Not Me! Monday

Happy Monday, readers!

(Why does that seem like an oxymoron?)

Since I've been a bad blogger

and have not spent much time

updating the ol' blog lately,

I thought I'd dedicate today's post

to MckMama's Not Me! Monday

blog carnival,

because who doesn't love a carnival?!

Who would mention something

food-related in every Not Me! Monday post?

You guessed it... not me!

I sure haven't had a terrible diet lately.

I haven't indulged in pizza, pasta,

a Moe's burrito, Bojangle's breakfast biscuits,

and other carbolicious types of foods

all in the past week.

I am very conscious of my diet

and strive to stay in good shape.

Okay, now I'm starting to feel bad..

so maybe I'll back off

of that particular topic for now. :)

I am not also way too excited

for the second family of birds

that has moved into our little bird house

and for the teeny little babies

that tweet and chirp

when their momma bird

comes to feed them dinner.

Oh! And of course,

I am not super happy

that my stargazer lilies

have finally bloomed!

I don't go outside every day

just to check on them

and smell their pretty fragrance.

Pretty cool, right?

I planted those! Me! With my

very non-green thumb!

If I can do it, you can do it.

What have you not been up to lately?

Weekend to weekend

Since Justin's schedule

has him out of town

during the whole workweek,

I find myself living

weekend to weekend.

Monday thru Friday

is a bit of a blur

filled with work, and housework,

and lots of tv, Facebook, etc.

Some of it is boring tedium,

but there are good parts and bad parts.

I do, however, always look forward

to the weekend

when I can see my love

and we can enjoy a little

quality time with each other.

Saturdays are the best,

because it's really the only full day

we get together all week.

Today, we slept in,

went to Bojangle's for breakfast biscuits,

lazed around at home for a while,

went out to grab a quick lunch at Chick Fil A

and then to the theater to see Toy Story 3

(which was great, by the way!)

and finally, came home to relax some more.

He watched TV, and I fell asleep on the couch.

We watched the end of the USA/Ghana game

in the world cup. Heartbreaking finish,

but definitely captivating.

Grabbed a Little Caesar's pizza for dinner

(yes, our eating habits this weekend

were pretty terrible!)

and hung out some more.

Why can't every day be like this?

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thursday, readers!

Of course by now, you all know

the significance of Thursday.

It's Thankful Thursday!



Today, I am thankful

for the fact that this week

has gone by pretty quickly,

and that I've been

pretty productive

and on top of housework and such.

I love it when I don't let things

pile up too badly and get out of control,

so I can lay back and enjoy my weekend!

Today, I am thankful

for my stargazer lilies

that are so eager to bloom

into big, beautiful flowers.

I can't wait to see what they look like

in full bloom!

I am thankful

for my family,

who is in Arizona right now,

visiting Nana,

that they've had a safe trip,

and that they have had fun

along the way.

And, as always,

I am thankful

that my honey will be home

for the weekend!

His crazy work schedule

can be tough to deal with sometimes,

but he doesn't complain;

he just does what he needs to do

and comes home to love on me

whenever he gets the chance.

I'm so lucky

to have a husband

as awesome as my Justin.

What are you thankful for

on this Thankful Thursday?

Sour Cream Banana Bread

In case you're looking for

a good summer recipe,

try THIS sour cream banana bread!

I had a few over-ripe bananas

that I wanted to use,

and not just throw away.

I found this recipe via google,

and at first, I was surprised

at its lack of spices

(my favorite breads

usually have an abundance

of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, etc.)

but I followed the recipe anyway,

and it turned out quite well!

I made mine without nuts,

but I'm sure it would have been good

with those, too.

If you're looking for a nice,

sweet, moist bread

to eat for breakfast

or even with dinner,

you should try this one!

I give it two thumbs up. :)

For Dad

"My father didn't tell me how to live;

he lived, and let me watch him do it."

Clarence Budington Kelland

***

The man of integrity walks securely,

but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

Proverbs 10:9

I'm so lucky to have a dad

who practices what he preaches

and lives with the kind of integrity

that I wish I had more of.

A dad who isn't afraid to say,

"I'm really proud of you,"

or "I'm praying for you,"

or "you did a great job."

I am so very lucky.

I love you, Dad!

Happy Father's Day

to the best daddy

in the whole wide world!

Thankful Thursday

In honor of Thankful Thursday,

I thought it might be fun

to write a little

Thankful Thursday poem.

Because, let's face it:

rhyming is fun.

Don't you agree?

Today, I am thankful

for the sun in the sky;

for my God, and my family

and my favorite guy.

I'm thankful for love,

and I'm thankful for warmth

and I'm also thankful

for summertime storms.

Today, I am thankful

that I'm in good health;

I'm thankful that I haven't been

spoiled by wealth.

I'm thankful for the roof

that's over my head;

for the food that I eat,

for my warm, comfy bed.

Today, I am thankful

for YOU, dear friend,

because without you,

Thankful Thursdays would end.

You see, relationships matter the most,

and not things or possessions-

I'll only ever boast

about the people who love me

and make life worthwhile.

And that's why, dear reader,

YOU make me smile.

Happy Thankful Thursday!

What are YOU thankful for?

Yesterday, in Pictures

Words don't even do justice, so enjoy the pictures!

And if you're ever in Myrtle Beach,

go see these amazing creatures for yourself!

What a once in a lifetime experience.

I'm so glad we were able to do this :)

http://myrtlebeachsafari.com/

Friday Fill-ins

1. Summer sunshine feels great.
2. The solution is to pray. Always pray.
3. Right now I feel like I could fall asleep.
4. How about we shut down early today.
5. Marriage is something I highly recommend!
6. Imagine a world without hatred or evil.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to heading to the beach, tomorrow my plans include getting up close and personal with some endangered species and Sunday, I want to go to church, and then relax!

Thankful Thursday

We've made it, boys and girls!

We are finally almost to Friday.

But, let's not forget about Thursday...

especially because Thursday

is a great day to be thankful.

Today, I am thankful

for flip flops,

and popsicles,

and the little things

that make southern summers

(or, well... late springs)

enjoyable.

I am thankful for fun weekend plans,

and for my awesome in-laws

who are making them possible.

I am thankful, as always,

for my sweet husband.

For our home,

and the life that we have built together.

I am thankful for the future,

and for all the hope that it brings.

What are you thankful for?

In a Nutshell

After having a TIA, or mini-stroke,

Nana is recovering amazingly well.

She celebrated her 84th birthday this week,

and got to spend it with both of her kids

(one of whom happens to be my dad).

I am so, so glad

that things have turned out

as well as they have.

***

My little brother has been

in Egypt the past few weeks,

and will be home soon.

I am so incredibly

excited that he has gotten

such a cool opportunity!

***

And speaking of opportunities,

this weekend

Justin and I will be going

to Myrtle Beach

to meet some amazing animals

including some endangered species

and to go on a "safari."

I am super excited

and will definitely share pictures

as soon as we have them!

***

I've been talking more

to my family

via the phone, Facebook,

and any other form

of communication

you can imagine.

They are all so great,

and I am so lucky

to have such an amazing

group of people in my life!

***

In a nutshell:

I am happy.

I am blessed.

I love my life.

Not Me! Monday

Guess what I haven't done?

I sure haven't gotten slack

with the whole "Not Me Monday" thing.

Even though I love writing NMM posts,

and I love me some MckMama,

I've definitely been slacking.

So, without further ado...

I most certainly know

the value of a good, healthy meal,

and I would never eat

unhealthy, calorie-filled,

Americanized Mexican food

four times in a week.

Nope, not me!

And even if I were going to

eat four delicious, unhealthy meals

within a week's time,

I definitely would never

eat chips and salsa

with three of those meals.

Oh... I would never slather things

in sour cream, either. ::blush::

What can I say?

I really like Mexican food. :)

Something cute on a Sunday :)

Thankful Thursday

Is it really Thursday already?

Seems like just yesterday I was

wondering when Monday would be over.

And now, here we are, and it's almost Friday!

Thursday is a great day,

because on Thursdays, I like to share

some of the things I'm thankful for.

It's fun to look back at other

Thankful Thursday posts

and remember all the wonderful

blessings in my life.

There really is so much

to be thankful for!

Today, I am thankful

that my Nana seems to be recovering well

after having a TIA, or mini-stroke.

I am thankful that my dad is able

to spend some time with her in Phoenix

and to help organize her home

and be a blessing to his mom and sister.

***

Today, I am thankful

for my family-away-from-home

who invite me

to impromptu pool parties,

go out to dinner with me,

and talk and laugh about whatever.

***

I am thankful for the rain

and the awesome spring storms

we've been having lately,

and for the big, bright sun today,

and for my lilies that are getting so tall.

For all these things and more...

I am so, so thankful. :)

Things I'm loving right now

Is it ironic that I included

both a Weight Watchers dessert

and s'mores together?

Well, I'm sorry but I love them both!

There is nothing like a little

something sweet on a hot day!

Well... sweet things are pretty great

on cold days, too, come to think of it.

Really, I guess I just have a massive sweet tooth. :)