What I've Learned

I. Am. So. Tired!

I have slept so terribly for over a week now... I'm either too hot, too cold, have to pee, Ben's tossing and turning or my pillow is uncomfortable. I could not prop my eye lids open right now if I tried, but its only 6:15 and I figure that is WAY too early to try and go to sleep for the night. With my luck I'd wake up at 11 pm ready to go!

Tomorrow is going to be a long day: professional development meeting half the day, filling in the rest of the day with a whole day's worth of work and then we have our annual beauty walk at school that I am on duty to help with. I LOVE pageants, but it does make for a long day tomorrow.

Maybe I should be going to bed. Thank goodness Friday will be here shortly after that!

But today is day 24 of Katie's Blog Challenge - Something You've Learned.

If my brain weren't nearly asleep right now I could probably come up with something great and meaningful.... but instead this is what I've learned in my life so far:

God listens no matter what, and makes sense out of thoughts that even you cannot make sense of.

Google will answer any question you have and even questions you didn't know you had.

Sometimes people just want you to listen.... and not say anything back.

That I am actually an adult. ( I still don't know when exactly it happened though).

To not eat chicken from any fast-food restaurants except Chik-Fil-A.

You can order a meat-less hamburger from any fast-food resaurant.

You can't change what has happened by freaking out or yelling.

Pets can make everything better.


What have you learned???

Oh where oh where can it be?

My favorite city in all of the world? Yes, that means its day 22 of Katie's 30-day challenge.

I am having a really hard time coming up with my favorite city because really, if it has a beach, or a lazy river, it could be a contender.

I love Islamorada in the Keys. (We usually go there every christmas, but it just became a little expensive.... although you'd be surprised how cheap going during the off season actually is.) This year we won't be attending because I'll be working, but hopefully next year we can pick back up with it. Its about an hour from Key West, still very laid back, cute little seafood places, and beautiful views everywhere. (This picture below is VERY old... from Ben's first year down there I think).
My favorite city I've never been?

Charleston, SC

It just seems so beautiful! Close to the water, has a lot of interesting historical places and I've heard the night life is always fun too. I do hope to go there one day.

Nicknames

Happy Day 20 of 30 Days of Blogging! Its all about nicknames today.


Its actually hard to tell you about nicknames when you may not know my whole name! Either way it is a unique name that often gets changed into: Donna, Delorian, Derna, Donata, Tomorrow....Yep, I've even been called Tomorrow. Not sure how that one made it in, but none of those are my names.

My nicknames are:

This is what Ben, my family and half of my church calls me. Its just so much easier to introduce myself with a shorter name.

My grandmother, aunts and uncles still call me this because it stuck when I was a baby. Kinda cute, but I am 27 years old now.....

When all else fails and the two above just are TOO long, my name gets shortened to this. Which is just one syllable of my first name.

And yes, I'm super paranoid about people (6-8 grade students) googling my name so hopefully this is less likely to be googled? I don't know....

I miss you

Day 19
Something I miss:

Childhood
Being so carefree. Not having to worry about money, cleaning, bills, jobs, anything!!! I miss my biggest concern being who was going to pick me up from gymnastics.

Don't get me wrong, I love life now, but being stress-free was kinda nice also.

Regrets.....

Day 18: Things you regret(Photo from Google Images)

Thank the Lord for forgiveness of my sins because I do on a regular basis think of a few not so favorite moments in my life that I have to pray to the Lord to take out of my mind. I get sucked in by this regret and I know God has cleared me of my sins so it doesn't not serve him to get caught up in them.

My regrets aren't too many, but I do regret a bumpy time in college when I drifted from my faith. It was a very hard 6 or so months. My life went drastically downhill quickly, I broke up with Ben, my grades slipped, I got in trouble and was a person I didn't recognize. I am so glad I was given a second chance and nothing too serious happened during that time that could have effected the rest of my or my families lives. Ick... its hard to even think about it.

However, the Lord makes everything worth while because my lowest moment was when I had to call Ben and ask for some serious help. He of course arrived in minutes and we never looked back again. From that moment on we knew we were supposed to be married and that God had a much bigger plan for me that I did.

"No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him, he cannot go on sinning because he has been born of God."

The grass is always greener

Yesterday was day 17 in this blog challenge that I'd say I'm getting a C- for my effort.

Day 17 - things we look forward to. I try really hard to not wish away my days or think too much about when things 'will be better'. I don't want to wish away my life, I really try to enjoy every moment of it because I will never get this back. I will never be a 27-year-old semi-newlywed (when exactly are you no longer 'newly'?). I will never have a first year of being a school counselor again. I will probably miss this little house Ben and I live in right now when we move into a hopefully slightly-larger house one day. Things are wonderful, but I do look forward to a lot of things also!

Things I'm looking forward to:

1. A lifetime with Ben (I say this because WAY too often I hear older women say things like, "Well one day you'll be glad when your husband is out of town" or "You feel that way because you haven't been married long enough yet." I never want to feel this way and I pray I don't become someone who resents their spouse or wishes he was different. I hope that in 25, 40, 50 years I still love him the same I did when we got married (if not more!))
2. Being a mom.
3. Being an LPC.
4. Feeling like I know what I'm doing at work. (We're still hit or miss although I've excelled at acting and sounding like I know what I'm doing.)
5. Watching the rest of the Twilight movies!
6. Christmas music & Christmas Break!
7. Being debt-free.
8. Being a hobby-nutritionist counselor that makes professional birthday cakes when I retire. :)
9. Pay day tomorrow!
10. Auburn playing Saturday. We are going to cook out with a great friend and her new 'friend'. War Eagle!

Where we're going to live

Yes one day I will live in my dream house. Which brings us to day 16.... my DREAM house!

My dream house is on a lake.

With a beautiful view.

A huge deck!

The house doesn't necessarily have to be enormous, because I don't want a house too large that my family isn't up in each other's space. Nothing good comes from kids & teenagers being able to seclude themselves in a far corner for too long. Plus, less to clean! But I do want a huge yard and deck so we can stay outside and swim in the lake :)

We are in the slow process of getting closer to this dream. Yes, I said S-L-O-W....I told Ben that I would move to west Alabama (where both our jobs are now) if he bought me a lake lot. (I need SOME sort of incentive for our friends and family to come visit us, because we all know, us alone.... no one will come to the middle of nowhere to visit. We already live half way to nowhere and don't see anyone if we don't venture out to make sure everyone's alive. Add in a lake, boat and wave runner though.... they'll come visit! Plus, I would LOVE it :) We have the property Ben grew up on for sale and are patiently waiting for its new owner to discover it.

Its exciting, and makes me feel like an adult that we may actually one day live in a house we dreamed of. Fabulous.... ha!

Bible Verses

Day 15: Favorite Bible Verse

I don't really have one particular one, other than the typical ones that I recite to myself on a daily basis....
The two on the side of my screen:
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Isaiah 40:31
"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Romans 8: 28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

But last night while reading Matthew (I'm attempting to read the entire bible. I actually left that off my goals the other day. Sadly, I've never read the entire bible and someone suggested to me to start in the New Testament first and then read the Old Testament, so that is exactly what I'm doing. I just started a couple weeks ago, but better now than never! My goal is to just continue to move forward each day. Some days I get stuck on the same few lines and others I can read a few chapters at a time. I just want to make sure I'm really taking it in and not just reading to get through it.) I came across this verse:

Matthew 18: 19- 20 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

It just reminded me of the importance to pray together as husband and wife. Ben and I pray before every meal together and pray together at the church altar, but we don't actually just pray to pray together very often. Once in awhile over large things, but it really just reminded me that whatever is on his heart should be on my heart and vise versa in the name of the Lord.

I think equally it showed me the importance of praying FOR and WITH other people. We often say that we will pray for someone (and do!), but this verse really showed me the reason we do so rather than to just let God know what is on our hearts, but because God calls us to and he will answer us because WE asked!

The Lord is SO good!!!

A Picture I love

Day 14 - A picture I love:


This is my sweet nephew back when he was about 3. Ben and I took him down to my grandmother's house by ourselves for a week. We had the best time and I think this picture sums it up. I still have it on my fridge because he is just SO happy. I love that child.

Day 13: My Goals

When I think too much about my goals I get a bit overwhelmed. I'm the kind of person who wants to accomplish everything all at once, which is nearly impossible. I have to constantly remind myself that I do not have to do it all today. I can do some of it tomorrow, next month or even next year!

My goals (in no particular order):

to bring a positive change to my school (this in itself carries 10 or so goals)
to receive my LPC
to have children
to go back to school (again!) and get my Ed S. degree
to be healthy!
to be debt-free

Join in with Katie's 30-day blog challenge.

Day 12: What I Believe

I believe:

that God sent his only son to earth to die on the cross so that my soul could be saved.

and that we will not be truly happy and satisfied unless we trust solely in Him.

that people can change.

a positive attitude can change someone's life drastically.

Day 9: My Fears

I have fallen a day behind!!! I am doing my first testing as Building Test Coordinator at school this week so things are HECTIC! Thankfully its only testing for 1 grade, but it is still a lot to organize and get together so the teachers have everything ready and as easy as possible.

So my # 1 fear today is screwing up. I HATE getting in trouble with a passion. If I even think I'm in trouble or have done something wrong, tears are close behind. At the company I used to work for when they would intercom me to meet my two bosses in their office the tears would start before I even got there! And no I was never in trouble, but I hate disappointing people and messing up, it gives me such anxiety.

Day 9: A Picture of My Friends

Here's the thing. I don't have just one group of friends. In fact, most of my friends do not hang out together, they are people I've met along the way of going to 3 different universities, 2 different high schools and even since middle school when I moved to Alabama.

Adria and I have been best friends since we were 12. We lived a few houses a way from each other growing up, and had many late night meetings on the sidewalk outside our houses through middle & high school. She is definitely my longest friend I have.

Craig comes in a close 2nd to the longest friend. He was 'one of the girls' in middle school with Adria and I. They didn't stay friends, but he and I did have remained close. He also has an amazing wife and a precious little boy so things couldn't have worked out any better!

Aaron and I became friends in 9th grade and have drifted in and out in the past 13 years, but no matter how long goes between our talks, we're always back to where things left off.
Emily and I graduated in PR together from Auburn. She and I have been through lots of ups and downs (not in our friendship, but more in our lives together). Unfortunately she lives 4 hours away from me, but I love her to pieces and can't wait to see her in 3 weeks!!!

Two more of my best friends are my cousins. We became very close after Ivy's (right) wedding. I am so lucky to call them family AND friends :)

Amber and I met in the counseling program about 3 years ago. She and I really clicked. She has such compassion and is a really great person. We both graduated in school counseling and support each other so well (at least she does for me, I hope I offer the same back!) in what we do. I am so thankful to have her as a colleague AND friend!

Okay, so that is just some of them, but enough pictures. They are all wonderful and I have many more that are amazing people. I just don't have pictures with them all! (HALEY! Why do we not have pictures together?!) Anyways, I love each and every one of them, even the ones that I don't get to see often (sometimes its years before we get to meet for lunch or dinner).

I think that may be the hardest part of growing up. Settling down is wonderful, but I sure do miss meeting everyone at restaurants, swimming pools, cook outs, etc. I really look forward to weddings and reunions because I get to see everyone again!!

Day 8: A Place I Have Traveled

Fortunately for you, I just got back from Florida where I celebrated my grandmother's 80th birthday!!!

So Friday afternoon, I ran out of work at 3:15 so I could make it to the house by 3:50 and leave for the airport. My flight wasn't leaving until 6:35, but you never know with flying so we arrived at 5pm.

I met my dad and brother who quickly found the first bar with an open seat on the other side of security. I waited and waited for them to be ready and we rush down to the gate and see that we have a 2 hour delay!!! Fabulous!

2 hours of waiting, searching for a plug for my dad's laptop and trying to avoid the woman clipping her toenails in the floor down the isle from me.... ICK.

Anyways, we finally arrived by midnight, just in time to passout from exhaustion and get up the next morning ready to get everything ready for the party. My grandmother had an AMAZING time so it was worth every moment in the air and the drive back. Here are some pictures of her party and yes, it was a hat party.

My grandmother in the middle, her sister from Maryland and brother from Pennsylvania.

Jessica, Me & AvaMy grandmother & I

Then began the LONG ride home..... it started and ended with this:A very unhappy Ava.

But at least we rode back with these people!
Until this happened:
I'm so glad I'm back though, and today a HUGE meeting was crossed off my list. This week is also testing, so I'm glad to be able to check things off every day. I'm very much looking forward to Saturday though. It will mean that all of my million things I have to do this week are finished!

Day 7: Favorite Movies

I'm sitting here watching Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeaquel and am almost embarrassed to even type that.... My nephew turned it on and then left the room. I'm just too lazy tired to get up and change the channel.

This would NOT be one of my favorite movies, but I'll tell you a couple that are:

Hands Down: August Rush

If you have not seen this movie, go rent/download it immediately. It is a wonderful movie with a great ending (a requirement for any movie I watch, and yes I prefer to know ahead of time how things are going to end to be SURE that its not going to end horribly!)

I also still love Sex and The City The Movie #1 (NOT #2 - that one, terrible).


And my NEWEST favorite movie: Twilight
Yes, I finally gave in and watched Twilight because we have 3 months of free HBO again and I record as many movies as I can while its free so we have movies to watch for months. Well I fell in and am in love with Twilight like I never thought I would be. I have not watched the other ones yet, but can't wait.


Tomorrow: Day 8 - A place you have traveled, perfect day to tell you about my VERY fast trip down to Florida and back for my grandmother's 80th birthday party.

Sneak peak:

Day 5: My Siblings

Oh my siblings...

Well I have 2 brothers. Chris & Bryan. They are quite a bit to handle. Bryan is older than me by 2.5 years. He is married to Jessica who is expecting their 2nd, Bryan's 3rd child. He and I are not close now, although we were in high school. We actually hung out with a lot of the same people which was fun (can't complain about older boys!), but he still likes to reenact his glory days when he was king of every party, see example:


Bryan is a very hard worker too, he works at my dad's paint store and the two of them are two peas in a pod... grumbling and working their tails off the whole time, ha!

Chris is younger than me by 2.5 years. He is married to Emily and enlisted in the army back in February after he excelled socially in college. The army has been amazing for him and Emily. They are both living in Texas currently and from what I hear enjoying it. Chris really just needed some structure and guidance in his life. He had the desire to succeed, just had a hard time figuring out how.

Day 4: My Parents

My parents have been married for 34 years. They met at Florida State way back when. They were both volunteering at a drug rehab facility I think. How funny is that? My dad looked a lot different though. He had hair half way down his back and never went anywhere without his surfboard! My mom was a beauty queen. They both know how to have a good time and work harder than anyone I know.

Day 3: First Love

Day 3: First Love.

I am married now and have to honestly say that Ben is definitely the love of my life. I guess its hard to say that he was my first love though because I did have a couple long-term boyfriends before him that I did 'love' in a sense. The level of love and actually being IN-love was not quite comparable to my life now, but you get the point. (Do you even know what love is/can be at 14?)

My first boyfriend was in 9th grade. His name was TJ. He was also my first kiss. We were both 14 and I have to say that was a good age for a first kiss. I'm glad it wasn't anytime before then at least! We 'went out' for several months (although we really only went on group dates to the movies and other people's houses.... what else do you do at 14?) And we broke up when HIS best friend broke up with MY best friend and he thought it would be a good idea to do the same... sounds about right for 14 year olds.

Anyways, he and I stayed friends for a long time. I still love to run into him and catch up on his life although he lives in Georgia now. He is married to the girl he 'went out' with right after me. Funny huh? I guess at 15 they knew what love was.

The funniest part about this is that Ben was quite good friends with TJ way back when, and was in school with us both during this time. I just think it is so crazy the way things work out. God has such a plan!

Happy Wednesday!

Day 2 - Meaning Behind My (Blog) Name

I'm doing well, already on Day 2 of blogging!

Correction - meaning behind my BLOG name - ohh.... okay so new post. My blog name is a shortened pluaralized version of my last name actually. Its also what I tried to convince my husband to allow my last name to be when I got married. I mean how fun is Pinklet as a last name?? :) He did not agree...

Come join in with Katie's 30-Day Challenge!

Maybe I should come back. Day 1

I really still read your blogs, but have not blogged in a long time. I've even written blogs about not blogging, but the truth is, I don't want to blog because the only few things I really want to talk about aren't really blog material....counseling, family gossip and making babies!

So, Brittany is participating in Katie's 30-day Blog Challenge, and I need some NEW things to blog about and get back in the swing of things!

Day 1: Introduce, Recent Picture & 15 Interesting Facts.

Well, I'm D.P. - I am terrible at staying anonymous here, although I really try & want to be :) (mostly for job security purposes... I don't want any of the students or their parents to know about my personal life).

My picture I took today:
This was me trying to take a picture of me in my 'hat' for my mom. My grandmother's 80th birthday party is this weekend and I am VERY excited. Its in Florida, on the beach, at a bar, with an open-bar and the theme is crazy hats. Well I know this isn't exactly a 'hat' but its a headband that is hat-like. I also found a professional photographer down in Florida to come to the party, so I should have a lot of amazing pictures after this weekend (including more of this 'hat').

Here is what I am anxious about though... I'm flying down Friday night with my dad and brother, then Sunday I have to ride back in a car with my mom, dad, brother, pregnant sister-in-law, niece and nephew! I really don't know what makes me more anxious though, the flight down or the drive up! Way too many people for an 8-hour drive!

Onto 15 interesting facts: (Not sure how interesting I can get here)
1. I am a child of God and thank the Lord every day for the blessings he's given us.
2. I have been to Alaska twice.
3. I've hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
4. I love hot air balloons and blimps.5. I equally love convoys & groups of motorcycles on the road. Something about it just makes my day!6. I am a middle-school counselor and absolutely LOVE it. I really love that age (I think that in itself is probably unique).
7. I am working on my licensure in counseling as well as being a school counselor.
8. I have 22 first cousins (I hope I included them all because I actually thought there were more than that) and my husband has 4.
9. My mom had an IUD the entire time she was pregnant with me. (Its safe to say I was an unplanned pregnancy!)
10. I'm a mac.
11. I am an animal lover to the core. We have fostered many dogs, although right now I am out of the fostering business. Its quite stressful trying to train multiple dogs!
12. I want to be able to decorate cakes like a professional one day.
13. I didn't eat meat for 10 years and still struggle with it daily. I just really don't like it. I can stomach chicken and turkey bacon and that's about it.
14. I have a black thumb and can only keep cactus plants alive.
15. It took me an hour to come up with these 15 things. THAT'S how interesting I am.

This week is fall break, so I have Monday & Tuesday off! I love sleeping in :)