald. He plays Mr. Markham. He has the best facial expressions!

Zac, who plays Alistair. Got a lot of pics of his great facial expressions, too!

Carole & Jeff, who play Mr & Mrs Lodge

Carole & Liz, who play Linda Lodge & Joanna Markham

Ronald with Lindsey, who plays Ms. Smythe

Zac (Alistair), Liz (Joanna) & Nick, who plays Walter

Alistair & Sylvie (played by Courtney)

Michele (Miss Wilkinson) & Ronald (Philip Markham)

I know this is blurry, but these two are married in real life! They're so cute!

And my favorite...

Here is a trailer they did for our show, if you care to watch! :) (The moment from the above pic is in the trailer... see if you can tell which part it is!?)

I'm famous, y'all!

2013-05-02T14:51:00.000-05:00

Okay, not really! But. My name is in the paper! That's something, right?! And it's not for something bad! Ha! Do you see it? It's under the bottom picture to the far right...

See there? Melissa, and the start of my last name, under the picture, in the far right corner???

Okay, maybe you don't. I don't have the actual paper. This is a screenshot of Shane's instagram. If you click the picture to see it larger and then squint a whole whole lot, you can maybe IMAGINE that it says "photo provided by..." & then my name! The start of it, anyway. The whole thing is actually there but i don't have a copy of the article! And apparently theater news is not important enough to go on the app version of our paper!? How rude!

Still, I'm excited. Even if you can't fully see it! The article is here and if you click through the pictures, one of the captions says the photos are provided by me!

I've never had my name in the paper. Oh, that's not true. SOMETIMES they mention the stage manager for a show, in theater articles. It's kind of rare, actually (in my experience, anyway). But that's okay. That's not why i do theater!

I love photography, and would want to do it even if i never got a picture in the paper. But man! It does feel pretty good to see my picture with my name there! Yay!

I didn't post some of these before now, because I just didn't feel like it was my best shoot. I was a little out of practice, and forgetting simple things like, GET YOUR PEOPLE OUT OF THE DIRECT SUNLIGHT!!! And SET YOUR SHUTTER SPEED FIRST!

But it was hot, it was in the freaking WOODS, and it's a miracle I didn't slide down a hill in the mud, or trip over the giant roots from some of the trees out there, or get poison ivy! All that being said, perhaps i should share some of the pics!

The pics were of my husband's cousin's cast of Midsummer Night's Dream. He is the theater teacher at a local high school.

Praise & Prayer

2013-04-28T16:07:00.000-05:00

I'm linking up again with Amy & Melissa Jo for their Prayer Chain Linkup! Check out either of their blogs if you would like to join in! :)

Today i have 2 praises to mention & 2 prayer requests!

{PRAISE}

So the anger I have been speaking of lately? About what went wrong with my job, and how it was handled (if you have no idea what i am talking about, read this post & then this one)? Well, I am feeling that anger dissipate. I mean... I still maintain that the situation was handled wrong, but I also keep remembering the verse my friend shared with me:

And Job answered God, "I'm convinced. You can do anything & everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans for me!" (Job 42:1, the Message). I mean, who can argue with that?! There's no situation and no person that can mess up what God has planned for my life. Today, our pastor talked about our stories...how God is writing our story...and i learned again - nothing can upset that plan! Nothing is going to happen to me that will take God by surprise. He knows all, and He can do anything.

I have forgiven. I forgave by faith immediately, but sometimes it takes awhile for your feelings to catch up with your faith. You know what I mean? Anyway... the anger is subsiding.

The truth is, I know that this is all part of the plan. If working for Eye Wander was just a temporary thing to get me away from my job before it.... if it was just a stepping stone to the next big thing...then okay. I can deal with that.

So that is my praise! That today was one full of JOY & a belief that God is good all the time. A big difference from last Sunday when i was still in shock & disbelief, when i was still furious & hurt. And anxious. God is good. And he will prove faithful in this situation just as he always has.

My other praise is that I HAVE LOST NINE POINT FOUR POUNDS IN THREE WEEKS!!!!!! This Tuesday I weigh again, to see what i lost in my first month on Ideal Protein. I AM THRILLED.

Okay, whew! Now, my prayer requests!

{PRAYER}

I pray that I will stay strong on this diet. I know some people have their opinions on dieting, but what i need people to understand is that when you get to be obese, sometimes you NEED HELP. Sometimes you cannot just "eat less & move more" & see results. I promise you... I have tried everything, sticking to it, without cheating. I have done EVERYTHING recommended for months on end, without result. I am so thankful for this diet because it knows just what i need!

The deal is that you cannot succeed on Ideal Protein if you are going to cheat. My first two weeks I didn't cheat at all. Then i lost my job. And I had mexican. I got right back on plan and still saw a loss. But then last week, i cheated again. I got back on track again, and pray i still see a loss. I know it was one cheat, in a week, but cheating is a slippery slope. Next thing you know, you're eating the wrong things more than you're following the diet! And i can't have that. I have to follow it, i have to see the success that i have been longing for, for years now!

So please pray that i get solid in this diet, that there is NO CHEATING. That my mindset goes back to what it was in the first two weeks. SOLID. STRONG. UNBENDING.

The other prayer request is for my job interview on Tuesday. It's at 1:00 and it's for one of our local hospitals. I don't know how much it pays, but i want it! I have always wanted to work in a hospital or doctor's office (not sure why, since i do not do medical!). Every time i have applied, I've never even gotten a call. This time, just 2 days after i apply, i get a call for an interview! So I'm excited. Please pray that i give good answers to whatever i am asked. Please pray i make a good impression. I know God will take care of the rest! If it is meant to be, i will get that job. But it would be nice if it WAS in His plan for me! If I didn't even have to continue to interview. If this was it. I know that when I lost my job, God knew what was next for me. It would be nice if "what was next" happened this soon. That's all. :)

Thanks, guys! Love to you all!

Nothing & no one!

2013-04-26T18:54:00.004-05:00

(Decided to add this little button since this post IS a bit frank & happens to be on a Friday. But if you don't know Part 1 of this story, you should catch up by reading this post first. And also, link up with Amy for Frankly Friday, if ya want!)

* * * * *

I cannot thank you enough for your kind words of encouragement and love after Wednesday's post. Seriously. Y'all are the BEST! (Also, that has to beat some kind of record for most comments I've ever received on a post. For real.)

To answer some of your questions:
No, no warning at all.
Yes, he did give a reason. It's just that it didn't add up with the other things he said.
I, too, was (& still am) confused. Oh, yes, and angry.

Just so you know, I do not wish anything bad on this guy (besides maybe that punch in the face!). He has a good heart, believe it or not. But he also has a lot of faults, faults that affect other people. The hilarious thing is that he said he will likely want me back in a year or so. Um, what? Really? Seriously? BIG NEGATIVE, DUDE! I don't want to PURPOSEFULLY work for someone who will let you go in a heartbeat, without any warning, whatsoever. Who acts on his whims, with a careless attitude towards whoever is hurt by his actions.

I do not hate him. I just am angry with him. And don't know how long I will feel this way.

I am not acting on this anger. Except maybe through vent-blogging. :) But i didn't actually do or say the things I wanted to do or say at the time. And I'm glad because it wouldn't have accomplished anything at all!

Even so, the anger is most definitely there. I can't look at his posts on Facebook, glance at his blog or anything of the sort without feeling some anger just rise up within me. The thing is, what he did was wrong, whether he believes it was or not. Even if he was right in letting me go, he should have talked to me first. Tried to work it out. Given me some warning. NOT A WORD until he was calling me in on a Saturday to find my packed up desk, my paycheck. Not a word until that day when he said, "So. This is it."

I will deal with the anger. I have acknowledged it, and have forgiven him "by faith". I know that at some point my heart will follow my words.

And I'm not saying all this to convince any of YOU, because nobody was all - "you better forgive him, melissa! unforgiveness will eat away at you like a cancer!" or anything like that. But it is true. I am sure I will be fine once a little time has passed. Once i get a JOB!

One friend sent me an email after reading my post & it greatly encouraged me in the Lord. And it wasn't any of those fluff sayings that people use when they have no idea what else to say. It really ministered to me in that moment. A part of what she said is this:

"After all of the talk about creation, Job has this revelation that God can do anything. What is it that Job learned from God's speech on creation that God is trying to teach us? God is saying that knowing the reason why is not what you need in the hard times. Knowing God and who He is will get you through the hard times. So what should we be praying in the hard times? God tell me more about you- Remind me of your faithfulness, love, how you take care of all creation..."

and then later in her email,

"Melissa, be encouraged! Your King- Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the name above every name, your Risen Savior- He has one more move! He is your Ram in the Thicket. He is your provider. Your provision. He has a plan and it is magnificent! The Lord is good forever!"

That really spoke to me, Jess, and I hope you don't mind me sharing it! :)

The verse where Job has the revelation my friend is talking about is in Job 42:1: And Job answered God, "I'm convinced. You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans for me!" (The Message)

Y'ALL! That is the verse i am holding on to. It doesn't matter that i lost what I thought was the best job EVER. It doesn't matter that he laid me off the way that he did. Let God deal with that issue. What matters is that NOTHING AND NO ONE can upset God's plans for me! Nothing! And that is good news!

Also, God is providing for me a little along the way. My friends own a business that makes snow for kids (yes, we need that down south - since we don't actually GET snow!), but some events they sell funnel cakes & sno-cones. So i went with them yesterday and sold funnel cakes like nobodies business. I promise you: It was more fun than i have had on ANY day of any other job! Probably because it was a GORGEOUS day and was with 2 of my most favorite people!! I even got up before 6 am without (much) complaint!!!! ;) I will work with them again twice next week! Yay!

Thursday in Franklinton, LA

Me & Mandy, in between quick funnel cake assembly line action! We were a great team!

***IMPORTANT NEWS!***

My friend, Mandy (above) has started a blog!!!! I am SO EXCITED!!! Seriously. She is one of my most favoritest people and one of my closest friends! So, please go check out her blog! She just posted her first post TODAY! :)

Five Question Friday!

2013-04-26T16:30:00.001-05:00

Thought I would link up today with Mama M for Five Question Friday!

1.) Who drives when the family is together, you or your spouse?
Well, it's just the two of us, and I drive the most. This is because hubby has TERRIBLE night vision, and apparently most of our driving together is at night. If we are driving somewhere together during the day, I usually get him to drive since i have to do all the night driving. :)

Lately, I've noticed I have a much harder time seeing to drive at night, though...if we BOTH end up with bad night vision that will not be good!

2.) Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
I'm an introvert. I know some people find this hard to be believe. But it's true.

Source: funri.com via Kat on Pinterest

3. Are you married to an introvert or extrovert?

We are both introverts. He is even more so!

4. What's your favorite type of social media?

Instagram. I know it's only on smartphones (or tablets) but it really is my fave.

5. What's your favorite way to "recharge"?

Time in worship at church is a pretty good way to recharge. But a hot bath relaxes me, and relaxing recharges me. :) I also like naps when i REALLY need help! :)

What about you? Answer these 5 questions in the comments, or you can do it in your own blog & link up here!

Midweek Confessions {warning: much frustration vented here.}

2013-04-24T17:30:00.001-05:00

I am so sorry I haven't blogged. I have actually had the time, but I haven't been able to put into words the - wait a minute. This part belongs in the actual confessions part of this post. :)

Today I will be linking up with Elizabeth for Midweek Confessions. I've been reading her blog for quite some time now, and i just love her. She is funny. And she's a teacher. I love teachers! Her confessions are always hilarious because i can so relate to them. Sad but true, haha! I don't know why I've never joined in, though. But i am feeling particularly confession-ish today. Possibly because i have some things to confess? We shall see!

Confession #1 - As I was starting to say in my introduction, I haven't blogged because the only thing on my mind shouldn't be blogged about yet. Actually, it can be, but i'm not ready. I haven't been ready, I mean. But... I think I might be ready now.

Confession #2 - The thing is, this: I have had more feelings of ANGER in the past five days than I have had in probably the past year. Or maybe three years. I am not kidding.

Confession #3 - I am realizing now that with each confession this might get a little bit juicier. Not that i want it to, but... I keep having to share a little more of the reason i am angry!

Confession #4 (also known as Background Info): As some of you know, back in February, I quit the job I had because i was incredibly miserable & stressed out & that was not good. I was only able to quit because i got a job that was perfect for me in every way, that fell in my lap, & that definitely had to be a God-thing. (For the record, I still believe it was a God-thing. To get me away from a very miserable/stressful work environment, if anything.)

Confession #5 - On Saturday morning, i was enjoying my weekend but fully intending to go to work on Monday morning. By Saturday afternoon, I had no job for Monday morning. Yes, my boss called me in on a Saturday, had my desk packed up, gave me my last check, assured me i did nothing wrong, and that's it. No more amazing job for me. Hey, no job for me, PERIOD!

Confession #6 - Those of you who have been here awhile... do you feel like you need to re-read my 5th confession again & again to make sure you read it right? Are you staring at it with your mouth open, in shock & disbelief? Well, guess what? MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY!

Confession #7 - I HUGGED him when i left on Saturday. After i was laid off for no good reason. After he did this to me. I was shell-shocked, I think, so i HUGGED him! I honestly should've punched him in the face!

Confession #8 - The thought of applying for jobs again and of interviewing again makes me want to cry. Actually, i have cried. A LOT.

Confession #9 - Every time something like this happens to me, I wonder if I am being punished for not finishing school & getting my degree. (Please do not comment that i should go back to school! Unless you are paying for it & taking my math & sciences classes for me!)

Confession #10 - "Everything that glitters isn't gold." & "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.": These are the two statements I wanted to post on Facebook when it happened. But I refrained. I didn't want people to know what happened. I was embarrassed. Three days in, i still don't want to post it on Facebook. But I am okay with blogging about it.

Confession #11 - I realize the last confession makes no sense.

Confession #12 - I cheated on my diet for the first time since starting it, and I am sure we can blame the boss who laid me off for no reason, with no warning. This was a classic case of emotional eating, but i am proud to ~~brag~~ confess that i picked myself back up, when straight back to eating right, and still saw a loss! (9.3 pounds in 3 weeks, y'all! PRAISE THE LORD!)

Confession #13 - I have enjoyed the time off. It's like vacation, as long as i am not thinking about the fact that i am jobless!!! Again!

Confession #14 - Even though this sucks BIGTIME, and i am still harboring some anger & resentment & disappointment &, well, SHOCK... I know that God is with me...that he has a better job in store for me. He's already surrounded me with some seriously supportive family & friends...AND He got me an interview for next Tuesday! :)

* * * *

The end. And, Elizabeth, if you are reading this... i am so sorry my first confession post was all negative!!! Same to my lovely readers. Hopefully my next post will be much, MUCH happier & sweeter! :)

To Boston & West Texas, with love

2013-04-19T23:14:00.003-05:00

I just can't stop thinking about the bombing in boston, the explosion in texas, the manhunt & gunfires in watertown, the people whose lives were lost - or changed in an instant. I didn't watch the news. Just heard what was going on as I read updates on Twitter over the last week.

All I could think was, How do you get up to go to a MARATHON of all things, and end up leaving without legs or as a widow or, at the very least, seeing a BOMB explode?! These are not things you expect to happen at a marathon.

And, in Texas, you go to sleep and suddenly are fighting for your life after an explosion? An accident, yes. Not a terrorist attack. But still cost a lot of people their lives. A tragedy!

It is insane.

I'm sorry, by the way, if this post is a little much for you right now. If you want to read about something else, I get it. If you're SICK TO DEATH of hearing about all this, i really do understand that, too. No offense taken, at all. But i can't get this off of my mind. I have to blog about it.

As I said, I didn't watch the news all day. I saw updates on Twitter when i woke up this morning, and read a little more about it when i got to the office. But then I put it out of my mind & got to work.

Later, though, it came to my mind again. I pulled up this article and THAT is why it will no longer leave my mind. That guy. I won't put the picture, although you probably have seen it. (If you are squeamish, don't click the link, or at least don't look too hard at the picture.) This is the guy that went to the marathon to cheer his girlfriend on. I told Brad, that is something people do ALL THE TIME, EVERYWHERE! They run a 5k or a marathon or a half-marathon. That's what people do all over the world these days. And if they don't, they often go to watch someone else. The Boston Marathon is awesome, attracts probably thousands. (I'm guessing, I have no idea.) You get up, you get dressed, you go! You are ready to stand at the finish line to watch your girlfriend cross it.

But instead of going home, you go to a hospital.
And instead of watching your girlfriend cross the finish line, you watch a bomber drop a bag, look you in the eyes, and cause you to lose your legs.

I cannot even comprehend it.

I know people lost their lives. And i pray they knew the Lord. But the people i really cannot stop thinking about are their families. And the others...the ones who were injured. The ones who lost limbs. The ones like Jeff Bauman.

God, help them! Please bring your comfort & peace.

I realized later I have several friends that live in Boston. I knew I had two friends who go to school at the Boston Conservatory there, but they were not in Boston this past week. Another friend has lived there for a year or so, doing theater, he wasn't there either. Then i read a tweet from a girl who used to blog, who i followed & got to know through blogging. She was AT the marathon! She wasn't hurt, and it sounds like she didn't know anyone who was hurt, but gosh! Cannot imagine being there.

I have to add that this was a week where i debated getting off of facebook again. I have deactivated my account before, and it was nice. I like staying connected, though. But I hid a lot of people from my feed this week. I really cannot grasp what drives people - perfectly nice, normal people, mind you - to post political agendas or self-righteous garb when a disaster happens. Why not just, "praying for boston" or "i love west texas"??? Why do we have to use everything to "prove a point" on facebook? To me, it just shows a lack of compassion and sensitivity.

The other thing that annoyed me is right after the explosion in West Texas, I had three facebook posts in my newsfeed immediately. One fussing at the media for still covering Boston & not West Texas (maybe they wanted all the facts first?!), and two saying "more people dead in West Texas than in Boston". What is your POINT? I mean, so what if more people died in one place than the other! Am i supposed to care more for the one that lost more lives? Really? So, what if I lived in Texas and i had family in west texas and one of them died. And what if i also had an aunt at the Boston Marathon & she died. Do you think I would want America to care more about my family in West Texas just because it affected more people? BOTH events were tragedies, people. There should be room in your heart to care for BOTH.

The thoughtlessness of people flabbergasts me. Seriously.

I sound like I think the Boston tragedy is worse now. That's not what I'm saying. Please don't misunderstand! I have been stuck on Boston now, because it's a terrorist attack, because one was still at large (thankfully, he's now in custody!), and because of the picture of Jeff Bauman. But i am just as grieved for West Texas. They are closer. I have friends & family near there.

My heart is with both areas, and I hope yours is too. That's all I'm saying.

Anyway, sorry to ramble & ramble & I promise I'll give you a lighter post next time. Just, please, think about the people of Boston & West Texas. And pray for them. They need our prayers. They need his comfort & peace.

"God is our refuge & strength; a very present help in times of trouble." -Psalm 46:1

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness." -Lamentations 3:22-23

To Love Each Other

2013-04-13T13:50:00.002-05:00

Something has been on my heart all week, and at other times before that too. I have to share it. I feel like it's rare for me to actually sit down and write about things that really bother me or inspire me or worry me or challenge me. It is rare. That is because it takes time and a lot of thought, and sometimes it's just easier to tell you about my day and show you some pictures. That's the honest truth.

I want to get out of that, though. I want to take the time to share what's on my heart. I don't know that i will... being honest, I can be lazy, and if i'm not being lazy, I'm being easily distracted, especially while on the computer! But this topic has been stewing in me, and I have some hours to sit and do whatever I want. So here goes.

I have, for many years, considered myself incredibly blessed when it comes to friendship. I have some of the best girlfriends, girls who really love me, truly care for me, will say they are going to pray for me, and then actually do it. I have girlfriends who support me & encourage me in anything i do. Several of them have been good friends for 10 years or more, and others are new in my life. But they are all the BEST kinds of friends a girl could have. TRUE FRIENDS.

There are other women, too. Women I used to go to church with, but now keep in touch with on Facebook. We don't hang out, but if they post something about a crisis they're going through or how they need prayer, I immediately feel compassion for them and often wish i could do something for them. Sometimes i am burdened for them for days, other times I just want to hug their neck! Again, these are women I never see! Just women i know and love. Women who are my sisters in Christ. Given their character, I am pretty certain that if I were to vent a frustration or concern, their reaction would be the same.

I could honestly have coffee with any one of these people and tell them ANYTHING, and they would support me. Obviously, if i told them something good, something along the lines of school or career or a baby or a house, they would be excited & support me. But even if i told them something BAD. Even if i said i wanted to leave my husband, or I was getting addicted to alcohol or I wanted to start partying because I never did it in my college years, they would STILL love me!

No, they wouldn't agree with or support any of those choices (which, by the way, are NOT the case!). What I mean to say is they would still LOVE me through and through. I don't think they would turn their backs on me. I can see some of their faces as I think about this, and i know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they would still be there for me, they would still care about me, they would hug me & pray for me & do whatever they could do to help me.

And even if i made the wrong decision...even if i did leave my husband or refuse rehab or start bar-hoppin' every weekend, they would still love me. I have no doubts about this. Sure, they would be shocked & worried & maybe even disgusted, but i know they would love me unconditionally.

The reason i bring this up, is because I keep having friends of mine be hurt by others in the body of Christ. I keep seeing sisters in Christ tear each other down or criticize or condemn. And it bothers me. What is the point of this? So we can look more spiritual to others? So we can sit up on our spiritual high horse? Because we are jealous? I don't know why some christians feel the need to treat others this way, but i will say this: It is wrong!

I am not saying that the women in my life have NEVER said ANYTHING to hurt me. Of course they have, and i have to them. Most of my closest friends were my roomies at one time or another, and we are human, after all. We will say things we don't mean in the heat of the moment, and we will also say things intended to be of help, when the truth is it didn't help a single bit. These aren't the situations I am referring to; I'm not talking about mistakes. I am talking about HURTING our sisters in christ. I am talking about kicking somebody while they're already down.

Sometimes, when your husband or mom or boss or client is being mean, you should be able to pour all that out to a friend without being judged or criticized. Without being kicked. You should have a friend to go to when your life is crumbling all around you, a friend you know will have your back, a friend you know is there for you no matter what. Even if you have your own problems and are somewhat to blame for whatever is going on - these are not times a true friend would bring that up. These are times a true friend or a true sister in Christ shouldn't do anything but listen, support, care, pray!

I bring this up because I keep seeing this happening! I see it on Facebook and i hear about it from friends of mine who really are hurting. Some of my closest friends have recently been so hurt by others and it makes me angry! What is the point of all that? Why is your first reaction when somebody confides in you or when somebody asks for prayer or, gosh, when somebody posts something on facebook - why is it to judge? Or criticize? or blame? Or to (gasp!) UNFRIEND?

I say that last one a little facetiously, because I think it's silly to unfriend someone because they posted something you disagreed with. Now, i am NOT talking about the person that posts CONSTANT political or religious bashing, or the person who only posts Candy Crush updates. I get that, haha! I also understand having to let go of people who do nothing but pour negativity in your life when you are trying to stay positive. I get that too. I am not talking about things like that. I am talking about when you like a person & then you disagree with ONE THING that person says, and you unfriend them. REALLY?

Seriously, isn't this world full of Know-It-Alls and Judgy MacJudgerson's and spiritual goody-goodies, already?! And do we, as christian women, really think God is so impressed by our ability to stand up & challenge or confront? No. I don't think He is. Obviously, there is a time and a place for confrontation, but that's another post. What i am talking about here is being a true Sister in Christ. Loving people, even at their worst. I mean, that's what Jesus did, right? And that's what He calls us to do.

I read this post on Beth Moore's blog this week, after already thinking about this topic for days. And these quotes really stuck with me:

"I kept thinking how believers attack one another and sling stones at each other like the other can’t bruise or break. And all the while that person may be in so much personal pain that it’s nearly unbearable."

"Life is hard enough without hatefulness rife in the Body of Christ. We are called to carry one another’s burdens, not pile relentlessly on top of them. We can still hold one another accountable. We can still ask questions. We can still disagree. But we can do it with respect."

And this: "I’m sick of the bullying. The mud-slinging and the meanness. I’m sick of careless, idle words thrown out there in the public square and professing believers in Christ standing on the necks of their own brothers and sisters to sound smart and superior. As if it’s not enough that we are surrounded in this culture by Christian haters, we’ve got to have our own hater-Christians. It’s insane."

Seriously, i wanted to get up & shout when i read this. That is what i am trying to say! I know there is a time to speak the truth, and I am not suggesting you turn a blind eye if your friend is seriously falling off the deep end! Obviously, you talk to them, but can you do it with LOVE? That's what the Bible says. To go to someone in LOVE. I know we all know that, but I am starting to wonder if we even know what love IS.

I guess this is long enough, and I don't even know if i am writing a clear & concise post! Hopefully, though, it will at least help us to think before we speak. To consider that there may be more than meets the eye. To use some understanding & compassion. To love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8

If I speak in the tonguesof men or of angels, but do not have love,

I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,

and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,

but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

NEWS FLASH: BlogLovin' DOES have a next button!

2013-04-11T19:43:00.002-05:00

I didn't mean to start a debate on which is better, but MAN! I was leaning towards Feedly, but now I am most definitely leaning towards BlogLovin'! WHY??? Because BlogLovin', like Google Reader, has a NEXT button!!

WHAT?!

This changes everything.

Side note! If this post has taken you off guard, you might want to read the last one. I am basically picking up where we left off. :)

Some of you didn't know what the Next button with Google Reader was. I told you not to worry about it, because I don't want you to be so sad that you were unaware of it all this time! But since you asked... it was (is, but not for long) a "goodie" where you could drag a "NEXT" button to your toolbar. Then when you were ready to catch up on some blog reading, instead of going to your reader, you would just click "next" & it would take you straight to the next unread blog in your reader. TO THE ACTUAL BLOG, not to the blog in your reader! I LOVED this, because i like going to the actual blog. I want to see the design. I want to comment right then & there. I just like it! It's more personal, maybe? I don't know.

I did not see a next button on BlogLovin' or Feedly. Obviously i didn't do enough exploring.

THANK YOU, Erika & Melissa Jo, for sharing with me about BlogLovin's next button! I am SOLD!!! (I just checked to see if Feedly has this, but as far as i can tell, it does NOT. The only "next" button i see, only takes you to the next blog but while keeping you in Feedly.)

For those of you want this mysterious "next" button, whenever you go to someone's blog (by clicking the first blog in your feed in BlogLovin'), it will give you a new little navigation bar underneath your tool bar! It says "newer" & "older", not "NEXT" but it's the SAME THING! It works the SAME WAY! WHAT!?! :)

Well, I just wanted to catch everyone up on that post from before! Now... if you will excuse me, i have some blog reading to do! From BlogLovin'! (I just deleted my Google Reader next button just so i automatically use Bloglovin! Ha!)

P.S. Is there a way to find out who your followers are on BlogLovin?

A Silly/Serious Little Vent. {Or, Why i will not miss Google Reader!}

2013-04-09T22:42:00.000-05:00

Have you ever tried to UNsubscribe to a blog? You subscribed thinking you loved them & then realized quickly it just wasn't meant to be... but Google Reader WOULD NOT ALLOW YOU TO UNSUBSCRIBE?! Y'all. Seriously. There was one but now there are two blogs that i just CANNOT unfollow. It started with the one. The reason i followed it is because it is a low-carb recipe blog which i thought would be good. However, this blogger posts never and then all of a sudden posts A MINIMUM OF 14 posts in one sitting. And why this annoys me? I don't know. But it does. Because i hit my little next button which brings me to the next blog & i am STILL SEEING THIS BLOG! Over & over again! I don't even read the content now because I am quickly trying to get off of this blog!

Also, the design is really ugly. And as ashamed as i am to admit it, that is part of the reason why i am trying to quickly go to the next blog!

Anyway, recently i tried to unfollow another strange blog that is not even a blog i can imagine wanting to follow in the first place. It's just about wall street and other things i wouldn't be reading about. I unfollowed & suddenly it's BACK in my reader. It's this mysterious thing that happens, and it happened the same way for the other one. WILL NOT GO AWAY. This has been going on with the first one for probably a year, and when i tell you there is nothing i can do, i mean it! There's nowhere on her blog to unsubscribe. But if you unsubscribe the regular way, through reader, it acknowledges it & then RESUBSCRIBES YOU later on! RUDE!

The only way to fix this is to EMAIL the person who writes the blog, and what would that solve really? First of all, I do not at all want to hurt this person's feelings! Really! And secondly, I don't know if there is anything she can do about it! I mean, if someone wrote me saying they couldn't unfollow me & to please unsubscribe them, i wouldn't know how to go about doing that! So... it stays my secret (until now...oops!). :oP

The newer blog I have tried to unfollow, well. It's only happened once (the resubscribing thing), but i know what is happening now! It's going to be another dreaded blog that NEVER EVER leaves my feed! AHHHHH!

This is why i am not sad to see Google Reader go. There have been far too many glitches. And this is the worst one of all! And i may seem like a lunatic to you all. And I'm sorry. But man! I just don't want to see that blog again! It is not good to post 17 posts in a minute! I mean, two is fine with me. I don't care if you post 3 or 4 in a day. I would say 7 is crossing a line. And i know most think 2 is crossing a line! So i feel like I'm being generous here! It is like recipe overload from this woman!

By the way, after hearing about BlogLovin, I started hearing about Feedly. So now i am on BOTH so i can check them BOTH. There is a chance I'm leaning towards Feedly. It's cuter. And that is a sad reason to choose one over the other. Well, it's cleaner. Maybe that's what I'm trying to say. Both are cute though! I took these screenshots of Feedly on my iPhone. I definitely love the app version of it!

I put the blogs I read in categories. Basically, all of YOU go in the "friendship blogs" category (some of you ARE my real friends & some i feel like we are, or could be!). And then celeb blogs is actual famous people (like Beth Moore) & famous bloggers (like Kelle Hampton or Pioneer Woman). I also have a category for photography blogs & food/health related blogs, for blogs i follow that only blog about those things. But it's cute, huh? I like it.

And this is kind of how the feed looks. :)

I will say that the app/site for BOTH bloglovin & feedly are better looking than google reader, anyway.

Although I sure will miss that NEXT button. (If you don't know what that is, don't worry about it. You're better off not knowing. Because it's about to be taken from us anyway. SOB!)

Another Zoo Date!

2013-04-07T19:15:00.001-05:00

My husband and I live right across the street from our city's zoo. Brad lived here first, and I moved here when we got married. I remember saying, "I haven't been to the zoo in ages! We should go on a date there one day!" He agreed. FOUR years later, we actually went! Finally, right?! We went October of last year, when the zoo was having a special event that caused our friends Billy & Mandy to work there, selling funnel cakes & stuff for the event. Our friends gave us free tickets, so that was our first time to go! That was in October. For our anniversary in November, we went to the New Orleans Zoo. And then yesterday, there was another zoo event, our friends worked there again, and they gave us free tickets again! Ha. I am kind of liking how this is working out. :)

Anyway, so we went yesterday & we had a great time! I brought my camera for some practice, and was slightly worried that there wouldn't be anything new to take pictures of. How silly of me! The otters, who we didn't see at all last time, had just been fed fish and were running & swimming around like CRAZY! There was an elephant demonstration at 10:30 that we showed up just in time for! And y'all...an albino peacock. Have you ever seen one of these?! I hadn't either.

Wow! Beautiful! I've always thought regular peacocks were gorgeous. And they are! But nothing compared to this one! Just so elegant!

The elephant demonstration was pretty cool. They had two trainers come out & the girl had the elephant sit for us, lay down for us, pick up a giant piece of wood & walk with it, catch a baton & take a bow. Other things I am probably forgetting. It was so cute, though!

After awhile, we made our way to the tent where one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world was working. They own a business where they bring snow to parties & such. Ha! Down here, you have to actually MAKE snow if you want any. :) So they have a very successful business where events & families hire them to do snow parties! It's pretty cool (actually, it's COLD. Ha!). Anyway, they also often get jobs selling sno-cones or funnel cakes or smoothies. And that's what they were doing today. Actually, Mandy was. Billy was working somewhere else. But it was SO GOOD to see my Mandy! I love her!

I just love her. And doesn't she look good in those colors?! I think so. She also got a couple of pics of me and my love!

Ha! We are silly ~~sometimes~~ pretty much all the time.

Brad got funnel cake, but i didn't eat ANY. Not one bite! Not one crumb! No, siree!

After visiting with Mandy a bit, we did some more walking around. I was kind of whiny at this point, because i was STARVING. Ha! So we quickly went through the rest of the zoo. Saw some more fun animals! I thought this turtle was pretty hilarious. I have to say, I've never seen a turtle's NOSE before...until now!

There were also screaming monkeys. And by screaming, i mean, SCREAMING. See?

That is insane. And they weren't mad...seemed to be playing is all! There were three of them, and they could be heard from the moment you walked into the zoo! Crazy!

The beautiful tigers are always my favorite. :) I seriously just want to pet them!

It was a wonderful day!! We really enjoyed it! Can't wait to the next zoo date!

Life updates!

2013-04-05T23:09:00.001-05:00

How ARE you?! Long time, no talk! I am slowly but surely catching up on my blog reading tonight. Man, it felt SO GOOD to come home tonight & sit in my favorite spot in our living room! I have moved very little since I got home at almost 6:00. The other days this week I have gone straight from work to the theater, where I am stage managing a hilarious british farce called Move Over, Mrs. Markham. Such a funny show!

But no rehearsal tonight, WHEW! And I am so glad to spend an evening at home! Tomorrow we are going to the zoo. Our friends are working there for a special kids event, so they gave us some comp tickets. The last time we went, same reason. That was for Boo at the Zoo in October. This is for Zippity Zoo Days. So basically the only 2 times in our 4+ years of marriage that we have been to the zoo (across the street, I might add) is when it's PACKED with children for fun events. Oh-well. :) It's free. And we get to see two of our favorite people, Billy & Mandy!

So, how are things going? Some updates on how life has been over here...

WORK.
Work is good. For those new here, I work for Eye Wander Photo as an Office Manager. Monday was good. Tuesday & Wednesday were kind of stressful. Thursday & Friday were great. It's still a new to me job, and there is still a LOT for me to learn, but hey - it's for a PHOTOGRAPHY business. Do you know i love photography!? I haven't learned anything about editing or shooting yet, as I am still learning the database, organizing emails & schedules, talking to clients, etc! One fun thing is i get to handle all of the social media! I mean, y'all. How fun is that? If you follow his blog (you should!), it is more than likely ME doing the posting (as of the last week or so). If you follow him on instagram (eyewanderphoto), it's going to be ME behind that most of the time (haven't started doing that yet!). And when i post on his blog, I immediately Facebook, Tweet & Pin. I mean... how fun to get to do this & get paid?!

I DID assist on a baby shoot this week, and man. It's tough when your baby fever is SKY HIGH. You don't want to yank the baby out of their hands & RUN, but what's a girl to do?! I kid, I kid. One day I'll have a kid of my own to take cute pics with. ;) Anyway, this baby boy was a DOLL. I'll link you to the blog when that one is ready, just to prove it to you! It was a fun shoot. I got nervous because my boss will ask me to hold a reflector or plug up a light thing or something & I don't know how. But thankfully i got it after awhile & hopefully will remember for next time. :)

And yes, I shamelessly just added the links to ALL of the EWP's social media.

Oh! You have to check out our staff photo shoot! SO fun!

THEATRE.
Ah, my happy place. Always. Almost 7 years now I have been a part of this place. I absolutely love it there. Right now I am stage managing Move Over, Mrs. Markham. We have a great cast. We have been doing blocking so far. That's where the director tells you where to move & when, & you (as the actor) write it in your script so you remember for next time, and you (as the stage manager) write it in your script so you remember it for next time when the actor who hasn't written it down correctly walks to the wrong place & the director notices & asks you if that's right... And it's all very particular because if you have one actor walk to one place, but instead he walks to another, or walks to the right place at the wrong time, then he may upstage another actor.

And there you have a teeny bit of theater education!

Anyway, the cast is so funny, and once they know their lines & have their blocking down pat, i am going to probably be CRYING from laughter! This show is written by Ray Cooney. Last year (or the year before?) I did a show by him called It Runs in the Family. Oh, y'all. SO FUNNY. I swore i would never turn down a Ray Cooney show.

Also some of my favorite theater people were cast in it, so that's always good. And i have a friend co-sm'ing with me. I am training her so she can SM future shows on her own. But it's also good because some nights I can be home while she is stage managing by herself! Since she knows what to do for rehearsals now! She was out of town last week, which is why i did it all week. But starting next week we will alternate nights until tech week, so i can show her some more stuff!

THE DIET.
I am doing Ideal Protein! I have fallen in love with this diet! They told me Days 1-3 are the hardest. They said possibly the first week. Day 1 was tough. Day 2 was TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, VERY BAD & NO GOOD! I was HONGRY, had a killer headache all day, and NO energy. At all. But on day 3 there was a tiny breakthrough. Still hungry, still a little tired, but only a mild headache! On Thursday, i felt fine. FINE! Today, Day 5? I feel great!

I just can't wait to see how much i lose on my first weigh-in. I am SO THANKFUL that I am finally able to do this diet. It was recommended to me years ago by the metabolic clinic i go to & by my personal trainer at the time, but I declined because of the money. But now, desperate times call for desperate measures. SO THANKFUL for a supportive husband who has gotten the budget set up so that we can afford it (without going into savings which originally we thought we would have to do! And we may have to, but not at this point.)

It's going to be the first thing that has worked for me. And not for lack of trying!

MARRIAGE.
I tried & tried to write something here, without flaunting the joy that we have in marriage. But sometimes i just have to shout it! Brad is so sweet, so understanding & I am SO thankful. We were just talking about how so many people say that marriage is hard. I am not disputing that! But in our experience - so far - it's not marriage that is hard. It's LIFE that is hard...and we are lucky enough to go through it together! After pondering what it was i wanted to say, I ended up posting this on Facebook, and yep! That pretty much sums it up!

I know it's not an anniversary or anything. And MAN, do i try not to go overboard with the lovey-dovey stuff online. It tends to get eye-rolls and accusations of not painting an accurate picture of marriage. But can i please just say that marriage to Brad is the best thing that has ever happened to me? Because it is. When everything else falls apart, he is still there encouraging me, making me laugh or giving me a "brad-hug". I love him, I love him, I love him - and the best part? He loves me too!!!

MISCELLANEOUS.
File that under "words I can't spell without help". I didn't look it up, though, so forgive me if it's wrong! I am a good speller! I was the last one standing at the 8th grade spelling bee. Actually one guy beat me but he was the smartest kid in school and i was NOT, so it made me feel pretty smart! Ha! Here are some miscellaneous things I feel like sharing...

-On the interstate... When someone is in the lane next to me & my lane is "exit only" so i need to get over & they are RIGHT NEXT TO ME & will not speed up or slow down.... this makes me want to punch them in the face!

-It's cold again in Louisiana. LOUISIANA. In APRIL. Should be spring-like or HOT. But cold? Rare. But I'm good with it. It's not freezing. Just chilly. I'm okay with that!

-There is an app called iDrated. You record how much water you have ~~drank. drunk.~~ had. I have found drinking 64 oz per day (as required on my new diet) is not hard like i thought it would be. Apparently i was drinking that much anyway, just not in a cup that showed me how many ounces. I am now drinking out of a 32 ounce bottle & EASILY drink 3 of them per day. So i don't feel like i need this app now. But if you struggle to get in all your water, i think it's a pretty cool (free) app!

-Is pretty much everything on your Facebook newsfeed one or many of the following: Missing child pics, missing teenager pics, missing dog pics, mean political snubs, mean religious snubs, "please like this picture so i can win ________" posts???

Yep. Me too.

This post is entirely too long. That's what happens when you go all week without updating. It's pictureless too. That's a result of laziness. Forgive me? It's late. I need my bed.

GOODNIGHT!

Happy Easter {& prayer chain linkup!}

2013-03-31T19:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter, everyone!

So thankful for the sacrifice Jesus made for me! And for YOU. He is so good!

This morning I sang a song at church. My first time to sing a solo since I have been going there (other than leading 2 songs in worship one evening). I love this song. Nichole Nordeman is a brilliant writer! If you have never heard this song, listen to it... it's beautiful! (This is her singing it...not me...haha!)

Anyway. I am linking up with Amy & Melissa for the prayer chain linkup! If you want to join, you can write up a post with any praises from last week & any prayer requests you have. Then add the link to your post to Amy or Melissa's post! They have committed to praying for each & every request...and you do your part by praying for one of the other requests. I think this is such an awesome idea!

{PRAISE}

I just posted this on Facebook: Last Easter, Brad & I visited Covenant Church with my parents, just to be with them for Easter Sunday. We were not at all expecting to leave with the crystal clear understanding that this was the church for us! Ironic because Brad grew up there, and my parents had been attending for over 15 years! We surprised my parents the next Sunday by showing up again...& we didn't look back! We are so thankful for such a wonderful pastor, sweet church family & the lifelong friendships we have made so far! We ♥ y'all!

And that is my praise. We had been looking for a church home for AWHILE, finally settling in a church i grew up in. It didn't feel like home, but it was a good church, some of my closest friends go there & frankly, we were tired of looking. I love how God knew all along that He had a place for us at Covenant, and that he would show us that when we visited with my parents for Easter. We have LOVED being a part of Covenant since then. Such down to earth people, such sweet & real people, and some lifelong friendships we have made! Very thankful!

{PRAYER}

Tomorrow I start Ideal Protein. This is also something that i just KNOW God is leading me to do. I have been struggling with my weight since high school, but in 2009, I got to my highest weight ever & decided something had to be done. I lost 20 pounds but it took me forever to do it, and then i gained more than half of it back. I was diagnosed with Insulin Resistance, which explained the difficulty in losing weight, but i have still struggled to lose. And believe me when i say i have done EVERYTHING you need to do to lose weight!

The metabolic clinic suggested Ideal Protein to me back when i was first diagnosed with Insulin Resistance, but i balked at the cost. Now, though? Now i feel like desperate times call for desperate measures. Brad is totally supportive & has made room in the budget for me to be able to do this! Tomorrow is my first appointment at 8:00 am. I AM READY!

The prayer request is that i stick to this diet 100%, no matter how difficult! That i have a clear understanding of exactly what i can & can not eat & that i do not give in to temptation. Pray that God gives me the strength to follow through, that the weight comes off - FINALLY! And that as a result of the weight coming off, I reverse my Insulin Resistance...and have no problem getting pregnant! (My weight/IR is what has kept me from pregnancy so far. And yes, i know some overweight people & some people with IR get pregnant easily. But not all. And not me!!)

That is the plan. And the hope. :) Thank you for praying for me!

Last Weekend.

2013-03-30T09:09:00.000-05:00

This was supposed to be a "This Weekend, I" post with Sar & Syndal! And then i forgot to actually post it. So... a few edits here & there and it's posted a bit late! OOPS!

* * * * * * *

Last weekend, I had breakfast at my in-laws & got to visit them for awhile. Love my in-laws!

Last weekend, I laughed at Fani all curled up in my sister-in-law's LAP! I swear, she thinks she is a lap dog!

Last weekend, I (& my husband) went with mom & dad to have dinner with my sister and brother-in-law. They were only expecting my parents, so it was tons of fun to surprise them!

Last weekend, I was asked by our pastor to lead Happy Birthday to our worship pastor. HA! It was awesome. Billy is one of our good friends. The singers usually sit down when announcements start, but the band usually stays because they play during the offering (after announcements). Well, i recruited the singers to sing Happy Birthday with me! I know Billy was wondering why we were all still standing there when Pastor Jeff started the announcements. I wouldn't even look at Billy! Then Pastor Jeff looks at Billy and says, "So, Billy, do you have that special song ready for me?" And Billy says, "No, i do not!" looking at him like, "what the heck are you talking about?!" Pastor Jeff says, "Are you sure? That song? You don't have that song ready for me?" And Billy is like, "No, sir!" & i interrupted & said, "I got it, Pastor Jeff!" He said, "Oh, Melissa's gonna do it, great, thanks, Melissa!" LOL!!!! So i started singing happy birthday with the other singers! And my hubby chimed in on the organ which was awesome because Billy LOVES Brad's style on the organ! Ha! It was pretty funny.

Last weekend, I finally got to meet some beautiful twins!! My hubby's cousin, Blake, was at church with his wife & twins, Lawson & Blakeleigh! I held Lawson FOREVER. He was so sweet!

Last weekend, I had a lazy day on Sunday. Watched three movies! I watched Friends with Kids, which i actually really liked, although some may not (The f-bomb is the reason for the R rating. Otherwise, i liked it.). Then I watched "One for the Money" which i kind of half-watched while playing on my phone. Which means it didn't really hold my attention. Which is sad because i LOVE the book, and love that actress, Katherine Heigl. It was cute. Just not GREAT! As for the other movie...

Last weekend, I watched October Baby. Y'ALL. WATCH IT! It is a must-see! It was SO INCREDIBLY good. It's a movie about grace & forgiveness, abortion/adoption, and so much more. I cried buckets, but loved it! Beautiful writing, great acting!

(source)

Last weekend, I did a lot of laughing & being silly with my husband! Love that guy! :)